The azaleas really were beautiful this year. the bank below is in the lower part of the azalea garden at Biltmore as you approach the Bass Pond. It is a testament to the brilliance of Frederick Law Olmsted and Chauncy Beadle that this garden is over 100 years old and looks almost as if it happened strictly courtesy of Mother Nature.

In the photo above, you can just barely see a pileated woodpecker. These beauties (from which Walter Lantz drew the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker) are not easy to spot and harder to photograph. This pathetic shot is my best. They are quite shy and will simply move to the side of the tree trunk on which they are working that is opposite from where anyone might view them. This is defintely a photo you will have to click on and enlarge if you want to see this bird at all. He (or she) is on the left side of the tree trunk in the center and has a bright red head.

When the tulips were finished for the season the gardeners replaced them with poppies. Very nice.