iPod Photos

The first day of our daughter's visit, she and I drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the East.  I had my usual Nikon SLR with me and also my latest generation iPod.  I took photographs with both cameras and I must admit I was quite surprised at the quality of the iPod photographs.  So all of these pictures were taken with it.  How easy it is to stick in one's pocket, pull it out and shoot.  Makes me wish all the more that we had cell phone service at our house so I could have an iPhone.  But we are in a tiny "no bar" reception area.

Our first stop was at Craggy Gardens, best known for the gorgeous rhododendrons blooming profusely in the early summer.  At this elevation, most of the color was gone from the trees.  But it was one of the most clear days we have seen in quite a while.  And we were enjoying almost record-high temperatures.

Across the road from the visitor's center

We continued our drive, going higher and higher in elevation all the while.

 The distant mountains were gorgeous

 We arrived at Mt. Mitchell, highest point in NC

In fact, the highest point east of the Rockies

 We stopped for lunch at the restaurant near the top of Mt. Mitchell.  The food was good and our waiter was hilarious.  He called us "doll babies" and if you could have seen him and his drag-queen mannerisms you wouldn't have minded it either.  Daughter felt like a teenager among the old folks.  Most unfortunately, I felt right at home.

 Filled with a delicious lunch and enjoying the rockers in the warm sun.

The lady standing behind was breathing hard and leaning heavily on her cane.

But not one of those old farts was about to give up a seat.

 Descending a few thousand feet in elevation, we found plenty of color.  Gorgeous color.  That's one of the best things about living in the mountains...a twenty mile drive makes a huge difference in the Autumn color.

We spent every driving on mountain roads.  And the weather was perfect.  I still sort of miss my old (ten years old in fact) car, but my new one really does love the mountains even more than the old one did.  It has four turbo modes and goes effortlessly up the mountain inclines.  The more I drive it, the better I like it.

Finding Color in the Mountains

From a family of nine, my mother's sister is the sole surviving sibling.  This aunt and I had planned a mountain trip for last week.  Rain, wind and much cooler weather dictated otherwise so we chose to go this week on Monday.  We were happy enough to be out riding together in the mountains although we suspected the leaf color might well be past peak.  Fortunately, we found plenty of gorgeous color along the way.

The skies were clear with sunshine all day.

The color in many areas was still breath-taking.

This photograph was taken at an overlook on NC 181.  The Brown Mountain ridge is in the distance.  Mysterious lights shine at various intervals on this ridge.  Not surprisingly, the lights are called The Brown Mountain Lights.

Cherokee lore suggests the Brown Mountain Lights have been seen since the 1200s.  The first white man to explore this area wrote in his diary about "nitrous vapors" carried by the wind.  A reporter for the Charlotte, NC newspaper documented the lights in 1913.

The lights appear as bright orbs, moving in varying directions along the ridge.  No one has been able to explain the lights although they have been studied by the US Weather Service, The US Geological Survey, and the Smithsonian Institution among others.  The unpredictable lights appear and disappear in no specific pattern but are more commonly seen in the late summer and fall.

The source of the lights remains unexplained.  What is known is that the lights are definitely visible and they have been videotaped often.  You can find more information about them here or here.

My aunt was delighted by the awesome color.  Around each curve, with every mountain or gorge, we saw the splendor of the autumn color in the mountains.

I was thrilled to see my aunt take such joy in the outing.  As I left her at her apartment, she said it was the best day she had had in such a long time.  Both of us had a very nice day.

When I got home, my husband told me my neighbor wanted me to call her when it was convenient.  He said he had told her I was visiting my aunt and she asked him, "Oh, is that her elderly aunt?"  My very clever husband told her, "Charlotte, when you get to be our age any aunt you have is elderly."

Neighborhood Color and First-born's Birthday

While the color is pretty much gone in the higher elevations of the NC mountains, beautiful color remains at elevations of 3,000 feet or lower and in the foothills.  Today, I drove my aunt from her home in Morganton, NC up the mountains to Boone so that she could enjoy the colors.  We found some brilliant color.  We had a lovely drive up and stumbled upon a very nice restaurant for lunch.  Then we returned to Morganton via another route, down the side of other mountains.  When we dropped by her apartment, my aunt began to tear up.  She was that grateful that I drove to Morganton so that I could spend a day with her driving in the mountains.

The following two photographs are not from today's outing but were taken in our community last week.  As you can see, we are still enjoying the colors of this season.

So what does this yawning little baby have to do with autumn joy?  She just happens to be the most joyful thing about autumn.  We first saw her on October 24 a bunch of years ago.  This is our daughter the day she and I came home from the hospital.  She was a delightful, easy going beautiful baby.  Now she is a delightful and easy going beautiful woman.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR DAUGHTER!

Fridays are Golden

Lake Wanteska is the second largest lake within our community.  It has a lovely earthen dam and is one of  Ellie's and Lucy's favorite running places.  As soon as we are out of the SUV they run at breakneck speed across the dam.  Then they turn and come running back to us.

Running free is such a treat!

 This is the only dam in which the girls can actually run up and down the dam itself.  They love it.  And we love it because they get such good exercise and spend a really quiet afternoon.

Ellie loves to sniff the wind and smell those wonderful autumn smells.

The fall color at the lake is past peak but beautiful nonetheless.

And how was the color on parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday?  White.  It was all white around Craggy Gardens.  Rime ice covered the forest.  (Rime ice is ice that forms on the trees or roads from water droplets in the fog.)  In the mountains you always hope that you will see the ice on the trees before you feel your car slide in the invisible (black ice) rime ice on the road.

Above photograph from the Asheville Citizen-Times taken by Bill Sanders.

Our quote for the week comes from Pulitzer Prize winner Edwin Way Teale:

Change is a measure of time, and in the autumn time seems speeded up.  What was is not and never again will be; what is is change.

Someone said that our time here is not a dress rehearsal.  This is it.  Make the most of it.  Now.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE.   FULL OF LIFE AND LOVE

In Only One Week

I cannot recall the color ever bursting forth as quickly as it did this year.  Last week the Blue Ridge Parkway viewing areas gave us the beginning of color in the mountains.  When we went back up this week most of the yellows were gone from the higher elevations and the reds dominated the color.

The color in the higher elevations is still lovely with mostly reds and a bit of yellow.

 A treat for the eyes no matter the season.

Looking Glass Rock, so named because the water on the rock face freezes in winter and the sun makes the mountain shine like a mirror.

At slightly lower elevations, there is more color including the yellows and oranges.

At a drop of a thousand feet the color is more pronounced.  At John Rock the color is gorgeous.

Davidson River delights the trout fishermen and women.  They dot the river all along its way.

We will be making trips up to the Parkway until it closes for the winter.  When our children were younger we used to take them to the Cold Mountain Overlook where the gates keep automobile traffic from entering.  During winter it is such a treat to walk the Parkway in the snow.  Perhaps we will take the dogs up there this year.

Fridays are Golden

We don't give our dogs as many treats as most dog owners do.  Since they don't often get them, they really are special.  There are three things they consider treats which they get consistently.  Whenever anyone gets ice from the fridge, the girls are right there each expecting an ice cube.  I make green salads almost every day.  The girls just love carrots, so I give them a few slices of carrot.  And each evening they each get a treat when they get into their crates for the night.

They are anxiously watching and waiting for their carrot pennies.  And yes, it might have been a little cruel of me to take the time for a picture rather than pay attention to cutting the carrots.  But can you blame me for wanting to capture those beautiful faces?

My husband and I tend to keep tiny treats in our pockets.  Every so often, we will call the dogs.  They come rather quickly and sit down to await the treat.  We do this at different times and in different situations.  The girls always come quickly when called...not because they are so obedient, but because we might have a treat for them.

My husband has called the girls and they sit next to his chair.  (We tend to take off our shoes a lot and you can see my husband's shoes next to the girls.)  They expect a treat but sometimes the treat is petting them.  Since they are never sure whether a treat will be given, they come quickly just in case.  And they don't seem to be disappointed if the treat is just getting some petting and hugs.

How is the color in the NC mountains?  It has burst forth rapidly.  Rain and high winds around here have muted the color a bit, but it is still gorgeous.  The color at our elevation (3,000 ft) is not yet at peak.  The color above 4,000 ft is very near peak, and the color at 2,000ft and below is just beginning.  So if you are in the mountains, you can easily drive to a different elevation and you will find beautiful color.

I shot this photograph from our deck this morning.

Then I walked to the mailbox and aimed down our street.

As we look at the Autumn spendor we also enjoy some of our "winter" vegetables.  Squashes, pumpkins, and other vegetables taste so wonderful in this chilly season.  The quote this week comes from Bertie Forbes, who started Forbes Magazine.

Believe in yourself, your neighbors, your work, your ultimate attainment of more complete happiness.  It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring who reaps a harvest in Autumn.

So work on believing all through the year.  But believing by itself will not bring a harvest.  You must also take action and plant your seeds in order to reap the harvest.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!

A Glimpse of Things to Come

This morning we went hiking on one of the trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The air was crisp and the view spectacular.  It was amazing to note the differences in the amount of color as we rounded one curve after another.  You may want to click to enlarge the photographs.

Not a lot of color in the distance, but beautiful anyway.

 The area near Graveyard Fields always seems to have the earliest color.

We stopped by the Pisgah Inn for lunch after our hike.  We left just in time to see two busloads of tourists stopping.  (Note to self:  You got lucky this time.  Don't have lunch there during leaf season.  Breakfast is a better time to stop.)

Nature's Shadow Puppet

Remember when you first learned to make animal shadows by shaping your hands on front of a light?  I wasn't very good at it, so a rabbit and a dog were about all I could do.  My favorite practice time was during church.  When I was kneeling and trying to look reverent, I was actually making shadow animals on the pew in front of me.

In nearby Jackson County, Nature makes her own shadow puppet for a brief time every fall.  On clear evenings, from mid-October through early November there is a remarkable shadow across the mountains between 5:30 and 6:00.  As the sun is creeping across Whiteside Mountain (here) near Cashiers it casts an amazing shadow on the nearby mountains.  Called the "Shadow of the Bear," the form looks just like a bear ready to go into hibernation.  I have never driven over to see the shadow in person, but I am totally awed by the photographs.

This photograph from the Transylvania Times - Jerry Jaynes

This photograph from the Asheville Citizen-Times

What an amazing sight.  We've often driven by this very site but never at the right time to see the shadow.  Someone asked if I thought the mountaintop would look like a bear if viewed from the shadow itself.  I suspect the mountaintop would no more resemble a bear than my hands would resemble the rabbits I made in church.  And that's what adds to the magic.

A Little Muted This Year

Some people seem naturally optimistic.  They enjoy the now and appreciate what they have.  Other people seem naturally pessimistic.  Whatever they see...it could have been better or bigger.  When something good happens they tend to think, "well, it could have been more."  My mother had a phrase for such people.  I often heard her say of someone, "He wouldn't be happy sitting at the feet of Jesus!"

This year's leaf color is not as spectacular as usual.  I hear people complaining all the time about it.  And yet, how can you look at these majestic mountains and not be filled with awe?  I want to scream at these people to open their eyes and appreciate the beauty rather than lamenting how much better it could be.

All the photographs are from overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  You may need to click and enlarge them.

Fridays are Golden

Our Lucy can sleep in almost any position.  We have seen her fall asleep using all sorts of items for pillows, even the hard stone hearth.  Every now and then she puts here entire head under a chair leaving a headless body outside.

I have no idea what makes this comfortable for her.

How often I have wished I could sleep like this.  She seems totally relaxed.

And peaceful

We took another drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday looking for color.

We found some.

We are in the midst of autumn.  The leaves are not at peak but still beautiful.  We're having sunny days and cold nights and are totally enjoying the season.  In the words of Longfellow, "O what a glory doth this world put on..."

I hope that you are enjoying the glory around you.  Slow down a bit and embrace the season.  Do something nice for someone else.  And then do something nice for yourself.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Batteries Not Included

Every year the Cradle of Forestry (here) holds a Forest Festival Day in which various North Carolina colleges of forestry celebrate forest heritage in a competition.  The competition includes log rolls, speed chopping, axe throws, pole climbs, and other activities related to forestry.  We were able to go to the festival on Saturday and truly enjoyed watching the young forestry students compete in these age-old activities.  It was a beautiful day, sunny and brisk.  The skill of the young students was amazing.  Other exhibits demonstrated wood carving, soap making, and other activities.  It was a lovely day.

I suppose you think I am going to show you some photographs of the various events.  That was indeed my plan.  But you see?  I had put the camera batteries on the charger the previous evening.  Enough said?  The camera went with me all right, but the batteries stayed at home.  Of course my dear husband thought that was hilarious and asked the obvious, "Didn't you think the camera seemed a little light?"

So instead of the pictures of the festival, I will show you what our area looks like with autumn just beginning.  We had some much needed rain and a drop in temperature.  When the rains stopped, the mountains were clear and beautiful.

The edge of the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment lies a short drive from our house, across the SC line.  There are dramatic views from the escarpment where the mountains meet the piedmont of South Carolina.  On a clear day you can see for miles and miles.

These photographs were taken last week by my husband at Caesar's Head State Park, SC.

Table Rock looms above everything else.  The lake below it is the reservoir that provides water to the city of Greenville, SC.  Needless to say it is a popular hiking spot.

Looking in the other direction you can see the hills and valleys below the escarpment.  There isn't much color at those elevations yet.

Atop the mountain however the leaves are just beginning to turn.

In another week the color will take your breath away.

We'll make another trip to the area in about 10 days so that you can see how rich the autumn colors are in this area.

And next year...when I go to the Forest Festival Day I will take the batteries along with the camera.

Road to Pretty Place

Wednesday's post gave you views from the chapel at Pretty Place, and the chapel itself.

But the drive to get to Pretty Place affords some spectacular views of the autumn color as well. These pictures do not give justice to the beauty, since you cannot feel the crisp fall air and turn yourself around to catch a panoramic view. So add images of birds singing, squirrels romping through the leaves, and a sense of well-being to these photographs to approach the real beauty.

The road to Camp Greenville and Pretty Place runs along a bifurcation of the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. The valleys below are as much as 2,00 feet lower in elevation. Much of the area represents a true wilderness. The terrain is not suitable for building, even in today's sophisticated construction industry. For that we can be grateful.