Love These Mountains

My husband and I moved to Western NC from Georgia in 1993, and we have never regretted the move. It is beautiful up here; and inspirational as well. My writing is really taking off and no small amount of credit goes to the wonderful scenery around me.

I have also made some great friends since we moved here. I've met some strong women who have become great role-models and helped me become a strong woman as well.



When I was a child, my mother and I moved around quite a bit. She was a restless soul and just couldn't seem to stay in one place for long. She used to say that if God had meant for us to stay in one place, he would have given us roots. This is the longest I've lived in one area. I think I have finally found my roots.

Mother Nature Is Weird and Wonderful

OK, all my life I have heard cicadas...I thought. Today was different. I heard a sound coming from the mountains around me this morning that sounded like one of those spaceships in the old B movies. It was weird, creepy and fascinating. I am told that is the sound of all those cicadas that have come up for their 17 year trek above ground. I tried to record it, but there were way too many ambient sounds. So, I searched the internet and found a site with recordings of what I heard this morning. (http://abbot.si.edu/highlight/cicadas/audio.htm) If you have never heard this sound, check this site out. The "Nearby Brood Din" is a perfect match to what I heard. This afternoon, the sound had stopped, so I am assuming it's a morning thing.

As a kid, I used to love finding the shed skins of these little creatures on trees and such. Creepy as the "bugs" themselves may sound to me, I still watch for those skins. From the sounds in the mountains this morning, I may find quite a few this year.

Check out my favorite porch-view shot from a recent writing retreat weekend at Lake Logan. The weekend was sponsored by WNC Woman magazine and was absolutely wonderful. The workshops were great and the setting was beautiful. Even without the workshops, this setting inspires creativity on its own.

Miscellaneous Musings

Well, we've been having a bit of a heat wave in the NC mountains over the past couple days. When we say "heat wave" up here, we mean temperatures in the 90s. My thermometer read 94 degrees yesterday.

My hubby and I moved up here from the Savannah, Georgia back in 1993. A heat wave down there could have temps above 100, not to mention the stifling humidity in that area. That's one thing I don't miss; air so thick you could cut it with a knife.

The mountains up here are beautiful. I have never once regretted our move to this area. I never get tired of the views. Even when the clouds are covering the area, it's beautiful. Sunrises and sunsets off the Blue Ridge Parkway are glorious. And in the Autumn months, when the leaves are changing to various shades of orange, red and gold....breathtaking.

I have some great photos I am trying to upload, but for some reason it's not working. So, as soon as I can get it going, I will post some great Smoky Mountain pictures.

For now, I hope you have a peaceful day.