Red orange and a good doctor's visit

 An appointment at the doctor's in Asheville, where some trees (at 4pm new time) still show nice color with the brilliant North Carolina blue sky.

The sun still hit the top of this golden orange tree's last leaves.

Golden orange hair in tightly woven braids greeted me as my nurse led me back to the exam room. I asked her if I could take a photo of her hair, and she was willing.

She said it had been pulled tightly while the braids were being made. It shows!

-----------

Twilight struck around 5:25 pm in Asheville. As I left the cardiologist's office to go home, and I followed that almost full moon going east on I-40 all the way home. That was Mon. Nov. 3, when I was still getting used to no more Daylight Savings Time. Gag. Sunset at 5:30 now!

Anything new from the cardiologist? Heart had been examined in Sept by ultrasound when I was hospitalized with pneumonia which left me very short of breath when walking anywhere. So we knew my heart worked, but the lungs were not doing so well.

I had had one episode which might be heart related in early October, when nitroglycerin worked to relieve the pain in 5 minutes. Doc talked about how I need to get my lungs in better condition before we can have a stress test of my heart (not on a treadmill, but with MRI and contrast.) So it's scheduled early next year.

So I'm also interested in my risk factors for a stroke. I take all the proper meds to keep my blood pressure at a good level. I am not a good candidate for exercise until the lungs are better...there's constant coughing and little wheezes there.

We had a few laughing moments when I couldn't remember a word, and basically gave the hint in Charades game fashion...one word, 3 or 4 syllables, means...etc. I don't mind at all that my mental score was 27 out of 30 (normal range!) ...memory and word finding continue to be a laugh! 

I do like my cardiologist.

I am looking into improving my diet somewhat, since the lunch program just gives me lots of carbs. I'll load up on fruits and veggies for breakfast and dinner at least. (I went to the grocery store a few days later, and only got one kind of bread - 4 croissants). Not even the chocolate kind. 

Autumn progression in the hood

 Views from my windows looking over Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain NC

Sept. 1, 2025, first blush of red on maple tree

Oct. 12, 2025 - red shows on dogwood and sourwood trees near apartment building downhill from mine. I can just begin to see mountain ridge in distance.

Oct. 17, 2025 morning

Oct. 18, 2025 evening

Oct. 19 dawn

Oct 20 dawn

Oct. 24, 8:45 am

Oct. 25, 8:11 am - then the rain came

Oct 28, 9:42 am

Oct 30, 8:38 am - trying to capture that brief sun hitting the leaves!

Oct 30, 9:07 am

Oct 31, 7:59 am

Nov. 1, 8:33 am, first frost is beginning to melt on roof of building

Nov. 1, 11:50 am

Nov. 2, 11:00 am - the maples colors now match the dogwoods.

------------------

Inner Workings about some of my thoughts about end of life, and clearing out the belongings.

A rainy day in 2018

 Repost from my blog (no longer being updated) Living in Black Mountain. 2018. Leaf Peepers are people who drive through the mountains just to take photos of autumn leaves.

 Yes, a robin was flying around, tried to find his favorite berries, but there didn't seem to be any.  Otherwise, he could do fine with the worms in the mud below the trees...if he wanted to. Sharing with  Saturdays Critters.

The clouds obscure the distant mountains completely, which otherwise would show through our almost leafless trees.  I will bet the "Leaf Peepers" were all hanging out indoors yesterday also.

And speaking of robins, remember my Feb. 26 post about them gifting my car with lots of splotches?  

The robins have attack my car this week. They flock through mainly in the mornings, eating those red berries they can't digest! Unfortunately there aren't nice bugs and worms left in our sterilized grass areas. So the undigested berries are left under all the many bare maple trees, and my car is partially under one.

Tree with red berries

The sidewalks are also scattered with the leavings, so people have to really scrape their shoes when arriving home in their apartments.

Day two of bird gifts... I decided to not deal with windshield spats so have been backing into the space.

This is now day 4, and my goal is to use these warm days to go scrub off the splats and then go through the car wash as soon as they stop! But they seem to be here for the week, and I need to do this deed and get gas by Wednesday. So I'll patiently look at the splats that happen on Tuesday (writing this then.)  But with bird flu found in wild birds in the area, I'm careful not to touch any of the crap which is even on the handle of my door. They are clever little guys. I have a love-hate relationship with them at this point.

-----------------------

-------------------

Life is full of mystery. The mystery is our invitation to let go and to embrace uncertainty with the fullness of our being. This is how hope becomes our bearing. It’s how it becomes our compass in uncertain times. ​

JOE PRIMO

Cloudy day with colors

 

Downtown where the railroad crossed Black Mountain Ave.

Looking south from Ingles Grocery Store parking lot toward Lakey Gap.

And before I could post this, the sun came out and I went to the library to return Vol. 1 of The History of the English Speaking Peoples, by W. Churchill. I had already picked up Vol. 2 and started it, then a friend loaned me a John Grisham that I  hadn't read...and I'm indulging in it.

Today's quote:

He grew up in the ruins of World War II–the ruins created by the Nazism and its ideological commitment to conspiracy theories, violence and white supremacy. Based on that formative experience, the former Republican governor offers his take on this week’s coup attempt in Washington: “Being from Europe, I’ve seen how things can spin out of control… We must be aware of the dire consequences of selfishness and cynicism. President Trump sought to overturn the results of an election, of a fair election. He sought a coup by misleading people with lies. My father and our neighbors were also misled with lies, and I know where such lies lead.” To avoid a similar fate, we must hold the conspirators accountable, find public servants who will serve higher ideals, and, most importantly, “look past ourselves, our parties and our disagreements, and put our democracy first.” Arnold Schwarzenegger

Enjoying color changes

 

Hwy 9 going over Lakey Gap...where the big orange sign warns truckers not to try going up that route. About once a month some dude in an 18 wheeler tries it and gets stuck on the switch backs.

On another topic, yesterday I got a fill-in-appointment from a cancelation at the Physical Therapist. Yay...it would have been another week!

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in the Military of the USA. Now why don't we celebrate those of other countries, I wonder?

Today's quote:

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” Frida Kahlo

The 23 day progression

Oct. 8...beginning to change!

Oct 22, 2021
 

Halloween day

And so the progression of autumn colors proceed!

I was awestruck when I woke to freezing temperatures but a sunny morning. There were gentle leaves falling from all the maples outside. They'd just let go and flow slowly down to earth...a few hundred at a time. There was no wind. They had had a bit of frost or dew on them, which got warmed up by the sun. And they somehow decided this was the time to let go. Wow!

Today's quote:

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. -Edmund Burke, statesman and writer (12 Jan 1729-1797)

Colors at Lake Tomahawk

 

My friend and I tried to add our shadows after walking as far as the dam, where we turned around and walked back to our cars. And it was fairly warm and not windy that day. But I got winded often!

Looking toward the little bridge.

Today's quote:

​Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving, novelist (b. 2 Mar 1942)

Autumn on the Blue Ridge Parkway

 

Most of my photos have been cropped since I took them through the windows of our car, and it's almost impossible to avoid all the reflections. Helen is a good driver, and stayed back aways from the car in front of us. Most of the way up, we didn't see many cars going our direction. But eventually we caught up with crowds!

Entrance to Craggy Gardens picnic area goes to the left here. We stayed straight, er, curves.

And were rewarded around the next bend with some beautiful colors!

The foliage on south facing slopes seems to be turning colors first!

The next post we'll arrive at the Craggy Gardens Ranger Station.

 Today's Quote:

​Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement. -William Morris, designer, poet, and novelist (24 Mar 1834-1896)