Thursday, January 01, 2015

2014 Recap – Part 2

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida (high 75, low 58)

This is part two of our 2014 year end recap. We need to stay close to the Tampa area because of my elderly Mother, so we only traveled between the Florida Keys, the Tampa bay area, and the north Georgia mountains, with day trips to North Carolina and Tennessee.

 

July

The second half of 2014 brought us back to our rv lot in Blairsville, Georgia.  We got settled into our beautiful spot and started enjoying the cooler mountain weather.

 

We planted flowers in the window boxes and all around the lot.

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Our good friends Ralph and Terry rented our other site for a month and we enjoyed spending time with them.

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The Mountain Laurel and rhododendron were still blooming.

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The Goldfinch were thick and in full summer breeding color.  Despite being well fed at the feeders, the little devils preferred the zinnias in my planter boxes.  grrrrrr

gold finch 

We love the smoky Blue Ridge Mountains.

Rivers Edge II, clouds on mountain 

We planted some new flowers on our lot.

Rivers Edge lot

Rivers Edge lot

The hydrangea was gorgeous.

Rivers Edge lot

August

Still in the mountains.   Lots of mountain fairs, waterfalls, lakes, mountains and golf cart rides.

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Rock hunting, gold detecting.

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wild life and wild flowers

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The deer loved the soybean fields.

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flowers

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September

We got some cool weather beginning in September and did more hiking.

Bear Hair Gap Trail, Vogel State Park, Blairsville, Georgia

 

Bear Hair Gap Trail, Vogel State Park, Blairsville, Georgia

Bear Hair Gap Trail, Vogel State Park, Blairsville, Georgia

waterfalls

http://florida-georgiacamping.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-scare-on-high-shoals-trail.html

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Toccoa Falls

sunsets and mountain views

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October

Happy Fall Y’all

October decor at Rivers Edge

The fall colors were starting and the temps were dropping.

view from Brasstown Bald, Georgia

Fontana Dam, North Carolina

Fontana Dam

Fontana Dam

Fontana Dam

We made a day trip to Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and visited Cades Cove.

Scenic overlook North Carolina 

Out route to GSMNP took us over the “Tail of the Dragon”, which is a famous motorcycle route.  Sure glad we weren’t in the motorhome.

Tail of the Dragon

There was beauty everywhere at Cades Cove, but only one quick glimpse of a bear…and no photos.

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Cades cove

 

A fall foliage drive on the Cherohala skyway (between NC and TN)

 

Fall colors

Fall colors

 

Finding fall color is tricky. It doesn’t all change at the same time.  There will be a patch of green trees, and around the next curve, it will look like this.  Some areas turn earlier and it doesn’t seem to be due to elevation. 

Fall colors

and as you gain elevation, it may look like this around the next corner. 

Fall colors

There is a beautiful waterfall just off the Cherohala Skyway.

 

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We were lucky enough to watch two young boys kayak over the waterfall.

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Another day trip to Chattanooga Tennessee, to  Ruby Falls and Rock City.

 

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It’s almost Halloween so there are pumpkins everywhere.

Burts Farm, pumpkin patch, Dawsonville, GA

A fall visit to the sunflower fields was a photographers delight.

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Halloween night brought snow!

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Someone made a snowman.

Al with snowman

The snow didn’t last long, but it was fun since we’re Floridians and don’t see it often.

Rivers Edge lot 49 fall color

November

It was getting pretty cold in the mountains, so we decided to head back to Florida.

We spent most of the month with family and taking care of doctor visits.

December

After a summer in the mountains, we felt the need to see the ocean.

Honeymoon Island

Fred Howard Park beach

We ended the month with Al’s rotator cuff surgery.  The patient is doing well now, after a few issues that seem to have resolved.

We’re hoping to head to the Keys sometime in February, but it will depend on Al’s physical therapy.

2014 was a great year.  My New Years resolution for 2015 is to spend less time with my electronics!   And I’m going to start just as soon as I post this and check Facebook.  :)

12 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, enjoy the wonderful warmer weather.

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  2. Love that little Deer in the soybean field. Big eyes & as cute as a button. All the best to you folks in the coming year.

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  3. Very nice recap! Glad Al is mending well.

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  4. I have always liked looking at jewel weed blooms, and you got a very nice shot of them.

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  5. Hope your year ahead it great! Thanks for sharing those wonderful pictures of your adventures.

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  6. Thanks for sharing such beautiful photos. Hope the patient is recovering nicely. Happy New Year,

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  7. What a nice review! Hope Al continues to do well..Eldy is having trouble with his shoulder, but after hearing of Al's difficulties, he thinks he will just deal with it! Happy New Year!

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  8. A good year, hope you enjoy 2015 asmuch! HappyNew Year.

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  9. Great Year in Review!! Hope Al continues to heal well and you get to enjoy yourselves in The KEY!!!

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  10. Love your resolution. LOL. Your first pictures in the mountains in September are terrific. Happy New Year to you both. Really hope Al's shoulder will recover quickly and that he won't ever have to do this again. 3rd time is the charm right?

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  11. Wow! That was a really intimate day, with a glimpse of those vintage heavy duty vehicles. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to drive cross-country with them as well, but for now the RV is such a blessing in and of itself, by virtue of how simply multi-functional it is. So, kudos to you for having acquired one that is so right for you. Thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures! All the best!

    Cristina Hamilton @ Mount Comfort RV

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