Finally!

These photos would have been posted earlier but I had a heck of a time yesterday trying to get Hello! to find my Blogger blog. Everything has names these days. I think Blogger! should have an exclamation point, too, like Yahoo!

It's getting to be flower time.... 

Along the NC/TN border

On top of Buck Bald, Tennessee. 

Lots of water coming through the TVA Apalachia Dam. 

Water from the lake flows through the dam and several miles away to the powerhouse in Tennessee. 

Apalachia Lake above the dam. 

And, near the Georgia border:

Old farm. Note the tree is changing color with buds.... 

Locals enjoying the refreshments. 

A warm weekend

Things are starting to bloom. 

Motorcyclists were out enjoying the weather Sunday... 

In the north Georgia mountains. 

Downtown Asheville, Saturday. Cold in the morning but warmed up considerably. 

Beaver Lake, north Asheville 

Mountain gold

The Digital Library of Georgia, along with some regional libraries, has a new exhibit called Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills, about the 19th century gold rush in the hills around Dahlonega, Ga. There are photos and correspondence about he mines as recent as 1940. Some files discuss the U.S. Mint offices in Dahlonega and Charlotte NC.
The story of gold has been big around here. There was so much gold in the Dahlonega area that there was enough to gild the Georgia Capitol dome. Down the Hiwassee River, around Coker Creek, TN, there was a gold rush in the early 1800s.

Another winter day

This morning was snowy but despite low temps, it disappeared fast. Lots left on the Snowbird Mountains in the distance, though.... 

A purple finch on the feeder this morning, first I've seen here. And just the one. Interesting, since I just read a posting on The Spruce Pine Cottage blog about a similar visitor, all alone. And this blog is many miles away, in north Florida.
(My old barn feeder suffers from recent squirrel attacks.) 

Folkcatcher

Asheville's Mountain XPress tells the story of The John C. Campbell Folk School.

'Visitor' identified?

On the strange fish pictured this past week, a tip from Gary Roberts: looks like it's a Sculpin.

Weekend drives

Some scenery from a couple drives, to Blue Ridge Ga on Saturday and down the Hiwassee River nearly to the Tennessee River on Sunday.
Near the NC/Ga/Tn borders: 

Near the Ocoee River, Tn. 

Parksville Lake, Ocoee River, Tn. 

Hiwassee River, west of Reliance, Tn. 

Nice enough for fishing.... 

Winter sun, moving north... 

Clouds over Blue Ridge Lake, Ga. 

Change in the weather

Surprising weather this morning...this wasn't expected. 

Not a good day for the crocuses... 


...and the daffodils. 

An unidentified visitor

In the sunshine a couple days ago, there's a fish cruising the branch bottom (just above the middle of the photo). At first we thought it was a salamander or mud dog, but looks more like a pike to me? It's about 3 inches long.