Oh Those Glorious Mountains

Along the Cherohala Skyway

First of all a very HAPPY LABOR DAY to you and yours... Hope you are with family enjoying the day!!!!!

On August 3, 2016,   George took me on a Surprise Birthday Trip... This was the first day of that trip --so I'll share some pictures as we stopped along the Cherohala Skyway (between Tellico Plains,  Tennessee and Robbinsville,  North Carolina) --and then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway (between Cherokee,  North Carolina and Mt. Pisgah,  North Carolina).  Hope you enjoy seeing these beautiful mountains today!!!!

Along the Cherohala Skyway

George loves this drive also --and is happy for surprising me so much!!!!!  (I LOVE that man.)

Along the Cherohala Skyway  (Wouldn't this be gorgeous in Autumn?????)

Oh how wonderful it was to be here....

Along the Cherohala Skyway

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

George enjoyed this day as much as I did (if that is possible)... ha

Layers and layers of beauty along the Blue Ridge Parkway

WOW----this old woman is really LOVIN'  the mountains!

I love it when the wildflowers just enhance the beauty of the area  (along the Blue Ridge Parkway)

A nice lady volunteered to take our picture at the highest point along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Sun and shadows along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Pretty little butterfly enjoying the yellow flowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway

One of my favorite overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Two people in love enjoying the Glory of the Mountains!

As I look at these pictures,   I am reminded of how gorgeous they are ---both in Summer and what they'd look like in AUTUMN.....  Think we'll just have to go back!!!!!  Okay,  Honey????????

Hope you enjoyed our day in the mountains!

Hugs,

FLOWERS from BILTMORE, August 4, 2016 (Need Help with Identification)

1.  My Facebook Friends (Thanks to YOU) identified this one as Chenille --with several names,  the most common being "Love Lies Bleeding";  The 'official' name is Amaranthus.

Since George and I have season's passes to the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville,  North Carolina,  we like to visit there 3-4 times a year during different seasons to check out all of the gardens to see what is blooming.  August is a great time to visit (except for the hot temperatures) since we love seeing not only the Walled Garden (which is always gorgeous) but especially the Water Lilies and lily pads at the Italian Gardens.

I will have an upcoming blog showing the Lilies and Lily Pads--but TODAY,  I'm showing you some of the 'different' flowers we saw blooming this month.   The flower above is one I love --but had no idea its name until some  friends on Facebook told me.

SO---since many of you KNOW the names of flowers,  hopefully you can help me with their names...  I'll number the pictures --so that you can name them by the number for easy reference.   BUT--even if you (like me) don't know all of the names,  I hope you will just enjoy seeing the beauty.

2.   This little fuzzy yellow one was from a plant growing in the water.  Another picture of this one is below. Name? 

Pretty little yellow flowers in the water in the Italian Gardens.  (See close-up above);  Name?

3.  Such a pretty border along the path in the Walled Garden;   IMPATIENS  (I think);  I used to plant Impatiens in Summer --but rabbits kept eating it... Impatiens and Vinca are both such pretty annuals.

4.  Such a pretty bush;  Love the leafy colors;  Name?

5.  Another pretty purple flower --also growing in water in the Italian Gardens;  Name?

6. Such a pretty and happy RED flower;  Name?????

7. This is not a very good picture of this purple flowered plant...  BUT--the purple (from a distance)  added to the garden.  Name?

8. I couldn't get a close-up of this tiny white flower --growing in water at the Italian Gardens.  BUT--it was so tiny --yet so full of beauty.   Name?

9.  I love this one....   And the foliage was also beautiful.  Name?

10.   Wonder if you have any idea what this cute little one is?????????   Looks like a flying bird of some kind!!!!! ha ha .... TRULY,  it's a kind of ORCHID.... Amazing, huh?

11. I know this one since I used to have the multi-colored COLEUS on the right.  BUT--have you ever seen the scarlet red COLEUS?????   It's so pretty in one's garden or yard...

12.  Another beauty I have no idea what its name is....  Do you know?

13. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this one... Isn't it gorgeous?  Bet this one will make you smile for sure!!!!!   NAME?

Well  my Friends... Hopefully,  some of you who know flowers can help name some of these.  I love flowers --but know so little about SO many of them...

Even if you don't know the names,  I hope some of these made you smile today.  As you can imagine,  I will have many more pictures from our 8/4/16 trip to Biltmore to share...

Have a wonderful day/week.

Hugs,

Indian Boundary Recreation Area, Tennessee 8/3/16

Indian Boundary Lake (96 acres with a 3.6 mile lakeshore trail around the lake)

On the first day (8/3/16)  of my 'surprise' Birthday Trip this year,  George took me on the Cherohala Skyway between Tellico Plains,  Tennessee and Robbinsville,  North Carolina.  There is a road off of the Skyway which goes to the INDIAN BOUNDARY RECREATION AREA,  part of the Cherokee National Forest.

We had NEVER been there before--so decided to check it out on that day.  WOW---were we impressed!  We got there early in the morning  (no people around much) and the weather was nice... We drove and also walked around for awhile but did not stay too long.  However,  we were able to get some good pictures to share...

If you enjoy camping and/or picnicking and hiking,  along with beautiful mountain views; a beach for swimming;  biking; fishing;  boating--- and MORE, we highly recommend this area...  AND---we hope to go back in the Fall --just to see the beautiful Fall colors in those mountains.

Click HERE  for the website if you want more information.  Today I'll share some of the pictures we took at the Indian Boundary Recreation Area..  You can click on the pictures for enlargements.

George --with the clouds overtaking the mountaintops in the distance;  Don't you love the reflections?

The boaters had the lake to themselves on this early morning.

Another view looking across the lake

A view of the beach area (and the bridge/dam) across the lake

A close-up of the bridge/dam from across the lake;  We hiked down to that bridge/dam.

Now we are on the other side of the lake --where the beach is.

A view from the beach --looking back over to the other side of the lake (where we were before)

While on the beach,  George took a picture looking toward the fishing pier...

Another picture of the clouds hiding the tops of the nearby mountains;  I love puffy clouds like this!

Our hike to the bridge/dam (from the beach area)

One last picture before we headed on our way;  I was standing at the top of the hill looking down at the beach,  the lake,  the mountains,  and the clouds... What a beautiful sight!

I hope we can go back to this gorgeous place.. The elevation here is 1660 feet ---so it shouldn't be quite as HOT as the lower elevations are...  AND--there are tons of hardwoods and pines for shade....

Maybe it is because this place was NEW to us,  but it definitely was one of my very favorite places to visit on this trip...  Hope YOU can get there someday.

Hugs,