Lately I have developed an interest in wildlife photography which will also inspire future paintings. One of my favorite places to visit is Cades Cove in Smoky Mountain National park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Up until recently we lived a short two hour drive away. The 11 mile loop opens at sunrise and if you get there early most days you will get to see the spectacular fog that is common in the area. I have often seen groups of deer and turkey foraging in the pasture in the early morning . Cades Cove is known for its black bear population. I have been told there is one bear per square mile.
I have most often encountered bear in the early to late afternoon. In the spring the sows have just had their cubs and if your lucky you will see them playing accrobats or rustling around with each other in the woods. In the summer you can often spot bear eating the ripe black berries in the fields. Later in the year you may see them in cherry trees eating cherries or eating acorn in or beneath the oak trees. The greatest thing about Cades Cove is that you never know what you are going to see. The weather always makes it look different and you never know when and where wildlife may pop
up.
