Yesterday Nic, Alison and I hiked a lovely 5 1/2 mile loop around and over Cold Mountain, in the nearby George Washington National Forest.  Temperatures and flora were those of several weeks ago in the valleys, with the first flowering trees of spring, Serviceberries, in abundance at higher elevations.  The online trip description compared the hike to being in Switzerland, which seemed a bit over the top.  But once we reached the long summit meadow, and Alison reminded me of the movie, The Song of Music began ringing in my ears, despite the absence of snow-covered peaks.  More pictures here.