When the Runoff Is Beautiful

“It’s funny how, when things seem the darkest, moments of beauty present themselves in the most unexpected places.” – Karen Marie Moning

One of my favorite things to do is to check out the area where I am staying. I like to know where I am at, and see what great sites might be nearby. Of course, when I do this, I always bring my camera with me. Some of my favorite photos that I have taken on trips I took were only a short walk or drive away from where I was staying. I think they end up being my favorites because I don’t have to rush to be anywhere while I am taking them. Usually, my family is chilling out where they are, and I just take the camera and go.

Between Christmas and New Year’s, my family and I rented a cabin near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We were staying in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. The week we were up there the weather was really warm. So warm in fact, I was typically wearing shorts. At first, we were disappointed it wasn’t going to snow while we were there, but in the end, we were glad it didn’t. We had to drive up a literally mountain in order to arrive at our cabin. The driveway itself looked like a 45-degree angle. It wasn’t degrees, but it felt that way. It did rain for a couple days, and that kept us inside more than I wanted to be. However, the day after allowed me to enjoy some beautiful scenes. We found this path that went down the mountain beside the power lines, and a runoff stream had formed beside it. Typically, in the city, runoff is not something you look forward to seeing. However, here in the mountains, it was a beautiful stream that we were able to follow down the mountain. With all of the leaves on the ground, it filled the space with colors of reds, oranges, and greens from the plants. Here are a few of the shots that I captured while walking.