Save Me - Take Me to The Trees

Sometimes - you just have to drop everything and run away for a day - take a break.

And that's just exactly what Hubby and I did - last Wednesday.

We drove up to Cherokee National Park to dust out all the cobwebs from our brains on River Road - and hike up to the top of Bald River Falls.

While we were on the bridge so I could get that shot of the Falls - I turned around to the other side of the bridge - and found this.

Believe it or not - with all that 10 acres we own - and all the countryside we travel around - almost on a daily basis around here - THIS GUY - is the VERY FIRST Honey Bee we have seen this year - so far.  And he was in the park.

Best advice I can give any female before heading up to this part of the country - Don't bother with the make-up.  And bring a hand towel.

( I actually used hair spray this day!  The brand my Grandma Casteel used back in the late 80's.  It was called " Vavoom ". )

If you want to enjoy yourself - smile - and have fun getting to the top of these falls - do not wear any make-up.  This blouse would be a different color today - had I worn make-up when we went up there.

I know this for a fact.  There is a blouse that left the relationship we shared - several years ago - all because - I wore make-up.

Yeah.  Been there.  Done that.  Trashed the T-shirt.  The humidity is worse than down on the Gulf Coast.  And one of my favorite shirts paid the price.

And - he paid the price for bringing me up here on this day.  It almost killed him to sit here and let me get a few shots of him.

Only a few - literally.  I shot three!  * sigh.... *  " Sheesh... don't go wuss on me now. " ( eyes rolling )

Had to look very hard to find anything beyond the color of green.  I was a little pissed.

Note to self - " The Mountain Laurel blooms in Cherokee National Park a lot sooner than in The Great Smoky Mountains' Cades Cove. "

Hubby says this has to be one of the trees that the logging companies missed.  It was absolutely huge - impossible to get even one-third of it into a single shot.

Hubby had to stand behind me - while I bent as far backwards as I could - to get this shot of the top of that tree.


We were on a trail.  There was nothing but - cliff - on the other side of the trail.

Still not quite all the way to the top - yet.  But that didn't stop me from wanting to jump in.

I was sweatin' like a plastic mug full of ice water out on a sidewalk in Tucson in the middle of July at 8:30 in the morning!  ( Inside joke - if you've never been there. )

And this time - as well - I forgot to bring a hand towel.

That won't happen next time.  But I'll wear make-up.  NO... just kidding.

Finally !  We've reached the closest spot at the top where you can get this shot.  Look carefully.  You'll see the bridge - and the very spot where I stood to get the first photo.

Take about 15 steps further up - can't see the bridge any longer.

Our first view after reaching the top.

The river bends back to the right from here.  But...

To get this shot - we had to climb - UP.  And we did not attempt to go any further - for a very specific reason.

Besides the fact that we did not have proper supplies for intense hiking - this is a part of the park that has been known to have begun seeing an increase in bear population.

This is the very area where - a couple years ago - a family was camping nearby.  A mother and her little girl - I think she was about 5 years old - were attacked by a bear - on the very trail where we were hiking.

The little girl died.  The mother was hospitalized for several months - and continues to recover.

This - is what happens when you feed the bears.

We love running away to the trees to escape the madness when we get a chance - and paying attention to even the smallest of nature's beauty.

But we do it with total respect and reverence for our natural wonders - as well as ourselves.

( Believe it or not - this little gem is actually smaller than the little yellow ones shown above ! )

We take our time - so we don't miss little living bits of treasure like this tiny climbing vinca.  The leaves on this plant are only about the size of a pinto bean.  It's nestled within tiny moss here.

Okay - sooooo - every once in a while - we may have to piss off little ones like this tiny fart - just to get him to stick his horns out so we can get a shot of 'em!

But we use our common sense and all the other parts of our brains to keep our butts safe and sound - so we can get shots like this - while we're driving out of the park and heading home.

Yeah - even the shots with the radio antenna for the pickup smashed right in the center of the photo.

If you know me well enough - then you already know - there are even more photos.  And you can find them below!

Cherokee National Park