My Apologies

I want to apologize for the lack of posts lately. Between the thunderstorms and other rl considerations I have been unable to go and take pictures in the last couple of weeks. I promise though that I will go, one way or another, this coming week to take more pictures. So I'll see you then! :))

A Poet's Retreat

"It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, 'Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?' " -Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandberg and his wife Lilian - a portrait by Edward Steichen

"Carl Sandburg was already famous when he moved with his family to the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina in 1945. Poet, minstrel, lecturer, biographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, he had spent his lifetime championing social justice and the American people through his writings and his singing. At 67, an age when many people retire, Sandburg was still actively working.

Sandburg's wife Lilian had discovered the mountain farm named Connemara with their youngest daughter Helga. The farm had everything the family wanted, including a gentle climate and ample pasture for Mrs. Sandburg's goat herd and seclusion for her husband's writing. Carl Sandburg would call it home for 22 years.

The estate had a long history-an ironic history for the biographer of Abraham Lincoln-for Christopher Memminger, who built the main residence around 1838, had served from 1861 to 1864 as Secretary of the Confederate Treasury. The second occupant, textile tycoon Ellison Smyth, named it Connemara to honor his Irish ancestry. Smyth's heirs sold it to the Sandburgs, who moved from Michigan with their three daughters, two grandchildren, a library of over 14,000 volumes, and the Chikaming goat herd."

-Taken from the pamphlet available at the Car Sandburg National Historical Site and National Park.

On April 27, 2009 my son and I were invited to visit the Carl Sandburg house, now the location of a national park. The house has been perfectly preserved and we are told looks not much different than it did when the Sandburgs lived in it many years ago. Along with the house and its many small out buildings, there is also the barn, still standing and still very well taken care of, which houses the decendants of Lilian Sandburgs prize winning milking goats.

A Place to Write - When we first arrived at the historical site, all I could see was trees. Then I walked down the path toward the lake just visibile through the vegitation. At last I could see it: A beautiful home set up on the hillside. Even from that distance I could see that it was old. They don't build houses like these anymore. Taken at 12:43 PM EST.

Serene - The birds are slowly returning to the mountains. That day I saw only one, however: A lone Canadian goose swimming serenly along in the lake Carl Sandburg created when he dammed the stream running at the bottom of the hill in front of his house. Taken at 1:00 PM EST.

Just Breathe - We sat for some time watching this alligator snapping turtle sit below the surface of the water. There were quite a few of us standing on the bridge waiting for him to come up for air, as all turtles must do. He was quite large - if held he would likely weight between 20 and 40 lbs. Still he was also quite young. They get much larger than this one. I sat more or less patiently waiting for him to come up for air, thinking "Just breathe. Come up and smile for the camera." Taken at 1:06 PM EST.




Immigrants - Once we were shuttled up to the house I had to hold off on taking pictures and take my son to the garage where the National Junior Ranger day was set up with activities for the children. Once he was safely tucked away with the others drawing and doing other activities I was free to roam about and take pictures. On my way to the house I came across these immigrants nestled among the native trees of these mountains. Bamboo was once very popular to plant in ornamental gardens here. Now they spring up all over, often completely uncontained. These days one expects to see a stand or two of bamboo as you drive along the roadways. It's everywhere. Taken at 1:33 PM EST.




The Colours of Life - Many of these trees were planted by Carl and Lilian Sandburg, though some are much older than that. They make such a beautifully colorful display that I had to show them to you. Taken at 1:38 PM EST.




Old But Not Forgotten - This is a much closer picture of the Sandburg house. I stood beneath those colorful trees in the previous picture and studied the architecture for a time, marveling. They don't build houses like these anymore. Built around the time of the Civil war, this house has 6 chimneys (three in the back where you can't see them from this angle). If you look on the right you will see a charming window framed in the arched supports of the window above it. I'm not very good with architectural terms, so I have no idea what these things are called. But I am fully aware that you don't often see them built like this these days. I could see myself sitting under that window, outside instead of in, and enjoying the shade and breeze on a warm summer day. Taken at 1:41 PM EST.

The Red Bower - I still stood beneath the trees when I finished taking the picture of the house. A light breeze stired the leaves and I looked up to watch as the mass of living red and green swayed above me. If I had stayed there any longer looking up into that leafy bower as I wished to I'm sure I would have had a stiff neck by the end of the day. So instead I took this picture of it to bring home with me...and to share with you. Taken at 1:41 PM EST.

The Ivy Lawn - There was grass in front of the house in plenty. But when you go beneath the trees there is so much shade that grass has little sunlight to grow. Instead the ivy has taken over. The staff at the park keep it under control though so that it can't kill the trees as ivy often does, though they do allow it to climb the lower parts of the trunk. Taken at 1:47 PM EST.

Rain Catcher? - A group of us stood about to try to figure out what this was used for. The closest we could come to was a container to catch and direct rainfall. If you look on the right there is a pipe coming out of the side that would spill over when the basin is full. This is not made of concrete, incidentally. It's a solid block of stone into with the basin was chiseled. Taken at 1:54 PM EST.

New Life - This two week old goat is one of the many decendants of Lilian Sandburg's prize-winning herd of goats. There were several baby goats, 6 in total and more expected soon. Three of them were born of the same mother and we less than a week old. Triplets are very uncommon with goats. I couldn't get a picture of the very young ones due to the lighting in the room and they didn't want the sleeping babes disturbed with my flash. Taken at 2:02 PM EST.

Snake in the Grass - I stood in the pasture walking among the female herd of goats (the males were kept in a separate enclosure), when my son ran up from the bottom of the pasture begging me to come down and see. There is a small pond down there that was once used as a watering hole for the goats, though now is filled with water plants. In the midsts of the plants was yet another alligator snapping turtle, larger than the last. He was so well camouflaged that I had a difficult time spotting him until I noticed that there was a section that the plants didn't seem to be growing. It wasn't that they weren't growing it was that he was laying there on top of them under the water. I stood again waiting and waiting for him to surface. They can hold their breath an amazingly long time and we waited in vain. As I turned to walk back up the pasture I happened to look down and there was a lovely little snake just sitting there, probably hoping I would not notice him and go away. It took several shots before I could get one that was not blurry. This had nothing to do with the snake, for he didn't move a muscle. My hands were shaking. It had been a long day an I was quite tired and I simply could not get my hands to stay still for a decent picture. Needless to say this handsom fellow is the last thing I took a picture of that day. Taken at 2:20 PM EST.

That, as they say, is that. As soon as I recover from that expedition, I will be out taking the next week's pictures. For now, Merry Part!

Hope Springs Eternal

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the lateness of these, but once they were taken rl interfered and I simply didn't have the time to get them up until now. I should warn you that yesterday I went on a field trip with my son and a group he is involved with and I took even more pictures. So tomorrow or the day after, once I have sorted out the insanely huge number of pictures I took and narrowed them down to a prize few, there will be another major posting :).


On the afternoon of Friday, April 24, 2009 Moondust and I drove out to take our weekly pictures. We didn't stray too far from home, since we had to pick someone up by five. So we drove around on one of the prettier of the larger roads in our area, up and over the nearest mountain to our home. When we started it was cloudy, but not yet raining, and it was a rather steamy 89 degrees F. Naturally, when I stepped out of the car to take the first picture, the dark cloud above us decided to open up and drop a few raindrops on us. Not the usual small drops that come with a such a light shower, but the big, sloppy kind that cover more surface than they should.

Out of Place - Driving along that wide, paved road over the mountain, with homes and trees on either side, one would not expect to find such a lovely little waterfall very nearly right at the road's edge. But there it was, nestled in the burgeoning life of Spring. In wetter years the water came down all the way across the rocks you see there. These days it is only a shadow of its former self, but still an unexpected lovely sight as you drive over the mountain. Taken at 3:19 PM EST.

Trickling - I stood on the lower rocks of the little fall to get a closer look at the upper side. Though difficult to see, if you look closely you can see the water trickling across the top side of the rocks to the rocks below. Because the flow is not so great as it was in former years the way is now clear for many small plants to take root on the rocks themselves. Taken at 3:22 PM EST.

Purple Spring - As I was getting back into the car after shooting the waterfall I noticed these small, wild purple daisies all over the hillside. I just had to get a close up picture of one. As we drove further along I noticed that they were all over along the sides of the roads and in the fields. Taken at 3:29 PM EST.

Under the Apple Tree - Once we had crossed the mountain I took a random side road and came across a large apple orchard. There are apple orchards all over this area. I wish I could convey to you the scent in the air as I stepped out of the car to get a closer look. The white blossoms were everywhere. If there ever was a heaven, I would imagine it to be like this, with that heavenly scent on clouds of white blossoms. Taken at 3:40 PM EST.

Its Bark is as Good as its Bite - Across the little dirt road from the orchard I saw a dogwood full in bloom. There are many of these tucked away among the other trees along the roadways. It wasn't very big but that didn't make it any less beautiful hidden in the pines as it was; a splash of white in all the green. Taken at 3:42 PM EST.

The Heavens - As we waited for the person we were picking up to come out of the building I saw a very pretty landscape, full of color, over one of the nearby fields. I couldn't get a decent shot of it though because of the positioning of the sun. In the end I tilted my camera up to take a picture, not realizing what I had until I came home. Taken at 4:41 PM EST.

Over Fields - I actually got into a little trouble taking this picture. The view was so lovely I had to capture it. But I parked at the very bottom of a long driveway right next to the road. As I was getting back into my car the owner of the house above yelled at me that I was on private property. But it was worth the tongue lashing I got. You can see many of the trees are getting their leaves back; bright spots of green dotted in the still half leafless forest. Taken at 5:21 PM EST.

That's it for the moment, friends. There will be another posting in a day or two. Until then, merry part!

Rising Waters

Yesterday Moon and I went up to the Mills River side of the Pisgah National Forest. We drove up and down a long, winding dirt road that snakes all over the mountain. A streams runs the entire length and beside the stream are a great many free campsites. It's rough camping here, no running water (other than the stream), no bathrooms, or anything other such thing and the campsites are spread pretty far apart. In effect when you camp here it's just you and Nature..and anyone else you bring with you.

We've been in drought. We are every year in the winter for the last several years it seems. The streams still looks very depleted, but that will change by the time summer arrives. Spring brings the rains and with them the waters rise.

Low Water - We've actually been in a drought for some time. The water level you are seeing here is not usual. The stream generally runs much higher than this. You can see this if you look at the height of the banks that the stream cut. Take at 5:02 PM EST.

Through the Tunnel - These small trees are called mountain laurel. The only place this tree grows is in the southern parts of the Appalachian Mountains. The laurels here are still young. With so many droughts hitting us over the last few years they have taken to coming up right next to the stream bed like this. The tunnel isn't as big as it looks. I had to sit on a rock to get a picture into the heart of it. Taken at 5:07 PM EST.

Nature's Decorating - This small fall was not here a couple years ago. It's difficult to see in this picture but what the water is falling over is the bole of a rather large tree that fell across the path of the stream. Luckily the streambed upstream from the log was a bit higher than the one below, so instead of going around the tree the water opted to take the quickest path...up and over. The falling water cut into the streambed and the remainder of the log sunk lower, to nearly the height of the upper streambed. andTaken at 5:17 PM EST.

Small Falls - This is one of the rockiest streambeds you'll ever see. Rocks abound in it, everything from tiny pebbles to massive boulders. Because of these rock formations there are a great many of these small waterfalls running all the way down the mountain. Taken at 5:19 PM EST.

Through the Mists - Perhaps I should not have zoomed on this picture. I stood at the bottom looking up this hill which rose so high above me. I could never have climbed it, it was that high...at least not at my current age lol. Taken at 5:27 PM EST.

Where the Faeries Play - This was taken by what is usually one of the larger falls on this elevation of the stream next to a tree we call the Faerie Tree. At the base of the fall there is usually a pool that is about shoulder deep..one of the best swimming holes on this part of the stream. If you look upstream you will see what looks like a narrow cave. Such cuts into the bank were made when we had far too much rain and every stream in the area flooded. They are homes to a great many varieties of forest creatures now. Taken at 5:47 PM EST.

Faerie Magic - These are the roots of the Faerie Tree. She's one of the oldest trees on this part of the stream and coming near the end of her life :(. Look at her size, though, and you woud never guess that she is as old as she is. She's large, though not as large as some of the younger trees of her type around her. This is because she sprouted on top of a mass of boulders in a small crack of the topmost boulder. I look at her roots spreading over her rocky perch to finally reach the forest floor and stream bed on all sides and I am amazed yet again at the perseverance of Nature. This tree always seemed to me to hold more than a little magic. I often come here to sit with her, full of wonder at her strength and hoping some of her magic would rub off on me. Maybe we could all use a little of that magic. Taken at 5:49 PM EST.

By the time we returned home Moon and I were wet from the constant drizzle and a bit chilled. My shoes were wet for having to wade some parts of the stream to take some of these pictures...like stepping in ice water. But it was all worth it. The wildness of this place never ceases to capture my imagination. (but next time I will take some wading boots with me hehe)

That's it for now. Until next time, merry ye part!

On the Farm

Hello everyone! I want to apologize for the lateness of this post. These pics were taken very nearly a week ago on 4-07-2009. I found out when I got home that the date stamp on the camera had been turned on and it stamped all of the pics. It took some time sorting out the mess..but, better late than never!

I started that day with the thought of just going around the imediate area in which I live. I thought to take pics of trees and things, but there are so many farms here than you can't take a step without walking onto someone's pasture or something similar. So the day was spent visiting a few of the farms.

Budding Red - This is called a "red bud tree" by the locals. These trees are all over the hillsides. Very striking in their brilliant red spring finery. Taken around 1:55 PM EST

Blossoming Spring - Of all of the flowering trees planted up here weeping cherry trees, such as this one, are the most common. It has come to the point where you often see these blooming wild. Taken at 2:03 PM EST.

Just Beginning - These little goats are only a week old. They are a bit shy and always moving, so getting them to stay still for the camera was not easy, but we managed :). Taken at 2:27 pm EST.

Don't Mess With Mamma - In order to take a steady picture of those infant goats above, I sat on an old fashioned, large metal milk container. What I didn't know what that there was a hen who had laid her egg inside the canister. She came screaming out and hopped around making a terrible racket up on the framing there. When I finally got a decent pic of the goats I realized that the hen had come quite close and was making very threatening sounds and noises and I realized I was about to be flogged, so I stood, snapped her picture and stepped away so she could sit on her nest once more. Taken at 2:27 PM EST.

King of the Roost - This particular farm had guinea fowl...several hens and this one very striking male. The males are always more colorful than the females when it comes to birds and guineas are no exception. Taken at 2:31 PM EST.

Food?! - Ok, so they all didn't want food. Many wanted petting. Goats are remarkably affectionate animals, especially when they've been hand raised. Taken at 2:33 PM EST.

I'm Ready For My Close-Up - Very curious animals, goats. This one was intensely interested in the camera. Taken at 2:33 PM EST.

Dinner Time - This horse couldn't wait for dinner. Her head was in the bucket before all of the oats were in. Taken at 4:04 PM EST.

Strolling By - The other horse insisting that he was going to eat from the same bucket. Took a couple a minutes to convince him that he had his own dinner a not far away. Taken at 4:04 PM EST.

The Homestead - This is one of the most beautiful homesteads in the area, very well kept and everything in just the right place. It took a bit of time to catch the person at home that day to get permission to take this picture. Taken at 4:23 PM EST.

In the Fields - Such a lovely barn here. It's small in this pic, not my intention, but the whole scene was lovely so I took a panorama which Wildstar pieced together for me. Taken at 4:41 PM EST.

Moooo! - There were several cows in this field. Only this one stopped and stared for a while so I could take her picture. Taken at 4:46 PM EST.

That's it for now, my friends. Since this was so long in coming the next set will not be far behind. I need to catch up lol. No more date stamps!

Lake Julian

I know, I know, I said once a week. But I've also taken to bringing my camera with me whenever I have things I need to do in rl. I was on my way home from some appointments when I drove by Lake Julian and decided to stop in to see if I can find anything interesting.

Pecking - The first thing I noticed is that some of the ducks and geese have already returned to the lake. Unfortunately, this i s the only one I could get still long enough to take a shot. It's a bit blury because he was still in fact moving. Taken at 4:30 PM EST

Waiting - This is one of my favorite trees in the park. A weeping willow that has grown so that it leans out over the water. I didn't take a distance shot to preserve the dignity of the still naked tree as she waits for her spring finery. Taken at 4:32 pm EST.

Lonely - I saw this lonely stump sticking out of the water just off-shore of the lake. I took several pictures of it before I finally laid down on my belly and held the camera just above the waves. It won't be there for long. Alot of people sail this lake and the park rangers will pull it out before it can do any damage to passing boats. Taken at 4:35 pm EST.

Marina - Lake Julian is much larger than these pictures show. If I had had the time I would have gotten to a better position so you could see more of it. Even so I would have to take several pictures from seveal points for you to see it all. It's not by any means the larges lake in this part of the mountains, but it's large enough for this small marina and the sailboats it houses. Taken at 4:37 PM EST.

Budding Moon - My original intention was to get a close up shot of the new buds on this tree. I hadn't realized until I came home and looked at the pics that I had caught the moon as well, growing slowly to it's fullness later this month. Taken at 4:39 PM EST.

That's all I have to show you for now. I know not as nice as the first two posts, but sometimes it's the simplest things that are the prettiest :).

Until next time...

Where the Elk Roam

"The experimental release of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in February, 2001 with the importation of 25 elk, In 2002, the park imported another 27 animals. All elk are radio collared and are monitored.
Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere in the eastern United States. They were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. The last elk in North Carolina was believed to have been killed in the late 1700s. "

(taken from http://www.romanticasheville.com/elk.htm).

Today Moondust and I went up into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for our pics. I went to Moon's house to pick her up and couldn't resist the first shot right there in her fields.

The Coming of Spring - These flowers are called Creasy Greens. The bottoms can be eaten before the plant actually blooms. Once it blooms it becomes poisonous. The hillside here is absolutely covered in them. Taken 3:55 PM EST.

The park was an hour's drive away. We drove the interestate for half of the time. the other half was spent on increasingly narrow roads until we were on a long, one lane dirt road that wound up to the top of the mountain. When we left our houses the temperature was around 55 degrees F. Climbing the mountain the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees and we had a pretty steady wind blowing. But when we got to the park itself, it was well worth it.

A Little Company - We drove up on this Elk as he was walking along the side of the road. He walked along side us for quite a while. I took several pics of him before I got him to stand still and smile for the camera. (That is a smile, isn't it?) Taken at 6:06 PM EST.

Alert - A short distance up the road we came across these two bull elk grazing in the field near some others. There was a point when we saw at least 15 of them grouped together but they were all on the other side of the creek with a line of woods between, so it was impossible to get any pictures of them. The elk are shedding their winter coats still, so they look a bit raggedy, but that will change later in the year. I hope to go back in the Fall during their mating season to get them in their full coats. Taken around 6:10 PM EST.

Foot Bridge - This is the creek I mentioned. And yes, the foot bridge really is that narrow. Taken at 6:15 PM EST.

Over the Creek - Yes, I actually walked out onto that narrow foot bridge to take this shot. Have you ever noticed that when you are standing on a narrow surface, even if it's more than large enough for your feet, you still feel off balanced? Taken at 6:17 PM EST.

What Are You Looking At? - This little guy isn't yet a year old. He mugged for the camera for several minutes before he finally moved off. Sorry about the eyeshine. The flash was on and we didn't realize it. Taken around 6:30 PM EST

Prelude to a Shower - Moon couldn't help taking a picture of the clouds as the swirled above us. Taken around 6:50 PM EST.

Land of the Sky - I know the lighting looks strange here. believe it or not, this IS how it looked. I couldn't get a pic of it, but there were several parts where the sun broke through to put bright patches of light on otherwise shadowed mountains. Taken at 6:53 PM EST.

I am sorry to say that after this post I will only be able to do this once a week. Most of you know that I am disabled and I am finding that every day is too much. So once a week will have to do. and I think it's ample for what I am trying to do :).

See you next time!