The best chance for viewing fall foliage color changes in Middle Alabamaland should come Sunday through Tuesday, as the color appears to be peaking now.

Friday‘s forecast calls for a patchy drizzle early in the morning with a slight chance of thunderstorms early in the afternoon…then showers likely and chance of thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Friday night‘s forecast calls for cooler temperatures with a chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the northwest after midnight. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Temperatures will be cooler on Saturday with rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms likely in the morning…then partly cloudy with chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Saturday night will be even colder, with partly cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of rain showers in the evening. Lows in the lower 40s. Northwest winds around 5 mph in the evening then becoming light.

Sunday will begin partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday night will be clear with lows in the lower 40s.

Monday looks sunny with highs in the upper 60s.

Monday night will be clear with lows in the mid 40s.

Tuesday will be sunny with highs in the upper 60s.

Tuesday night will be clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy in the early morning hours. Lows in the mid 40s.

Glynn Wilson

We chased the autumn color north into Blount County on Sunday, but it’s not peaking yet. Fine day to be outside, though. Click on the image for more photos in this slide show on Facebook…

Glynn Wilson

One more feature photo from our early fall camping trip to Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin near Alexander City, Alabama. The fall foliage is just beginning to show a hint of autumn color. More to come in the days ahead. [Click on the image for a larger view]

Photo by Glynn Wilson

If we are not mistaken, this is a view of Grandfather Mountain from one of the Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks. Now we know why they call them the Blue Ridge mountains…

by Glynn Wilson

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, N.C., Oct. 21 – We caught a perfect day on Saturday to tour the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is sometimes hard when on the road to find the space and time to write, especially when the pictures are almost too good to be true.

To highlight a couple of stops and point out a few facts about the place, in case you want to visit yourself, try stopping by the Museum of North Carolina Minerals at Milepost 331. The visitor center and educational museum highlights the geology of the region and the rich mining heritage of the area.

Photo by Glynn Wilson

The Eastern Continental Divide bridge with the fall colors in the background.

According to the National Park Service Web page highlighting the parkway, the Grandfather Mountain corridor serves as a refuge for relic populations of plants, and the remote natural areas and dramatic views are less affected there by a human presence south and east of Asheville.

“Biological diversity is best understood here as a product of varied geology and topography and cultural history stories also come into play with isolated cabins and magnificent country estates in close proximity,” the site claims.

We can attest to that.

I met a woman park ranger who would serve perfectly as the female lead character in an unfinished novel I started about 14 years ago. A classic brunette.

I had some fun with her and tried to buy her official National Park Service uniform cap. She refused, of course, since it would constitute a federal crime. She did smile, laugh and say I could probably find one on ebay, the property of a disgruntled former ranger, maybe, or a lost or stolen one.

I needed a new hat on the trip anyway, so I picked up a blue Blue Ridge Mountain cap at the visitor center and supported the National Park Service at the same time. It’s part of the Interior Department and worth supporting.

Interestingly and dangerously, the parkway is lined with poisonous sumac, a relative of poison oak. It turns a stunning red in the fall, though. Just don’t touch it.

The museum is right on the Eastern Continental Divide.

Just up the parkway, there are a number of overlooks where you can stop and take in the breathtaking views. These are only a few samples. Now we know why they call them the Blue Ridge mountains.

Photo by Glynn Wilson

If we are not mistaken, this is a sample of the red sumac that lines the Blue Ridge Parkway, right across the way from the Museum of North Carolina Minerals at Milepost 331.