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.

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

The Mountain Laurel and rhododendron were still blooming.

 

 

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

 

We love the smoky Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

We planted some new flowers on our lot.

The hydrangea was gorgeous.

August

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

 

Rock hunting, gold detecting.

wild life and wild flowers

The deer loved the soybean fields.

 

September

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

 

waterfalls

sunsets and mountain views

October

Happy Fall Y’all

The fall colors were starting and the temps were dropping.

Fontana Dam, North Carolina

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

 

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.

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

 

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

 

 

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. 

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

There is a beautiful waterfall just off the Cherohala Skyway.

 

 

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

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

 

 

It’s almost Halloween so there are pumpkins everywhere.

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

Halloween night brought snow!

 

Someone made a snowman.

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

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.

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.  :)