Let There Be Light

There's a train at Steele Creek Park, in Bristol TN, that can be enjoyed by the young, the old and those who look for great photo opportunities.  This was one such occasion...  (see previous post for directions and information about the park)

Outdoor Dreamscape

The Wier Dam, on the South Holston River in Bristol, TN sits nestled between picturesque mountains.  It's an easy to find and very accessible place to go hiking, fishing, picnicking, looking for photo ops or an escape to nature.  It also boasts as home to my beloved Osceola Island.

The dam does release a lot of water very fast so prior to venturing out, it's advisable to check the water release schedule here (it's updated daily).  It you want to hear what it sounds like when being released, you can do that here.   Use caution and common sense first, and this is a beautiful and enjoyable place to visit.

The Bridge to Osceola Island

Osceola Island in Bristol, TN is beautiful. It's my home away from home. It's one of the places I escape to - and never go without my camera. There's nature, a 1.5 mile long trail around the island, a picnic area, fishing and water - lots of it (there is also the Wier Dam -another post). To me, it's Paradise.

Directions: From 421 in Bristol, turn right onto Emmett Rd. After about 2.5 miles, the road forks - bear to the right. You will drive straight into it. If you visit here, please remember to respect mother nature - take nothing you didn't bring and leave nothing you did.

Virginia Bluebell

The Virginia Bluebell is a spring woodland flower that can be found in Virginia and Eastern Tennessee.  It's a perennial with purple and pink blooms.  I found it blooming in abundance on a path near Holston Lake in Bristol TN,  kissed by an early morning dew. 

Frequently Overlooked Beauty

Just as you cross over the Holston View Rd bridge in Sullivan County, on the way to Osceola Island,  if you will look to your right (as opposed to being drawn to the left, as most everyone is) you will behold hidden beauty.  All you have to do is notice it.  There is so little traffic out that way if you go early in the morning, that you can actually stop on the bridge and enjoy both views. 

Kiawanis Club Sponsored Carnival in Bristol, TN

The carnival is in town! The carnival is in town! It's in the Big Lots parking lot on Volunteer Parkway in Bristol, TN and will stay around until Sunday May 2, 2010 barring rain. Yeah, I'm a big kid. I love carnivals (and yes, I still ride the rides and get just as much thrill out of them as I did when I was 8 years old) and I love colors. There is no better place in the world than a little local carnival to entice all the senses at once - colors, sounds, smells and (the anticipation, wait, thrill, fun) excitement abound. Sometimes we all need to let that kid inside have a little fun... and snap off a few fun shots while we are at it.

South Holston River Bluff City, TN

This was an image taken on the South Fork of South Holston River.  The editing effect is a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range) editing, where several pictures are taken of the same thing with multiple exposure settings. Then, the images are merged together and the result is a very surrealistic effect where all parts of the image are 1) in perfect exposure and 2) very saturated so the image 'jumps' off the page.