Who's been eating here?

I did have my lunch with me for my visit to Craggy Gardens Picnic area.  But there's really nothing more boring than sitting on a picnic bench and eating by yourself.  Unless there's a great view.  On a cloudy day, you kind of look at the patterns made by the grass mowers.

Or take a tour with the camera and just wander around.  Nice looking bathrooms.

Excellent lighting to play with the mirror and camera and get a new portrait for the blogs.

Around the perimeter of the mown areas, are greens and yellows, and some berries mixed in with flowers.\

Industrious bumble bees are enjoying themselves.  Watch  where you're stepping...

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Someone else has been by here, since the mowers came, and this scat attracts butterflies.  It's probably not a dog, by the size of it, which the bear probably stepped in herself.

Someone also left a bedraggled feather that had since seen it's usefullness.

I found the elevation, no wonder I was moving more slowly than usual, since I live at around 2300 feet above sea level, I think.

Craggy Garden Picnic Area

A few days back I toured the Parkway to see how it was looking.
Mowing had happened just the day before.
So there was the scent of fresh grass, as well as the piles of it in streams along the roadside.  Some of the overlooks had been done most recently.

I love the steep curvy road up to the picnic area.  Anticipation builds as you have to climb it slowly.

For once I didn't run into an RV coming down as Yoda Toyota climbed the hill.

Didn't stop to smell roses, but did get a nice pic of the yellows shining at me at the hairpin curve.

And finally, there is the meadow with picnic tables.

On Wednesday before Labor Day, not many picnickers.

Yoda Toyota had no trouble finding a place to park.

If you see this car on the road, what do you think as I pass you?  I just wish people wouldn't slow down beside me to read my stickers...they are best read standing still, not at 75 mph.

I'll have some more pictures of the Craggy Garden's Picnic area tomorrow.  It had some sign of wildlife on that freshly mown grass.

View of Black Mountains

View from picnic area on Mt. Mitchell, 2010

Yes, summertime will be coming as we turn through the seasons again.

Dreaming of picnics

Picnic at Craggy Gardens picnic area, summer 2011

Dawn Wilson, Bill Altork and Tim Perry