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.