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Travelogue

Blue Ridge Mountains in May

Weekends of May 1, 15, 28 and June 6, 2004

Kevin and I have been spending time at my family's cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A lot of our activities have centered around tromping through the largely unspoiled woods, an uncommonly rich ecosystem.

The cicadas were here during this time — I'll be 53 when they next appear. They were amazingly loud (especially in the suburbs back home). Our first-of-the-day hikes would start early, around 7:30AM. For a few hours under the cool canopy, the climbing sun gradually lifted the cicadas' whirring up the far side of the hill as it warmed. When the late morning rays broke over the crest, the intense, relentless sound of Star Trek phasers would rise all around us.

Cicada recordings made in 1936 were used for sci-fi sound effects (flying spaceships and such) in the 1950s. While I haven't found confirmation, I see lots of extrapolation around the web about cicadas and the phaser noise.

Anyway, here are some of the photos from recent weekends. Most images are between 32-64k.

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