These are a few photos of an old grist mill that was owned by Alfred Reagan. (1856–1928) You can see the mill towards the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. According to Wikipedia.com, the Reagan mill is a standard tub mill, with a flume redirecting water from Roaring Fork to power a tub-wheel turbine. The turbine turns a grindstone which breaks down corn and wheat into cornmeal and flour. Reagan's mill was well-designed and well-positioned. It is said that when other mills lacked sufficient water power due to low water levels, Reagan's mill would continue to operate.

Looking at the mill and the old cabins along the way, I get a little melancholy. It's hard to believe that less than 100 years ago, instead of being a tourist attraction, this was where people lived and worked. It makes me wonder what those people were like, and also who will be touring around my homestead in the future...

I haven't touched these up. I thought they were good the way they came out. (And I'm tired and wanted to post something and go to bed!)

Here are a couple more shots from our trip last week. These were taken somewhere along the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, a 5-mile-long road that winds through the forest. The photos are of the same scene, one taken with a slower shutter speed (more exposure) than the other. I did lighten them both just a little. Which do you prefer? I like the first because the slower shutter seems to make the water look more like it's rushing than the second which just seems to freeze it. I'm actually surprised it turned out this good since I didn't have a tripod.



1. Exposure: 1/30, Aperture: f/8

2. Exposure: 1/125, Aperture: f/3.2

Hubby and I took a short trip to the Gatlinburg/Smokey Mountains National Park area this past weekend. Here is one of the photos I took while taking a break on our 11-mile bike ride around the Cades Cove Loop.

I was dumping some twigs in our woods last week and looked around and noticed how the forest floor is in bloom. I, of course, ran and got my camera to capture a few of them. These two came out the best. I've done nothing to the photos. I liked them the way they were.

The first is of a cluster of Buttercups. The sun was getting ready to go behind the hill and was shining on them through the trees. I loved the way it was brightening the top petals, but the bottom one was still almost shadowed.

This is a Jack-In-The-Pulpit. They are very abundant around here. Their flower is very odd.

I just took this last week but it's quickly becoming one of my favorite photos! I love how clear and crisp the center of the bloom is, and though the background is blurred, it has just enough of the pink from the fallen petals to blend perfectly.



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