by CKR
After I attended the Carnegie Nonproliferation Conference, I hung out in the Washington area for a couple more days, then headed down to the Asheville area to visit friends. I hadn't been to North Carolina before, although I had ventured into the Blue Ridge Mountains in that area from the other side in connection with a trip to Oak Ridge.
The vegetation there is thick and lush, although I was told that rainfall has been spotty there. One friend was watering her yard every night, while the other friends had thundershowers every day. Whatever, it's much thicker than New Mexico, even more than I recall from a New Jersey childhood. The rhododendrons were blooming everywhere, along with numerous things I'm not familiar with. Vines, vines, vines! Grapevines covered fences and bushes along the edges of the forest. There were others I couldn't identify, including the dreaded kudzu, which I still haven't seen up close.
We hiked up to Triple Falls, now a state park. The land was acquired by DuPont during World War II for a manufacturing plant, but the plant was never built. Lots of people there, although as we hiked higher, the crowds thinned. Then to Dolly's for ice cream!
The French Broad (click "Continue reading" for photo)
is a river in that area.
It's been smoky here since I returned. I think it's from the forest fires in Utah. No smell, but ruddy and filtered light all day. Clouds attempt to build, but no rain since I've returned. The lizards are doing well, although I see droppings that look like roadrunner. I haven't seen Herself lately, though. I think the lizards were feasting on the tiny flies that kept crawling on me as I weeded this morning.
Here are a lizard and other critters from North Carolina.
And some flowers from along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I've always loved those little pleated buds of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia). And here's why they call them the Smokies. Lots of moisture in the air. My friends tell me it's clearer in the fall.
