Sam’s Knob

Image November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 mlizabtappalachia, flowers, fujifilm, Pisgah national forest, westernnc, wildflowersLeave a comment

Went out to my favorite spot over the weekend. Dodder has taken over the high spot above the meadow below Sam’s Knob.

Flowers in the meadow.

Lots of sweet bee balm in the meadow.

Meadow grasses.

Meadow ❤️

Black Balsam in the distance.

Views from the short trail up to Sam’s Knob.

Views from the top of Sam’s Knob.

Trail Critters.

July Parkway Wandering

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Rainy June Parkway

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Congaree National Park

November 21, 2022 mlizabtcongaree national park, cypress trees, macrophotography, national park, old growth forest, wildflowers2 Comments

There is a national park in the middle of nowhere in the middle of South Carolina. Who knew. It’s a pretty cool place with a really neat history. The cypress trees were beautiful. Here are some pics from an afternoon moseying around.

Cat Gap Loop

November 21, 2022 mlizabtappalachia, cat gap loop, green, Pisgah national forest, wildflowersLeave a comment

Some pictures from a walk on Cat Cap Loop trail in Pisgah National Forest. The lady slippers were not quite ready to bloom, but hopefully I’ll see some soon.

Appalachian Spring Wildflowers: Part 2

Image November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 mlizabtfiddlehead, macrophotography, Pisgah national forest, spring flowers, wildflowersLeave a comment

Mostly fiddlehead ferns (they’re so sweet and whimsical!), bellwort, chickweed, solomon’s seal, and dwarf crested iris.

Appalachian Spring Wildflowers: Part 1

Image November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 mlizabtdutchman's breeches, flowers, fujifilm, jack-in-the-pulpit, macrophotography, spring flowers, swallowtail butterfly, trillium, wildflowersLeave a comment

Some photos from a few different walks in the woods in April. Jack-in-the-pulpit, more spring beauty, trillium, fleabane, more ragwort, dutchman’s breeches, tons of violets, and a beautiful swallowtail I encountered on the trail one evening.

Bloodroot on the Appalachian Trail

Image November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 mlizabtappalachia, appalachian trail, bloodroot, spring, walk in the woods, wildflowersLeave a comment

Spending time in the woods yesterday reminded me of yet another Mary Oliver poem: ‘How I go to the woods’.

Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.

I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.

Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.

… bloodroot!

September Yellows

Image November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 mlizabtappalachia, bees, flowers, fuji, fujifilm, insects, macrophotography, mountains, North Carolina, westernnc, wildflowersLeave a comment

Septembers in Western North Carolina are beautiful. The days are still warm, but they seem to get a bit shorter and the nights cool off significantly. These shots were taken at my favorite place in the world, the valley below Sam’s Knob, located in Shining Rock Wilderness area. I found plenty of lovely yellows with my Fuji XT30 and the Laowa 65mm macro lens.