It's been a while and a lot has happened since my last blog post. I spent the majority of December and January taking care of both my grandparents as they were not doing well. My Grandfather, Hobert "Ray" Delph passed away at the end of January, it was like loosing a father. To be honest, I haven't done much over the past few months, I did document the struggle my Grandparents were going through, but that is for another time.
March arrived and I was itching to get out. I worked through the week, I researched and researched what I wanted to do. Eventually, I decided it was time to get back out along the Blue Ridge Parkway. My friend Nick mentioned to me that I might want to try the Pounding Mill Overlook, I had been here a hundred times and had never thought to do a sunrise here. The plan was set and 3 a.m. came quick come Saturday morning. I left Church Hill, TN excited and couldn't help but to think about what I may capture as the sun began to rise. The two hour drive seemed to go by quickly and before I knew it I had arrived at the Pounding Mill Overlook along the North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I arrived about an hour before sunrise, the parking area was covered in fog and the wind was roaring. Excitement grew as the fog started to move out once the sun started to rise. In the valley below you could see clouds dance among the pines, it reminded me of a quote from John Muir, "Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world". My eyes wondered around the landscape, soaking in the beauty God created and their were no words that could really describe what I was seeing. Clouds came in and hid the sunrise casting the valley into a variety of shades of blue.
The Blue Ridge Parkway shares a vast majority of the North Carolina section with the Pisgah National Forest, an area so beautiful, that it should be considered to be made its own National Park. Famous landmarks such as Looking Glass Rock, the Devil's Courthouse and the Black Balsam area reside here, it's a place as majestic as the Great Smoky Mountains and deserves the attention of preservation for future generations. As a National Forest it can be logged in sections and is considered a sustainable resource, but a place as beautiful as this deserves to be protected and allowed to be sustained as is.
I spent a couple hours here, I watched the clouds dance and then rise, I watched the sun roll in and out of clouds and I saw Looking Glass Rock get engulfed in clouds and disappear from the landscape entirely. I found much more than I expected and cleared my mind and rejuvenated my soul and I was ready to go home. I rode the Parkway for another 40 or so miles, I didn't take many more pictures as blue skies and harsh light took over. I did enjoy the beauty and the peaceful drive, stopping only to watch the trees sway.
Thanks for reading! If you see any photographs you would like to get a print of, please head over to the contact page and fill out the form. I am really good about getting back fairly quickly. Thanks again for your support and I hope you enjoyed this blog.
