places to play in and pray in

 

 

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.

 

-- John Muir (1838-1914) America's most famous and influential conservationist

 

Yes, I've been on a John Muir quote kick lately. He has such great quotes about the mountains and conserving the beautiful land we live in. Above is a stack of rocks, obviously, that we saw while hiking around the "Blue Hole." It's alway cool to see how these stacked rocks stand the test of time and remaining standing. It always reminds of the Bible story about the wiseman who built his house upon the rock, on Christ the solid rock! 

good tidings

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like Autumn leaves. 
-- John Muir (1838-1914) American Naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club

This past Sunday, the girls and I were fortunate enough to venture out to the Blue Hole located just outside of Elizabethton in the Stony Creek area of East Tennessee. It was such a beautiful day, I could not waste it sitting at home even though there's still so much to do there. I heard about the Blue Hole from friends but have never been able to make it out there until now. I wish there was a little bit more water but it was still beautiful nonetheless. The hike is short but tiring to say the least, especially when you have a 30 lb child on your back, lol. Pictured above isn't the actual "Blue Hole." The actual "Blue Hole" was very crowded and did not present the shot without someone swimming in the ice cold water. However, the upper falls pictured is my favorite!