autumn colors - number eight

CARP RIVER, PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS STATE PARK, MICHIGAN, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

autumn colors - number seven

Ed and Mary Ann Murdock enjoy the fall colors while paddlng their canoe near their home in Turner, Maine. (courtesy: www.ocregister.com)

autumn colors - number six

Amish Country, Ohio (courtesy: www.wallpaperme.com)

autumn colors - number four

Thornton Lake, Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan

(courtesy: www.wallpaperme.com)

autumn colors daily

Aspen Forest in Early Fall, Ohio Pass, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado

(courtesy: wallpaperme.com)

autumn colors

The leaves are green, the nuts are brown, They hang so high they won't come down. Leave them alone till frosty weather, Then they will all come down together.

Anonymous

the natchez trace parkway

The Natchez Trace, a 440-mile-long path extending from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linked the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. It was a traditional Native Americans trail and was later also used by early European explorers as both a trade and transit route in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Today, the trail has been commemorated by the 444-mile-long Natchez Trace Parkway, which follows the approximate path of the trace. The trail itself has a long and rich history, filled with brave explorers, dastardly outlaws and daring settlers. Parts of the original trail are still accessible.

(courtesy: Wikipedia)

today's featured picture

The Justine McAllister, a tugboat, in New York Harbor. Tugboats are used to maneuver, primarily by towing or pushing, other vessels in harbors, over the open sea or through rivers and canals. Tugboats are also used to tow barges, disabled ships, or other equipment like towboats. Photo credit: Eric Baetscher Courtesy: Wikipedia, 23 Sep 08

piggly wiggly

Piggly Wiggly (first store above) is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States. The chain was founded in 1916, in Memphis, Tennessee, by the American entrepreneur Clarence Saunders. It was the first true self-service grocery store, a concept patented by Saunders in 1917. Because customers could choose their products directly, packaging and brand recognition became very important. Other grocers soon adopted the self-service format. At its peak, the company was operating 2,660 stores and posting sales of $180 million a year. (source: Wikipedia)

red tailed hawk

The red-tailed hawk makes a striking appearance with its large, stocky body and mottled brown feathers. The adult’s breast appears white with a brown belly band that looks like a wide belt. Its rust-colored tail, broad and short, distinguishes it from the smaller red-shouldered hawk. Red-tailed hawks grow to about 18 to 25 inches in length and have powerful legs and wings that span to 48 inches as they soar. In wind, it occasionally hovers on beating wings and remains stationary above the ground. When soaring or flapping its wings, it typically travels from 20 to 40 mph, but when diving may exceed 120 mph. Its hunting adaptations are formidable: a short, hooked bill that tears flesh and long, sharp claws to grasp its prey.

okefenokee swamp, georgia-florida

The Great Okefenokee Swamp, one of America’s most fascinating natural areas is the largest Swamp in North America. "Okefenokee" what Seminoles called "Land of Trembling Earth" is approximately 700 square miles located in the southeast corner of Georgia and extending into north Florida. Most of this Eco system has been officially protected since 1937 as the OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE and in 1974 a portion was designated National Wilderness Area. Two rivers have headwaters in the Okefenokee, the Suwannee, flowing south through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico and the St. Mary's forming the eastern boundary of Georgia and Florida on it’s way to the Atlantic Ocean.

desert saguaros

Symbolic of the desert and all its mystery are these Giant Cacti whose grotesque silhouettes add character to the Southern Arizona landscape. They can attain heights of greater than 50 feet and the ages of some have been estimated at least 250 years. The blossom of the Saguaro is the State Flower of Arizona. Harming one in any manner (including cactus plugging) is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected.

folsom, california

Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California and is most commonly known by its famous Folsom Prison. Folsom started as a small town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered and has preserved its historical frontier appearance along this "Mall on Sutter Street" in the old historic district, suggesting years of the Mother Lode.

florida scenic beauty

Further narrative not required.

arizona cliff dwellings

Montezuma Castle National Monument, located near Camp Verde, Arizona, in the Southwestern United States, features well-preserved cliff dwellings. They were built and used by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people around 1400 AD. Several Hopi clans trace their roots to immigrants from the Montezuma Castle/Beaver Creek area. Clan members periodically return to their former homes for religious ceremonies. The last known Sinagua habitation of the sites was around 1425 AD and reasons for abandonment are the subject of much speculation.