Two Views, Same Place

 Many of these photos are from the internet.

Catawba Falls NC (not my photo)

 Catawba Falls, NC

From Asheville, 1893 and 2026...

Biltmore Village in 1893 and today. All Souls church was being built

Different views of Looking Glass Falls NC

Looking Glass Falls 1925. Asheville Post Card Co.

 Lower left corner shows photographer, Masa, numbering 0-5456.

This could be my photo, or one like it. This site is right next to US Highway 276 near Brevard NC.

Taken by drone probably...

Lady Liberty

Yellowstone Lower Falls, WY by Rob Moody

Yellowstone Falls in winter

From London England

The Temple Bar, the last surviving ceremonial gateway to the City of London

Sharing with Sepia Saturday

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A body of clay, a mind full of play, a moment's life -- that's me. 

-Harivansh Rai Bachchan, poet (1907-2003)

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Yesterday, February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled tRump's tariffs were illegal.

"BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20, 2026 ruled in a 6–3 decision that Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs were illegal because he exceeded his authority under federal law when he imposed them without clear congressional approval.

The Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the 1977 statute Trump cited to justify his tariffs, does not authorize the president to impose broad import taxes. Under the Constitution, that power is reserved to Congress.

Majority (6 Justices) Tariffs Struck Down

Chief Justice John Roberts (wrote the opinion)

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice Elena Kagan

Justice Neil Gorsuch

Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

These justices agreed that IEEPA does not grant tariff authority and that imposing tariffs of this scope without clear congressional authorization violates federal law.

Dissent (3 Justices)

Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Justice Clarence Thomas

Justice Samuel Alito

The dissenters argued that the statute could be interpreted to permit these actions or that the majority misread the president’s authority under existing law.

What This Means

The tariffs Trump imposed under emergency powers, including wide-reaching duties on imports from major trading partners, are no longer lawful.

The Court did not fully spell out the refund process, but companies that paid billions in tariffs may now seek refunds.

The ruling represents a significant check on executive power in trade policy and underscores that only Congress can authorize new taxes or tariffs.

This decision is a major blow to Trump’s economic agenda and could reshape how future presidents approach trade authority and executive power.

The cooling off places

 

Sliding rock is very popular near Brevard and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

And many people go to a beach for some summertime leisure.

Dry Falls, North Carolina. Going to the mountains in summertime has always been a nice change of pace for city-folks. This was probably taken before the railing was built (see below).

Walking behind the falls is slippery still, and there's now a rail fence to hopefully keep people safe.

Looking Glass Falls in summertime brings lots of tourists to play in the water around the rocks.

Flash flood at Looking Glass Falls. This photo is from last Mon. July 21 afternoon, when a young wader was stranded on the other side of the torrent and had to be rescued from the rapidly rising water. Rain upstream makes flash floods possible everywhere in the hilly places on this earth. 

Today's quote:

Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being.

BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST

Today's old photo:

In the Smoky Mountains National Park, young people climb on treacherous rocks above the Little River. My son is sitting in the middle of the photo with his friend Anna about to try to go lower, where I think her brother Tony is already at waterside. The current is swift, and they never went swimming there (that I remember.) I was obviously on the other side of the river with camera. No idea who the adult at the top might be. Tai was probably about 12, in 1991 or 2.

Sharing with My Corner of the World

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Addendums from yesterday:

Joanna Macy being remembered by Emergence Magazine

Edward Hopper's birth anniversary

Considering Mary Magdalen

The part of a waterfall I could visit

Yesterday was so wonderful (after my full weekend with the family in super weather) with clouds and cool air, open windows as I again sat at my desk to start writing new blog posts. And though many blog friends are suffering in droughts, we will be getting rain again in the next day or so. 

But here's part of my memories...

The pond which was on the map of the B&B mansion/cabin...we had to check it out first Sat. morning. 

Some folks were fishing from this floating pier. 

Our OH girls were not thinking this was where they'd swim and sun...though some other visitors arrived as we left, brining lots of big floats upon which to go float around the lake.

We were able to park close to this nice shelter with the "stone table." No other explanation was given, but it appeared the shelter was built around it, with the logs going through the floor. Aslan comments were made aka C. S. Lewis and the Narnia chronicles.

Nobody much heeded this weird sign.

Having found that even with my walking stick, climbing steps either direction was really hard for me, I limited my hiking in the mountainous terrain. As a fully integrated (vs. wilderness) Appalachian area with many switchback roads, the area near Lake Lure, just south of Old Fort NC is mainly trees...not like the Rocky Mountains at all.

Me in the blue hat at Upper Falls

The Upper Falls...I sat out the trek to the lower falls however...playing with kaleidoscope app with my grandson.

I enjoy a portrait full of hearts, feeling the love!

The other family members went to the lower falls, then hiked back up to where we were. 

I'm glad they took some photos. It really does look worth the hike...maybe next time!

Sharing  with Skywatch Friday

Today's quote:

When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895)

Land of the Sky and other photos

 

Another lovely old postcard. Around Black Mountain used to look like this.

I'm delighted to  see that the photographer has put their name on this beautiful photo. It's not in North Carolina, I'm pretty sure!

Another beautiful mountain sunset...photographer unknown.

Personal perspectives

 I made the sangria pitcher, which is held by my son here.  The little grimlin hooked over the side is an avatar, a paper-doll model of herself, made by my granddaughter.

 I wanted an activity for my grands when I visited them several years back, so we took photos and computer edited them, then glued them onto card stock and cut them out, then added some stand-up features like paper-doll models have.

We then spent a day going all over their familiar sites and taking photos with the avatar in the foreground and the signs of their parks and restaurants in the backgound.  But alas, I've lost all those photos with many times moving them from one flash drive or another.  Below are the three avatars we made, propped on the pitcher.

Granddaughter has her own face and body, grandson (in green shirt) enjoyed doing some cubistic editing, and mine is a self portrait with marker pens.

These memories are shared as prompted by the Sepia Saturday meme this week.

A real (no editing used) juxtoposition of my head in front of some scenery from Mt. Mitchell, NC.

Here I'm just enjoying a rocking chair in front of the White Squirrel window (which alas is no longer like this) in Brevard, NC

A friend plays tour guide by one of the beautiful waterfalls in NC...this is one you can walk behind.  Dry Falls, NC 

Today's Quote:

"Whichever road I follow, I walk in the land of many gods, and they love and eat one another. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.” 

~ Linda Hogan, Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World

My Sepia Saturday post

This week there are caves over at Sepia Saturday...HERE

I'm sure Western North Carolina has some.  Not where I'm walking these days however.

Here are the closest things I've got...an overhang for a falls or two.

Yes, if you've been reading my blogs for a while, these are pictures being re-posted from 2010.  Dry Falls here (near Highlands, NC) and the little drive-under falls is yet another Bridal Falls.  (There must be 20 or so in this state alone!)