A cool place on a hot day

The falls on North Shoal Creek and the stream below.



Surprisingly, no one at the camp site on Memorial Day.

A Wednesday ride

Looking down over Shooting Creek area from road crossing Chunky Gal.

Thorpe Reservoir (Glenville Lake)
Near the Nantahala River.
Barbecue in Cashiers.
Jackson County Courthouse, Sylva. Not a good photo but first time I've gotten a close look.

A pretty church

On an isolated road somewhere south of Franklin, NC.
This reminds me of the beautifully simple northern England churches sometimes pictured on the LakelandCam blog.

It's really remote and we found it only by accident, barely seen from the road.

The front porch and steeple above are sinking.

(Updated:) Note nothing is really remote any more. A search of "Gillespie Chapel" actually finds several references and photos of this lovely place.

More laurels

These days it feels like we live in Craggy Gardens (although it's rhododendrons there). The laurels just keep blooming, and every day there's more.

Foxgloves

Planted two years ago, they have bloomed for the first time. I planted in a couple places and the largest patch all died this winter (??) Thanks to Penny for the seeds, which came from Great Britain.

Coyotes

I haven't seen one yet, but there are many nights now when there's a brief flurry of coyote howls in the neighborhood. Shouldn't be long.

Meanwhile, R.Neal at Knox Views, and Doug Thompson at Blue Ridge Muse, have both photographed coyotes recently, the first near the western end of the Smokies, and the second near Floyd, Va. Thompson also recently photographed a bobcat. Predators are coming!

Around and about

The laurels continue to be spectacular, lasting longer than I've ever seen them. This one along the old Joe Brown Highway (Unicoi Turnpike).
A couple wonderful barns in the Coker Creek, TN area.


Sentinels. The bright sunlight and clear blue skies are a challenge for photography.
Along the Ocoee River.

Flowering galax, I think. (In the link the flower looks darker but it is listed with white-flowered plants.)

And the obligatory Hiwassee Reservoir shot.

Tuesday flea market, Murphy

Lost and abandoned

Do you know where this is? (Enlarged view in sidebar)

On the road out of the Tusquitees, several no-longer-used buildings.

Up close: Saw a washer like this one for sale at the flea market this morning.

There's a barn, too.

Another barn down the road

Last farm.

More green

The rain clouds over Nantahala Lake Saturday made for some wonderful colors. I'll be posting more from this ride later....


Lots of construction on one part of this lake.
I guess there's a contest for the biggest house.

Amazing azaleas.

This blog has been mentioned in at least two other blogs this past week, and I'm very flattered:

The first is in Jack Lail's blog on the Knoxville News Sentinel's website, where it's listed among Tennessee women bloggers. Well, I am just ten miles from Tennessee, as the crow flies.....

The second was a few days ago on Byron Chesney's Knoxville Trivia Blog, which I've been enjoying recently. In this post, he lists several local blogs he's been enjoying, and says some nice things about this one. Thanks, Byron!

(He also notes he's added the beautiful Appalachian Glory Flag from Tennessee Jed to his sidebar, something I'd been planning to do, too, after reading what Marie at Blue Ridge Blog had to say about it.)

A green day

Near Lake Nantahala in the Tusquitee Mountains.





Chunky Gal trail.

Just flowers

More lady's slippers; several still out.

The mountain laurels are plentiful this year.

Even the fallen flowers are fascinating.

The unopened buds are beautiful, too.

Green (and pink) is enveloping the house.

Evening primrose, I think. Brought a couple plants from my
mother's garden, but Mom wasn't sure what they are.
Poppies I planted 2 years ago are finally blooming.