Our Favorite Facebook Photos: 7/7/17

Flame azaleas on Roan Mountain.

At Explore Park.

River of DreamsThe Blackwater River plots its course through the wind swept grassy fields of Canaan Valley in West Virginia (Tucker Co) toward the mountains and the Milky Way on an early summer evening.Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/reflectioninapoolPatreon (with processing tutorials): http://www.patreon.com/reflectioninapool — at Canaan Valley.

Storm across the "Devil's Backbone" in the Blue Grass Valley, Highland Co., VATaken by Doug Puffenbarger

I call this one "Rocky Passage" and the view was the reason I drove 2 hours to the South Mountain State Park near Hickory. I had to put in a little work to get into position for this composition, but the end result was wonderful. I didn't have the clouds that I wanted, but the shadow from the mountain in the rear helped to make the lighting nearly perfect. You can view more of my work at www.gkiserphotography.com or on Facebook at Greg Kiser Photography

Taken in Pendleton County, WV, Beautiful Summer day in Sugar Grove.Photo by M&C Photo's

Sunset over a farm on the Parkway in Roanoke County, VA; by Paula Tate of Roanoke

"Civilization has provided no peace, no spectacle, no assurance to the human heart which can transcend the simple, ever-changing, matchless beauty and peace of the natural world."~~Harvey Broome, "Out Under the Sky of the Great Smokies""Raindrops on Alfred's Rosebays"Rosebay rhododendron (R. maximum) bloom near the tub mill at the Alfred Reagan place in Roaring Fork. Great Smoky Mountains National Park.© 2017 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reservedhttps://www.facebook.com/plaasabilities@GreatSmokyNPS #FindYourPark #RoaringFork

Some Beautiful Roan Mountain Scenery and the Gray's Lilies...What More Could Anyone Ask For, God is Good.Gray’s Lilies grow in high elevation southern Appalachian Mountains. The wildflowers display red and orange coloring with dark spots on the interior. Gray’s Lilies generally bloom in late June and early July, preferring open, highly lit areas that are relatively protected. The primary pollinators of Gray’s Lilies are Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. Gray’s Lilies are named after Asa Gray, the father of American Botany, who discovered this wildflower in 1840; they can go by a number of other aliases as well, including Bell Lily, Roan Lily, and Roan Mountain Lily. Seeds are typically dropped from the parent and thus, without the aid of very strong winds, Gray’s Lilies can be found in fairly tight clusters. If you find one, scan the area and you’re likely to see a few more. It’s not uncommon for folks to walk right past these little guys as the grand scale of scenery along the Appalachian Trail in the Roan Highlands is highly distracting!This was photographed from the Roan Highlands in Roan Mountain, TennesseeFor all the latest updates like and follow our photo page https://www.facebook.com/JandGPhotos.Likes, comments and shares are welcomed, but please do not alter the photo or copyright and use it as your own.Click on photo to enlarge

The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area is home to an abundance of wildlife, and today I was blessed to capture the most majestic of all of them (in my opinion). The Peregrine Falcon is capable of top speeds reaching 200 mph, and it's correction rate, should it miss its prey, is uncomparable! But today, this guy was generous enough to only soar at around 25 mph, before catching a thermal and drifting off towards Raven Cliff. It was there that we saw his speed as he tucked his wings, diving towards the canopy below at around 135 to 150 mph. I felt like a kid in a candy store!I will return, with better equipment. Really wanted to share this with everyone today!Isaiah 40:31