An absolutely fantastic weekend here in Western North Carolina. Sunny and warm but not oppressively so, I decided to waste a precious several gallons of gasoline and take off for the mountains. Spring has not yet arrived above 3,000 feet as of yet and that occured to me as I started up the winding roads of the mountains but what the heck, it was still a nice day.
As I arrived at various areas and summits, it was as I expected. Though it was nice and warm, it still looked a lot like winter and, however, there were a few trees starting to bud and of course "dandelions" were everywhere, along with numerous bikini clad females

, lying on rocks, grassy knolls and stacked up like turtles on logs by the mountain streams.

I really have got to get a nice long lens before summer is over

Anyway all I managed was a kinked neck and a couple of shots of what ever kind of insect this is partaking of the nectar of the dandelions.

You know there is something about these pseudo-melanoma research volunteers, I just don't understand, I guess getting four to six thousand feet closer to the sun makes for a better tan.
