Baby Blue Eyes

Spring is blooming along trails and roadsides throughout the Carolinas. We missed the trillium this year but found this beautiful baby blue eye, which had been planted along the Interstate near Asheville:

Copyright 2012 K Buffaloe

While in the western part of the Carolinas, my baby blues got a glimpse of one of my favorite sights in the SC Upstate, Hogback and Glassy mountains from Highway 14. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Copyright 2012 K. Buffaloe

Recently, I've been learning a bit about the history of these mountains, part of a section once referred to as The Dark Corner, both in Distilling the Mysteries of Hogback Mountain and in various documentaries. If you've seen this ridge from afar and marveled at its beauty, take a closer look. Its history is as fascinating as the view.