Why do we return there as often as possible annually? We hunt for wildflowers. Not to pick or dig up. Wildflowers to photograph. We have favorite spots and favorite flowers.

Sadly, this year, most of the flowers we love had already bloomed, faded, and sent their leaves back to fertilize the ground. It was quite disappointing. The entire time we were there we did not see a single Jack-in-the Pulpit! Not one. I understand you can purchase the plants. I just might consider that. We had one plant at our previous house. It was always magical when I would venture outside and there was Jack preaching to the heavens!

I especially like Bluettes. We could not find the tiny flowers at any of our usual places. Finally a Ranger told me to go to New Found Gap. Look for the restrooms. Beyond the restrooms I should be able to find wildflowers still in bloom.

We ventured up the mountain. It was a sunny, lovely day. We stopped at a pullout to photograph one view of the mountains. I heard a bird who was unfamiliar to me. When I asked the Merlin Bird app to listen I was told it was an indigo bunting. I was not able to lay my eyes upon it, but man could that little critter sing!!

The rough ridges of the mountains lured me to take photo after photo trying to express what I saw. I saw the same rough ridges were mimicked in a huge rock along a stream.

As we got higher on the mountain the famous smoke of the mountains became more like a heavy, dense fog. And it got chilly. It was so thick it was hard for Bob to discern the road! We found the driveway and grabbed jackets, cameras and took our expectations to the bathroom area.

We were not disappointed! Oh that Ranger was SO RIGHT!

There were even a few Trillium.

And scattered all over the place were White Fringed Phacelia.

We had to stop ourselves from venturing too far. We were still sore from the long walks the two days prior to this. As we returned to the beginning of the trail I had to capture a photo of May Apples for my friend Phyllis!

We were at an intersection with the Appalachian Trial. The hiker only had 1,972 miles to the northern end at Katahdin, Maine. I wondered why they did not post how many miles to the other end in Georgia? In the parking lot were dedicated hosts to help Appalachian Trial Thru hikers. Not a service I have ever needed in my life!

I told Bob I wanted to go back and see if that ranger was working. We did. She was. I kissed both of my hands and planted them on her cheeks, thanking her for making my trip more memorable and much less disappointing! She was truly a gift to me!

And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Matthew 6: 27-30 NRSVUE