I found this on the bypass trail going up the steep hill from the parking lot. It had an unusual structure to it, and I figured I could find it in my reference book. BINGO!
I looped the Buffalo this morning over the top, and saw these down by one of the open spaces on the south face. It's structure is pretty distinctive.. but can't find it in my Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains book.
There a LOT of deer around this year! Eight pointers seem to be the rule. October 7 begins the archery season. White oak acrons are falling like hailstones. Going to be some fat deer. This fellow was caught on a trail camera.
If you're out in the Preserve, this is the season to look for the white flowers of the Big Leaf Grass of Parnassus. This is the plant featured on the kiosk display above the parking area. Here are on line photos of the leaf as well.-
This blossom was in one of the open clearings on the south face of the Buffalo. Not many of them, but this one really stood out. Note the resident little spider sitting in the top blossom!
This picture of a Tiger Swallowtail sharing a blossom with a Bumblebee reminded me of two kids with a pair of straws in a milk shake. The swallowtails are the largest butterfly we see. Some of the moths are larger yet, such as the Luna and Silk Moths.
This Summer visitor stops by a thistle blosson near Buffalo Mountain Road. The silver spots under the wings look like they were painted on by hand.
Hi Jack,
The tale of the nude woman on the Buffalo happened as I was beginning work on a new painting called "Mountain Dream". It is almost finished and is attached. Any resemblance to actual nude mountain types is purely coincidental :)
Arne Smith
I talked my neighbors, Terri and Jerry Pickett into going up on the Buffalo, which they did. Without me or my camera. They reported back that there was a naked girl on top doing her exercises. After she finished, she put her sandals and back pack back on and walked down the mountain naked... cherubic and beautiful....
WHOooo...?
Wistful Jack..
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The picture on the right was taken next to the parking area, but I did not see it anywhere else. I may have caught it at the beggining of the bloom cycle. |
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All of these pictures were taken in late May and early June. Click on any of the images for a larger picture. |
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What a beautiful weekend we had in Floyd County, VA. I spent Saturday morning hiking the summit trail, and looking for photo opportunities. Unfortunately I couldn’t pull the camera out of my backpack fast enough to capture the two mature doe grazing along the trail. They caught my scent shortly after I saw them, and when they heard the zipper of my backpack opening they bolted. I had to settle for a couple of shots of the surrounding landscape. It’s hard to see the early blooms at that altitude, but you can certainly see the change in weather.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a professional photographer. I just hope these whet your appetite to take your own camera for a walk. Send me some pictures when you do, and I’ll gladly post them. Also, take a look at Fragments from Floyd and Blue Ridge Muse. Both sites have some wonderful shots from around Floyd County. I don’t remember seeing any pictures of Buffalo Mountain, but perhaps a couple of emails can entice them.
Take care,
Michael
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