Scenes from a Memorial Weekend

I'm doing this backwards but you get the picture...it was a fund weekend.
(I have to tell you - I first typed "backards" which is actually how my people say that word.)

I just got back from a wonderful bee retreat at Nane's new studio. We sewed and visited and just had a big ol' time. Her fiance grilled for us and then we ate too much or at least I did. For photos, though, you'll have to visit Mrs. Goodneedle when she posts. My camera battery was dead. (You're getting ready to see why.)

This morning Shelby and I got a little walk in over at Reynolda Gardens. The garden is in full bloom and is pure heaven.

The greenhouse...



A busy bee..


In the "blue and yellow" garden...


Just part of the rose garden...





Yesterday we decided to head for the hills. First stop, Grandfather Mountain. Unfortunately, it seems everyone else had the same idea. Even fighting the crowds, we enjoyed ourselves. The park has a wonderful habitat area.

A bald eagle they rehabed after he was shot out west somewhere...


Black bears (my favorite, of course)...this one's looking at me wondering when I'm tossing her some food.


Otters...



Cougars...


We drove up to the top of Grandfather Mountain just in time for the clouds to literally roll in behind us. It was cool to watch but then...there went the view!

It was incredibly crowded. (I don't like crowds.) We walked across the swinging bridge anyway. I got to a point where I was done fighting the crowd while trying to negotiate the rocks while holding Shelby...so I just sat down and waited for my husband to turn back around.

Here he is crossing the bridge. Yes, it swings. Yes, it's a long way down. Yes, it's metal and gets slick when wet. Yes, I was glad to get back to the other side.


On our way back down the mountain, we stopped and did the Woods Walk, which is a 0.5 mile loop, well, in the woods. There are signs to tell you what different things are. This was a tree with a big hole in it.


Next, we typed Linville Falls in the GPS and it led us to the head of the Wisemen's View trail. It's an easy mile or less to the Upper Falls. It was also a bit crowded.





We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Linn Cove Viaduct. They were building it when I was in college and I got to go inside it once before the spans met.


There's a trail that goes under the viaduct for a mile or so. We did most of it but had to turn back when we got to an area that was a little too soupy. (I think my husband will be getting waterproof hiking boots for his birthday this year.) The first part of the trail was great...fairly easy but fun to climb on the rocks. Shelby was a trooper!


The other great thing about this trail is no crowd.

These trees were determined to grow on this rock, don't you think?



We traveled a bit more on the Blue Ridge Parkway before heading back home.


And finally, I did get a project finished. I had a few nice, quiet moments Saturday night to sew binding. ahhhh....