LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Color Comes to the Mountains

The leaf color in the mountains is at or near peak at elevations above 4,000 feet. With normal gasoline supplies and beautiful weather, mountain communities eagerly await the arrival of the "leaf lookers," also called "lookers." Tour buses loaded with lookers are everywhere, bringing the much needed tourists to feed our our little town's economy.

Here are some pictures from the Blue Ridge Parkway at the higher elevations. I certainly cannot add words more eloquent than Edna St. Vincent Millay.




















O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!
Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
Thy mists, that roll and rise!
Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!
Edna St. Vincent Millay

18 comments:

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

I love it up here during this time, leafers and all! I'm hoping to get out this week to take some more Fall photos.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Carolyn: What a really neat view of your world as it explodes with colors.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Carolyn, simply lovely- the words and colors.

We call them "leaf peepers."

Shelley said...

Edna's words go perfectly w/ this beautiful scenery!

Mary said...

Happy to see the mountains in splended color! Maybe we'll see some changes down here next week?

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog last week, and I've really been enjoying your gorgeous pics!

We went to Graveyard Fields on Sunday and I don't think I've ever seen reds that, well, red. Check out my Leaf Peeping post to see our trek through Blue Ridge Parkway Autumn Wonderland...

Dog_geek said...

Well, it has certainly turned out to be a colorful fall! Nice pics, and I'm glad that your gasoline supply got sorted out in time for you to enjoy it all!

The Birdlady said...

Breath-taking!

Cicero Sings said...

Lovely fall colours out your way! Our fall colours consist of variations of yellow ... period.

"Lookers" ... one has to love em and hate em at the same time. Our town booms in the summer ... one can hardly get through the super market line ups ... and then gets back to normal come September. We like normal but for the shop keepers, the tourists are a necessity of life! Besides ... we are all "lookers" at one time or another and I remind myself of that when I'm waiting, waiting, waiting in the grocery line up!

Cheryl said...

I was looking at the beautiful photographs you have taken and then read the poetry and tears filled my eyes......nature can sometimes move you when you least expect it........

MicheleRF said...

Breathtaking colors! Next vacation I may head for the hills!

Jayne said...

Absolutely gorgeous Carolyn!!

Ruth said...

Wow, wow, wow!! So many trees. The land looks like it is completely covered in a colourful quilt.

Tina said...

Don't you just love Fall!!! My favorite time of the year. You've certainly captured the essence of change in many wonderful colors! Beautiful!

NCmountainwoman said...

Thank you all for your very nice comments. I hope to get out to the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment when the color is peak there, probably in another week.

Unknown said...

The colors are wonderful! thanks for sharing the photos and the poem. Beautiful

Leedra said...

You are seeing better colors than I am on this side of the Smokies. Hope to get back up there one more time before I leave town on Friday.

LIFE as it is........ said...

Only a greatest of painters can paint such a wonderful sight. I wish I can spread thin across the scenes and be one with the colors reflected. Oh Carolyn..I am in love with you. Good post.