September 24, 2017 by IdealisticRebel

Mt. Mitchell, NC

Yesterday, my sister Amy and I went to Mt. Mitchell in Burnsville, NC.

Mt Mitchell is about an hour from Asheville, along the Blue Ridge Parkway — which was, as always, a spectacular drive.

Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2017

At Mt. Mitchell State Park, we met with friends and had a wonderful potluck picnic! After dinner, we went to the peak of the mountain. I had a bit of assistance from the Park Rangers who took me and another friend with limited ability to the top.

Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi, at 6684 ft above sea level.

Mt. Mitchell – highest peak east of the Mississippi
Photograph and Copyright Amy Halperin 2017

The scenery was wonderful, with lovely spruce and firs and rock formations that look designed by an artist.

Rocks of Mt Mitchell
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Top of Mt. Mitchell
Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2017

The sky was full of mist and fog, but then the sky cleared and we saw a magnificent sunset. At the top of the mountain, the view was breathtaking. Then suddenly, the clouds opened slightly and I beheld a glorious sunset. You could see for miles in every direction and I was very excited. I felt close enough to touch God.

The beauty of the sunset touched my soul.

I hope it touches yours as well.

Namaste,

Barbara

Sunset on Mt. Mitchell, NC Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2017

Mt. Mitchell at sunset Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2017

Sunset in mist. Mt Mitchell, NC Photograph and Copyright by Barbara Mattio 2017

September 10, 2017 by IdealisticRebel

A Beautiful Day on the Mountain

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but my sister Amy and I live in a Picture Postcard

The view from Mt. Pisgah, NC Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

A few weekends ago, we went up the Blue Ridge Parkway, to Mt. Pisgah and had a picnic! It was truly a beautiful day, with blue skies and warm temperatures. Perfect.

Beautiful trees at a wonderful picnic
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

A picnic basket, a lovely day, simple food and good company. We had a wonderful time, with no drama and a lot of laughs.

We stopped at the overlooks along the way:

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

A beautiful day on the Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Overlooking the valley from the Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

We saw the amazing engineering on the parkway, the tunnels carved through the Mountains over 60 years ago.

Tunnel through the mountain Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Exiting a tunnel, Blue Ridge Parkway
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

We ended the wonderful day at the Pisgah Inn, at the very top of Mt. Pisgah. Pisgah Inn bills itself as the “Peak of the Parkway”, and the view is spectacular, some of the most amazing views I’ve seen anywhere.

View from Mt. Pisgah
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

View from Mt. Pisgah
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Picture postcard
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

We had dessert at the Pisgah Inn, also. I had a chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache frosting. I added candied pecans, strawberries and a caramel sauce. It was sublime. It was also about the size of my head, and I had leftovers for 3 days. Amy had a cobbler of blueberries and mountain raspberries, with caramel sauce and strawberries, and said it was one of the best desserts she’s ever had (she finished hers).

It was one of the most pleasant days I’ve ever spent, and for almost no money. The drive, less than 45 minutes, was beautiful and as much fun as the picnic or the dessert!

If you live in the right place, you can always find something wonderful to do.

I’m going to end this blog with a few more pictures. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you use them as an inspiration to go and find the beauty in YOUR own backyard.

Namaste, Barbara

Blue Ridge Parkway
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Bad Fork Valley Overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Bad Fork
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Bad Fork
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Hominy Valley Overlook
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Hominy Valley
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Mt Pisgah
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Mt. Pisgah Picnic Site
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

View from Mt Pisgah
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Mt. Pisgah View
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

View from overlook
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Into the Mountain
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

Out of the mountain and into the light
Photograph and Copyright Barbara Mattio 2017

April 11, 2016 by IdealisticRebel

Quick snatches of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Yesterday I needed to get out of the house after the last eye surgery. I feel like my new eyes are a miracle and so I took some photographs on the Parkway. It is a gift to be able to see to write, photograph and paint again. It makes me cry with relief.

So, dear friends and readers, yesterday was a partly sunny day with temperatures in the high 50’s. It was a perfect day to drive in the mountains and revel in what Divinity has wrought.

When I put a camera up to my eye, I see more than I was seeing before. I have been with non-photographers who were amazed at my photographs because having been with me they didn’t see until what I saw through the lens until they saw the photographs. I think, for me anyway, that my heart and soul see through the camera. They see what is really there. When I began to take pictures, I wanted to prove to myself that this life was real. It wasn’t a dream. I was, by extension, also real. Enough of that, please enjoy the photographs.

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Around every curve and hill is more beauty to thrill the soul. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Every day there is more green on the trees. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

The Blue Ridge Parkway goes from Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

The Blue Ridge Parkway goes from Virginia, North Carolina and into Tennessee. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Woodworking on the Parkway. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

This is not an autumn photograph. It is new leaves coming out on the branches. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Wildflowers. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 201

Have you hugged a tree lately? Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

The Blue Ridge Mountains never stop being a thrill. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Carolina Blue sky amongst the trees. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

The mountain air is as sweet to the lungs as the mountains are to the eyes. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Flowers in bloom on trees. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio, 2016

Simple beauty. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2016

November 20, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

Daytrip

Saturday we took a day trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was lovely and we set out for Bat Cave, NC which was a lot of fun and then we drove to Black Mountain and went to the Light Center. I have been there often but it was Amy’s first time. It is used for healing and meditation. Then we drove into Black Mountain and had dinner and drove home to Arden.

It was such a lovely day and even though most of the leaves have dropped there were still bits of color. Here are some of the pictures I took. I hope you enjoy them.

The Light Center. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

A lovely day on the parkway. Photograph and copyright by

Barbara Mattio 2015

The day is beginning to end. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2016

The day is beginning to end. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

A flat stretch on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Chapel in a little knoll.
Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Losing the light. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

North Carolina is the evergreen state and I am really glad there are so many here. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Some areas still have a little bit of color. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Bat Cave NC is very old. There is the cave and the bats come out at night and they feast on mosquitoes in the stream. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Bat Cave’s general store. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The bat cave store is filled with many oddities that I haven’t seen since I was a little girl. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Local color. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The brooks are all running full. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

October 12, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

A Journey Down the Road

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. It was like summer here in the mountains. Of course, it is frequently like that. The sky was Carolina blue with big white cumulus clouds overhead.

So Amy and I started a journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I decided to take photographs, no surprise, I am sure. So what follows is a pictorial record of our journey and the colors that are beginning to come to the tops of mountains. I hope you enjoy our trip. I wish you all a fabulous week.

Namaste

Barbara

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The French Broad River before we got on the Parkway. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The road is cut out of rock in some places. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The colors are just beginning to show and there are so many shades of green. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The clouds. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

There are always more mountains no matter what direction you look. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

There are many tunnels going through the mountains. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Red my favorite color. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Sometimes no words are necessary. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Bad Fork Overlook. Photograph and copyright by Amy Halperin 2015

Coming out of a tunnel. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The higher elevation you are at, the more colors you see. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The joy of color. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

Antique truck out for a ride. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

A beautiful colorful day. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

I love the tunnels and there are many. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

The River. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015

August 17, 2015 by IdealisticRebel

A Saturday Adventure

Hello everyone. I thought I would tell you and show you about our adventure. On Saturday, Maggie, my sister and myself started out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was fascinating. Though still summer, there are many hues of green on the trees and shrubs. It was truly amazing. We went to the Folk Art Center, where local artists sell their wares and are often available to talk. Next we drove on to Black Mountain, where Maggie used to live. We had lunch with all the other tourists and took my sister to the old general store. They carry so many items. It is a huge building and it is full. Maggie hauled me over to a display of walking sticks.

Now I have my decade old cane which has a wizard carved into it. I keep refusing to get other sticks, but they both were hounding me and I did find one I like. They Amy found a matching one. They are from the Great Smokies and have bear prints on them. Amy told me they would be great for “off roading.” In other words, when they get me to leave solid ground for a trail. These beauties were the least expensive I have seen anywhere. So they came home with us.

I thought I would share some of my photographs from the day, with you.

Namaste, Barbara

Really cool cloud formations as twilight begins to come upon us.

The mountains here are literally layer upon layer. There is a book published that gives all the names of the mountains. It is a fairly thick book. Photograph and copyright by Barbara Mattio 2015