This shot is from the top of the fire tower on Mount Sterling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park looking east over North Carolina. The day before this, I hiked just over 6 miles and gained over 4000 feet of elevation in that time, carrying all my camera gear and camping gear. What a climb, but well worth it for views and a sunrise like this. I almost did not get out of the hammock, as it was so cozy. Fortunately I did.
I get to see the Salacoa Valley in North Georgia on a regular basis. That means sights like this are not out of the norm. During the spring and fall, there is usually a thick fog that flows along the creek and fills the valley. I ran across it on this morning just before the sun came up.
The past few days have been cold. The first of the week was rainy, which was just the leading edge of the cold front and then the temperature dropped. I shot this one morning when there was a good frost on the ground. It was so cold that the morning sun rays could not cause the frost to melt. Being selfish, I want this weather to stay around. I’m sure it will not be for too long.
Unfortunately, this photo was taken about a month before fall officially started. However, it felt like a fall day. This is one of my favorite drives near home. This is along the Salacoa valley in North Georgia. During the summer, the sun rises just behind the farm house. If you don’t believe in the tilt of the earth, just pay attention to the sunrise along this road. Within a couple months, the sun goes from rising on the left side of the road to the right side of the road as seen from this vantage. Makes for some interesting photos throughout the year.
15 minutes is all the difference in great colors during sunrise and sunset. However, if you miss that magical time, all is not lost. I missed some amazing pinks and purples by about 15 minutes and almost did not stop for this shot. The low angle of the sun really made the clouds stand out. I just wish it had been about a week and a half earlier so I could have gotten the fall leaf colors.
Over the last couple of years, I have passed this gate on a fairly regular basis. I was kinda surprised when I saw the owners out several months ago putting up new fence (barbed wire) and fixing the gate posts. Fortunately, updating the fence did not take away any from the beautiful sunrises I get to see occasionally.
On of the good things about having such a cool spring has been the abundance of foggy mornings. The amount and thickness of the fog has not been that great, but most mornings it has been there. I caught this just as the fog was burning off one morning at sunrise.
I was driving down the road the other morning and noticed this barn. The light was shining just right to leak through the trees and light up just a small area. If only the light rays would have been there this time.
This is another morning sunrise shot on a creek near home. The road runs right by this little waterfall. Every time I drive by here, I want to stop and take photos. Maybe I will make time one day soon.
I ran across this cow the other day just before sunrise. It was unaffected by my presence and let me get w few shots just before sunrise. Maybe he was just waiting for the sun to burn off the fog in the valley below him?
