The Heavy Snowstorm we had a week before Christmas

"The Storm" was last Friday - and today is Wednesday - 5 days later. We still have between 7-8" of snow on the ground in the backyard - because it has a northern exposure and doesn't get a lot of sun. I wondered why the snow went over the top of my boots when I walked out to take some more photos. That is still a lot of snow - especially for this area - where we do get snows - but they tend to be melted by noon the next day. That is certainly Not the case for this storm !!!
This photo above was taken looking out towards the horse ranch which runs alongside our subdivision. Ths snow was pretty much undisturbed in this area, and I loved the contrast of the intense blue of the sky against the white snow and the blue shadows cast by the trees.

You can see more of my winter and other photos offered for sale in my Etsy Store
Nature's Views - Photos by Pat Adams

Our Cat Feels Neglected...........

Our cat Dickens has not been happy because of all the time we have been spending photographing the incredible recent snowfall. I just know she thinks that we have been forgetting about her.

So she climbed in her box and tried to divert our attention. As you can see - she succeeded!!!

Two Crows and a Gray Squirrel - They can cope with the snow

They did plow our roads late last night - for all the good it did. Now, instead of having snow you could walk through- instead you have a lot of black ice which you can't walk through. These creatures can manage - but for us - we will stay warm inside the house and photograph from the windows until the weather clears and some of this snow and ice melts. This did not make for very good shopping conditions the last weekend before Christmas.

Major Winter Snow Storm Hits the Blue Ridge Mountains

This was the clearing sky after the storm had finally passed. We had over 8" of snow at our house -but Asheville was a lot worse off than we were.

Take a look at the clumps of snow on the bushes. That was typical. It was a very wet, heavy snow.

We were fortunate in that we did not lose power, and spent a lot of the next day taking photos

This was a beautiful sunset in these incredible Blue Ridge Mountains that I simply wanted to share.

     Similar items are available as photo prints for sale on my Etsy website, where I offer photo prints of beautiful sky shots like this, Autumn Scenes, Winter shots, Wild Creatures and Blue Ridge photos.

Pat's Etsy Photo Prints - the incredible beauty of nature.  I have found that when life becomes stressful, especially in an economy like this, it helps me to look at some of the beautiful photographs I have taken. That immediately removes me from whatever stressful situation I am in, and takes me back to a time of more pleasant memories. I hope you will consider buying some of my photo prints and they will serve the same purpose for you.

     I would also like you to feel free to check out my daughter's  nature photos at Capturing The Magic on Etsy.com for images of beautiful skies, the mountains, the oceans and flowers.

My Daughter's Photos on Etsy

First Snowflakes of the Season

We had a few snowfluries this morning - the first of the season. It didn't last, and it didn't stick to the ground, but it was still pretty to see.

And you can see just a couple of red-orange leaves hanging on to the top of the Trident Maple Tree

Squirrels - Love Them or Hate Them???

These are a few of the local gray squirrels who seem to think the seed I put out for the birds was surely meant only for them. While I could get annoyed, - I must admit they have provided me with so many amusing photos, it is hard to get upset at them.  The birds will simply have to learn to be quicker to find the seed.

In the other photo - you will see our lawn feeding squirrel's 'friend' making himself at home on the window feeder about 10 feet away from the other ground squirrel freeloader.

You can also see animal and nature photos by my middle daughter at the following Etsy link.
Karen's photographs

Crows Cover the Treetops at Sunrise

These noisy crows are much more visible now that most of the leaves are off the trees. Before, you could hear them, but not necessarily see them. They seem to congregate in large numbers near the tops of tall trees. It is as if they were all attending a community meeting where everyone talked at once.

A print of this photo is available in my Etsy  Photo Store - Nature's Views
My Etsy Photo Store

Bird-Squirrel Feeder

This fellow just loves sunflower seeds. I had some on my back screened porch, and he kept climbing all over the screens trying to get in - so I gave up and put them in a feeder in the tree. He is such an acrobat - see how he gets the seed out of the feeder

Weather Clouds from Ida Clearing Skies Cold November Sunset

This is a photo I took late today - and the clouds of Tropical Storm Ida are clearing the area - and being replaced by a very chilly November wind bringing quite a bite to the air.

I posted this photo for sale in my Etsy Store- "Nature's Views". The clouds parting to me symbolized hope - not only that the weather storm has passed, - but also the fervent hope that the economic storm which has beset our country will also soon be passing, and business will return to normal, and everyone who wants a job will be able to obtain one.

Storm Clouds Parting - Hope for Economic Recovery

This was a new cedar feeder I had purchased for the birds. Can you see who has claimed it as his own?!!!

I did have a couple of birds charge at him, but so far they haven't been able to scare him off. The birds will just have to wait their turn and hope that he left some sunflower seeds for them

Autumn Maple Branch - Multicolored Autumn

This is a close-up shot of a beautiful Maple tree branch from a tree a couple of houses down the street. From a distance, the view is spectacular, but surprisingly, up close it is even more interesting. There were so many different colors of leaves on the same branch or adjoining branches of this single tree. I like to call it the Joseph's Coat Maple - because of its many colors.

   But the season is fast drawing to a close. The Dogwood tree on the far side of the house has completely lost it's leaves, and this is becoming a commonplace sight. And the magnificent Red Oak Trees alongside the property have turned from a beautiful rich brick red color to a dull brown.

They say we have a late season hurricane which will arrive tomorrow with very heavy rains. That should pound most of the remaining leaves from the trees, which will leave us with the interesting silhouettes of twisted branches against the sky.

This is a close up of the scene just below. The one below, with the whole hillside showing, was taken on a sunny day - but now - two days later, we had heavy fog, and the only real color visible was those same two brilliant red trees. The bulk of the hillside behind it had disappeared, and more leaves had fallen off the taller trees, and they looked like ghosts against the gray background - how appropriate for the day before Halloween.
   I have an 8x10 photo print of this available in my Etsy Photo Store - Nature's Views - which you can see at my  NaturesView's Etsy website

Fall colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Within the last week, the color change in the Hendersonville area has been dramatic. A few weeks ago, the hills behind our subdivision were completely green. It won't be long before the trees are completely bare - with the only color being the evergreens. The colors on the hillside are a bit muted, but some of the leaves alongside our property were shining like gold in the late afternoon sunlight. It is a beautiful time of year

Blue Ridge Parkway Fall Shining Rock Blue Skies a Top of the World landscape

We have had some pretty wet weather this summer and fall - but one day last week was all blue skies and sunshine.  Hoping the forecast was correct,  we grabbed the opportunity to take one of our fall foliage drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It did not disappoint. 

Shining Rock, the monolith in the distant center of the photo looked so impressive - standing out there in the sea of greens, oranges and reds. When you are out there - it seems as if every breath is relaxation - as you inhale the timeless beauty of the Blue Ridge.

You can see more of my Blue Ridge photos in my Etsy

Pat's Etsy Photo Store - Nature's Views

Barn Swallows nesting in our carport

These were 4 barn swallows that had definitely outgrown their nest in our carport, but just couldn't seem to leave.  While they are very beautiful birds flying through the air, they are incredibly messy if they nest near your property.

Not only did they take over a corner of our carport, their parents were very protective and kept dive bombing us when we got too close to the nest. That meant we had to fend off the swallows every time we needed to go out in the car or walk down to the mailbox.

This was a scene from our trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway this last week. The colors are so beautiful in the fall - and with the distant mountain peaks in the distance - it feels like a world apart.

You can see more photos from the Blue Ridge Mountains and parkway in my Etsy store:

My Etsy store - Nature's Views

Enjoy!!

A Patch of Fall - the Giant Oak Tree

We have a row of giant oak trees along the side property line, and this beautiful clump of leaves decided to get a jump start on fall.

You can find more of my fall photographs from the Blue Ridge mountains in my Etsy Store

Pat Adams Etsy Store

Fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Earlier this week, we took a trip up to the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Brevard. This was a picture of Second Falls (aka Lower Falls) by the Graveyard Fields pulloff.

We stopped at another pullout which has wonderful views of Cold Mountain. It was the only day of the week it didn't rain - so we were lucky that was the day we had chosen to go see the sights. The rains apparently have caused officials to close the Parkway from near the Mt Pisga Inn to the French Broad - Asheville Arboretum area because they are concerned with slope stability.
   The colors are always a pleasure

Some Local Wildlife

This is one of the curious residents near our subdivision. He seemed to think I might be bringing some apples for him to eat.

The horses (there are 6 of them) show up often in the pasture next to our subdivision, but the white squirrel who also appeared today was a total surprise. 

I had just left the horse pasture, and was cutting through the wooded area to get back to our main subdivision roads, and suddenly this White Squirrel appeared. I had seen the white squirrels in the Brevard area, and occasionally in the Mills River area, but I had never seen one east of downtown Hendersonville. Yet here he was, burying his acorns in the dirt.

I heard that the white squirrels were part of a traveling circus, and when it was in Brevard, they escaped. It seems that they have thrived here.                                                     

 If you are interested in purchasing Original Paintings and Prints of the Blue Ridge landscape and some of the animal residents in western North Carolina's Blue Ridge mountains, you can find them in my two Etsy Stores -or on my Ebay Store. The links are at the top right of this page.

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Autumn has come to the Blue Ridge Mountains

While the most color is still at the higher elevations - we are at about 2200 feet elevation, and the foliage changes are amazing.
   This is a view across the street from our house. The Burning Bush seems to be a mix between a pink and a red color.  The old abandoned barn behind it is a real, but faced red.
    A week or so ago - the bushes around the barn were all green, but as you can see, the colors are changing rapidly.

Hiking in Western North Carolina - Rivers Trees Bridges and Bears?

   One of the most enjoyable things to do in western North Carolina is to go hiking. It is a wonderful way to put the cares of the world behind you, and simply breathe in the freshness of nature. We had thought we might have taken a wrong fork, and might actually be following an trail made by animals, - but the appearance of this small bridge over the river was comforting and it was reassuring that we were indeed on an actual planned hiking trail. We have noticed that in some areas, (this was near Mt Mitchell), the trail markers are very few and far between.

We were amazed at the hollowed out log which looked like a hidden tunnel. If we hadn't stopped to take a closer look, we might have missed it entirely because it was overgrown with moss.

Another part of the same trail took us high above the river - on a very narrow path - where all we could see was the steep drop off on the left hand side of the trail and small trees clinging to the hillside on the right.                                                           Then, as we rounded the curve, we came across what seemed to be a natural cave. We might have stayed longer to explore it further, but then we thought - what if this was a home for bears in the area? So we moved on - at a significantly quicker pace I might add.

Fortunately, no wildlife, except for some birds and squirrels - arrived to chase us out of the area.

Carl Sandburg's Connemara - a beautiful place to visit

       Carl Sandburg's place in western North Carolina is a wonderful place to visit. There is a charge if you want to go through the Carl Sandburg home. But if all you want to do is just to wander the trails or visit the goat barn -it is all free 

 As you can see there is a beautiful lake and there are many walking trails - all open to the public. Free is  welcome news anytime,    but more so in a weak economy.

My grandchildren especially enjoyed meeting the miniature goats - up close and personal. The Connemara staff hands baby goats to park visitors - right after they are born. This way the goats become accustomed to being around people and are very friendly

Ground Fog Suddenly appeared against the hills

   We were sitting out on the back porch this evening - and suddenly it appeared as if there was smoke from a fire behind the trees against the distant hillside. But it didn't look like the smoke from any fires we had ever seen before - and it sure didn't move the same way either.

   At first you could barely see it, - yet as we watched in amazement, - the fog layer rose,  (floated really - as if it were a ghost ) to the very top of the ridgeline. We thought the hills were going to disappear in the thick fog. But then, - just as quickly as it had risen up, - it sank down to just above the tree line and remained there. It seemed as if it had become too heavy to support itself.
   Although I grabbed my camera as quickly as I could, there was no way the picture could do justice to what we actually saw out there. It was beautiful - and eerie at the same time.

Picking Apples - Blue Ridge Mountain style

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  This trip to the Blue Ridge mountains showed my grandchildren where fresh apples and apple juice really came from.   Their parents brought them out to a local Hendersonville orchard where you can pick your own apples.
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  As they went from row to row, you could almost be assured that some of the very best apples would be on the tops of the trees. Fortunately, Dad was on hand to provide a boost.
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  Then, you could wash the apples on site and use the orchard's apple press to make your own apple juice. What a fun time they had!

  

Morning Clouds Swallow the Blue Ridge Mountain Peaks

It started out like any other cool September morning, - but when I glanced out the kitchen window, I saw a cloud bank suddenly drop in and obscure parts of the distant hills. I found myself squinting at it - trying to understand where the land ended and the sky began.

A few minutes before, the view had been beautiful - as always, - but it was the expected view - what I see every morning with the expanse of mountain ridges to the west.

But the suddenly lowering clouds changed the scene instantly to a more enclosed, welcoming and comforting space. It was as if someone had draped a fleece blanket over my shoulders to ward off the chill of the early September morning air. 

A Few More Early Signs of Autumn

Yesterday was rather gray - with a chilly rain - but when I opened the blinds in the den, through the window, I saw dramatic color changes in the old dogwood tree. It was the last day of August - but the leaves were definitely showing signs of the fall transformation to come.
   This coming weekend starts the Apple Festival in Hendersonville - and they are predicting sunny weather and lower than normal temperatures. The newspaper said they would publish the schedule of events for the festival in tomorrow's paper. Then we can decide which days we want to go.

Another Visitor to my Garden

I like to feed the birds - but this fellow seems to think the bird feeder is his private domain.

He was surprisingly agile in shinnying up the pole - even after we put some grease on the bottom of the pole that we thought would discourage him.  That obviously didn't happen...........















He did make it up to the top of the Shepherd's Hook - and sat at the top for a short while -

I guess he was contemplating his next move.

 Then hanging from the top of the post, he climbed down to the crook of the Shephers' hook and then crawled down on the tube feeder itself - with his body practically encircling the feeder.

Trouble was - with the tube feeder - he could not quite figure out how to get the seed out of the tube - and he finally dropped to the ground in disgust and went to look elsewhere for a meal.

After a surprisingly warm late summer day in the Blue Ridge mountains, -  these storm clouds rolled in and gave us a beautiful sunset sky in eastern Henderson County.

This was a photo I took from the Carolina Mountain Trail in Western North Carolina's beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

This was a view I took from Mills River looking out towards the mountains of the Blue Ridge. The sunlight was shining off the farmer's fields and the foreground in deep shadows was full of wild raspberries

A Visitor to my Garden

This fellow is a regular visitor to my backyard.

Fortunately, his favorite food is the tall stemmed Dandelions - and I am delighted he has developed a taste for them instead of my planted flowers.