Enough of the cold! This is a summer sunrise shot of the Ocnaluftee Valley from Newfound Gap Road.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23:6 (KJV)

This lofty aerie, from which I gaze;
This harbor in the sky, My haven away,
From which the trials of the day may drain.
Where happiness and joy may reign.
I reflect on time, I can rest unafraid;
Like a soft warm cloak on a winters day;
Warm, and safe, and secure;
And I know I am home.

Bc Hannold

This is the feeling I get when I am in Smokies. All of the trials of the day just to melt away, and life seems to take on a new meaning. Especially when I go to romp, and just take the little camera. It seems to not only lighten the load, it lightens the heart as well. I don’t feel pressured to get that perfect image like I sometimes do on the shooting forays in. Some days I just have to go for the journey.