Happy Arbor Day!

In honor of the day, I planted two pretty little Japanese Maples in the backyard.
They'll add a nice burst of color all year long against the greenery.

Hearts All Around, pt.2

Valentine's Day is creeping closer......
Another heart specimen in a dead tree trunk in the Sugarlands area of Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park. This one is a sort of country-style, elongated heart.

It was a good day for spotting hearts in the mountains!

Hearts All Around, pt.1

Last year I began seeing natural "hearts" in many places prior to Valentine's Day, so this year I kept my eyes peeled again for interesting ones to pop up. Time for this year's installment!
Up first:


A lovely knot hole in the Sugarlands area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hearts All Around - Part 2

Second installment in the Valentine Series is a little beauty I observed along the Spruce Fir Trail the day I lost my glove (see Monday's post).
A tree had fallen across the trail and rangers sawed it apart to clear the path. A unique formation was revealed!