Grayson Highlands Addendum

So, Lesley wrote that sweet little post using only phone photos.  There were actually many gems on the real camera, so I have to add an addendum.  Wont be able to caption everything... :

On the way up the Pinnacle Trail loop...

 On Little Pinnacle. ..

 

(This expression:  in his head... he is killin' it right now)

I think Lesley and I must have been to poised for catching children in the wind on Big Pinnacle for Pics.  So, on the way down...

 So, in this meadow, was where perhaps the the first picture was ever taken of Lesley and I.  Pretty close to twelve years earlier.  We still have the pic.  My buddy Lane took it.  A hike into Massie Gap, which you can see from Big Pinnacle, where there are wild horses, where the AT passes through, where there are tons of native blueberreis shrubs (in the Heath family!), and which was so pleasantly breezy and warm on this day...

So, funny story:  after this picture, we were walking back down out of Massie Gap, and we realized that Alder had dropped his cat with the red cape.  So he, then we, had to walk back looking for it --- way back!  Then, Alder actually suggested this: "Daddy look at the pictures you were taking to see when I had it."  Sure enough I took a pic immediately after he dropped it.  We saw the pic then went straight to it.

Wilson Creek.  We went for a hike on morning straight from the campsite.  It was raining on and off.  We got really wet.  And this was one of the times that Lesley and I repeatedly revelled in the fact that we were in dripping lush woods and the boys didnt even comment about the fact that we were soaked.  Just a nice walk in what is.  Tough hike, we all loved.

Alder gets "projects" in his head al the time.  This is one.  He had to have this for his wrist and he wore it alot.  He also wore it to art camp the next week.  Good stuff.

Grayson was teeming with ripe blueberry bushes.  People were picking them by the gallon.  We easily, quickly picked a couple coffee mugs full and made a dessert with peaches too on the campstove one night.

Hike on the last day looking at a neat fungus.  We actually found and photographed a Dodder just below Big Pinnacle that turned out to be a state rare plant, which is now becoming part of the Virginia Natural Heritage Database.  Here is what Cuscuta rostrata looks like.  And if you really get excited, heres more.

Okay...!