Flat Top Manor--more commonly known as Cone Manor--is the center piece of the 3,600 acre Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, donated to the National Park Service by the family of textile magnate Moses Cone after his death. The grand structure, once used by the Cone family as a summer retreat, looks down on Bass Lake--also a part of the Park--near Blowing Rock. The lake provides convenient access to the Manor's 25-mile carriage road system, used by many locals and visitors alike for hiking, jogging and--in certain sections--horseback riding. At times, such as this crisp, mid-October blue sky morning, the lake also serves as an excellent mirror for the Manor high above, as well as the wooded slopes between. Lily pads add interest to the reflections, and the perfectly calm lake surface of this morning, undisturbed even by the resident Mallards,Wood Ducks and Canada Geese, allowed an undistorted reflection of the Manor itself.

On this morning, I failed to check temps before swinging by the lake on my way to work. My fingers were quite numb in the 38-degree chill by the time I finished exposing about 20 shots, including multiple compositions. But by then, however, it was time to head for the office. Besides, the once-still lake surface was becoming ruffled by a rising breeze, which completely destroyed the reflections that had initially attracted me to the scene.