Early Azalea blooms

 

At the main entrance to Blue Ridge Apartments...there's an eye catching bush of azalea blooms.

The other great thing about it is that it inspired me to walk up the hill in our 40 something degree weather. Just because the sun is shining, it's not warm. We're still having lots of strong cold winds! 

I guess the camera didn't like the angle I was working from...casting these bright beams across the photos.

Shared with thankful Thursday this week.

Today's quote:

If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint. 

-Edward Hopper, painter (22 Jul 1882-1967)

And for further clarification of Sourwood vs Andromeda blooms...

Sourwood tree

Sourwood blooms

Japanese Andromeda that I saw in Montreat last week

Andromeda blooms

Early blooming trees

 

Getting closer to the Bradford Pear tree down the hill from me...in the parking lot.

In the afternoon, the blossoms don't pop as much as they do in early mornings.

On the way home on S. Blue Ridge Rd, I had to stop and capture this beautiful old weeping cherry tree.

I'd guess this is another pear tree.

I think these are sourwood blossoms....now correctly idenified by a comment below, as Japanese Andromeda (I'd never heard of that name before!)

Downtown Black Mountain has it's own cherry trees!

Today's quote:

[Destroying rainforests for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929)

More Montreat views

 

At the entrance to the town, is a welcoming gate. Every few years or so a truck takes out some of the stones...there's a nice drive-around over to the left through a parking lot that the UPS trucks always use.

A few years ago the town hall and post office were moved to this new building. The front looks better than this end, but it's hard to stop to take a photo on the highway/road.

Though some early blooms are lying down from cold weather, some new ones have opened. Unfortunately, last night and the one before were below frost level again.

The cherry trees are about to burst into flower by Lake Susan.

As I mentioned before, the dam at Lake Susan keeps Flat Creek levels below flood stage most of the time. But there are a lot of mountains below Lake Susan that can send a lot of water into the creek.

Today's quote:

 You have long been bound thinking:

‘I am a person’.

Let the knowledge: ‘I am Awareness alone’
be the sword that frees you.
—Ashtavakra Gita

Playground on the creek

 

No parking right at the entrance to the playground...

So I parked up the hill a bit and walked down. I skipped my walking stick, because I knew it would be all up and down and gravel...and I mainly wanted to take photos.

As I walked in, several children playing in the fort decided to scream at the top of their lungs. After a while, another child asked them to stop yelling. It's part of my memory of that day forever!

In many places the creek is accessible for children. Some places there are rocks just making little dams to make pools. Of course it was too cold to be in the water in March.

I was wrong, one person did try wading (or perhaps just rock hopping) in the stream!

Today's quote:

Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944)

Going to Montreat

First, for those of us in the western hemisphere, a map of Europe in 2022 with the countries' names on it would help! The EU/NATO map will be over on my other blog, Living in Black Mountain...

I found this very educational. Some of those territories are surprises to me.
 

Now back to Montreat...

There's a playground right on Flat Creek in Montreat NC. Now where is a place to park, I wonder...

There's no trouble finding the creek...it runs down the valley right next to the highway (a 2 laner which has 20mph speed limit in Montreat proper.) Montreat is home of Montreat College, which must have been on spring break, because I didn't see any students at all!

Just as the creek continues down hill, everything also is approached by walking down hill, and then uphill to return to the car!

There were a couple of parking lots, with these buildings with various fences around them...leading in the direction of the playground. The college buildings are off in another direction, and I think these are for camp or children's schools...or what?

I tried walking around 2 of the buildings, not seeing anyone, nor finding a way marked to the playground. I was using my walking stick, but my low back made each step painful...so many little steps.

I gladly stopped to snap photos with the phone!

So I went back to the car and drove along the road which was parallel to the highway on the other side of the creek, knowing the playground was somewhere in between them.

And the road started getting narrower, with many little homes along one side.

When I got here, I turned around.

And finally found an entrance to the park...with no parking there!

I'll share the playground with you tomorrow.

Today's quote:

Elders have one foot firmly in the ground of survival and another in the realm of great imagination. This double-minded stance serves to help the living community and even helps the species survive.
—Michael Meade

About Elders