How lovely and weird, I thought, for the National Park Service to plant tasteful groupings of rhododendron along the hiking trails of North Carolina.  Aren’t there already enough plants in the G.D. forest?  Turns out these showy blooms grow wild in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thank you, Creator man or lady.

But if you’re a park service employee in need of a swift right jab to the throat, do this:  Ask me if I have a senior discount card for my camping fee. They did it to me every time. No, I’m not old enough for your ‘golden years penny saver plan’.  And thank you for guessing my age wrong by four years in the wrong direction.

Then I took this picture.

And before I forget, God Bless public radio.  WNCW in Asheville has a signal that never quits and provided the most awesome folk, rock, blues, Americana sound track to my Blue Ridge Mountain trip ever.

Next stop: Tennessee.