Sky Watch Friday Sunset on Fire

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My post today for Sky Watch Friday shows a Plethora of colors that we get here in our skies in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

You may click on any photograph to enlarge for a bigger than life view.

All the Photographs on this post are as they came from the camera, except for sizing and cropping .

Early Sunset View in the North West

Amazing cloud formations in the West

Color everywhere in the West

Still West,Sun setting low on Horizon

Another View, slightly West North West

Jet Trail in the Setting Sun, going Home?

Icicles as Seen From My lens

Today's post is of some Icicles that were hanging from our porch roof here in the NC Mountains after the big snow storm we had.

Now I got sort of smart and didn't even go out in the cold to shoot them..just shot through the window and screen..where it was nice and warm.

Beautiful glow of sun shinning through the Ice

As sunset approached..even better colors

Just at sunset,nice red glow

And..the sunset for last photo

Sky Watch Friday Odd Clouds

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My post for today shows some strange clouds that were in the West early on in the evening and then developed into another wonderous Sunset.

Notice the Funnel shaped clouds up in the break in the clouds

Close up of the Funnel Shaped clouds


Early developement of the Sunset in the East



Sunset Developing in the West

As the Sun Sets in the West...Click on any photograph to enlarge.

Lake Toxaway Falls Revisited

You may remember a previous post where I posted photo's of the Falls at Lake Toxaway in November, with the bright colors of Fall, I had mentioned that I would like to take more photographs from a different view.

I recently had to go back up there to bring back some of my work from a Gallery there that had sadly closed, so....true to my adventurous spirit, I stopped at the falls and climbed down the mountainside and over the massive rocks to get some photo's from below...and a different view..here are a few of the photo's I took below.....Ohh by the way...I found out I am really getting old..lol...I didn't think I would make the climb back up those rocks and mountain...my legs burned with pain and I was very short of breathe and chest was very tight...In the future...I may have to forgo some of that mountain climbing...lol

First view from the bottom of the Falls showing the Dam and road above.

Mighty rushing waters after a very hard rain

At the bottom of the second falls


Oppss I put it in twice



Water rushing on down the mountain, making a third small falls

As the water rushes on down the mountain into the valley

In Search of The Hawk

Today I am posting some photo's of some Red Tail Hawks that I keep trying to get better photo's of.

The Red Tail Hawk is very shy and does not often let one get very close to it here for great close up shots.

A few days ago I spotted two Red Tails in a tree almost a half mile away and put on my 70-300 Nikon VR lens and went shooting, below is what I got from the adventure...first a shot as I saw it from the cabin here...then zoomed in for a closer look.

Shot from almost a half mile away

Shot from a zoom in..click to enlarge

A shot after one flew away..single Hawk

Same Hawk..next day on a wire across the road..all wet and cold

Leaving the wire..going hunting

Sky Watch Friday-Difference a Day Makes

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What a Difference a Day Makes...The skies here started out foreboding and quite some awesome cloud patterns..then as the day neared an end..Creator gave us some wondrous sights to view and to take to dream land with us at the close of day.

Early Day Cloudy Skies

More clouds with trailing tails

Awesome clouds over Sugar Loaf Mountain

The show had started early evening over Sugar Loaf Mountain

More show to the West

As the Sun sets low in the West

Even in the East wonderful Sunset

Latest- New Peyote Gourd Rattle

Today I am posting photographs of the most recent Peyote Gourd Rattle that I have been working on for several weeks.

I purchased some new beads of a smaller size so I could make finer more complex beading patterns and also have a smoother feel to the beading.

I switched from the size 12/0 seed beads to a size 15/0 seed beads, these beads are very tiny...being only 1 mm in width.

I designed some new patterns and used them here on this rattle.

The Rattle contains 6,588 size 15/0 seed beads...a lot of beads and Very time consuming, I will show several photo's of the Rattle so you can see the different patterns I invented and included into the beading.

You may click on any of the photographs for a closer view.

Overall picture of the Peyote Gourd Rattle

Rear section of one beading pattern and twisted Buckskin Fringe


Another pattern of beading on the rear section


Front section showing Horse Hair bundle and beading

Other pattern of beading on same front section

One beading pattern on the section just behind the Gourd

Also note: The wood burned pattern on the handle and stained.

Other beading pattern just behind the Gourd

Beading pattern around the Gourd

Sky Watch Friday for Nov.27

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Klaus,Sandy,Wren,Fishing Guy,Louise,Sylvia, and Guest hosts.

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I have been very busy beading on a new Peyote Gourd Rattle so I have not had much chance to get out taking photographs ..so..I went back to Nov. 20 photos, and after a gorgeous day we got another beautiful sunset which I did take pictures of..here they are.

The Start of a sunset in the South

Start of Sunset in the South West


Almost due West..sunset building

At very first hint of a Western sunset

Western Sunset building

Full sunset in the West

I will post photographs of the new Peyote Gourd Rattle when it is finished, please check back at a later date.