Acceptance

September 19, 2026 / Called to Write - NC Trees Photography / Leave a comment

Change

Criticism

Fault

Blame

Acceptance

Surrender

Acceptance

Peace

~ Anita Adams 9/19/2026

The Journey

December 15, 2025 / Called to Write - NC Trees Photography / Leave a comment

My Life’s Journey

Although crooked like a line in the pavement

Confident that I would make it to my intended destination, I wandered with determination, faith and God’s grace into the darkness and discovered God’s hands reaching out to me time and time again.

Grateful am I to know a loving God. Jesus has always been beside me and his Mother, Mary has never failed to comfort and assist me when I felt lost or fearful. Her prayers joined my own and I felt heard, understood and able to relax into the next venture.

Presently, unemployed, I find myself at one of life’s crossroads, and I wait patiently until the fog lifts and the direction is clear.

Grateful for sight, hearing, touch, ability to walk and lose myself in nature and occasionally my sense of smell. These gifts went unnoticed when I was little and now, I thank God for all of them.

May Peace and Gratitude fill your Heart today and always.

~ Anita 12/15/2025

Life's Journey. Senses. Sight. . Hearing. Walking. Talking. Writing. Smell. #Gratitude

May We Never Forget

September 27, 2025 / Called to Write - NC Trees Photography / 1 Comment

#HurricaneHelene #@WNCMountains

One Year Mark – post-Hurricane Helene whose name means ‘Torch’

I survived, my family survived.

Our town did not and has not fully recovered. It will be decades for the towns to return.

So many lives were lost, the numbers are still not clear.

The French Broad River claimed many lives – the water is still thought to be unsafe due to the ever-changing levels of E. coli. What’s murmured but not reported is the bodies and bones of those unknown and unnamed that are still at the bottom of the river, tangled in the branches and undergrowth.

Shock and Post Traumatic Stress still creep up as I, and many others attempt to continue with life without Friends, Family, Doctors, Homes, Jobs, Mountains, and Trees.

The Trees appear to be in shock as Spring ends and Autumn turns to Fall in the Western North Carolina Mountains. The leaves are turning brown and dropping to the ground. They are stressed, like us.

Many today are celebrating and remembering those lost and those who have survived this day, the 27^th of September 2025.

I continue to stop periodically to remember to breathe. Holding my breath now, I remember my doctor and friend, Quinn, whom I and many others mourn her absence after she gave her life in service to others in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Many lost their lives

Many lost their homes

Many lost their businesses

Many broken bones

Trees laid down their lives, rescue workers too

Heal dear Asheville, Swannanoa, Burnsville, Marshall, Black Mountain, too

Father, gather us here, those left, in your arms, help us to restore what’s left, to comfort those who are left to remember and commune respectfully to each other and the land you have given to us to steward, so rich and full of life, color, and surprises,

May we never forget.

~ Anita 9/27/2025

This photo of the Autumn Colours was taken years ago…. I hope we see these colours next year! #RememberingAutumnSplendor

Warmth of the Sun…

April 27, 2025 / Called to Write - NC Trees Photography / Leave a comment

Green is the colour outside my window

Waterfall trickles to the pond below

Goldfish and Frogs live Joyfully

All is in bloom

~ Anita Adams 4/27/2025

Grief and Seasons …..

November 24, 2024 / Called to Write - NC Trees Photography / 2 Comments

An image of white snow and black trees

How much I have missed the Winter…

Yesterday we had a beautiful surprise of snowfall, flakes large enough to catch on my tongue – a moment of Joy during a time of intense grieving

Hurricane Helene left her mark on our beautiful community of Asheville NC and surrounding areas, homes, businesses, lives, trees, trails, the devastation is so glaring especially to those of us who grew up here in what was a very safe, serene and beautiful oasis. It’s been almost two months since the storm hit. September 26th ! No one was prepared. No power, no cell phones, and days later no water for over a month! Water was resumed on the 18th of September. It was deemed safe enough to shower in and consume. For me, and I think for many others, the water does not taste safe. I will continue to drink bottled or spring water and to cook with these instead of consuming them.

The day after the Water was deemed safe, my heart while not keeping up with the grief, exploded into sobs which turned into physical heaving and a need to reach out to someone to share this grief. God, in his infinite wisdom, gave me the courage to contact a friend, who was just the person to let me process some of this grief in the form of tears. I imagine it will take some time before we are able to process all of it and before we feel truly safe again in our homes from the next wind or torrential rain event.

Four Season Girl

Spring is a happy time that beckons all to plant, explore, enjoy the outdoors and the color of green is all around us dotted with flowers in every shade and the birds as they find their way back to our feeders, baths and ponds

Summer is a time for travel, vacation, cleaning out the excess visit the beaches for a swim and shell seeking OR float down the French Broad River in a canoe or kayak quietly and enjoy its ebb and flow while looking for the Eagle, Herron or Egret (please NO tubing with boom boxes and beer – it’s disturbing to those of us who love the serenity floating down the river brings.)

Autumn is a time to walk the trails and mountains and absorb the last explosion of colors red, orange, yellow and greens in all the trees that one can see on any given day

Winter a time to slow down and look inward – bake, bask in the shorter days and rest more while still awaiting for a much desired snowfall and its silence and cleanliness as it blankets the trees and eventually the ground as if it to clean the air, the trees and the earth

Spring – White Trillium- Photo: Anita Adams, NCTreesPhotography.com

Summer – Mountain Stream – Photo by Anita Adams, NCTreesPhotography.com

Grief may be a necessary part of the human existence... and we all experience and express it in different ways. I thank you for sharing mine with me. Praying for all.

Autumn – Japanese Maple Tree in all the Beautiful Colours by Anita Adams, NCTreesPhotography.com

Winter – This photo was taken of the last REAL snowfall in 2022 – Crisp, White, Blanket of Snow 5″ deep or more. It’s silence is an invitation to be quiet and enjoy or play if you wish. Photo: Anita Adams, NCTreesPhotography.com

Grief and Joy
One couldn’t exist without the other
As we all move forward
into the Holy Days (Holidays)
Smile more to the Stranger
Look into the Eyes of those we meet and live with it every day
Don’t forget to say I love you to those you love
Hug a Tree and squeeze it again for me. ~Anita