This past weekend, we led a drive for our MINI club. Several last minute cancellations meant we had fewer cars than usual for the drive, but we still had a nice time. We met at a local brewery for lunch, lining up together as we like to do. I don’t care for beer but that is where the group coordinator wanted to start as our club will host a big event there later in the year. That silver MINI on the end is an electric model. It was fun to see, and so quiet.
After lunch, we set out for a one hour drive around our lovely countryside, ending at an Air History museum in Hendersonville. It was my turn to drive, so My Sweet Babboo took some photos on the way.
We were too early for the apple blossoms, numerous orchards along the route all had bare trees. The blossoms should come out in mid-April.
On the way home, we stopped to get a few good pictures of the spectacular blooming trees on our route. These are weeping cherry trees, with cascading branches of delicate pink blooms. The one on the right is past peak and beginning to leaf out.
There were golden forsythia dotted all around the countryside. This one was larger than most, hard to get a good picture on the move though.
A peach orchard was beginning to bloom, and we pulled off the road for a good shot.
The peach trees have a pretty pink flower, and this orchard hasn’t yet reached the peak bloom. We hope we are past the last hard freeze of the year, but the temps are forecast to go down to 28 overnight two nights this coming week. Our last average freeze is April 15. I hope these blooms can survive.
A herd of cows were grazing in this field near a small side river that had overflowed its banks with the rain last week. Mountains in the distance surround the main valley of the French Broad river.
Bradford pear trees bloom white. There are lots of these in bloom all over the county now.
This is a Japanese cherry, just lovely with pastel pink blooms.
Back home, my redbud is coming along nicely. I’ll show you scenes from our place as more blooms appear.
What is blooming in your part of the world? Have you had any fun adventures with friends recently?
From My Carolina Home 
Thank you for sharing all the lovely pictures. It makes my heart happy to see all the blossoms. It is still cool, rainy and mostly brown here in MN. I am hopeful for some warmer weather coming up so we can enjoy being outside more.
I love seeing the trees beginning to bloom. We have a few crocuses showing up but I think it will be the end of the week before we see color. The mini club adventures always look like fun.
Looks like a lovely day out in the sunshine! I think we ALL need a day out in the sunshine with a breeze in our face doing something fun! I bet it lifted your spirits as it would me! To see the earth starting to “wake up” and the blossoms begin to bloom is a great reminder that something GOOD is about to burst forth. Pretty soon the butterflies will be flitting about along with the bees. I love SPRING!! Woke up to another cold day (27 degrees at 8:30 am…brrr) here in Delaware and hoping this is our last cold spell. It is fun to see where your car club “drives” take you! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the lovely trip around NC. My kids have an electric car, it is quiet! Sleeping orchards are pretty, as are those that are awakening. Around here, snow is blooming as winter would like to visit a little longer.
here in north central Arkansas my weeping cherry tree is slow this year – last year at this time it was blossoming this year I’m still waiting for it – the forsythia is blossoming though and the red buds are just now opening so not real pretty yet – nice that you take turns driving so you have some of that fun too. my granddaughter has a mini and she and our daughter met us this weekend and it was fun to see her zipping through the outlet mall parking lot getting a space to park
When the wind blows my Bradford makes it look like falling snow. With these late Easters we do sometimes have cold enough to damage the fruit flowering. Fingers crossed.
I love seeing all the blooming trees in your area – so pretty! Nothing is blooming in the mountain west yet, but things are definitely greening up. Sounds like a fun outing with your group!
Love all the blooming trees in your area. What a nice outing for your Mini Club. Not too much blooming yet, but is starting to turn green. Weather is still flip flopping here. Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos.
Thanks for sharing the pics….. Love going on your drives……
Flowering Cherry trees, we had them down our driveway at our previous home, beautiful in bloom.I am so glad you are able to gather and have an outing, here Covid is still rampant in our small area, we avoid crowds, cafes( I am longing for a cafe coffee ) and travel by anything that flies.
Hello Carole,
Greetings from a Dutch friend. Thank you for your stories and beautiful photo’s.
It’s so nice to read about your surroundings. The birds in your garden are different from the birds in our garden. But they eat the same things!
I’am always suprised by all the space in your country. The beautiful Forsythia’s and other trees in bloom you see during a car trip, so many and so big, growing in the wild, the space without houses and so.
Thank you for sharing,
Marjolein
The trees starting to bloom look beautiful.
Your car is just so darned cute! The trees are terrific — nothing is blooming here yet, but we hope soon.
Love seeing those trees! It is BROWN here, and this morning it is spitting snow, though we are supposed to reach 47 today. We are in the up and down part of spring, freezing every night and highs running from 33 to 68. Every day is unpredictable, and we are biding our time for some real warmth!
How lovely to see all the trees with their Spring blossoms. I’m not a beer drinker either, but have to say I do enjoy a shandy, half lager and half lemonade now and again on a really hot afternoon.
Beautiful countryside!
I was about to plant some iris sprouts when the cold front came. Now they’re blooming in my kitchen.
I’m not sure when it will be safe to plant and to turn on the outside water. I’m North of you in Rhode Island. Spring keeps teasing here.