Light from the Heavens

Sunlight on Mountain Ridges, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



After a passing storm, a shaft of sunlight dappled
 the mountain peaks that surround Cades Cove.

The Long Journey

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rushing over a small waterfall is part of the long journey
 rain water makes as it flows down a mountain cove
 toward the distant sea. 

Stormy Weather

Rainstorm in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Great Smoky Mountains receive some of the highest amounts
 of rainfall in the U.S.  Whether it's a passing thunderstorm or a steady drizzle,
the Smokies get soaked. So when the rain moves through,
  I have a camera ready to record the misty mood of these amazing mountains.

Nature's Smoking Mountains

Sunrise, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Dawn light illuminates mists
 rising from the ridges and valleys
 of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Rising Mist

Loop Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Mist begins to rise from a road
 following an afternoon rain storm
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Puddling

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly,
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Finding a patch of moisture beside a Cades Cove road,
this butterfly stayed still long enough for me to grab
 a clear image of it at ground level.
Butterflies gather at muddy spots to obtain minerals in the soil.

Old Appalachian Forest

Mountain Stream, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lush green surrounds a mountain stream
 in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which protects
 one of the last old-growth woodlands in the eastern U.S.

Refreshed

Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An old alleyway in Charleston is enlivened
 by the hues of fresh spring blooms.

10,000 Years of History

Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



And we think Charleston is an old city...

Hidden Letters

Lantern Shadow, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



This lantern shadow stealthily contains an abbreviation
 for the state of South Carolina.

Rough Texture

Fence Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Selective focus brings out some of the details
 on an old ornamental fence at the College of Charleston.

Stepping Out

Eagle on the Duomo, Orvieto, Italy  © Doug Hickok All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A bronze eagle tries out a precarious dance step
 at the edge of the medieval Duomo di Orvieto in Italia.

An Avian Haven

Gift Shop, near Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This shop is for the birds.

Dark Forest

Coastal Forest, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A dense coastal woodland grows to the edge
 of a foggy shoreline at Acadia National Park.

A Lesser Known Gem

Canyonlands, Colorado National Monument, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Everyone knows of the Grand Canyon in Arizona,
 or the Canyonlands of Utah, but a lesser known western gem
 is Colorado National Monument where a winding rim road
 offers stunning vistas over red rock canyons.



 

Eye of the Needle?

Gate Scroll, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



This gate scroll has an opening suitable
 for only the smallest of objects to pass through.

Battery Adornment

Wisteria Vines, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Wisteria vines drape over a wrought iron fence
 at a home along Charleston's East Battery.

Give Me Shelter

Sculpture in an Alcove, Vatican City, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film Photography)



Enduring the trials and tribulations of time,
an ancient statue finally finds a sheltered spot
 in an alcove at the Vatican Museum.

Cool Off

Fountain at Dawn, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lights are aglow early in the morning
 at waterfront park where temperatures
 are sure to be cooler, even in summertime.

The Hue of Feldspar

Granite Shoreline, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Granite composed of the reddish mineral feldspar
 is a predominant rock along the misty coast of Maine.

Arid Woodlands

Tree Line, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Trees and deserts seem an odd pair,
but not at Great Sand Dunes National Park
where fresh water streams adjoin sand dunes
 to provide enough moisture for flora to flourish.

Azalea Haven

Park Bench, White Point Gardens, Charleston SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Azaleas abound beneath the oaks at White Point Gardens.

Summertime

Dining Room Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



On a sweltering summer morning, 
condensation forms on the windows of a door
 into a restaurant in the Historic District.

Perfect Fit

Matryoshka Dolls, Old Farmhouse, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



This hand crafted Ukrainian nesting doll fits over the next one,
which in turn fits over the next one,
which in turn fits over the next one,
which in turn... oh, never mind... you get the picture.

Time Travel?

Stone Paved Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston is a city where streets, alleyways and sidewalks
 are paved with stone. Step carefully... walking them feels like
 a trip to a distant era.

A Cut Above

Chandelier, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A finely cut and brightly hued Swarovski chandelier
 captivates the eye at Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque.

Cemetery Geometry

Cemetery Ironwork, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Spheres, circles and spirals which adorn a cemetery fence
 provide a distinctive subject on a moody, misty morning.

Quiet Time

Evening on Church Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Warm lights are aglow on a still evening in the Historic District.

Fountain Joy

Benches near the Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Taking a seat near the sound of plashing water
 can be a calming, meditative experience.

Summer Scene

Balcony, North of Broad, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Scroll work added to the brackets of a balcony
 lend a charming touch to this vignette,
which is framed by crepe myrtles in full summer bloom.

Cable-Stayed

Cables and Tower, Ravenel Bridge, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It has been proven over time that these cables
 are quite supportive of the Ravenel Bridge.
Lucky for us.

A Door with a Long Story

Ancient Wooden Door, Orvieto, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



There is something about old doors that intrigues me.
I think of them as portals for generations of people
 who have passed through, as places where their histories
 have intersected. Imagine the intertwining stories of the lives
 that have entered and exited here through the ages...
this door has touched them all.

Go With the Flow

Flowing Stream, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Watching the hypnotic flow of water is, quite possibly,
 the most calming of activities.



 

Prairie Sky

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



An expanse of big sky dwarfs Monument Rocks
 on the high prairie of western Kansas.

Happy 4th

Old Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This part of Charleston seems to recall
an era more than two centuries ago
 when our country first gained its independence.

Street Side Amenity

Hitching Post, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This hitching post in the historic district is ideal
  for tying up your car so it doesn't wander away.

Details

Entry Details, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Attention to detail can make all the difference.

Off Season

Rural Road in the Mist, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This sea island road tunnels through coastal woodlands
 on a cool misty morning in winter.

Flashy

Gate Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Light slanting across a door at sunset
 provides a flashy background for French Quarter ironwork.

The Color of Optimism

Cherry Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Vibrant cherry blossoms are a sure way to brighten the day,
like these, near the porch of Two Meeting Street Inn.



 

Shade Tress

Tress on the Prairie, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A tunnel of trees offers this lonely stretch of dirt road
 a speck of shade on the high prairie of western Kansas.

Touched by Light

Canyon and Floodplain, Colorado National Monument, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The light of the Sun touches a canyon wall,
 brightening a shadowy western landscape in Colorado.

Appalachian Blues

Mountain Pasture, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fine textured pasture grasses contrast with the looming shape
 of Celo Knob in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Lowcountry Outline

Live Oak Limbs, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A sunset over Lowcountry marshlands
 makes a silhouette of live oak branches in Mt. Pleasant.

Moorish Vining

Column Detail, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An arabesque of vines articulate the archways
 of an arcade at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.



 

Journey

Journey Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I often think of life as a journey. With each turn along the path a new view appears from which comes an entirely different perspective. Life is a constant learning experience. I am certainly not the same person that I was a year ago, five years ago or twenty years ago. My path has been ever evolving.
For that I am thankful.



 

Unity

Three Steeples, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston is called the Holy City for its many houses of worship concentrated throughout the area, but especially on the peninsula where the historic district lies. In trying times, Charleston's communities and denominations unite in their faith, which makes the city strong and as one. The citizens response to the recent shooting at the Emanuel AME Church has demonstrated this in a remarkable way.

I found this peaceful image of a trio of Charleston steeples
in my old film files, which go back over a decade.
The Emanuel AME Church is the one in the center.

Our city and our nation mourn 

the senseless loss of life at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church.

Silent Muse

Maze Garden, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Beneath dangling strands of spanish moss,
 a solitary figure stands silently
 amid the Maze Garden at Magnolia Plantation.

Contrasting Centuries

USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Ravenel Bridge provides a 21st century backdrop
 for the World War II era aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, 
part of the Patriots Point Naval Museum in Mt. Pleasant.

Bounty of Stone

Cobblestone Driveway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



There is so much cobblestone in Charleston
 that even private driveways make good use of them.