The forests there have a lot of pine, so the floor of the woods is carpeted with brown needles and the undergrowth is relatively sparse. The clean, crisp scent of the pines hangs in the air. We found box turtles and throngs of teeny tiny frogs on the floor of the woods.

In the backyard at Adam’s house, I sat on the veranda and watched the birds that were busy every morning. Mockingbirds and brown thrashers and house finches sat on the netting of the soccer goals that flank the yard. Cardinals and humming birds flitted in and out of the crepe myrtle. A rabbit spent some time at the edge of the tall grass, risking exposure to the neighborhood hawks to nibble the lawn.

One day, we traveled a few hours to the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked up to Crabtree Falls. Here, the air was cooler and the forest denser. Everywhere you looked, giant rhododendron were blooming. Creeks gurgled down the mountain and we found salamanders and crawdads under the rocks. The waterfall cascaded off a cliff into a clear pool at the base and spit spray into the surrounding woods. It rained off and on as we hiked – just enough to be refreshing without soaking us to the bone.

I always have fun exploring a new landscape. It’s particulary joyful to share the experience with my daughter and nephews as they hunt for critters and share their finds with great enthusiasm!

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