This year's birthday gift to my wife was a kid-free week in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.


My wife enjoyed the quiet paths and some light hikes - very light!

















I ventured into Cade's Cove at sunrise and found much of it covered with ice...







































Coyotes and Deer are among the most active animals at this time of year...

(By the way, none of these are cropped. with some effort and caution, you can get pretty close to the deer, the coyote was a surprise encounter for both of us!)









































We enjoyed the cold, clear weather and were happy to see rivers with more water than normal for this time of year...