Living in The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina- A Blog
Enjoy the Colorful Photographic Impressions created by Vann Helms
Goodbye 2020… Glad to see you Go
As this past year fades into our memory, here are a few parting images from this past week. May 2021 bring you peace and joy. Protect yourselves and get your shots.
A White Christmas in Spring Creek
Although no flakes flew for Christmas here in Otter Creek, it was an entirely different story for folks along the North Carolina-Tennessee border north of Asheville. A good friend lives in a small farming community called Spring Creek in Madison County just twenty-eight miles from Asheville, and these are images he sent from Christmas Day. Thank you Kenny Benjamin.
A Very Merry Christmas….
May the beauty of the season remain with you all year long. We have endured much this year, but I believe we will emerge from this pandemic stronger and healthier. Have you noticed that since March, the incidents of cold and flu have plummeted. Masks and social distancing have had unexpected positive effects.
Get out and enjoy the natural beauty around you. There’s never been a better time….
My Second most Popular Post
Just after I began blogging years ago, I was so captivated by the landscape paintings from 19th century America that I wrote a post about what I had found. Over the years, it has become one of my most read posts. With the pandemic and with so many of us staying home, I wanted to remind those of you who might have missed it of the beauty that early artists chose to glorify. These images have affected my photography in a profound way. With the holidays upon us, you might enjoy a respite from the chaos and turmoil that we have all experienced lately. Vann Helms
The First Snow of the Season
Three years ago this week, an early snow storm hit this area with more than half a foot of white stuff. The heaviest snowfall I’ve seen since moving here in 2009 was on December 9th and 10th, two years ago, 17″. Must be something about December….
A surprisingly early December snowfall dumped over half a foot in the valley, and was almost continuous for over a day. That’s the longest period of snow I’ve seen since coming here eight years ago. The temperature barely reached the freezing mark, but frigid temperatures since Saturday have preserved the snow in the shadows, and on rooftops facing away from the sun. Here are a few photos I made of the event.
The Happiest of Holidays…
It’s been a difficult year for all of us, but for many reasons, 2021 should be better. Stay healthy, wear your mask, and avoid crowded places. We can get through this together.
Enjoy your holidays, and celebrate responsibly. Thank you for your support.
From my home to yours, Vann Helms
Discovering Upper Cove Creek
It’s funny how you can live in one place for eleven years and not know that a major creek flows just three miles from your doorstep. I have explored the lower part of Cove Creek where it joins The Broad River as it flows to Columbia, but until this week, the Upper part of Cove Creek had remained a mystery to me, mostly because of a lack of access from any paved roads.
With the onset of Winter and the disappearance of the leaves that hide everything from view, that all changed. It also helped to have a passenger with a keen eye who spied reflections of the late afternoon Sun off water fifty feet below Painters Gap Road. After a trek through thorn vines and thick undergrowth, to my surprise, there it was, a wide, fast flowing, rock filled creek, with a series of small falls from bank to bank. Even more surprising was the steep dirt road that allowed vehicle access from high above.
Here’s a short video of Cove Creek in action… Please pardon the focus problem toward the end….
The Misunderstood Bradford Pear
In the 1960’s, urban landscapers were searching for the perfect tree to plant in parks, along highways, and along residential streets that would be fast growing, with showy flowers in the Spring, and vibrant color in the Autumn. They found their tree in China, Japan, and Vietnam. What would eventually be named the Bradford Pear became that tree of choice. Since then, everything changed. The flowers were foul smelling, and the lifespan was short, at about twenty-five years. On top of that, the small brown fruit was a favorite of birds, who were very efficient spreaders of those seeds, and suddenly the tree joined the “invasives” club. Today the trees are no longer being planted, and many municipalities have banned them outright. The survivors, however, continue to be visually stunning, being the first to flower in the Spring, and the last to burst into dramatic displays of red, yellow, orange glossy leaves in the Fall, long after all other trees have packed it in for the season.
In the area near my home, from the latter part of November, into December, the Bradford Pear can delight even the most dedicated leaf peeper. Here are examples that I found this weekend, and they made me completely forget everything I had read about the damage uncontrolled spreading might do to these beautiful mountains.
Moonrise Over Cove Creek Valley
Cove Creek Valley stretches for six miles northeast of Lake Lure. Arriving at an overlook five hundred feet above the valley floor, the Sun was just disappearing behind the mountains to the southwest, and the valley and surrounding peaks were bathed in that soft glow that precedes twilight.
The nearly full orb emerged from the dimming light just before the Sun disappeared…
Just fifteen minutes later, as the light faded, the true colors of moonrise emerged, and the details of the Moon’s surface became very clear.
Spectacular Color from November 7th
Here are the best colors from the entire season. There is a mountain just north of the house that has the best Sugar Maples every year.
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