Haywood County

In a previous post, I explained why a “blood moon” eclipse is tinted red… this image of a sunrise might explain it a little better. This was taken at the East Fork Overlook at milepost 418.3 along the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the tripod, the camera was at an elevation of nearly exactly 5,000 feet… that makes the horizon where the Sun popped up roughly 85 miles away from the lens. This was shot fullframe with a 400 mm lens, so the distance is compressed, but it shows the effect of denser atmosphere concerning the penetration of sunlight.

Officially, according to the European Space Agency, Earth’s atmosphere extends to 60 miles straight overhead. The atmosphere consists of gasses, mostly nitrogen and oxygen, water vapor, and dust. On a clear day, sunlight when the Sun is at zenith is not merely white but scattered throughout the color spectrum. The reason a leaf on a tree is green is because that leaf absorbs all wavelengths of light except green, which is reflected. The sky is blue not because it’s reflecting blue, but rather that it absorbs only blue light and is transparent… of all the colors, blue has the shortest wavelength of visible light. All the longer wavelengths just shoot right through.

Looking directly to the horizon as in this image, the depth of the atmosphere is nearly 145 miles… more atmosphere absorbs more light, yet the longer wavelength of red light easily affects the visible light of this sunrise. The red band on the Sun is due to a layer of vapor in the distance which scatters just about all visible light but red. Red pouring off that Sun sitting on the distant ridge looks quite like a beacon… it’s bright enough that the fog between mountaintops is reflecting it a bit. Other than evident vapor in the air to the east, there was no cloud cover in that direction on this morning. There’s a steep cliff to my back as I shot this, so I couldn’t tell about cloud coverage in that direction… but if there were clouds in that direction, they would have reflected the deep red light apparent here, and perhaps even more as they would be even further from the horizon. I hope this makes sense.

I took advantage of one of the few wet and overcast days I had in the mountains this fall to photograph some interesting falling water throughout the Pisgah Forest. It's high enough here at Second Falls that what you may perceive as fog in this image is actually clouds... which made for some interesting hiking through here. Second Falls is located in an area called Graveyard Fields. While that name may seem a bit gruesome, its roots have nothing to do with the funereal. One theory holds that many years ago a tremendous windstorm uprooted the spruce forest, leaving behind stumps that gave the area the appearance of a graveyard. Another speculation is that logging in the early 20th century left tree stumps resembling gravestones. In 1925, fires swept through the area, destroying the stumps and scorching the soil enough to render it sterile. The forest has been slow in recovering, leaving beautiful fields that are now open for wilderness camping.

On this day, however, the park service had cancelled all camping permits at Graveyard Fields because of an increase of bear activity. I had never seen that to happen in all my years here. So, you might think that hiking through here might be a little iffy too, though there was nothing to worry about. If I had encountered a bear, it likely would have been on the run with bear hounds hot behind it... bear hunters were the only other ones in the parking lot, keeping watch on their dogs.

The pool at the bottom of the falls has accumulated boulders, leaving that pool at so many levels that cascade off in so many directions... that's kind of how I feel at this time of year, with so much to be done before Christmas and the end of the year, as well. But that's the way it has always been, and I feel I'm not alone in that. I've learned to thrive in stressful times throughout the years. How are you doing? I hope you're doing quite well, and if I don't hear from you beforehand, find some joy in this Christmas season!

Second Falls can be seen from a distance right off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 418.5

Physics has always been of interest to me. That may be because I know how many things work, and physics gives the understanding of how everything in nature works. I can repair most anything, from cars, to computers, to plumbing, to electrical systems, and even air conditioners… my wife is quite happy about that. Likely more because of a touch of ADD than straight out insanity, I’ve never had a fear of trying new things… a sense of wonder has always drawn me further into many things that others have dreaded to tread… “dread”, “tread”, it’s a gift, I don’t talk about it much.

Have you ever truly watched young children at play? They dwell in wonder! Yet, as they grow older, that sense of wonder tapers, sometimes to the point that it disappears altogether to a jaded disposition of adulthood. Someone once humorously quipped that life consists of four stages. In the first stage, we believe in Santa Claus. At the second stage, we no longer believe in Santa Claus. The third stage is when we find out that we are Santa Claus. The fourth and final stage has arrived when we look like Santa Claus. Some years ago, I was in a church choir in Cedar Grove, North Carolina, and sat next to a local farmer who not only was a professional Santa Claus, but was also the spitting image of the classic Coca-Cola Santa Claus… so I am still in that first stage in life! Occasionally, “Santa” would fall asleep during the sermon and start to snore, understandably so at that particular church. I always woke him gently, so as not to be on the “naughty list”.

Have you wondered about wonder? Wonder is that place of the mind that charms the emotions while never conceding reason. It is a grasp on reality that does not need constant highs to be preserved, nor is it weakened by the low points of life’s struggle. It sees in the ordinary the extraordinary, and it finds in the extraordinary the reaffirmations for what it already knows. Wonder interprets life through the eyes of eternity while enjoying the moment, but never lets the momentary vision exhaust the eternal. Wonder makes life’s enchantment real and knows when and where enchantment must lie. Wonder knows how to read the shadows because it knows the nature of light. Wonder knows that while you cannot look at the light you cannot look at anything else without it. It is not exhausted by childhood but finds its key there. It is a journey like a walk through the woods, over the usual obstacles, and around the common distractions while the voice of direction leads, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21 KJV). Wonder cannot help but sing… even nature recognizes that.

Here, from an image taken in 2015, some favorite familiar objects stand out in wonderful ways… the extraordinary in the ordinary, yet to me, it’s never ordinary. That’s a bit of Second Falls there as seen directly from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 418.5… it's a good bet I'll make a stop here every fall and frame a shot with these three brilliant maples in the foreground. Just beyond the falls is Graveyard Fields, where the first of autumn colors are most prevalent in early October. I know how this works, too… the sun no longer beats down on this landscape as it did throughout summer and the nights become longer and much cooler. Eventually, the ground temperatures drop, triggering the autumnal effects on the leaves of a myriad of flora. The color that first appears at Graveyard Fields (elevation 5120 feet, or 1560 meters) drops in elevation about 100 feet per day. Knowing, however, only deepens my sense of wonder at this beautiful wall of fall (as I said, it’s a gift).

Fall colors have been slow in coming this year with warmer nights in the mountains. Hurricane Michael is bearing down to this region from the gulf as well, so many here are hoping the leaves won’t soon be gone with the wind. By the way, this year has seen Hurricanes with my mother’s name, Florence, my wife’s name, Joyce, and now one with my name. What’s up with that? I wonder.

"The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives." Albert Einstein

I’m with Albert on this issue… have you ever truly watched young children at play? Theirs is a world of wonder, where they make up one adventure after another. Much to the dismay of many a parent, they must “grow up”, and often, a line is drawn between wonder and reality… and that’s a shame.

Are you familiar with the notion of NOMA? That’s an acronym for Non-Overlapping MAgisteria, a notion brought to us by well-meaning scientists who tend to be very narrow in their scope… in other words, God-less. In simplest terms, what it states is that in conditions where science and theology intersect, you must always side with science. Really? Who makes that decision? Empirical Science came about because of the Queen of the Sciences, Theology. The reason for science is to take us down a path toward truth, yet that’s the same reason for theology. It seems to me that at some point, science and theology won’t merely intersect, but merge.

I suspect that line between wonder and reality works much the same way, merging into a pursuit of beauty. Songwriters, novelists, and poets can be obsessive in their quest of just the right word. For painters, sculptors, and craftsmen, it’s the next notch or stroke that stands apart. For the photographer, it’s the understanding of lens and light, and being there, wherever “there” is… all in striving for a quality of perfection in the pursuit of beauty.

You notice this quality precisely because it is so rare. What generally brings a work of art alive is not its inevitability so much as the decisions that the artist made. We gasp not because the words, the impressions, or the brushstrokes are “right”, but because of what they reveal. They show us not a deterministic process but a sensitive mind making surprising and delightful choices. This is evident even in science, as pure mathematicians often say that it is precisely this quality that delights them in a great proof: not that it is correct but that it shows a personal, tangible human genius taking steps in a direction we’d never have guessed. That’s a direction showing that pursuit of beauty goes way beyond mere art.

Paul states in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This is one verse that is taken out of context more often than not. I doubt that it was intended as a set of lofty ideals to separate Christians from the secular. When you look at it in the reverse of separateness, could it be that it is a way for us to sanctify this culture through our faith? The secular culture of late seems bent on doing everything to put the “post” in the post-Christian Era… oh, there is the occasional intersect of the culture and Christian ethic, yet seldom without a true merge. An atheist humanist contact once sent me a video of an atheist humanist community out to prove that you don't have to be a Christian to do good. The spokesperson went on and on about that, but fizzled at the end when he tried to define 'good'... without a transcendent source to determine 'good', anyone can define it however they choose. Where culture and the Church diverge, it’s culture that must change, not the Church… but how is that done?

There is not one square inch of the entirety of creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, “This is mine! This belongs to me!” That quote is attributed to Abraham Kuyper, and he’s right because God owns it all, including the secular society whether they know it or not. That being the case, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable can be found in the secular as well as the sacred. Can we find truth and beauty in people caring for each other in times of crisis? Do we see nobility in the sacrifice of a soldier, policeman, or fireman? Can it be right to enjoy a secular movie or song? Is it lovely to find a married couple that stays together when others are splitting up? Can we find something admirable about the sheer ability of an athlete? Could we not look for something praiseworthy in the ordinary talents and capabilities of everybody we meet? Do you think the secular world would see something excellent in us if we could point to what is excellent about it? Is there a possibility that the ugly ideas of this world would get pushed back into the shadows if we brought out the beauty of God’s truth in it? Is there anything of value in the secular world? The constant pursuit of beauty might reveal it… but grateful people who see the beauty in grace already know that.

The things that we find beautiful today we suspect would be beautiful for all eternity. This is where God’s Word breaks in: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1… even God, as an artist, is expectant of beauty.

This was taken from the Cowee Mountains overlook near milepost 430 along the Blue Ridge Parkway here in North Carolina. Cowee (pronounced Co-wee) is a derivative of a Cherokee word meaning 'place of the honey locust', a tree they used for food. It is by far the best place for sunset on the BRP, but as you can see, sunrise can be spectacular, too. After many mornings of standing here in the cold and darkness trying to ply my handiwork as a photographer at this spot, the long red wavelength of light found its way from across the horizon and saturated the low clouds to compete with autumn over the cascading mountains. I stitched 7 vertical images to catch that big sky, yielding an image 66”x24”. I understand the science behind this image, but to be honest, in the wonder of this morning, I knew God threw me a bone... much appreciated! “f/8 and being there.”

To Be Grateful

For life, for breath For daily strength and bread. O, let me not forget - to be grateful For moon and stars, When the road is dark, Lord, for your holy scars – to be grateful That you call me friend For the grace to stand And the mercy that I need By your sacrifice Jesus, I’m alive So what tribute can I bring Here is my heart offering – to be grateful, endlessly Here is my heart offering – to be grateful In highs and lows Whether joy comes or goes Lord, let it shape my soul – to be grateful For friends so rare, When it rains despair, And even near death to dare - to be grateful CHORUS For life, for breath For daily strength and bread. O, let me not forget - to be grateful

@ 2013 Skin Horse, Inc (ASCAP) by Billy Sprague

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VpqsE4mhJmc

Here’s the scene you’re greeted with at the Wolf Mountain Overlook at mile marker 424.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. While there are quite a few wide-open spaces along the Blue Ridge Parkway, this one is among my favorites. I had my camera set up on the tripod and waited out the light as an overcast and rainy sky broke up into this low scud. This overlook is covered somewhat by the balsam firs you see on the right, and a stone wall on the left (that first step is a doozy without it). Many people merely drive by without knowing what lies beyond that wall… get out and look people! I’ve found that the tripod often becomes a magnet, as people want to see what interests the photographer. Back when I shot film from my Mamiya RZ 67 “Professional S” camera, I had a busload of people surround me at Clingman’s Dome, when some woman from within the crowd said, “Stand back everyone! He’s a professional… he knows what he’s doing.” I nearly died laughing. While I do what I can to approach photography in a professional way, she was reading the camera, not me.

At this scene, an older couple did stop and walked up to see what I was seeing. This woman made a more sensible comment, “It looks just like a patchwork quilt!” She was right.

Wolf Mountain is actually in the distance near that bit of water seen near the middle of the image… that’s Wolf Lake. The area was so named because it was once the last stronghold for wolves in the Carolinas. This area was home to buffalo and elk, too, until they were totally hunted out around 1850. That left hogs and sheep to replace them on the wolf menu, prompting farmers to exterminate the wolves too.

In recent years, both wolf and elk have been reintroduced to these mountains. I’ve seen wolves early, early (0’ dark-thirty) in the morning crossing the road at a farm near Julian Price Park… I had to stop as they ran by in the headlights. The elk still eludes me.

This is a true panoramic of seven vertical images stitched together in Photoshop. The original file is 72"x27". Best viewed large, against black, with salsa and chips... hey, that's just how I roll.

I don’t know about you, but “coming attractions” often generates more excitement than the actual event. While going over some images of past forays into the Blue Ridge, I came across some like this that I overlooked at the time. This process helps me to set my mind to the places I would love to set the camera in front of… again. This is from 2015. I spent a good two weeks putting in the footwork necessary to get ‘the shot’ but the morning weather rarely provided what I was hoping for… just open blue skies with no clouds to reflect the dramatic color phases of a rising sun. Sometimes, however…

Have you ever had folks to tell you that it’s just another sunrise? I have, and I believe they’re missing the miracle of it. I arrived at this spot while it was still quite dark, not too particularly thrilled with the evident coming “blue” day, but prepared to take it on nonetheless. Yet, there was just enough humidity in the air to make things interesting. One of the reasons for light is to expose what lays in the dark… I watched as the sky became brighter with the rising sun and the mountains and clouds like billowing seas covering the valleys began to take shape. The first golden touch of sunlight fired up the autumn palette of mountain ridges and muted the open horizon like a delicate watercolor painting. It added depth, contrast, and definition to turn these oh so familiar mountains into an ever-changing wonderland… and did so much to reset my attitude for that day and the days ahead.

The “coming attraction” for many in this region of the world is the promise of autumn here in these mountains to showcase what the light exposes… that palette is a marvel, but so is the brilliance that highlights it.

Ephesians 5:13, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes light.” That’s yet another coming attraction for an event that I guarantee will not let you down. The recent death of a dear friend whose memorial we attended Saturday brings this to the forefront... he loved these mountains as much as I do.

This was taken the day of my encounter with the camera club… that’s explained in detail on my image “Sunrise Over Courthouse Valley” several posts back. The gist of it is that they were in deep discussion as to their course of action because it was overcast, ruining their chances of a decent sunrise. My frame of mind is lemons to lemonade. I, too, headed for the high regions of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the realization it might not work for sunrise… nearby Second Falls worked out perfectly, however.

Here, the autumn foliage around the falls is as brilliant as it can be… who needs a sunrise? I shot this a short distance downstream from the falls where the jumble of boulders dominate the bottom of the image. As does electrical current, water current follows the path of the least resistance. There is no placid pool here… rather, the resistance these rocks offer sets up a myriad of smaller waterfalls along this drop.

One thing that stands out to me in this is the large boulder in the foreground. The full print size for this image is 24”x36” at 300 DPI… you can see incredible detail in that rock of not just the variation in color, but also of the moss and lichen evident on it. That rock is in a constantly wet environment, so there’s a lot living on it. The single red oak leaf (no, I didn’t put it there!) is also quite detailed and adds a sense of scale. It’s nice to go out with a thing in mind for the camera, and nature just works for you… I hope the “camera club” fared as well.

For those who do not know, Second Falls can be seen from the parkway at Milepost 418.5. Just south of there is the Graveyard Fields Overlook... you can hike down to the falls from there.