I am joining Chrisy at Living A Good North Coast Life for her "Reconnecting With Nature" series. As we bloggers sit around connected to our computers, it is a great way to force us to step outside and maybe notice something new in the natural world or just appreciate something that we see every day. Read more about the Reconnect with Nature - one photograph at a time idea here.
On our recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina, we had lots of chances to connect with nature. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a bird sanctuary and lake only 5 minutes away from the house that we stayed in. Apparently back in the 1980's, the area was slated to become a strip mall. The Audobon Society bought it and turned it into a nice little area of nature in the suburbs. It isn't the biggest, cleanest, or most exciting nature preserve I have been to, but walking by the lake in the early morning made for a great way to start the day. The smell of honeysuckle was so strong in the humid morning air, it make me think of Tracey and her honeysuckle cordial.
Looking for tracks in the mud...
and we found some!
We also saw a Green Heron, several large toads, and some fish, though I did not get photos of those. On the ride over to the lake, we had seen a large flock of turkeys in a cemetary. Then on the drive back, they were on the other side of the road, just walking through the neighborhood. They walked right in front of somebody's house and as we slammed on the brakes, trying to get some pictures, we could see the homeowners in the house running and pointing out their windows at the turkeys. It was nice to see that they were so excited about a big funny looking bird also! When we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway the next day, we saw another turkey!
The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina. It has wonderful views and scenery of the Appalchian Mountains. We drove along it several years ago and just took a quick little jaunt on this trip. The wisteria, which we do not see growing in the wild in Pennsylvania, was just past peak bloom.
We also visited the North Carolina Arboretum, which made for a great morning strolling through the gardens and natural areas.
We saw lots of wildlife at this arboretum. Some caterpillars, frogs, and even skinks! My husband loves amphibians and has great eyes for spotting them. While I was taking photographs, he saw two tiny skinks sticking their heads out from between the wood. It took some patience to get a picture of them!
The Quilt Garden.
I am thankful that we had so many connections to nature on this trip!