rainy weekend walkabout

Beautiful pink blooms seem to have extra sparkle when sprinkled with raindrops...

and anything purple always catches my eye!

I was in just the right place at just the right moment to catch these baby fern fronds opening. A little later in the day and I'd have missed them unfurling!

Who is this little guy? Normally I don't work too hard to get bug shots, but this critter was so very pretty and had such velvety, lacey wings, I couldn't pass him by.

NC has a large variety of pines and I thought this long-leaf looks amazing when silhouetted against a rainy, grey sky.