Abba's Art

Author: Fred D

  • Forest Bathing

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    Fred D
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    For the past several years the Great Smoky Mountains has been America’s most visited National Park. Travelers come from all over the world to enjoy Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg’s endless venue of entertainment attractions, and to explore one of Mother Nature’s premier wonders . . . next to Alaska of course 😊 Living here makes…

  • Congestion Gratitude

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    Fred D
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    Took a road trip this past weekend from laid-back, rural TN to full-press, urban VA for a medical appointment. Can you guess which pic was taken from our rural TN backyard, and which was taken from our urban VA hotel window?  If you’re having difficulty, I have the phone # of my wife’s ophthalmologist to…

  • Lotsa’ Bears

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    Fred D
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    There’s always an adventure pending with our feral friends here in the Smokies up on the mountain . . . down in the ‘holler’ . . . by the ‘crick’. Two days ago Mr. Smokey came by to check things out. I was ‘bearly’ awake early this morning when Mrs. Smoky and her triplets wandered…

  • Great Smoky Mountain Splendor

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    Fred D
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    “Earth’s crammed with Heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who see takes off his shoes.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning Today, in the Fall splendor of Great Smoky Mountains, I gazed amazed in barefoot wonder. “This is my Father’s world:I rest me in the thoughtOf rocks and trees, of skies and seas—His…

  • Smoky the Bear

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    Fred D
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    Been kinda’ dry here lately in the Great Smoky Mountains. Today Smoky came by our cabin to wade in the creek out front and remind us . . . Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires! Always an adventure sharing the forest with our feral friends up here on the mountain > down in the ‘holler’…

  • Creation Miracle Moment

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    Fred D
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    Yesterday I stood mesmerized in the forest, immersed in a golden rain. Like a child jubilantly blowing bubbles, a puff of Divine breath launched a thousand gold flakes into the air on their memorial journey to earth . . . a Creation miracle moment. Embraced in total peace, my soul rejoiced in freedom knowing .…

  • The Blind Boy

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    Fred D
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    Ever experience a situation you later regret not taking the time to offer helping someone? . . . You just read three I’ve been guilty of this past year when, unlike the Good Samaritan, I was too ‘busy’, and chose to “…pass by on the other side of the road…”?  . . . proof positive…

  • Nature vs. Civilization

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    Fred D
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    On each flight into and out of SEATAC I’m inspired by a mountain. Towering 14,410 ft., Mt. Rainier pierces through the clouds in silent sentinel watch in over the cacophony of Seattle’s nearly 3 ½ million souls 59 miles to the southeast . . . a bittersweet contrast. On this flight it was as though…

  • Hiking and Potato Chips

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    Fred D
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    Fallen aspen leaves kinda’ resemble potato chips, and fall hiking in the Last Frontier is sorta’ like eating potato chips . . . it’s hard to stop at just one more!😊 Here’s a few ‘potato chip’ pics from today’s wilderness wander, sadly my last before snow-birding south in a couple of days  . . .…

  • Final Greatland Wander

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    Fred D
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    Looks like we’ll be on a jet headed south for the winter next week. Rather than spend the day going through another box of Kleenex today, I hiked up Castle Mountain to dry my tears 😊. I built a rock cairn on top with a Good Book pocket edition for other solitude seekers. Here’s a few…