The Seasons of Wednesday

We spent much of the day in the car on Wednesday. I drove an hour to Harrisonburg, went to my appointment, stopped at JMU's arboretum to see the signs of spring, and took a scenic route home along Skyline Drive.

Saturday Critters / I'd Rather Be Birdin'

At the arboretum, we walked around the duck pond. The weather was sunny and fairly warm. 

A sign warns not to feed the ducks due to overcrowding. The ducks still looked at us hopefully.

Early spring flowers were blooming, including crocus and snowdrops.

As we drove toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, we could see clouds obscuring some of the peaks. I shared a photo of a view yesterday and here are a few more.

We entered Skyline Drive from Route 33 and drove north. In some places we found ourselves in thick fog from the clouds. I kept my camera around my neck in case we should see a bear, like one that appeared on a similar day a few years ago. It was walking along a wall in the fog, and I dared not stop to take a photo because visibility was only about 15 feet so another car could have run into me. But it would have made a great bear photo! 

Temperatures in the mountains were colder than in the valley. We didn't see signs of spring, and there were a few small patches of snow. 

Although we did not see a bear, we did see deer. I watch for them because they can appear rather suddenly, like this young one crossing the road. Since their color provides natural camouflage, you might miss seeing them if you drive too fast. 

It seemed to get colder as we drove on. Here I was a little chilly, but by the time we reached the rest stop at Panorama, a cold wind was blowing and we had to put our jackets on.