More posies

 

Today's quote:

“Poetry takes care of itself. All art does — that is paramount. In a survival race, I’m quite sure poetry will long outlast reality TV and Twitter.”

American poet, essayist, and translator Robert Pinsky

Sharing with Floral Fridays Fotos

Being by running waters

 

If you've ever been by a running creek, or a cascade, or waterfall, there's a physiological thing that happens to you. Seriously, that air is permeated with negative ions. The breaking of water molecules on the stones creates a different saturation in the air. A little is good, but the cold running water also can suck out your body heat, as I found sitting for an hour to do a waterfall drawing once. It then creates a condition of hypothermia, being colder than normal for a human's health. Signs are shivering, confusion and even hallucinations. 

Rhododendrons in bloom.

Western North Carolina will have moderate particulate levels from the Canada fires today. They start over 4000 feet (I live at 2400 or so) and there will also be ozone levels to endanger people with lung conditions like me. So I plan to walk at 9 am, and have a mask if I start coughing at all.

I must say I'm so disappointed, even angry, that the American news broadcasts talk on and on about our poor air quality from these fires. But do they talk about the heroic efforts being made to put them out? Heck no, they haven't any reporters going out to Canada to see what it's like for them. Geese, we are still a country of narrow minded folks...can't think of the word for those who disdain the people across the borders.

Of course I thought of xenophobia in the middle of the night...and as I add this note at 7:45 am I can smell the smoke actually. Must close up the windows to the great 62 degrees so it doesn't come inside.

Today's quote:

Art is the elimination of the unnecessary. -Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (1881-1973)

Sharing with Thankful Thursday

Some of my home shots

 I spend most of my life here, so I wanted to share more of my good home base.

Early June, and my porch is a bit bare compared to other years. (mmm, was somebody sick again?)

A past view of the porch. But most of the older plants have been stricken by the fungus, which is why none have come over from the wintertime.

At the office/club house building, there are nice porches also. 

With some pretty planters as well.

I call the folks who sit here most days the rocking chair gang...not to their faces though. But wait, they said the same when organizing the hot dog pot luck for the Fourth of July.

There's a handy laundry facility

And each apartment's mail box.

We've been decorated since Memorial Day with more flags about.

Looking down the hill from the top parking lot, you can see the parallel buildings stacked along the hill.

And a clear view of the mountains on the other side of the valley. (Office building on left)

Today's quote:

We all have to do things in our life that we don't want to, and the easiest solution is to change our attitude.

A few flowers for you too

 

Today's quote:

A problem is a chance for you to do your best.

DUKE ELLINGTON

Mountain forest energy

 A favorite Frost poem talks of two roads diverging in a woods.

What do you suppose he would have written for three roads, or is it four? Look closely at left most path.

The repaired/new bridge is much more sturdy, but I do miss the rhododendron wood railings (see below)

From Nov 4, 2018 the bridge railings were often nailed together with substitutes where they failed.

The larger stones are on a larger roadbed...for trucks servicing this area of both beauty and the nearby maintence yard for Montreat's other roadways.

The smaller stone path has been much improved from just a earth path going through the woods, which I've loved to hike ever since I found this tiny enclave that was accessible in most weather for me. It has a nearby parking area, a bridge over the creek, and a path that meanders a bit along the creek up to a stopping point near a private home across the creek, and a tiny cascade into a small pool. I didn't go that far on this trip. As I get my feet under me recovering from who knows what, I'll extend my walks!

Today's quote:

Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back. 

-Gore Vidal, writer (1925-2012)

Getting a mountain forest recharge

 Several days ago I got up, dressed and after breakfast drove to a creek I like to visit over in Montreat. There's a wonderful gate that welcomes you to their town (stone balastrade perhaps) as you drive under it. Then on the right is a parking lot, with a Memory Garden, and a sign designating trails. A lot of them!

I'm glad I took photos of these signs. It's interesting to try to figure out where some of these trails are along the mountain tops (where I don't intend to hike, thank you very much!)

I came to visit the waters of Flat Creek, and there had been 4 days of off and on rain, so I expected it to be high.

 Water seemed clear, so I guess mud will runoff into it further downslope.

Compared to these shots from the past...

Jan 7, 2019

Feb 24, 2023

I will share more of this quick little walkabout while I soaked up a bit of mountain forest energies.

Today's quote:

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. 

-Ursula K. Le Guin, author (1929-2018)

Inspiring talk by brain scientist about her brain

This TED talk meant enough for me to post at some point on my blog in the past. It's really interesting to me, how a brain scientist had a stroke.

Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight.

I've enjoyed thinking again about how my right side of my brain has emotion/intuition/spacial processing. I think mostly on the left side, with writing on a computer, reading, sharing knowledge with others on blogs. It's good for me to try to have a balance of these two.

How about you?

Being Green...Local environmental news

 Mountain Xpress is a free paper for the Asheville area...distributed through all the usual outlets which still sell newspapers. And it provides a daily newspaper delivered to your email (truncated of course.)

Here's some of the last report about our French Broad River's quality of water. It's a poplular spot for summer sporting, tubing, canoeing, swimming etc. It flows from south to north, going towards the Tennessee River eventually.

Green in brief: MountainTrue report flags bacterial levels in French Broad

" ...The State of Our French Broad River report reflects hundreds of water samples gathered from across the watershed during the 2022 swimming season. Average E. coli levels in the central French Broad River basin, which includes popular recreation areas such as the River Arts District and Hominy Creek, were over 1,900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water. The EPA standard for safe swimming and tubing is 235 cfu per 100 mL; if ingested, E. coli can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting.   

Other parts of the river showed less contamination but still exceeded EPA guidelines. The Upper French Broad near Brevard and Hendersonville averaged about 600 cfu of E. coli per 100 mL, while the Lower French Broad near Hot Springs averaged about 400 cfu per 100 mL.

Hartwell Carson, French Broad riverkeeper for MountainTrue, told Xpress those results were somewhat better than the nonprofit’s observations in 2021. However, he noted that the 2022 swim season had seen less rain, which causes runoff and generally leads to higher E. coli measurements.

“... Sources of pollution are not a mystery,” notes the report’s executive summary. MountainTrue identifies poor agricultural practices, failing wastewater systems and poorly managed development as the main causes of river contamination. Stress on the river is expected to increase, the report continues, as climate change drives heavier, more frequent storms and their resulting runof 

The full report is available at avl.mx/crj. 

Also of interest to visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer...

• Multiple road projects are taking place along the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer, which may lead to road closures throughout the season. Parkway officials encourage visitors to plan ahead and check the latest closure information at avl.mx/7tw.
• 
  
• Invest Appalachia, an Asheville-based impact investment organization, released a new report regarding climate resilience in WNC and other parts of central Appalachia. The analysis, which cites previous Mountain Xpress reporting on climate migration, notes that the region will likely serve as a “climate receiver place” for people from other parts of the U.S. The full report is available at avl.mx/cqy.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

• Three local projects got backing as part of the NCDEQ’s inaugural Food Waste Reduction grant cycle. CompostAVL, an Asheville-based curbside compost service, received $14,000 to increase its food waste hauling capacity and to add new customers. Buncombe and Henderson counties received $30,000 and $20,000, respectively, to expand their composting capacities.
• 
  

And I always like to put events on my calendar, which I'll probably not attend myself.

Learning opportunities

• In honor of National Pollinator Week, the Botanical Gardens at Asheville hosts a bumblebee survey training on Friday, June 23, 10-11:30 a.m. Bryan Tompkins with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will train participants how to identify different bees and contribute to the newly launched Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/cqx.

• Buncombe County’s Extension Master Gardeners continue to offer a full lineup of classes through the growing season at their Asheville Learning Garden, 49 Mount Carmel Road. Upcoming options include Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds on Thursday, June 29; Kid-Friendly Gardening on Thursday, July 13; and Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms on Thursday, Aug. 3. All programs start at 10 a.m.; more information is available at avl.mx/ckn.
• 
  

Save the date

• Greenway advocacy group Connect Buncombe partners with the nonprofit RiverLink for a cleanup of the Swannanoa River on Friday, June 23. The cleanup area, in East Asheville along Azalea Road, runs parallel to the planned AVL Unpaved trail network and Swannanoa River Greenway. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/cri.

Some friends of mine from the Swannanoa Watershed Action Network (in RiverLink) were planning that River cleanup...but I don't see it mentioned on their Facebook page, so perhaps it's been postponed due to the weather, and the river will definitely be at flood after 5 days of rain.

NOTE: Added Fri, 6.23.23 9:30 am - I just saw a link provided to Asheville area about where it's safe to swim on Fourth of July.

Swim Guide

Tailgate Market pottery

Though I haven't visited in the last couple of weeks, this was Cathy Babula's display then. Every week she adds things, and sells some.
 

Today's quote:

When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. 

-Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher, humanist, and theologian (1466-1536)