Hum and then some

Another beautiful day had me outside and soaking in the sunshine.  The house where I am is very shady now that the leaves are all out on the trees, so I do have to leave if I want to feel the sun on my face.  On my "list" was re-visiting the small town of Brevard, southwest of Asheville, where Charles spent several summers at Brevard Music Center's summer sessions for talented musicians.  I had enjoyed the feel of the place back in those days when we dropped him off at camp and then spent a few days in the area.  As all things do, the place has changed and developers have homogenized the appearance.  I couldn't really get the right vibe about being there, so after driving around a bit and eating at the local "natural foods" store and cafe, I headed back out into the woods, where I apparently belong!

My first stop was the Ranger Station/ Visitors Center for Pisgah National Forest, right beside Brevard.  I remembered being there several years ago and seeing many hummingbirds on the feeders beside the porch.  I was eager to play with my camera some more, and haven't had many opportunities to "shoot" hummers, so I was pleased that they were still there.  I took dozens of shots and here are some of my favorites:

 There was also a butterfly garden outside the building, and I enjoyed seeing some of the first butterflies of the season.

Driving along one of the most scenic roads in the Pisgah Forest area, Highway 276, there are many opportunities to pull off beside the road and enjoy the river that runs beside it.  One of my favorite memories from childhood family vacations is that we would find spots like this to get out, take off our shoes, and dip our toes in the very cold mountain streams. The water is still just as cold as I remembered!

Queen Anne's lace just about to bloom along the highway.

My last stop of the day was the Cradle of Forestry.  I arrived at 4:00 p.m., and it closed at 5:00 p.m., so I only had time to "beat feet" around a couple of the interpretive trails.  The place is dedicated to the history of the beginning of forestry study in America, and also explains the history of logging.  I only took out my iPhone camera for photos, but thought this old logging train trestle was pretty.  Another interesting thing on one trail was the "Moon Tree" (below). In 1971, on the Apollo XIV mission, astronaut Stuart Roosa, a former Forest Service smoke jumper, wanted to honor the Forest Service by taking along tree seeds with him as he orbited the moon.  This tree was planted in 1976 from some of those seeds, which I guess proves you can orbit the moon and still grow up to be normal?