A Drive With A Purpose

I had noticed the gorgeous and numerous highway wildflower plantings (makes them sound not so wild, huh?) last year off of West Virginia US 19, going North, toward the New River Gorge area.  My husband and I had made several day trips up that way and as I had hoped the wildflowers were there again this year.  Several times I had wanted to stop and meander but decided that it was something that I wanted to do alone, so as not to feel rushed.  After running several errands, I headed out from Beckley, West Virginia.  I reached the magnificent, New River Gorge area (stopping briefly at the bridge visitors center to take several photos in the "butterfly garden" out front) and turned back South as I had not found the exact location, nor safe place to pull over and take a few photos of the roadside wildflowers. The sights delighted my eyes when I found my spot.  I'm not even sure what exit I took, they were mesmerizing for me, as they appeared, with the slight warm summer breeze, to wave me in the right direction. And the cameras did a fair job of capturing a taste of the images that I had been obsessing over and hoping to capture for a year. The drive up was spectacular, with the sun beaming and the breeze blowing ever so gently. I left the site (sight!) after an hour or more of taking photos and enjoying the view. The drive with a purpose to capture a bit of the beauty from those who planted these lovely flowers, felt like a success, a mix of: cosmos, chicory and coreopsis or tickseed plant. Their work has not gone unnoticed by many, including me!  Surely they wanted us to enjoy their work.  A HUGE thank you to those that made it possible for such an enjoyable sight!

 

 

 

 

Captured a photo in mid flight! ;0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Shopping With UC/Beckley Employee Bob Smith Turned Into Farm Fun

It is sort of like driving "Miss Daisy" for Bob Smith, I imagine. The staff is so good to me. All I have to do is call and the UC/Beckley staff are always great to help me. They have even driven me when there is someplace that I need to go that is new to me and I need to accomplish something for the University. This time is was a place way out in the country that has a number of greenhouses. We were both in need of flowers for campus and researching the greenhouses for possible renovation of an old greenhouse left behind by MSU. I noticed some farm animals on my first visit to this location and when the woman running the greenhouse offered to show me her animals, I was excited. Needless to say I had a blast! Flowers and animals in one place! I was in HEAVEN...Almost heaven West Virginia, wild and wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relaxing In Nashville

It was a relaxing day in Nashville with our family and our son's dog. I enjoyed the bees buzzing about and the flowers that are in bloom in my in-laws back yard. I have been ready for the flowers to get fully in bloom and the insects to begin their work, so everywhere that I go I am in search of something to photograph. And there is lots to see even in your back yard!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Ready To Plant

Each Spring I get excited to see what is available for the planting season. There are always the "tried and trues" and then sometimes you see something hybrid or something new. I was excited to see a new perennial Columbine that I had not seen. It was double petal and had a full appearance. Of course, I had to have some. I am in West Virginia now but I will be taking these home to Tennessee to be planted in our yard. And I found some beautiful lilies like I had planted last year. They are lovely too!

 

 

 

I took a cool stroll around the Little Beaver State Park lake. This broke my heart, a duck had gotten it's foot tangled in fishing line and I tried to get some people to help me catch it but we were not able to do anything about it.  It was too frightened of us.  And the it's foot was so swollen and damaged that it had trouble walking.  I am sure the pain was horrible.  I hope that the State park folks found him.  I could not locate anyone from the park service.  So we need to be careful with fishing line, trash and etc. for our wildlife.