I am so excited to announce my 2019 Calendar. I wanted to take some time here to just give you a background on where these pictures were taken. I didn't get to travel a lot this year, so most of my pictures are local pics and pics from the mountains where I mostly ended up visiting.
COVER PHOTO
One of my favorite places to visit is the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is especially beautiful during the fall season when the leaves have turned the beautiful colors. Fall is my favorite season. One of my goals is to drive the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. I took this pic when I pulled off onto the side of the road along the parkway. It was just a beautiful drive.
JANUARY
Living in the south, we do not see that much snow. For me, I love a good snow at least once each season. This past year, we actually had some snow and it lasted for a few days. This picture is taken at one of our local parks Jeffries Creek here in my hometown.
FEBRUARY
I have come to love this local park in Hartsville a town about 40 minutes from where I live. This park is so peaceful and it is a beautiful place to watch the sunset. I do not get over here often, but I love when I get the chance to come and just take a break from life and enjoy God's creation.
MARCH
If you ever get to go to the mountains of NC, you must visit Grandfather Mountain. This place is spectacular. Plan to spend at least a half a day here. Stop at the wildlife observation area and check out the bears, cougars, and other animals they have there. This area is where the bears live. You used to be able to feed the bears and they were so entertaining, but they have stopped that now due to the bear's health.
APRIL
I often find myself chasing the sunset. A sunset is different every single day. On this particular evening, I was downtown Florence and saw an opportunity to capture a spectacular sunset. My hometown has been working hard over the last few years to revitalize our downtown area. This is our local college's Performing Arts Center. We have had many artists perform here from Travis Tritt to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
MAY
This picture is another result of chasing the sunset. I chose this pic for May because it is a picture from our local National Cemetery. In May, we observe Memorial Day. I can never be grateful enough for all of the soldiers who served our military to fight for my freedom. There are so many sacrifices they had to make in order for me to have the life that I have here in America. All gave some, some gave all. Thank you for your service.
JUNE
This summer, I was in need of a trip to the mountains. I took a couple of days off to just go up to my "happy place" and see what I could find. I was driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway (no surprise there) and we saw the sunset over this beautiful field off the mountain. This location is near the Blowing Rock, NC. I pulled off to the side and got out to snap some pictures. I think it is one of my favorites from this year.
JULY
I did not get to travel a lot this year to explore. Life just had other plans. Mostly, I visited the mountains a few times. But who does not love a good mountain view? This picture was taken from the porch of the Moses H. Cone Manor near Blowing Rock, NC. It is a beautiful home that was built up on the mountain years ago and is now a place you can visit. The porch has rocking chairs and you can sit on the porch and just enjoy this amazing view of the mountain.
AUGUST
Here in SC we have some beautiful state parks. I have been trying to visit them all. This picture was taken at Sesquicentennial State Park near Columbia, SC. It is a great place to visit with your family. They have a playground, a picnic shelter, and a beautiful trail around the lake. It was a beautiful day when we got to visit.
SEPTEMBER
Blowing Rock is a beautiful town in NC. I took this pic at Bass Lake a local park in the town. They have a trail around the entire lake and many people come here to run or walk. I wrote about the Manor house in the July picture here for the calendar. You can actually see the house from the lake and when you are up on the porch, you can look down and see Bass Lake. I think this has become my favorite spot in Blowing Rock.
OCTOBER
Last fall, I went with my sister and her family to the mountains for a few days. On our way up there, it rained. After we got our stuff in the house we were renting, the rain finally stopped. We went out on the front porch and saw the most magnificent view. The colors had popped so vividly after the rainstorm. You can faintly see it in the picture, but there is a rainbow over the mountain. I think the mountains are my pot of gold.
NOVEMBER
Another one of our state parks is Landsford Canal State Park in Catawba. This beautiful state park lies along the Catawba River in SC. Each year they are home to the Rocky Mountain Spider Lilly in bloom. I hope to be able to get up that way sometime to catch some pics of those flowers.
The park has picnic shelters, a log cabin where the state park store is located, and trails to explore. The last time I was there, I saw a couple getting their wedding portraits done.
DECEMBER
When our snow storm began this year, we left work early. I took a few minutes to stop by our local park to snap a few pictures of the snowfall. This building is the old Henry Timrod Schoolhouse that is now located in our local park Timrod Park. I think it is such a beautiful serene setting.
I hope you enjoyed the stories behind the pictures. Order my 2019 calendar today.