Hiking on the estate grounds has changed a little since the completion of the Deer Park Trail. This was put in primarily for bicyclists and Segway tourists, and only joins the Ambler's Trail, which we take frequently, for a short stretch. Nonetheless, we see more people along these routes now than we used to. I guess it really is better that more people are taking advantage of the unbelievable grounds of Biltmore. I just sometimes miss the sense of Abner and my having it to ourselves.

Something happened with the Mountain Laurel which you can see above, and the ferns below, this year. It seems like the hard freeze we had in April that killed off a lot of early blooming flowers, trees and shrubs had the opposite effect on the Laurel and ferns. There seem to be far more abundant displays this year than in the past.

Last year I posted a shot of this spectacular red wildflower. I didn't know what it was last year and still don't but this was a better shot, so I thought I would post it anyway.