Late this afternoon LC, Jamie and I took a drive up onto the mountain.
The day was cool and very sunny and very very lovely, and we stopped briefly at the Memorial Cross close to the University of the South before wandering some more in and around the town of Monteagle.
After looking at his watch on the way home from our trip my Mountain Boy asked me if I wanted to take pictures of the sunset on the water.
He knew that I had wanted to take sunset-on-the-water pictures for a while now and I eagerly said yes.
With only an hour or so until sunset we drove through the base and briefly discussed where to park the truck so that we could get the best view of the setting sun.
Where, was a good question for which neither of us surprisingly had a ready answer.
My usual stomping grounds along the edge of the lake were all located in coves and did not point to the west.
Driving on the two lane highway between the base and Winchester LC thought that a boat ramp on the opposite side of the lake might give me the shots I was hoping for.
He and I had only been to this particular boat ramp once before while we were setting up orienteering points on the water for a navigation training we organized a few years ago, and as we turned off the main road and then drove into the parking lot of the ramp we both instantly knew that this was not going to work.
Another tree covered cove facing other tree covered coves.
Heading further down the road we speculated about the public beach across the road from the mountain bike trails.
The beach now (much to the communitys' dismay) has been closed down.
No longer open due to military budget cuts, but LC and I figured that we could park the truck in a cove adjacent to the beach and walk over to the beach to simply take some sunset pictures.
As we made our way towards the beach though it became obvious from the direction of the rapidly descending sun that the beach was not going to work.
OK........our hunt for sunset on the water pictures was becoming more and more elusive with each passing moment.
As we approached a bridge not far from the main recreational areas of the base I remembered that this was the place where I had taken sunset pictures a few months ago.
It was an area located in yet one more cove, and we both realized that if we did not get them now we were not going to get them on this day.
That was good enough for us.
Driving over the bridge LC pulled off the road, pulled into a paved parking area, and parked the truck.
Instead of walking along the road on the bridge to take pictures this time, my guy and my puppy and I walked across the road.
The sun was just beginning to lower behind the hill across the lake and fall between the trees.
Jamie, as she so often does, managed to find her way into the picture below...............
The link to my previous trip to this same cove:
After standing for a short while beside the water we headed down a trail that we had not been on in a very long time.
The last time LC and I were on this trail we were both exploring on mountain bikes.
The trail was unkempt and rough and thorny and LC ended up getting a flat tire that we changed out together on trail.
After the trail ended we continued riding anyway until we could not ride anymore, and eventually bike whacked through the woods until we worked our way back to the road again.
A really wonderful and exciting time exploring a new place...............
With the sun rapidly disappearing, colors (even in the woods that are now increasingly green instead of only brown) began to wash out.
The leaves were pale green.
The tree trunks and the years of fallen leaves that covered the ground were a pale brown...............
Moments later color instantly reappeared again.
And the world changed color seemingly ever few minutes.............
We didn't walk far but over the course of 30 minutes we walked up and down the trail a number of times while I took many pictures of a world that changed in appearance continually from one moment to the next.
We had had a really nice time at the cross and I will post those pictures another time.
But on a day that was crisp and clear and very beautiful, standing by the water and watching the sun set was the perfect way to finish off our trip.
After we returned to the truck I walked alone down to the water on the opposite side of the bridge.
As LC loaded James back into the truck I stood looking out over Woods Reservoir.
The colors were not as vibrant, but the sky was clear and the water was completely calm and it was lovely none-the-less.................
Most times when I blog I finish each entry with a poem or quote.
When I started looking up sunset quotes though I suddenly remembered a song that I had not heard in many years.
It is called Sundown and has absolutely nothing to do with this thread, but it is by Gordon Lightfoot and I have always loved his music so here it is:
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