Black Mountain

Flat Creek greenways trail (known as Emilee's Walk) on March 13, 2024

Monday, March 18, 2024

More spring is sprung!

 Often first daffodils are cut back by a snow or severe frost.

Ours have been blooming consistently however. Maybe Mon. 3/18 will have a frost that night that may nip them down.



At Lakeview Senior Center



Wonderful bed of pale daffies in front of the Coach House this year.

An Asheville store had Amaryllis flowers in it's window, with a sign saying they were not for sale.



I think I would have liked to explore that store...but my friends wanted to go along. I'm with them.

Today's quote:

Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.

ROBERT BRESSON


Sunday, March 17, 2024

A mountain ridge is not flat along the sides

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day.

In the literal observation of a Saint from the Catholic church, even though he has some great stories attributed to him, most Protestants in Ireland would not be observing this holiday.

In fact they wear Orange.

As a protestant - or at least not Catholic, I tried that once. Got many pinched arms as result.

SO  - I go along with the flow. There are many times more Irish descendants in the USA than there are either Catholics or Protestants in Ireland. I kid you not. Thousands more!

A pretty dawn sky  before rain started last Friday.


When a low sun hits my ridge view, suddenly it's not just a silhouette, but has three dimensions. But you have to be fast to capture what that sun is telling you. Bear with me that looking at that ridge through the many branches of trees is really an enjoyable pursuit for me. It will soon be gone for about 6 months of having leaves outside on these trees.


Within minutes you can see all the slopes are crenelated, and not just a flat surface which the usual dark mountains against bright sky lead one to believe.





I love being able to imagine how roads travel up through the mountains. (Yes I posted this a few days ago...did you notice?)

The end of the day.



Vincent van Gogh painted the scene of The Starry Night, which would become one of his most famous works, a total of 21 times.

Today's quote:

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (1853-1890)



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Just a couple of critters

 Today is International Panda Day



Winter is almost over...soon I can share the buds around the lake. The construction on the dam hasn't started yet.


You can see the mud flats of Lake Tomahawk in the background. It rained yesterday, so most of the lake has water covering it (rather shallow I'd say).



I had to stop and pet these adorable soft little dogs. So no more photos of them!

Just wanted to share them with my blogging friends, who will have many more critters posted! Thanks Eileen for hosting the Saturday Critters.



Today's quote:

 Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations. -Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and painter (1919-2021)


Friday, March 15, 2024

Getting there is half the fun

March 15 is the Ides of March...beware if you're named Caesar.

I owe Caesar for two surgical procedures in his name (which I highly doubt that he had knowledge of, but perhaps) which gave me two healthy babies. The first one was done the regular way of lots of my screaming, er labor.



My auto repair place has this car on display (possibly for sale).

A way to be cheerful when walking in the rain...(as I will in Asheville with friends today!)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Super Guppy arrived in Alabama on Nov. 6, 2023, carrying the heat shield that protected Orion’s crew module during its flight on Artemis I.

Daniel Boone Wagon Train, July 1965, Wilkesboro NC.


Somebody used the reverse setting and had no idea how to back up! Ooops.



Thanks Tom! The Blueridge Roadrunner is the name of my car (not red, not fast, but can go over mountains just fine!)



Sharing with Sepia Saturday today. Finding new information from those who post about various topics...this month supposedly about 'Going to Work.' Mmm, I think I missed it this week (again.)




Today's quote:

It’s precisely the people who are considered the least “likely” leaders who end up inspiring others the most. Everyday people and everyday acts of courage eventually change everything.

AI-JEN POO

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Capturing early Magnolia blossoms

March 14 is...

National Pi Day, 

Potato Chip Day









As you can see I tried different editing (in Microsoft photos) to brighten up the little blossoms. Thus the sky color changes all over the place. A grey day with a lot of grey in the tree, but promises of spring to come!


And some days we do have sunshine. This is the parking lot at Ingles Grocery in Black Mountain. No editing of the photo from my iphone. 

Sharing with Skywatch Friday.


Today's quote:
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author, speaker and professor (1924-1998)


Today is

 National Girl Scout Day, 

Working Moms Day, 

Plant a Flower Day

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Those (awful) Bradford Pear Trees

 March 13 is:

K9 Veterans Day, 

Good Samaritan Day



Why are they awful? Because they are totally ornamental, but spread into the woods...and they are non-native so take over the places other native plants would grow. It's a horticultural/ecological thing.


But they are earliest to bloom here, and give folks a bit of hope even when temperatures dip to freezing at night still.

This one hasn't had blooms for the last two years, but somehow manages to produce leaves still.


Sharing with Wordless Wednesday.


Today's quote:

Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light.

FRIDA KAHLO




Tuesday, March 12, 2024

It's another hodge podge day!



Sandhill Crane and Colts, Orlando Wetlands


Swannanoa River runs clean through early spring vegetation

Yosemite National Park by Tina Lukman





Today's quote:

I speak of change not on the surface but in the depth — change in the sense of renewal.

JAMES BALDWIN

Today is:

 National Girl Scout Day, 

Working Moms Day, 

Plant a Flower Day

And last year's blog...where some sunsets were great, and I posted 2, not just one, quotes for the day. Guess I wanted extra credit. after-sunset



Monday, March 11, 2024

10 Ways to live more consciously

March 11 is  

National Johnny Appleseed Day, 

National Napping Day (second Monday) 


How to have a more conscious life in our fast-paced world.

1. Live simply and deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the rat race and quell consumerism. You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.

2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.

3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.

4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.

5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.

6. Nurture your ties to your community. If you don’t have one, create one that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a community, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members – loved ones, friends, or neighbors – can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.

7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.

8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.

9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.

10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often on the go and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

From Daily Om (which sometimes has some good advice, I think.)

No need for more quotes today.

What do you think?




Sunday, March 10, 2024

Views out my window

 March 10: Daylight Savings Time (spring ahead)


Beginning of orchid blooms, Jan 16. Christmas lights still up!



Robin, Feb 26


March 3 - 19 Blooms on orchid, lavender with new growth, and windows open for the first time to 60 degrees!

Having Easter at the end of this month and finding my neighborhood is actually slower to bloom this year than last year (as opposed to many other bloggers) I'm just coming out of my own slumbers.

Today's quote:

In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity.

MATEO ASKARIPOUR


Last year's post on March 10, My Lakeside Dining Room

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Chasing history

 Houses on Vance Ave. that might have been pictured recently in my post featuring a 1915 postcard...HERE.

The other day I wanted to check out the newest coffee shop, "Recess." It had just opened, but I also heard their baked goods had sold out quickly. This was around 3 pm, so I didn't really want/need coffee. 

It's on the left-hand side of this building on Black Mountain Ave.

While on the right end is a meat place. On the other side of the parking lot is Louise's Kitchen which serves breakfast and lunch (and often has a line waiting).

But let's look from the view the post card had...sort of. It's now an auto repair place, instead of a good old hotel which burned down many years ago...new building completely.



The railroad tracks haven't changed, and what I thought was a berm along the far side is really just how the railroad cut into the mountain, which shows in the land below the tracks on Vance.

And here's the post card so you can actually compare perhaps the buildings in 1915 to those in 2024.




So I drove slowly west on Vance, taking photos of the older houses.

On the north/uphill side of Vance St...one of the first old houses.

This one is on the south side of the street, and connected to next door...

This church which is pretty new.

Back looking north, up the hill, I noticed several of these older houses have been cut up into apartments.


These were the only pair of the hip-roofed cottages, which would possibly have been around that long ago. (south side of street)



My last shot of a house on the uphill side of Vance Ave. 

I'm not convinced any are the same buildings. Maybe the register of deeds...but I'm not interested in that deep a search. I want to be making little pottery dragons, remember?

Sharing again with Sepia Saturday. This is where those old photos often take us, to see what's there now!

Today's quote:

The grandeur of human actions is measured by the inspiration from which they spring. Happy is he who bears a god within, and who obeys it.—Louis Pasteur


Today March 9: 
National Barbie Day, 
Get Over It Day