Your Bio

I'm the hillbilly botanist. I love to be outside. Always ambling in the woods and snooping around to check things out. I'm a wife, a mom, and a gramma! Hope Baby Mikey likes to hike?!

You can check out my bloom report here:http://botanicalbliss.multiply.com/
Check out the progress on compiling my Digital Vasculum-- an online flower identification tool.

Galleries

Digital Vasculum : Wildflower and Plant Identification Gallery The last 2 pages at the end of the gallery include places for excellent wildflower walks. Beyond that you'll find unfinished entries.

Digital Vasculum

Wildflower and Plant Identification Gallery The last 2 pages at the e ...

Updated: Jul 01, 2009 10:05am PST

Baby Michael :

Baby Michael

Updated: Jul 01, 2009 6:49am PST

Great Smoky Mountains : Assorted photos of all the different things I've seen in the Smokies.

Great Smoky Mountains

Assorted photos of all the different things I've seen in the Smokies.

Updated: Jul 01, 2009 6:44am PST

Cherohala Skyway : The Cherohala Skyway is 52 miles of scenic drive and hiking opportunities running from Tellico Plains on the TN side to Robbinsville, NC on the other side. The name is derived from Cherokee National Forest on the Tennessee half and Nantahala National Forest on the North Carolina half. The area sees much less traffic and lighter use than the Smokies, but has lots of beautiful scenery and recreation opportunities. The gallery of photos was created to include area hikes and/or drives over time. Here is a link with some info: http://www.cherohala.org/

Cherohala Skyway

The Cherohala Skyway is 52 miles of scenic drive and hiking opportunit ...

Updated: Jul 01, 2009 6:37am PST

Botanical Bliss 2009 :

Botanical Bliss 2009

Updated: Jun 29, 2009 6:37pm PST

Tennessee Trips : Trips to waterfalls and other lovely locations around Tennessee

Tennessee Trips

Trips to waterfalls and other lovely locations around Tennessee

Updated: Apr 28, 2009 9:45am PST

Mocockle Falls : Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself."

Mocockle Falls

Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself."

Updated: Apr 15, 2009 7:14pm PST

Around Home :

Around Home

Updated: Jan 08, 2009 5:36am PST

Carolinas : Trips in North and South Carolina over the years

Carolinas

Trips in North and South Carolina over the years

Updated: Jan 08, 2009 5:31am PST

Erin's Meadow : Erin's Meadow is at the outskirts of Clinton, TN and is a beautiful herb farm. I have been into cooking with herbs and herb gardening for many years. I am only just finding the best places to shop and enjoy the herb farm culture here in Tennessee. The gardens are wonderful and it is in an area of abundant natural beauty. The gift shop is amazing! Local area artisans work is sold here. They sell organic gardening supplies and their herbs and native wildflowers! It is my kind of place!

Erin's Meadow

Erin's Meadow is at the outskirts of Clinton, TN and is a beautiful he ...

Updated: Oct 26, 2008 12:29pm PST

Botanical Bliss 2008 : I was hoping for a bloom report of our area and found there was none last year. I decided to do it myself. Welcome to Botanical Bliss--The Bloom Report 2008. This is the second bloom season I've posted this report. I will keep the photojournal and bloom report updated. Get out there and enjoy the great outdoors and see what's blooming! The report focuses on the Great Smoky Mountains, Blount Co, TN, and the surrounding area.

Botanical Bliss 2008

I was hoping for a bloom report of our area and found there was none l ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2008 10:32am PST

Honey Creek Loop : One of the most fun hikes in the Big South Fork and the hardest!

Honey Creek Loop

One of the most fun hikes in the Big South Fork and the hardest!

Updated: Jul 16, 2008 6:42am PST

Museum of Appalachia : We camped at Norris Dam State Park and visited the Museum of Appalachia one day. It was great fun! I'd like to go back in the Fall when they have Homecoming! Here is a link to their website: http://www.museumofappalachia.org/

Museum of Appalachia

We camped at Norris Dam State Park and visited the Museum of Appalachi ...

Updated: Jul 15, 2008 8:20pm PST

The Lily Barn : The Lily barn in Townsend sells lilies, native wildflowers, and hosts weddings. The grounds are open for taking walks!

The Lily Barn

The Lily barn in Townsend sells lilies, native wildflowers, and hosts ...

Updated: Jun 24, 2008 11:51am PST

Gregory Bald : One of my favorite places of all time is atop Gregory Bald. A wide open meadow with beautiful scenery and azaleas in June!

Gregory Bald

One of my favorite places of all time is atop Gregory Bald. A wide ope ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2008 8:08am PST

Max Patch : Saturday Sept.2, 2007 Kenny and I visited Max Patch for the very first time! We truly enjoyed it and agreed it will be a place we make return visits through various seasons. It is a wonderous place that far exceeded our expectations for beauty, ease and fun. I will add photos to this gallery in the future.UPDATE: May 10, 2008 Went to Max Patch for a Spring Picnic, waterfall visit, and Spring wildflowers. Lovely day. Still thought the Summer visit was prettier.

Max Patch

Saturday Sept.2, 2007 Kenny and I visited Max Patch for the very first ...

Updated: May 27, 2008 1:29pm PST

Royal Blue : Four Wheelin Fun and Exploration as we learn our way around the tens of thousands of acres that make up the Royal Blue WMA.

Royal Blue

Four Wheelin Fun and Exploration as we learn our way around the tens o ...

Updated: Apr 28, 2008 10:33am PST

Roundtop Trail :

Roundtop Trail

Updated: Apr 28, 2008 10:31am PST

Four Wheelin' Fun :

Four Wheelin' Fun

Updated: Apr 26, 2008 3:49pm PST

Hedgewood Gardens :

Hedgewood Gardens

Updated: Apr 16, 2008 11:48am PST

Smokemont Area Hikes : I began this photo gallery to hold photos from the hike Friday March 30, 2007 Bradley Fork Trail to Cabin Flats Trail. This is during a period of time I am trying to complete all 900 Miles of Trails in the Smoky Mountain National Park. I will have numerous other hikes with trip reports and photos to add to this collection. I'm trying something new. I am trying the idea of having a Hub to work out from and add photos from hikes in that area to the hub gallery.

Smokemont Area Hikes

I began this photo gallery to hold photos from the hike Friday March 3 ...

Updated: Mar 14, 2008 12:31pm PST

Sams Creek and Green Camp Gap : Off-trailing it and bushwhacking up Sam's Creek Manway, up the mountain to Green Camp Gap, and down the other side to Lynn Prong. We hit the Middle Prong Trail and then crossed the river to hike the Mark's Creek Manway to the falls. There are many unmaintained trails or manways and old road beds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This hike involved manways which were not that bad and some bushwhacking that was also not near as bad as some I've done.

Sams Creek and Green Camp Gap

Off-trailing it and bushwhacking up Sam's Creek Manway, up the mountai ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2007 6:40am PST

Cataloochee Area Trips :

Cataloochee Area Trips

Updated: Oct 14, 2007 5:26pm PST

Deep Creek Area Hikes : Monday 9/24/07 I completed the entire Deep Creek Trail with Tom Dunigan. We did it as a shuttle hike. 14.2 miles in 7 hours with plenty of goofing off on my part. It was a fun day and a long one. My dogs are barking today behind it! This gallery of photos will be for adding photos of this areas trails.

Deep Creek Area Hikes

Monday 9/24/07 I completed the entire Deep Creek Trail with Tom Duniga ...

Updated: Sep 25, 2007 6:35pm PST

Botanical Bliss 2007 : The Bloom Report for the current season in the Great Smoky Mountains, Blount County, TN and surrounding areas!

Botanical Bliss 2007

The Bloom Report for the current season in the Great Smoky Mountains, ...

Updated: Sep 13, 2007 9:11am PST

Balsam Mountain : Wildflowers and what is to see in the Balsam Mountain and Blue Ridge Parkway Area through the seasons. Includes photos from Blue Ridge Parkway segment from Oconaluftee to Waterrock Knob, Balsam Mountain spur, and Heintooga.

Balsam Mountain

Wildflowers and what is to see in the Balsam Mountain and Blue Ridge P ...

Updated: Aug 29, 2007 7:59pm PST

Myrtle Beach : July 2007 Family Vacation. Myrtle Beach, Brookgreene Gardens, Huntington Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach

July 2007 Family Vacation. Myrtle Beach, Brookgreene Gardens, Huntingt ...

Updated: Jul 29, 2007 7:59pm PST

Slippin and Slidin on Greasy Prong :

Slippin and Slidin on Greasy Prong

Updated: Jul 11, 2007 7:54am PST

Standing Indian, NC : Camping trip to Standing Indian, NC. Seeing the surrounding sights such as waterfalls, and great views.

Standing Indian, NC

Camping trip to Standing Indian, NC. Seeing the surrounding sights su ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2007 8:37pm PST

Little Greenbrier Trail :

Little Greenbrier Trail

Updated: May 09, 2007 11:35am PST

Whiteoak Sink : The area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as Whiteoak Sinks is interesting from a geological standpoint. It is a "fenster" or geologic window looking down into younger rock. The limestone forms here are younger than the metcalf phyllite found higher above this area along Scott Mountain Trail. The metcalf phyllite is an older, softer, more easily eroding and fracturing rock. The limestone forms in Whiteoak Sinks give way to cliffs, monadnocks, and sinkholes. The sweet, rich soil and low lying elevation of this area makes it a paradise for wildflowers! There are at least four caves here. There are four or five limestone sinks. The waters of Short Creek drop into one cave and disappear into the ground emerging again as Silver Falls which you can see by visiting Tuckaleechee Caverns!

Whiteoak Sink

The area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as Whiteoak ...

Updated: Apr 26, 2007 11:19am PST

Defeat Ridge Manway :

Defeat Ridge Manway

Updated: Apr 24, 2007 10:24am PST

Chestnut Top Trail : I hiked 1/2 mile up the Chestnut Top Trail in the Smokies today. What an abundance of Spring wildflowers I saw! The "Doctrine of Signatures" is the idea that God has marked everything He created with a sign (signature). The sign was an indication of the purpose for the creation of the item. The Doctrine states that, by observation, one can determine from the color of the flowers or roots, the shape of the leaves, the place of growing, or other signatures, what the plant's purpose was in God's plan. This idea gained popularity during the 1600's and continued to be used for medicinal cures in Europe and Appalachia into the 1930's and beyond. Though the idea has largely fallen out of favor in the face of modern medicine and science there are still people who practice this although finding a D.S. healer is harder these days. When you see plant and flower names which contain "wort" as part of the name it is a holdover from the past and the Doctrine of Signatures. Wort is an Anglo-Saxon word which means "plant" or "flower".

Chestnut Top Trail

I hiked 1/2 mile up the Chestnut Top Trail in the Smokies today. What ...

Updated: Mar 31, 2007 10:11am PST

Albright Grove :

Albright Grove

Updated: Mar 21, 2007 9:01am PST

Scott Mountain Trail :

Scott Mountain Trail

Updated: Mar 20, 2007 4:29pm PST

Spruce Flats Falls and Honey Cove :

Spruce Flats Falls and Honey Cove

Updated: Mar 11, 2007 2:01pm PST

White Trash Waterfall Trip :

White Trash Waterfall Trip

Updated: Feb 10, 2007 6:44pm PST

Slickrock Creek Area :

Slickrock Creek Area

Updated: Jan 22, 2007 7:19pm PST

Grandfather Mountain :

Grandfather Mountain

Updated: Jan 22, 2007 6:25pm PST

Afton Mountain :

Afton Mountain

Updated: Jan 22, 2007 12:34pm PST

Rock Island State Park Vacation :

Rock Island State Park Vacation

Updated: Jan 20, 2007 4:25pm PST

Sugarland Mountain Trail :

Sugarland Mountain Trail

Updated: Jan 19, 2007 12:45pm PST

Fern Branch Falls in the Snow :

Fern Branch Falls in the Snow

Updated: Jan 18, 2007 8:30pm PST

Forney Creek Backpack Trip :

Forney Creek Backpack Trip

Updated: Jan 18, 2007 11:48am PST

Rocky Top TN :

Rocky Top TN

Updated: Jan 18, 2007 11:19am PST

Savage Gulf :

Savage Gulf

Updated: Jan 18, 2007 9:24am PST

Bumpus Cove, TN :

Bumpus Cove, TN

Updated: Jan 16, 2007 8:19pm PST

Roan Mountain :

Roan Mountain

Updated: Jan 16, 2007 8:24am PST

Buffalo Spring Herb Farm :

Buffalo Spring Herb Farm

Updated: Jan 15, 2007 2:37pm PST

Summer Fun :

Summer Fun

Updated: Jan 15, 2007 6:52am PST

The Cumberland Trail :

The Cumberland Trail

Updated: Jan 14, 2007 9:31pm PST

DeSoto Falls State Park Trip :

DeSoto Falls State Park Trip

Updated: Jan 14, 2007 5:21pm PST

Elkmont to Tremont Hike : Jakes Creek >Blanket Mtn> Panther Creek> Middle Prong route

Elkmont to Tremont Hike

Jakes Creek >Blanket Mtn> Panther Creek> Middle Prong route

Updated: Jan 13, 2007 12:31pm PST

Ramseys Cascade and Beyond :

Ramseys Cascade and Beyond

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 2:37pm PST

See Rock City :

See Rock City

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 2:03pm PST

Goshen Prong Backpack Trip :

Goshen Prong Backpack Trip

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 10:16am PST

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