This is Waynesville, NC in the Great Smoky Mountains, very apropro as today is Wayne's birthday. Before we left Chattanooga we went to the Hunter Museum. We had been fascinated by the design and location of their new addition. It is somewhat reminiscent of a Geary design. It beautifully complements and overhangs the Tennessee River. The collection is good. I'm beginning to more and more enjoy museums in smaller cities that can't afford to hold the most noted works. In these smaller museums one can see works that were the beginnings of a career or the studies for larger works. It's refreshing to see these and sometimes surprising to see an unexpected style or approach of an artist I think I know well.
The drive to Asheville took us through a portion of the Smokies. I find it difficult to convey the beauty of these mountains. This time of year finds them displaying flowering dogwood and redwood among the occasional tender green of a maple. Now and then a rusty orange oak will declare itself. As we neared Asheville a storm of some magnitude formed over a distant mountain top announcing its presence with dark clouds and lightening. We entered Asheville through the rain. See more photos at Flickr
