The rain fell in torrents here in the North Georgia Piedmont for the last two days. Nearly six inches here at the house. The moisture has met to satisfy even the most skeptical of agronomists. 

Lots of flooding in Kentucky around Mammoth Cave National Park. 

A quick note about Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Starting today, the park will close the Cade's Cove loop to motorized traffic and reserve the entire eleven-mile loop for walkers and bicyclists. Park only in designated spots. Each Wednesday for the rest of the summer.

On April 17, 2021, after we left GSMNP through Cherokee, North Carolina, we stopped in Bryson City for a nice lunch at the Everett Street Diner. Highly recommend. Back across the bridge, there is Calby's Collectibles and Antiques, and for used books, go poke around in Friends of the Marianna Black Library Used Book Store.

Back in the middle of April, we went on a time-share boondoggle where we got three nights lodging in Gatlinburg, TN, in exchange for listening to a two-hour pitch (which actually lasted three hours). We did not buy. But, we really enjoyed Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We had not been in the park very much, and not at all since 1981. We caught the wildflowers at what looked like their peak. Also got to see some black bears and some black blobs that others said were bears. The two water falls we walked to were Grotto Falls and Laurel Falls. Lots of wildflowers on both walks. We also did the requisite drive around Cade's Cove.

 

The darker pink azaleas have begun to fade. The dogwoods are almost all gone. But, the rhododendrons are just beginning to bloom. Looks to be a good year for those as well. Spider wort if coming along, too. We had just a couple of blooms on our poor apple tree. But will there be fruit?

Flowers in the Georgia Piedmont

Flowers are continuing to bloom here in the North Georgia Piedmont. A series of light showers came through this morning, and the rain helped wash some of the pollen out of the air and off surfaces. We parked our cars outside, and the rain washed off the pollen. Then the oak blooms fell on the wet cars. See light pink azaleas and white iris below.

 

Forensic Anthropologists at Sisters in Crime Atlanta

I attended the monthly, virtual meeting of Sisters in Crime Atlanta this morning. The program included two forensic anthropologists discussing decomposition of bodies and evidence that can be obtained from skeletal tissue. Kyra Stull, PhD., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno. As a biological anthropologist, she has a specific interest in human growth and development, modern human variation, forensic anthropology, and quantitative methods. Meredith Tise, PhD., works as a forensic anthropologist with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Florida. The program was excellent, and we learned a lot about what can and cannot be determined and with what confidence from skeletal tissue, including biological profiles and trauma defects. The next meeting is May 8, 2021. For more information contact sincatlanta@gmail.com.

Dark Goes the Stage proposed cover!

 

Spring and Azaleas in the North Georgia Piedmont