Nature is waiting

Nature:

I love trees.
And water,
naturally bubbling up springs,
or waves in the ocean,
or even the dashes between rocks of the streams
coming through the mountains.

I saw this huge tree, cut and stacked by the side of the parking lot this morning.

 And I could not figure out where it came from...

It was certainly a sick tree, which was nicely stacked by the entrance to the parking area where I was going to walk.

Here's the parking lot entrance, and there's no sign of a stump, and when I noticed the fireplug it was kind of obvious that no huge tree had been growing there where the bark started.  I put on my detective brain and finally figured out someone dumped the whole thing there, to be carted to the chipping area down the road and across the ford.  (see ford pictures later)

I love outdoors, this time of year.  It is so vast.
I know, that's such an understatement.

But the comfort level is there, for me to spend many more hours outside than some other times of year, like winter for one.  Of course there are the hot muggy afternoons when I gladly retreat inside for other kinds of pleasure.

 I think this is sourwood.  It makes the best honey in the area.  This is not quite a tree yet.

The bridge crosses Flat Creek, which isn't flat anywhere near here.

This is actually a service road, going uphill here, and there's a trail that climbs the hillside to the right.  I think some students probably did their "service" by putting the nice stone border along it.

Here's the ford crossing the creek, going to the service road which goes uphill to the left, or down hill to the right where the chipper is.  I'm pretty sure lots of trucks can just go right across the creekbed here.  This is the flatest place I've seen on this mountain creek.

Thanks to Vicki and Amika, for regular comments, and I know Rosemary is trying to say something too, just hasn't gotten through the blogger fogger.  Whatever it is, it's just a fog.  At least her comments didn't go to the Spam detector...I checked!