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 29, 2018

Fall Colors in North Carolina --October 22-26, 2018

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway,  October 23, 2018
Dear Friends,   We have had a busy but wonderful week...   From October 22-26,  we met our good friends,  Neal and Patti,  in Maggie Valley, North Carolina  for some fun times together.   Then,  yesterday,  we went with son Mark and his girlfriend Diana to the Smoky Mountains for the day... To say that I'm weary today is an understatement ---but it is a "HAPPY" kind of weary!!!!!

While in Maggie Valley,   we saw the elk in Cataloochee Valley.   We drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway.   We did some hiking.  We saw several waterfalls.   We drove down several  'back' roads and forest roads.   AND ---we DID see some pretty Autumn Colors.   As everyone says this year,  the colors are not as bright or as vivid  as usual in October.  BUT---that made us search even harder!!!

I haven't had much time to go through my pictures ---but did go through and pick out some of the pretty colors we saw.   Hope you enjoy FALL IN NORTH CAROLINA!!!!


A Mountain QUILT --full of Fall Colors,  taken from the Blue Ridge Parkway,  10/25/18



My Favorite Fall Color,  RED;  Taken on 10/23/18  off of Highway 215



Some Yellows/Oranges/Browns;  taken on 10/24/18 off of the unpaved Balsam Mountain Road (also known as the Heintooga Ridge Road),  10/24/18



Don't you love seeing all of the Fall Colors as we checked out the mountain ranges  from the Blue Ridge Parkway, 10/25/18?



Beautiful Tree showing off its colors;  Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, 10/23/18



I love the blue sky behind that brilliant yellow and red trees;  Taken along the Balsam Mountain Road, 10/24/18



Betsy and her RED Trees  (I love 'em);  Taken at the Deep Creek Area near Bryson City,  NC on 10/24/18



Fall Colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway,  10/25/18



Multi-Fall-Colors;  Taken at the Deep Creek area,  Bryson City, NC  on 10/24/18



A close-up showing the Fall Colors in the mountains,  taken from Highway 276 on 10/25/18



I'll close by showing you one of my favorite pictures  along the Blue Ridge Parkway,  10/25/18;  That is Looking Glass Rock behind the Autumn Colors.

As I said above,  the colors around our area (and others) are sparse  and/or dull for the most part this year.  We had a very rainy and warm September and a very WARM October...  In order to have pretty colors each fall,  we need some COLD weather  and we just didn't get much until about the week of Oct. 15.....  

Every year is different depending upon what Mother Nature gives us...  This year may not have been the prettiest --but we searched and searched ---and you can enjoy some of what we actually found!!!!!  The challenge was FUN!  Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Hugs,