06/22/08

I have so many pictures from Cades Cove, Tennessee that there will be lots on here today and more tomorrow. I think my original plan of doing a place a day on my blog is shot. lol I will have to post all of the pictures that I can on each day because there are so many. :)

A week ago today we were at Cades Cove and it was WONDERFUL. I couldn't get enough of that place. We went horseback riding at first. Let me just say, that was a new experience in a way for me because I had not been on a horse since I was thirteen.... that was 24 years ago, peeps! Anyway, when I got on the horse I was a bit uncertain as to how this day would end. lol I became more relaxed as the trail continued but at first I wasn't so sure! I must say, my hind quarters were not used to the saddle and I paid for that for a couple of days. I am so glad I did it, though, and would do it again.

Wesley and Mikayla had to wear the riding hats. They weren't too thrilled about those but they learned to get adjusted to them. They have never been ones that liked things on their heads for very long. They enjoyed watching the people bring our horses to the place we got on them.

Mikayla was SO excited to be on a horse and ride. She did quite well for never riding a horse before and being so teeny. She also had a couple of episodes on her horse where it bucked and she just handled it so calmly!! I was quite proud of her. We really may be looking into horseback riding lessons for her now. The people who were in charge of the horses as well as our trail guide were super nice people.

I found out how difficult it was to actually take photographs on a horse!! HA! I tried but most of them turned out quite shaky. There were a few, though, that were keepers even though they were shaky. I tried to get a picture of me riding the horse but you can only imagine how comical they looked... and shaky. I only got a picture of my horse's neck! My brother took a shot of me on the horse so I'll have to show that later when he gets his pictures on his computer. Kevin had issues with his horse not wanting to keep up with the rest of us. It was comical, to say the least. That is him riding his horse WAY behind me... We all had a great time. While we rode the horses Mom and Dad went on a carriage ride. Mom just isn't the horse riding type and Daddy didn't want her to be alone.

I was amazed at the wildlife that was all around us. We saw wild turkeys right away and they were so pretty. They roamed around the barn area freely... that is the shadow of one inside of the barn in one of the pics. Too funny. I could get closer with my telephoto lens, but not as close as I had desired. They were still pretty far off in the distance. We also saw these deer. They were three young bucks and were rather playful. Mikayla loved watching them. Wesley just wanted to run up to the fence to scare them... the boy thing to do. :) There were salt licks in the stumps around the fence area and they kept coming up getting the salt. I was amazed that they weren't skiddish like the ones around here, but I know it is because they were used to people.

The trail around Cades Cove is 11 miles long. We got in our van and drove around the entire area. It was a wonderful ride around. We stopped several times for me to get these landscape shots. I just couldn't get enough of the natural beauty all around!!! These are just part of what we saw. I'll have to show the others tomorrow. The sun was shining for most of the day, but there was one point that you see these landscape shots look cloudy. There was a gray cloud going over one of the mountain peaks and it looked so looming that I had to capture it. I thought the photograph turned out really pretty.

Today was good, but we were tired. We slept well last night, but being on the road so much had taken its toll it seemed. I had more laundry to do today and still have some left but will do that tomorrow. It is pouring down rain and I am so thankful to the Lord for it. I love summer thunderstorms. They make me long to be at home cuddled up with my family. I am also just thankful for more rain! We are still in a drought and it is now getting worse again because of it being summertime.

The kids have been watching a movie and I need to get off of here. Been on here too long looking at the pics!

Have a great evening!