All the Upness : Fireflies & Wild Ponies

Of all the upness accessible to mortals, 
there is no upness comparable to the mountains.  - John Muir 

We drove to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to see the Synchronous Fireflies.  It was so magical.  I had not the skills nor the equipment to photograph them in all their glory, and no one can do that better than Vince Brady anyway (see vid below).

In the afternoon, before our light show began, we wandered over to Cade's Cove and marveled in the wide open views and low hanging clouds.

On the way home we took a detour to Grayson Highlands in search of the wild ponies that graze the balds.  A short two mile hike to the peak and we were very lucky.  There are extreme weather changes up there and we experienced that too...the sudden chill, high winds and rain, but it didn't stop us and it was worth it.  We hiked back tripping over joy.

"fireflies
are not even a dime a dozen–
they are free,
and each floats and turns
among the branches of the oaks
and the swamp azaleas
looking for another
as, who doesn’t?
Oh, blessings
on the intimacy
inside fruition,
be it foxes
or the fireflies
or the dampness inside the petals
of a thousand flowers.
Though Eden is lost
its loveliness
remains in the heart
and the imagination;
he would take her
in a boat
over the dark water;
she would take him
to an island she knows
where the blue flag grows wild
and the grass is deep,
where the birds
perch together,
feather to feather,
on the bough.
And the fireflies,
blinking their little lights,
hurry toward one another.
And the world continues,
God willing.

- Mary Oliver