We're used to seeing water, being from St. Petersburg - so this is quite different. However, if you stare at this picture...and are very, very quiet, you will smell the freshness of the pines and hear the birds in the background...perhaps even glimpse a deer...or a bear!

Those of you that know me, know that I collect owls (no...not real ones). This was just outside the back of our house.

Fortunately, not fires, but ethereal fog banks stealthily sneaking through the valleys and dells early one morning.

Something else we weren't used to - everything looking dead in the winter. We were used to 365 days of green and color. This was a shock.

Strawberry in the wild. Cool!

We weren't used to the spring, either - but this was not a shock - it was a delight!

We were used to beautiful sunsets - and we have not been disappointed here.

Winter...

More winter...

This was a nice surprise...not many of these in St. Pete.

Summer - clear, clean and fresh.

Winter morning...

There are a great deal of derelict houses and out buildings around - I would love to know their stories.

Some of those out buildings are not so derelict and are still in use.

Who wouldn't want to know this story?

A barn to fit any political ideology - from the front, it leans to the right; from the rear, it leans to the left.

Still in pretty good condition...

Not in such good condition...

In even worse condition...

We have about six regular visitors to the forest behind our house. This one was peeking out from behind the shed.

This one was about 30 feet from the back of the house - and was very, very big!

Sitting in a field in the forest.

Momma and two cubs on a forest trail.

A cub that sensed danger - up the tree!

Strolling across a field in the forest. (Actually, he was loping.)

A beautiful sunset (if you can block out the wires).

A true mountain sunset.

Winter in the mountains (this was not around Blairsville...but it was very pretty).