Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, October 7, 2013

Wildflowers along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway

There were SO many highlights of our latest trip to Virginia/West Virginia and Maryland.  It's hard to pick a favorite highlight  although going sailing on the Schooner Alliance in Yorktown was probably the most favorite. (I'll blog about that this week.)

Anyhow---seeing SO many wildflowers  was also a highlight.  George and I have traveled on Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway several times --during several seasons,  but have never been there when so many wildflowers were blooming.  Today,  I'll share a few of the photos I took along the way.  The photos don't really show the true beauty all around us those three days  when we traveled on Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway (Sept.  26-28, 2013),  but hopefully,  you will still enjoy them.

I'm sorry that I don't know the names of wildflowers like some of you do.  I do know that some of them are  Goldenrod  (saw more of that than anything) --and some are Queen Anne's Lace.  And of course, we all know what Thistle looks like.  But--you will have to give us the names of the others, if you know them...  Just sit back and enjoy the beauty!!!!!

The photo above is a cute photo I took of George while he was getting some photos of the Goldenrod.... Be sure and click on the photos for enlargements.












































I'll close with a photo of George and me standing in front of the lake at the Peaks of Otter on Sept. 28, 2013.   Can you tell that this girl is LOVED?  She IS,  thanks be to God.  That is Sharp Top Mountain in the background.  AND---can you see the Goldenrod in the background also?????

Hope you enjoyed seeing the wildflowers today.  September is a GREAT time to travel since there's not as much summer traffic --and it's not as hot.  Our weather was fabulous the entire trip!

On another note, I keep trying to remember to remind you to take a few minutes and check out my sidebar.  I love quotes --and change many of them each month... SO--each month,  you are invited to check out all of my quotes on the sidebar!  Some are ones I love so much --so I leave them up.  But --there are others I change each month.   Hope you enjoy them too! Maybe one of them will 'touch' you!!

Hugs,

51 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

These flowers are gorgeous, Betsy!! And many of them even look cultivated! Picture 9 is a big mystery to me, it is so beautiful and I have never seen a plant like it. But I think my favorite is you and George in the last picture, stupendous and joy filled!!!

Farikica said...

Hi Betsy,
As usual, your photos always stunt me... Beautiful as always...:)

Our photos said...

Beautiful are the photos!
Nice picture of you both.
Greetings, RW & SK

Ms. A said...

Goodness gracious, everything looks so beautiful and your photo of the single thistle is FANTASTIC!

Ann said...

I don't know the names of most of them either but I do know they sure are pretty. I always love seeing a field full of golden rod

Rose ~ from Oz said...

Thanks for the reminder Betsy, I usually always check side-bars, some lovely surprised can lay in wait!

The wildflower trip was gorgeous and well, wild!!

NOthing like wonderful weather as an accompaniment.

Have a wonderful week.

Rose
x

Unknown said...
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FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What wonderful photos of a great trip you two took. The flowers are pretty and the distance views spectacular. Love that photo of you and George too. :-) Sweet!

I think those purple daisy looking flowers are some sort of Aster.

Thanks for sharing all of your excursions, it's how a lot of us get to take mini vacations without leaving home.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

Peaches McGinty said...

Hi Betsy!, great photography of beautiful flowers and I love the picture of you and George, you are most definitely loved!! x x

linda m said...

Those are some great pictures of some amazing wildflowers. Can't remember the last time I saw that many different ones.

Catherine said...

I love road side floors. Little surprises of color to help you along your journey.

Have a happy week Betsy!
xo Catherine

Jeevan said...

Awesome photos and brilliant in colors! Great seeing those untamed flowers... Liked the quotes esp. “be yourself and don't carry your mistakes” :)

Have a great week ahead

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello Betsy, I always love visiting your blog and seeing your wonderful travel photos. The wildflowers are gorgeous. And YES I can tell you are loved... Truly the most glorious thing is to be loved.. Hugs Judy

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice, you have some white asters also.I am headed out to the farm and then off to fish and camp.

Anonymous said...

Lovely Autumn photos! We've been sick with allergy for a week now - goldenrod seems especially healthy this year!!!!!!!!

Dorothy said...

Very beautiful pictures, Betsy! Yes, it's hard to capture all that beauty in a picture!!! But we like to keep trying :)

MadSnapper said...

these are awesome and i can't pick a favorite, they are all gorgeous.. I love wild flowers and weeds.

Sara S. said...

Beautiful wild flower pics Betsy. I wish I could help with the names but the only one I really know is the thistle, which is a great picture. Have a wonderful week and thanks for sharing your great pics from your trip!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I really enjoyed seeing all these wildflowers. You two really know how to "stop and smell the roses." :)

I think my favorites are #4 (the macro of the thistle), #7 (the tall thistle with the mountains in the background), and #11 (flowers in the foreground with mountains and sky).

The picture of you and George is a favorite, too. Isn't it a wonder to be loved so?

Donna said...

The wildflowers such put on a great display for all to enjoy! Glad that you had a wonderful trip. I agree about traveling in September too. It's one of our favorites.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hi Amazing photos of scenery, wild flowers and of course hubby.

Chatty Crone said...

I loved your flowers and I don't know the names of them - but I do appreciate their beauty.

Sylvia K said...

A wonderful, happy pair in a gorgeous, colorful place!! Doesn't get any better than that!! Thanks for sharing the fun and the beauty and the love!

Glenda said...

Gorgeous scenery, even if I don't know all the names of the flowers! Thanks for sharing your wonderful vacation with us!

Betty Manousos said...

dear betsy,

what a spectacular! thank you for sharing another delightful post full of stunning floral photos.
i love wildflowers, they just make me happy.

have a great week ahead!

big hugs!

Janice K said...

How nice to see so many wildflowers blooming this close to the end of summer. It looked like a great trip.

happyone said...

Your photos are breathtaking! Wild flowers are so pretty. Love them.

Nellie said...

This is definitely one of the most beautiful areas I know!

Hugs,
Nellie

Joy said...

I just look and be amazed of these amazing creations of God and the love between you and hubby:)

Unknown said...

As always your photos shows such beauty. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a great week.

Eva

Fun60 said...

What a wonderful walk that must have been. Wildflowers are a joy to behold.

Ruth Hiebert said...

These scenes are spectacular.It is like one huge flower garden,where no one has to pull the weeds.Oh,wait,many of these are considered weeds.Gorgeous images.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Beautiful flowers. I'm not good with wild flower names.

Connie said...

Lovely wildflowers, Betsy! You got some great shots.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Those shots of the flowers are gorgeous. I really like mountain wildflowers. Have a great day tomorrow!

Miss Debbie said...

so pretty...I love wildflowers!

~mel said...

I don't know the flowers but the bottom photo is a pair of lovebirds :)

Carletta said...

Wildflowers make me smile!
Lovely finds Betsy!

Elizabeth said...

So, so, so long since I've commented (it was a difficult summer as my mom passed away in May), yet I read and thoroughly enjoy every day that you post! What a wonderful trip this was and such a pallet of colorful flowers all along the roadside...could you stow me in your suitcase sometime?! Actually, that's OK, I love being part of what you share on the 'net and I can sit in my own comfy rocking chair...ha!

Thanks for saying about the sidebar...your picks are awesome, as if you read my mind sometimes!! One of my faves is the lady surfing on her ironing board!! If you don't mind sharing, how are you finding these pictures?

big hugs,
elizabeth in mississippi

Grandma Bonnie said...

So many beautiful wild flowers. I can see that you are loved very deeply. Its awesome to see such wonderful devotion between husband and wife. I hope you have a great week.

carolina nana said...

Love all the pics especially the ones of the flowers with the magnificent views behind them. Great photography!!
Our weather is cooling down so maybe we will get some leaf color soon.
Blessings
Marilyn

Small Kucing said...

such beauty :)

Not many would have stopped and enjoyed the view.

Over place also have a lot of wild flowers but only some would stop and snap photo of these common flowers

MastHoliday said...

Pretty colorful flowers! you got beautiful photographs, Indeed..

Neal said...

Some beautiful pictures there Betsy! I love fall...now if I could change it so springs follows that would be perfect. :)

Beatriz said...

Hello Betsy!
You are great in the photos, even with a screen background of these! This season in the U.S. must be really beautiful, with all this nature around. Green grows greener and the flowers begin to appear, showing all its magnitude, fantastic!

Have a wonderful time there!
Hugs from the south

Bia

www.biaviagemambiental.blogspot.com

Linda G. said...

Your wildflower pictures are lovely. I always smile when I see pictures of you and George together. The two of you always appear so natural, although I know George has to hurry from the tripod to where you are standing / sitting to get the picture.

troutbirder said...

Absolutely gorgeous wildflowers. We been on the Blueridge in the spring but never in the fall. I need to rethink that....:)

Small City Scenes said...

I love the wildflowers whether I know the names or not. beautiful pictures and cute couple---tee hee!! MB

Linda P said...

It must be wonderful to see Golden Rod growing in the wild. Also what looks like Michaelmas daisies and some type of Cosmos. They are garden plants over here in the UK.














osmos. Those flowers are ones cultivated to grow in our gardens over here.

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

The wildflowers are gorgeous. Sure can tell you're loved! :)

Sally Wessely said...

Every picture is so cool, but that header would knock your socks off!

I love, love, love the daisy like flowers at the bottom of the post. What are those?