Remembering the search for color

 

Oct 23, 2023 Croquet Court building

The Black Mountain Golf Course.

Golf Course and Croquet building

Where I stood by the side of the road.

Yes, I was searching for fall color. It was a strange fall here, pretty late because of being really dry...and lots of trees shed before fully turning, then others just next to them were pretty for a while.

Today's Quote:

Thomas Merton: One might say I had decided to marry the silence of the forest. The sweet dark warmth of the whole world will have to be my wife. Out of the heart of that dark warmth comes the secret that is heard only in silence … Perhaps I have an obligation to preserve the stillness, the silence, the poverty, the virginal point of pure nothingness which is at the center of all other loves.

More Blue Ridge Parkway colors

 Of course these photos were taken Oct. 15, 2023. There may be much better color, and at even lower elevations as the week progresses.

From the Pisgah Inn with low clouds and really cold photographer, who dashed to the car. If the sun had been out, the reds and yellows would have shown better. Fair warning however, the Inn closes Oct. 31. However, I think you can still go out on the terraces, but I have no idea about the parking situation then.

The south facing cliffs gave lots of red colors, when we stopped at this overlook on the way north to Asheville.

We could see many hills and mountains, but not much color was evident (no color enhancement on this photo!)

This photo might have popped a bit with some photo editing...not done however.

And I tried a pano shot, which just looks dull actually.

Our next stop...

Bad Fork Valley Overlook is also used in one of my headers. I did a bit of editing for them, but this is just the way it came out of the iPhone.

Again, the south facing hill opposite the overlook showed the brilliant colors we'd been experiencing along the road. So we were totally thrilled at leaf peeping this day!

Today's quote:

Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (10 Nov 1852-1933)

Some ancient witches enjoying a tea party!

Going to Pisgah Inn last Sunday

 A partly cloudy cool day in Black Mountain. What would it be like up on Pisgah Mountain, an elevation change of at least a thousand feet..maybe more.

We drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway which had a little color in the leaves as we left Asheville going south...but up in elevation! There were some good bright yellows, oranges and reds as we went along, and we decided where we'd like to stop on the way back, at an overlook which had pretty colors in the trees as we passed on the way to lunch.

We arrived within a quarter mile of the Pisgah Inn to find clouds had dropped to 20 feet off the ground. Sometimes there was mist on the windshield. But driving was clear on the road at least.

It may have been 43, but that cloud sure made it colder, and did I mention the wind?

We kind of rushed inside, and were a half hour before our reservation for 3, but there were just 2 of us, so that changed our status. Nobody said for better or worse! 

We had no intention of going out on the deck while waiting!

So we wandered between the gift shop and the waiting area looking into the dining room. Finally my name was called and we were led to a table for 4 by the window! Wow. I'd never expected that.

These were our views

But we kept hoping the sun might dry it out a bit by the time we were done eating.

We actually got a glimpse of the sky over the mountains for a while, and the little colorful trees below us on the side of the mountain.

I had the small beet salad and my friend had a hamburger. I forgot to take a photo of the French Silk Pie, which was good as always...and I inwardly bemoaned the increased price. But I brought home half the salad which I'll have for another meal.

We did step on the balcony to take a few photos, but it was really really cold, and just a bit windy. 

While I took the obligatory selfie, my friend declined the favor. Now there is no record of J. having been there with me.

My un-retouched photo as it came out of the iPhone.

I did capture the pretty yellows as we left the restaurant.

Yes, people are renting rooms here, who go on hikes as well as enjoy the food. We even passed the camp store on the way out...brr, can't imagine camping on a mountain in this weather!

We rushed to the car and hoped the cloud/fog was just on the peak, and we'd be able to stop and get some better leaf photos on the way down. (Yes we did.)

Just a reminder to all women over 45 years old...including us over 80.

And another sweet reminder of the season. The rest of my photos will follow soon - at least I added some in the headers!

Today's quote:

Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939)

So sayeth an author!

Catch-up on Fall Colors around Black Mountain

 They are beginning to have color, where they haven't dropped already!

Oops, this slipped in, view from Maggie's porch of the lake and mountains!

Some vines always turn early!

Today's quote:

When we enlarge our view of the world, we deepen our understanding of our own lives.

YO-YO MA Raku PUFFINS by cloe hArford (ceramic)

No more BS so Roe Roe Roe your Vote

 

This is where I live. Half my neighbors may be liberal Democrats, and half conservative Republicans. But due to gerrymandered districts in NC (especially mine) the Reds usually win on ballots. I sure hope not this election.

Our early voting starts tomorrow! I'll be going by and picking up a sample ballot.