Music along the river

An evening at Pickin' in the Park in McCaysville, GA (every Thursday night, all summer). 

Musicians everywhere you look. 

A beautiful spot along the Toccoa. 

This is the Drastic Measures. 

Our neighbors. 

Blue Ridge Grass and friends. 

Members of Ducktown Station. 

The Toccoa River (it becomes the Ocoee in Tennessee). 

Mountain laurels. 

Old railroad trestle over Ocoee River near Parksville, TN. 

Summer's here
Everything's green as far as the eye can see; this view is looking towards Hiwassee Dam down in the lowest part of the view. 

I never get tired of this view of Hiwassee Lake from just next to the dam. 

Along Apalachia Lake. 

Along the road: fire pinks and phlox (a bit dusty). 

A perfect ladyslipper, by the driveway. 

Flame azalea. 

Here's a visitor to the creek I'd rather not see. 

Persimmon tree. One of the last to get leaves but they're coming out now.... 

A visitor. Looks like he's just opened up, not quite dry yet. 

A couple more photos from Tuesday's Cherohala trip: inn near Robbinsville. 

Indian Boundary Lake 

Bird photos

AshVegas has some lovely photos of an indigo bunting. We've had a couple of them coming to our feeders the last week or so, a real treat; but I don't have any place to put the feeders where I can sneak up on them to get photos. So take a look at the bunting from Ash. The blog has lots of other interesting recent posts with photos, too. Also check out Fletch's photos of rose-breasted grosbeaks, another bird we've been seeing. And the great pileated woodpecker photo.

Cherohala loop

A ride from Murphy across the Cherohala Skyway from Tennessee back into NC (Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests).
Here, roadside flowers in Murphy: phlox and poppies. 

The beautiful Tellico River, before it gets dammed. 

Sky graffiti. Looking down into the Tennessee River valley, a line of ozone, heading for the Smokies. 

A dogtooth violet. Haven't seen these yet at lower elevations.