Happy Canada Day!

White Point Gardens, Charleston, S.C.

I've been saving this picture so you can see that we honor Canadians in Charleston by asking boy scouts to carry the Canadian flag around the peninsula on July 1st. I for one, appreciate it.

Harhar, eh. Happy Canada Day to my family north of the border and all my Canadian readers.

Adorableness on wheels

Roper Learning Center, Trike-a-Thon, Charleston, S.C.

I stopped by the 2nd Annual Roper Learning Center Trike-a-Thon this morning and got my cute kid fix. Are they not adorable?

It was already steamy out at 9 a.m. but they kept going round and round. They were scored on laps rather than speed but you couldn't tell that by their determination. The event is a fund raiser for the American Heart Association. I'm always happy when we do something beside bake sales for the heart healthy cause!

Hair's Best

Coming St., Charleston, S.C.

Hair salon names always make me smile. This little shop is on Coming St.

Meanwhile, here is a fun link where you can click to style hair.

I'm off to work. See if y'all can behave.

The Tea Lady strikes again

Charleston, S.C.

I came home to find this on my porch. The Tea Lady strikes again!

Denise, the tea blogger is moving to England and cleaning out her treasures. A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to find a hard cover book in my mail on "Tea, Legend, Life and Livelihood of India" and today I find this cool tea chest. She knew I'd like it considering my background in the hills of north east India.

Thanks Denise! It will be nice to have someone to visit in England!

Remembering the snow day

Waterfront Park, Charleston, S.C.

Remember that one perfect snow day? Aaaaaaah. Looking at those pictures and enjoying a dish of ice cream helps a little in this heat.

A pair and a spare

A pair and a spare!

The first pair clearly had a chip broken off. Luckily she had a spare!

I couldn't resist :).

Fun at the Beach

Sullivan's Island, S.C.

Island Life newspaper publisher - Linda Benedict uses some of my pictures on her cover once and awhile and this month she featured my friend Amber's adorable little boy Brody.

We took him out to Sullivan's Island a couple of weeks ago and in a few minutes another child joined the fun. Brody (in the wagon) and Luke made the perfect red, white and blue scene for the July cover and I spotted it this afternoon. They were just too darned cute!

Sunday Funny

Vanderhorst St., Charleston, S.C.

This house has recently been bought and is being renovated. The new orange color should wake up the neighborhood!

Sunday funny: It's been awhile since I snitched a joke from Miss Cellania but this one made me laugh:

A teacher noticed that a little boy at the back of the class was squirming around, scratching his crotch, and not paying attention. She went back to find out what was going on. He was quite embarrassed and whispered that he had just recently been circumcised and he was quite itchy.

The teacher told him to go down to the principal's office. He was to telephone his mother and ask her what he should do about it. He did it and returned to his class.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the back of the room. She went back to investigate only to find him sitting at his desk with his penis hanging out.

"I thought I told you to call your Mom!" she said.

"I did," he said, "and she told me that if I could stick it out till noon, she'd come and pick me up from school."

Faith, Truth, Power

Duncan St., Charleston, S.C.

Faith, Truth, Power. Not the worst thing you could write in cement.

Passing on a message

Charleston Garden, Charleston, S.C.

Isn't that pretty? I wish I felt like bothering with my yard as much but I struggle to stay a step ahead of the weeds.

Anyone else get a kick out of Craigslist's Missed Connections? I read them once and a while and on occasion have recognized the person the message is directed to and passed it along. This one tickled me because it is in honor of my co-workers:

Women of st francis - 31 (West Ashley)
Date: 2010-06-22, 8:05AM EDT

Is this place full of good looking ladies or what?!? Went to the west offices and mustve passed close to a dozen good looking or even damn sexy ladies. Guess I caught y'all at shift change around 330 but that made my afternoon..thank you

Happy Campers

SCRUBS Camp, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Charleston, S.C.

Twenty two proud graduates earned their CPR certificate, First Aid Certificate and got a stethoscope for graduation. One tired den mother crashed and burned. Wake me up on Monday.

Thank you, thank you to everyone who helped out today especially my buddy Dr. Geer who came in on his day off to do the "So, you think you want to be a Doctor?" talk.

G'night folks!

Raul's Seafood

Raul's Seafood, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Another lowcountry character spot is closing down. The Post & Courier reports that Raul's Seafood will be closing down after they didn't get their lease renewed. Sadness. I'm glad I have pictures of these places.

In other news...thank God for weekends. Whew.

Break a leg!

Charleston, S.C.

It's been a weird day.

:))

I'll never look at chicken feet the same. The OR nurses taught the kids how to put a cast on a broken limb with chicken feet.

House of many colours

Charleston, S.C.

Pretty, pretty....recently renovated. Anyone know where this beautiful home is?

Edit: Added the location of the house which is for sale on Vanderhorst St. See real estate listing here. It is as beautiful inside as out.

43 teenagers wore me out today. I rented a bus to pick up both our camps of teens and took them up to Trident Technical College where they opened all their health career labs for us to play.

I was blown away by their new simulator mannequin lab. I felt like I was in a science fiction movie. You could speak into a little microphone and make the model patient in the bed say things and you know I did. Coolness abounds.

SCRUBS Camp Class of 2010

SCRUBS Camp, Class of 2010, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Charleston, S.C.

I invited folks to send me their blood thirsty children and they did!

I am playing den mother to twenty two teens who think they might be interested in a health career in the hospital this week. Wow. This is a great gang. So far we've done CPR, First Aid, Physical Therapy, Imaging, Respiratory Therapy. I finished today by packing them off on a hospital scavenger hunt.

Tomorrow we head to Trident Tech for a tour of all their health labs and get to play with their zillion dollar human simulator mannequin. Fun. Wish me luck! This is all part of my master plan to make sure I have good health care providers to take care of me when I am old.

The old blue stable

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

This building is behind the old McAlister's Funeral Home on the corner of Wentworth and Smith St. The building is still there although no longer operating as a funeral home.

I've wondered about this old structure at the back of the property. I imagined it to be a stable and housing for horse drawn funeral hearsts but googling around I discovered that it was the stable of the original property that burned down before the funeral home was built and probably dates to the 1800's. The information I found said it was constructed entirely with wood pins and no screws or nails.

There are neato bits of history everywhere in Charleston.

Strike a pose!

Camp Puff 'n Stuff, Charleston, S.C.

It's become a tradition for me to meet the campers from Camp Puff 'n Stuff - the asthma camp for kids to take their group picture. More than any other group, this gang knows exactly what to do when I say, "strike a pose!" They are so much fun. Even the counselors get in on the act. Here is the whole gang.

Raised Bed Gardening

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

I can fall in love with the occupants of a house by what I learn from the sidewalk. Look at these raised bed planters! Aren't they grand? Check out the flower planters on the front steps. Goodness, they practically have to knock blossoms off to get up their steps. Charming. Whoever you are, coolness indeed!

What is everyone up to on this hot, hot weekend? My son and I went to Juanita Greenberg's for nacho's royale for lunch but I've been drinking pots full of iced coffee to cool down so I'm bouncing off the ceiling instead of taking a nap as planned.

I drink my icy drink and flick through MLS listings of cottages in the mountains. Starting from cheapest listings I try to imagine weekends in the pictured tumbledown shacks with their smashed-in walls and porches falling off. But, it would be cooler, right? Heheh. Luckily the weekend is over before I do anything foolish. After all, I've already been through my cabin in the mountains stage. Cringe.

Sunset on Folly

Sunset on Folly, S.C.

I mentioned some time ago how flattered I was that artist Gina Brown was using some of my photos as inspiration for her paintings. I loved the idea and was tickled to get a chance to meet her in person during the recent Spoleto Festival. Gina told me that she had left something for me at the Shelby Lee Gallery on Church St. and I walked down there last weekend to see what it was.

Isn't it beautiful? She left the folly beach sunset picture for me, framed and ready to hang. I can't believe my luck. It looks perfect in my living room. Thank you, Gina!

Comfy Chairs

Rutledge Ave., Charleston, S.C.

There is something about old abandoned chairs and I often catch myself taking pictures of them. Perhaps because we spend so much time in them they seem take on a presence of their own and have a story to tell. This one was resting on a curb on Rutledge Ave.

A house that does not have one warm, comfy chair in it is soulless.
May Sarton

My comfy spot is the corner of my couch with my legs curled up with my laptop, cuppa tea and the newspaper close by. I could live there with the occasional burst of energy to go on a long walk.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Colonial Lake Walking

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

It's where I first started walking on a regular basis - round and round Colonial Lake. My mind would race ahead and I'd keep on marching forgetting how many times I had circled. I pounded the day into the pavement.

Colonial Lake: The park around the lake was developed in 1882-87. Fountains were placed in the lake in 1973, not for decorative purposes, but to aerate the water and prevent fish kills on hot summer days.

"Gala Week" used to be held in the fall of the year, with a fireworks display on the west side of the Pond, which was then an undeveloped area. Spectators filled to park and crowded onto boats in the lake.
Stockton, DYKYC, May 14, 1973. Rhett & Steele, 24-25. Whitelaw & Levkoff, 154-155.

Gala Week? Maybe we should bring back Gala Week at the lake.

Dr. Sock Monkey

Dr. Sock Monkey, Charleston, S.C.

I am so very proud of the fact that when people google "Doctor Sock Monkey" they find these fine pictures of mine. Love it!

Trees.....

Charleston, S.C.

It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees.
Wilson Flagg

Food, Glorious Food......

Robert Dickson and pianist, Charleston, S.C.

Robert Dickson, the Singing Chef of Charleston retired this week but he sang for me this evening. Damn, I love men with deep singing voices. Robert Dickson has cooked and entertained in Charleston since 1976 and was for many years his restaurant was the place to go for very special occasions.

Here is a snippet of Robert on tv.

This evening was the fifteenth anniversary party for the Mended Hearts Support group and I was invited. This is a very precious group of survivors of heart disease and Chef Robert Dickson came to entertain them. What a treat! He may be retired but he still can sing!

If you are a fan of Robert's you can leave a message on their online guest book.

Looking down Rutledge

Rutledge Ave., Charleston, S.C.

Luckily it's called Charleston "Daily Photo" because a photo is all I have for you tonight. I took my laptop and work to do up to bed and I'm nodding off....zzzz...zzz.

A Sign for Tuesday

Backroads, S.C.

Remember Joe the Plumber? Looks like he moved to South Carolina. :)

Aaaack. It's too hot to do anything. I wait until late to walk and still come home dripping wet.

I had written an entry about Jamie Westendorf, the caterer who does so much charity work and was seriously burned on his arms and face. I was contacted by friends of Jamie who have rallied to host a fundraiser to cover some of his medical bills. I hate it that I won't be able to be there but would love for there to be a big show of support. Here is the scoop:

If you wish to give a little back to Jamie to aid with the piles of unexpected medical expenses, please join the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association for a silent auction and evening of food/ live music on June 17 at Boone Hall Plantation's Cotton Dock. 6pm - 10pm. Call Kathy Britzius for tickets or to donate items to the silent auction - at 843-452-6088. Or email jordan@littledogagency.com for more information.

G'night kids. Turn the lights out.

Charleston Chef Dream Team

Seeds of Hope Dinner, Roper Cancer Center Benefit, McCrady's, Charleston, S.C.

Wowza! Check out this Charleston Chef Dream Team! This was the line up for the Seeds of Hope dinner benefiting the Roper St. Francis Cancer Center on Sunday night and I was lucky enough to be there.

Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's, Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad, Jacques Larson of Wild Olive, Ken Verdinski of Trattoria Lucca and Mike Lata of FIG. For this dinner they were paired with the farmers whose fresh produce they used for the evening.

I have lined up the dishes in to match the picture from left to right rather than the order in which they were served - not that there is anything wrong with starting with dessert. What an incredible treat. Thank you gentlemen!

More photos here.