We've been working on the trails in Whites Creek Gorge and now have a rough in all the way to the rock overlook. The hill on the right is in Rhea County and is the backside of Walden Ridge as seen from Roane County.
I guess this could also count as a bird blogging shot since it's looking down at a turkey vulture. Several of them flew right up to me as I sat on the rock. They were close enough that I could see their eyes but my little hiking camera couldn't make the shot work. More shots along the trail later.
This bud's for you...a creekside azalea is about to bloom. There's still time for you to come out and take a walk with us.
This rock lies under the pedestal. We think it looks like a fossil of a dinosaur skull.
This crossvine has climbed 50 feet up the rock wall of the cliff just to reach the sunlight so it could bloom. I have to admire its spirit. This picture is an act of danger by the photog, just so's you know.
We'll be hiking this trail often with friends.
I'm experiencing my first crossvine, planted to replace an ailing Texas native(probably nativized) wisteria. The moment spring arrived in March, the crossvine -- which has been planted in pure sun and doesn't have to go looking for it -- has been shooting upward at a great rate. If it keeps on like this, it will be providing the terrace with the much-needed shade that the wisteria, in ten years, never achieved.
ReplyDeleteCrossvine can be a prolific climber but is usually really slow to get to any size. You may have the perfect habitat, which is what it's all about for a plant. I am using trumpet vine to cover my arboretum. What ever works where you live is the best plant.
ReplyDeleteI will expect some pictures as things progress.
Cheers,
Steve