Blazing Meadow

Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 24 October 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

This area of Shenandoah National Park is called, appropriately enough, Big Meadows. It is a vast expanse of low shrubs along a flat mountain top. The sea of crimson that you see (how is that for cool alliteration?) is a vast expanse of wild blueberry bushes growing in the meadow. The area behind me contains a small restaurant, lodge, and overnight accommodations for park visitors. I have heard stories from people who have stayed at the lodge would sit out on the deck on a summer evening and watch deer and black bears feasting on the blueberries in the meadow when they were ripe.

Big Meadows also contains a very nice campground that I have personally camped at several times when I lived in Virginia many years ago. The wildlife are so unafraid of humans in the campground that deer have taken potato chips right out of my hand and skunks have literally walked past my feet while sitting at a picnic table in my campsite at night (not a pleasant thought, I know).

"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text

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Comments (9)

Philip from Joburg, South Africa

Great colours and well framed i like you story if the wildlife do that then I really want to be there well done!

24 Oct 2008 7:19am

Betty from New Jersey, United States

What gorgeous color! And a beautiful area. I would love to watch wildlife like that... even the skunks.

24 Oct 2008 10:12am

Florence from Paris, France

Gorgeous colors indeed... a burst of colors... simply beautiful.
There a nice collection of beautiful pictures in your portfolio, gorgeous landscapes as well as very intimate and soft portraits. A great work indeed? Glad to know you ! :-)

24 Oct 2008 10:34am

Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States

Russ this is truly a visual feast. Now I want to go back up there; we did a drive-thru of the national park years ago, but it was in January if I remember right. I always said I wanted to go back; now I am sure I do.

24 Oct 2008 1:20pm

Judy from Brooksville-Florida,, United States

This is beautiful, Russ ... and I think we've been through this section - not too far from Culpepper, if I remember correctly.

24 Oct 2008 1:25pm

Laurie from New Jersey, United States

Wow that is so incredibly beautiful. The color is amazing.

I can handle the bears and the deer, but the skunks? Hmmm...I'll have to give that one some thought.

25 Oct 2008 12:16am

JJ from Jersey City, United States

I like your choice of words a sea or crimson it is so appropriate, such a beautiful view so beautifully captured the bare tree just adds so much to this, your story of the place makes it a place I would love to visit

25 Oct 2008 2:15am