Sometimes we forget what we have in our own backyard. That is often the case with me. In this end of the state we have two large adjacent lakes that lend themselves to all kinds of fishing, boating and camping. They are wonderful tourist attractions that help many local folks earn a living. In fact, tourism is big business around here. We are lucky to have the lakes and the national forest surrounding them, and I often kick myself for not taking advantage of them more often. Some of the best camping and fishing in this country is literally minutes from my house.
The lakes are not without controversy. TVA flooded a great deal of private land decades ago to create the lakes area, and many people lost their homes in the process. Scattered throughout the area are small cemeteries that mark the resting place of families who once called that land their own. Many a jug of moonshine was brewed in those hills, too. Its colorful history makes it a unique place, and much of it sits in its natural state, dotted only by the occasional restaurant or marina.
I decided to visit the lakes Sunday since I was in search of some winter nature shots before the snow rapidly melted away, and I had exhausted all possibilities in the wildlife refuge near my house. I was not disappointed. The thing that struck me all afternoon as I stomped around shores and trails, trying not to fall into the cold lake water, was how blue everything was. Between the snow, the sun and the water, everything had a beautiful blue tint that screamed winter. It was a good reminder of how lovely this part of the country is, and since it is such a well kept secret, I thought I’d share it with you today, so you can see for yourself. I think I’m in love with the color blue.
Psst. I even managed a couple of sailboat shots for Oreneta.
6 comments:
Your lake looks much like our lake, only I'm sure yours is much bigger. Our lake freezes over every year and all the boats are pulled out of the lake in late October.
I love your photos, especially the light house one and the rope one.
Wow. Great shots! The lake is very beautiful, and its history it intriguing. Someone should write a mystery/thriller based on it!
I have seen stills in the woodds near Wrangler's campground. Cemetaries too. I remember once riding the trails and we came upon a cemetary. We stopped to rest the horses and began to notice a row of tombstone markers of children that passed away within days of each other. It was a reminder of how the lakes area was once where families lived and died.
The blue is so beautiful...cold in the winter warm in the summer. Great photos...your getting good with that camera of yours. Its amazing what we can find when we really open our eyes through the lens of a camera.
OOOOHHHHH!!!! Thank you so very much! How lovely....the photos are so blue! Lovely...something about the water.
I have to say until I started to get a little more seious about photography I too missed much of what was right here 'in my own backyard' so to speak. Now I seek out whatever I can find to photograph!
Beautiful blues, and whites, and blacks. Snow just accentuates the beauty of the landscape.
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