Spring Color

I had a nice break entertaining family and friends.  Eating wonderful meals, taking multiple day trips and simply enjoying Spring in the mountains.

Folks flock to the mountains in Autumn to see the color.  Many of them do not appreciate that the unfolding Spring offers color of its own.  The dogwoods, mountain laurel, mountain magnolia, azalea and other flowering trees join the leafing trees to bring a  palette of color.  A special benefit of driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway  (BRP) through the western NC mountains is the change in elevation.  In some areas the trees are leafed out and the flowering trees no longer blooming.  In higher areas, the tree limbs are bare but the flowering trees are in full bloom.

At 4,000 feet, the green trees cover the top of Looking Glass Rock like a cap on a hazy day.

Further west, the BRP climbs higher. Some of the hardwoods are bare while others are leafing out in color.  Such a contrast to the greens at lower elevations.

Such lovely muted color near 6,000 feet.  I do love Spring in the mountains.

And what's a trip on the BRP without a stop for breakfast or lunch at the Pisgah Inn?  Yummy food and distant mountain views.

I turned my camera on the parking lot rather than the mountains.

We've had significant temperature changes during late April and so far in May.  Many associate the much cooler weather to "Blackberry Winter," the time when the blackberries are blooming.  Whatever the reason, we made multiple changes from air conditioner to heat in the past several weeks.  I finally decided the heat would not be turned on again and mandated heavier clothing and fireplaces in the early morning chill.

And we are still embarrassed that our beloved State is making onerous headlines by passing a law that denies civil rights and trying to disguise the action as wanting clarification of discrimination.  Seriously people?