Walking on Water--Almost!

A few weeks ago, we traveled down to Picket State Park in Tennessee. It has become one of my top places to hike and photograph nature.

The weather forecast called for upper 50's; nice after weeks of cold and snow !
There was snow covering the ground and to my surprise, the lake was frozen over!

walking on water

Some people were walking over it. It was a strange site to see; warm temperatures and a frozen lake.

My boyfriend ventured out on the ice and it didn't crack. He was walking on water, so to speak.
I also ventured out but not as far.

It was beautiful to see the reflections from the trees and stone banks on the opposite side.
We hiked on the snowy trails and experienced cold ravines
and then on top of hot ridges. We came upon a frozen waterfall and stopped to take a some photos. It was frozen solid!

The natural arch was melted and so warm, that I had to remove two layers of clothing.

What a wonderful way to spend a winters day. Walking in tee shirts and photographing icy waterfalls.What a site!
It's a treat to get a warm day in the middle of the coldest winter Kentucky

has seen in many years. We took advantage of it and came away with some great shots. I always take along my Nikon on these hikes. You never know what you'll find.

The Unexpected Snow

Sunny start to our hike at Pickett Park

Hiking is a fun way to get exercise and see mother nature. Sometimes we're lucky enough to capture a memorable experience.
While hiking in Pickett Park, Tennessee this winter, the clouds rolled in and it began to flurry.  Quickly the sun would pop out and warm up. This happened numerous times throughout the day so I wasn't worried.

As the afternoon sun disappeared once more, the it flurried and quickly grew into fat flakes. The wind picked up and now a horizontal blast was hitting our faces.

I was bundled up in three layers but had on sneakers and very wet, wool gloves. This wasn't fun anymore. My fingers were frozen and my toes were numb so we rushed to finished the 5 mile hike.

Pickett Park Arch

As always, my boyfriend was taking photos and the one was of me as the snow started to cover me up.

frozen to the bone

My camera was in its carrying case but not covered in plastic so I worried about it as well.
Finally after an hour and frozen stiff, we made it back to the car, very wet and cold.

I took  some nice photos that day but the reality of the drive home hit and so dampened my spirit a bit.

Hiking in all seasons can be fun and exhilarating. it can also become a near disaster if we get lost in the woods during an unexpected storm. Be sure to take a GPS along or compass, if anyone still uses these.

frozen lake at Pickett Park,TN

Giants in the Woods

If you go hiking much, there are times you'd swear someone was watching.
Yes, there are sounds and unexplained noises ,but sometimes your eyes can play tricks on you.
We were walking along a train near the Blue Heron Mining camp near Stearns KY. 
You can drive down to it or take the train from the depot.

We drove to the Mining Camp and walked across the foot bridge into the woods.
There are nice wooden foot bridges and paths all maintained by the Sheltowee Trail club.
I crossed the bridge and looked up and though the mossy group of rocks and boulder was staring at me!
Yeah, sometimes fatigue can get the better of me,but I snapped the photo and was amused by what I saw.

I see a green giant glaring at me from a sitting position and know others have too from their comments on my other sites.
How many times have any of us  had this experience and didn't tell anyone?
Now look and tell me what what you see.