Thursday, August 13, 2009

Country Roads - Mountain Streams

Country road to my oldest son's house.

Do you ever get that feeling of peace, that moment of total muscle relaxation, of deja vu when you go on a trip and you know that this place is in your genes. Some primeval place that generations have passed on to you? Well, for me the mountains are that place.

North Carolina is blessed with the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal plains, the river basins, the foothills and the oldest Mountains of North America - the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. When I go to visit my friends and family in the mountains there is this one point where you have left the coastal plain behind and you enter the foothills - here my stomach and my psyche just sort of have this overwhelming feeling of relaxation.

I thought I might share a few of my photos from my most recent trip with you. They are just a few, so bare with me.

progress has taken it's toil


One of those beautiful scenes. The farmers and ranchers in North Carolina are using at least two donkeys in each field with their herds now. It is to combat the coyotes that are making their presence known here. They are filling a predator spot that the wolves left open. Apparently the donkeys are quite aggressive and will stomp anything that tries to come into their pasture. This group of cattle have their two donkeys watching over them.


Hay cut and rolled, waiting to be stored. The field smelled so good and was steamy from being cut.

The swimming hole in my son's neighborhood. I take his pups here to swim. It is so much fun.

On weekends the locals like to hangout on his rock. It is quite deep here and very quiet. My youngest son and I found a bunch of snake eggs here after a good rain.

Much of the creek is lined with these gorgeous rock formations. I am always amazed to see trees growing out of the rock.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The swimming hole would have me out of my car in a hurry. I love the water in any form and the stiller the better unless it's a roaring ocean. :)

Beverley Baird said...

Beautiful photos - what a great place to relax in.
Your artwork - using orange - were lovely.

TheresainMS said...

How perfectly lovely! My Marine son and his family just got moved to Jacksonville, NC. I am looking forward to our next vacation when we will hopefully be visiting them and enjoying all that great NC scenery for ourselves. I can see why the rock is a favorite hangout. The snake eggs would probably keep me from making it a habit though; I'm PETRIFIED of snakes ***shiver*** :)

Catherine said...

That swimming hole is amazing! An idyllic spot in the most perfect setting. We found a similar spot in Montreat years ago; these pictures bring back many fond memories.

ooglebloops said...

Love your pictures - they could have been taken in my back "yard"!!!!

Tita Mama said...

Hi, I live in the foothills of NC. This year we have seen coyotes here as well--in town. Don't remember having seen them around before. Do you know if they are native to NC or have they migrated here? It's a little scary to see one running through the wooded area at the back of one's home.

Elizabeth Golden said...

Tita Mama I have tried to find your email and have not been able to find it so I hope you will come back to see if I answered your question. No they are not native to North Carolina. However when they killed the smaller red wolves and most of the grey wolves they left a hole in the predator chain. Coyotes eat small mammals - mice, voles, rabbits, and birds. They will go for larger mammals - cats and dogs, sheep, calves, the weak. Coyotes are quite smart an adaptable. They usually shy from humans and larger dogs especially when they are alone. These are pack animals and they do hunt together. I would keep my animals in at nightfall. You will notice in urban areas their presence when the lost cat and dog signs go up. They have been known to wipe put whole neighborhoods of cats. My neighborhood had a large population of feral cats that people dumped here. No longer.

Robin said...

North Carolina is a beautiful state. Hubby and I just went back for a vacation and hit the outer banks...love that ferry ride to Ocracoke, and then hit the mountains too. A few posts back on my blog I posted pics:) You are soooo lucky to live where you do and see that beauty every day!

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

Oh it's so beautiful there!!! And you're close to the ocean! Lucky you!