On the parkway

 Blue Ridge Parkway trip.

We were struck by many fallen trees, and the lack of leaves on some still standing...showing results of last years Hurricane Helene disaster which kept the parkway closed until this month for much of this stretch,.

Our goal was to drive to Little Switzerland and then Spruce-Pine (off the parkway.)

I'll post a few of our early sightings of perhaps a bit of color. You know how the first flash is always worth the picture...even though it will look so blah when you see something better. But 99 photos for the day, and I've definitely taken out half of the early ones!

More will be revealed...

More to come will include a Septic Tank Truck!!

Sharing with Thankful Thursday

More changes in life

 

The front of my doctor's office in Black Mountain.

I was visiting him last Monday (a week) and then on Thursday I received several notices that the business is closing in November. 

So I quickly made an appointment with a doctor's office that I had gone to before this one became my medical home. I am so sad to lose these dear care-givers...who I've gotten to know pretty well over many years. The office was just down the street from me also, so very convenient when I felt bad.

In other doctoring news, I saw a specialist to figure out whether or not I have a blood cancer, known as multiple meylanoma. I was diagnosed with neuropathy in my legs, without any known cause, so this is one of the causes to check out. So more tests will be run, and probably the new doc will be the one following up on things eventually.

I see the neurologist about essential tremors in my hands, and the pulmonologist about bronchietasis, and then have my veins in my legs given ultra-sounds before the end of this month. Dermatologist is next month. My friend has named these specialists B's Team.

And yesterday when I was going to go to market for fresh fish, I had a flat tire waiting for me in the parking lot. The insurance road side service was quick and efficient. I already needed to purchase 2 new tires, and this one had picked up a nail apparently. No fresh fish this week. I'm driving around on that little donut tire, and staying off the interstate till new tires are on the car. 

The flat.

From the internet

The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." -Maria Montessori, educator (1870-1952)

The view from my windows last fall

The world is a place where the extraordinary can sit just beside the ordinary with the thinnest of boundaries.

JODI PICOULT Change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things. Barack Obama

Early leaf color

For Skywatch Friday, though not very dramatic! These photos were from Sept 9 and before. By the time I post this, there should be more!  Also giving these to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, which was really yesterday!

Perhaps with a magnifying glass you can see this ornamental pear tree's few colors.

And my lush summer forest of maple trees has one single orange leaf showing already!

I will go looking for more color soon!! But I'm sure my northern blogging friends will share some of their beautiful woods.

Today's quote:

Life beckons us as a flicker. A tendril. A corner of darkness. A bell. A spark of the soul. And curiosity propels us to follow.

ROSE ZONETTI

Happy September!

 

Probably not this month! Our leaves usually turn in mid-Oct. Because we haven't had a drought, we may not have as much color as areas who had drought this summer.

See, I can write short blogs too! Maybe more tomorrow!

Today's quote:

George Santayana said "There are books in which the footnotes or comments scrawled by some reader's hand in the margin are more interesting than the text. The world is one of these books."

The beginning and first stop

 All my stuff for over 2 weeks...and the pink bag is just food, and white plastic is too!

 And I find out my friend doesn't do 'photos' so I posed alone.

Saw a bit of the beginning of fall as we wound through the southern Appalachian Mountains from Asheville NC to Knoxville TN.

A comfortable lunch stop in Crossville TN...not very long, but we got to stretch our legs.

Today's quote:

The seed holds a very great secret—it never gets old. It is the eternal YES to life.

Anat Vaughan-Lee

Weather is changing

An early change of color, probably a maple, which lost a lot of it's beauty as the rain came down last Friday, That rain brought us cooler weather, wind and sunshine on Saturday.,.but that night many folks in the mountains had the first frost.

I was unprepared, so am grateful that my little potted flowers all made it through.  I now have to set up an indoor place for a dozen small and 5 large plants.  Each year I chose a different spot.  If they are in the warm living room, they tend to bloom all winter, or early in the spring...that's where the 2 tropical fish tanks are which are kept close to 70 degrees by their own heaters.

But I think the studio is more likely to get the plants, leaning up against a wall right inside the doorway.  That's the plan as of today.  Just need to construct some shelving out of milk crates and boards...so that's the job when I get to it...fortunately warm weather has returned for this week.

More joys of Autumn

Gorgeous Oak color along Montreat Rd in Black Mountain, NC

In front of a local bank, a lovely bright pear tree.

Near the YWCA in Asheville.  (College St?)

Parkway pics

The Blue Ridge Parkway is just 9 miles from my home along US 70.  Then it wends its way along the ridgetops overlooking the Swannanoa Valley, in which Black Mountain, my home, is situated to the southeast.  I don't know the name of the valleys to the west or north of the parkway.  Haw Creek is probably one.

I pulled to the side of the road to catch some pics of the only bright color within view.  I wonder what actually is down this closed road.

Wonderful warm sunshine with clouds dancing across the sky.

A few colors among the rocks prove that fall is definitely coming.

You can see the two posts on the far right which used to hold the sign designating this overlook.  I believe it's called View Pinnacle.  The National Parks have not replaced it apparently, but I was glad to see their budget did take care of cleaning up dead-fall of trees, which had been cut and moved aside so the Parkway remained open for traffic.  This is it's big season starting in a week or so.

Why hasn't an animal or bird eaten these berries yet?

Hate the thorns, but it has some pretty colored leaves!