2026

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to OCTOBER. My header photo this month shows a gorgeous picture showing beautiful Autumn Colors God's Blessings to YOU for an awesome month.

Monday, July 3, 2023

Our Anniversary Trip to Pisgah Inn 2023

 Dear Blog Friends,   George and I celebrated our 22 wedding Anniversary  on June 23.   SO--in order to experience this special celebration,  we headed to Pisgah Inn (on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina) from June 21-24.

Today I'll share just a few of our MANY photos from that trip. I put them in an order so that it would tell you a story about this year's Anniversary Celebration!  I hope you enjoy the story!!!

Uh Oh... This is what we encountered when we got up that mountain!!!!!!! (And it stayed FOGGY that evening and the entire next day!!)



After a good night's sleep, there nothing better to cheer someone up than a nice big breakfast at the inn restaurant.  YUM.



 Since we couldn't see or do much from the mountain top (Pisgah is at an elevation of over 5000 feet),  we headed down that mountain, and drove to Brevard to get away from the fog!   Of course,  we stopped to get some pictures of Looking Glass Falls... (As you know,  we can't go anywhere unless we see a waterfall!!!!! ha ha ha)



WOW---on the morning of our ANNIVERSARY,  the fog lifted and we had a view of the mountains and valleys below!!!!!!   Beautiful don't you think?



SO we headed east along the Blue Ridge Parkway taking pictures along the way.  Don't you love that sky????



We made it up to CRAGGY GARDENS (elevation about 5500 feet) --and while we were there,  the fog rolled in!!!  But we still enjoyed being there!!!



While near Craggy,  I was thrilled to see two of my favorite high mountain trees.  This one is named FLAME AZALEA...  



This one is called MOUNTAIN ASH and I love it... IF we were to come back in September/October,  this tree is covered with red berries!  So beautiful.


After a beautiful day along the Blue Ridge Parkway,  we came back to the Pisgah Inn Restaurant  for some delicious dinner.   While waiting,  I just HAD to smell the flowers.  Their Pisgah Pasta is so delicious (Garlic and white wine cream sauce, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and parmesan over al dente pasta)



After dinner,  look what we saw!!!! Since I thought of son, Bert. so much during this trip--I think this RAINBOW was a message from him telling us Happy Anniversary and that he is doing fine... 



OH ---how I loved seeing that rainbow ---and just being at Pisgah Inn with the love of my life! Happy Anniversary, Honey.  Can we have 22 more years together???????



What a perfect ending for a perfect day!



The next morning at Breakfast,  our amazing waiter took our picture!!!  Look at the amazing view we had from the restaurant window!!!!



I love this big cloud!!!!  Bert is sitting up here looking down at us!  (I love you, my son, and  miss you more than you know!)



Here's one last picture of a beautiful sunrise on the last morning of our trip. 


I hope you enjoyed seeing pictures from our little Anniversary Trip.  Pisgah is a beautiful place --even when it is foggy!!!!!   Have a great July, my friends,  and Happy Birthday, America!!!

Hugs to all,
BETSY and GEORGE



Monday, June 12, 2023

2023 IRISES in our Yard

 Hello Blog Friends,  With all of the 'life issues' going on in my life in April and May (actually  January-May),   I realized that I hadn't shown you some of our pretty Irises in bloom this Spring... 

Hope you are doing well and staying healthy these days.   I had two Iron Infusions this past month to help my Anemia... (I'll let you know if they work!!!!).... 

Enjoy the pictures (all taken in late April/early May)... 

Bountiful Harvest

Electric Shock

Second Fiddle

Garden Grace

Goodnight Kiss

Feedback

Paprika Fono

Pinkness

Love the Sun

Orange Harvest 

Picasa Moon

Color Watch

Well---do you have a favorite?????  Every year,  I choose something different... Last year,  it was Bountiful Harvest and Orange Harvest... I still love those but this year,  I choose Love the Sun and Picasa Moon.  That yellow color of Picasa Moon just shines up our yard!    BUT--I also love Second Fiddle (unique) and Goodnight Kiss (which we have had for several years).  Besides these 12---we had a total of 36 different varieties this year!!!!  The deer don't like the Irises --so we get a good crop each year.

Have a great week, my Friends and God's Blessings on YOU and YOURS.

BETSY and GEORGE