Spring on Calhoun St.

Calhoun St., Charleston, SC 

 Charleston is at it's most picturesque at this time of year. The city is a garden. 

The garden of Charleston

Meeting St., Charleston, SC 

"Come quickly! I have found Heaven!"

Artist Alfred Hutty wrote to his wife from Charleston

1877 - 1954

Natural foliage photo framing

Charleston, SC 

The lush full branches of leaves and flowers nicely framed my photos this morning. It is a beautifully picturesque day today but wickedly hot. You can follow my walking route by the trail of sweat. It felt like a good walk but logged just under 5,000 steps so no exercises prizes for me today.

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC

Roof of the Huguenot Church, Charleston, SC 

Charleston Window Boxes

Window Boxes, Charleston, SC    

I had blossom envy admiring the window boxes on the peninsula this morning. It was wicked hot but the gardens were lush and colorful. I did spot tiny irrigation pipes to some of them which must help in the heat. They really are glorious.

And even more blossoms!

Rutledge Ave., Charleston, SC   

I need to post a few more blossom shots before the azaleas pass their prime. This is one of my favorite homes on Rutledge Ave. and the neighboring house. I should be hired by the city to write fines for home owners of properties without azaleas planted.

I had jury duty this morning and reported to the court house on Broad St. as scheduled only to be dismissed promptly. My lucky day. Unfortunately I was mentally prepared for a week out of the office and now I need to get back on the saddle.

I did get home early and have spent the afternoon scanning in old family albums. It's been a happy trip down memory lane.

Blossom season

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC 

It is difficult to resist returning to Magnolia Plantation & Gardens at blossom season. I keep an annual pass so there is no charge to do my walk in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Since there was a chill in the air it wasn't swarming with visitors.

I hope everyone is surviving their Monday.

Wisteria Party

Wisteria blossoms, Charleston, SC   

There are pop-up wisteria parties all over the lowcountry at the moment and this display is one I always make a spring visit to on Meeting St. I believe I could stay there all day taking pictures of tourists in front of the wall of blossoms. Charleston is a garden at the moment. Enjoy!

Winter window boxes - Charleston

Charleston, SC   

Aren't these window boxes glorious? Our temperatures are falling now so I wanted to include the blossom shots before the freeze hits them. Hopefully most will survive. Stay warm, kids!

Walk with me - swamp color

Audubon Swamp Walk, Charleston, SC   

It may not be peak blooming season but there is always something in bloom at Magnolia Plantation's Audubon Swamp walk. It didn't seem so unbearably humid this morning and it was a pleasant walk.

As I began my walk the trolley with passengers came by. My least favorite thing is having a nature walk interrupted by a loud speaker but this time I heard the tour guide telling his passengers that the swamp had been the filming location for the movie Swamp Thing in 1982. After laughing at the scenes on youtube I immediately ordered the dvd. How funny to have a swamp creature scene in exactly the same place I was walking today.

Chalmers St.

Pink House, Charleston, SC    

I frequently pass this darling home on Chalmers St. that is often described as the oldest home on the peninsula but rarely find it without a car parked right in front of it. No car blocking the view and crepe myrtle trees in bloom - my lucky day!

A short walk down the street I always stop to admire my initials in the author Josephine Pinckney's home. JP! How considerate.

Easter Blossoms

West Ashley garden, Charleston, SC 

I stopped by my friend Mary's home West Ashley yesterday morning to tour her garden. I knew she was a gardener and she'd offered to give me cuttings but I had no idea of the scale! It was beautiful. Both Mary and her husband had sections of the garden that they tended to and it seemed that almost every plant had a story.

Needless to say I came home with lot's of cuttings and spend today and $$ at Home Depot working on my own little yard. Thanks Mary!

I hope everyone had a good Easter. I do love seeing all the happy family photos on Facebook at this time of year.

Charleston's Summer Wear

Crepe Myrtle blossoms, Charleston, SC  

Charleston is wearing festive summer wear in this heat. 

Thank goodness for Crepe Myrtle blossoms.

Our annual "How Hot is it?" entry:

It's so hot in South Carolina that...

* A seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

* When the temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

* It's so hot outside it will make you return things you never stole.

* It's hotter than a steel playground at noon.

* You can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.

* The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

* Hot water now comes out of both taps.

* You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

* You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

• It's so hot the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

• It's so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog.

* It is so hot even the sea breeze feels like a hair dryer...

• It was so hot today I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking.

• It's hotter than a June bride in a feather bed.

• It's so hot that the trees are creeping around looking for shade.

• It's stupid hot!

• It is hot enough to cure tobacco.

• It's hotter than the devil's underwear.

• It's another one of those aluminum foil sweater days.

* It's so hot you could spit fire. But, please don't.

Blossom time in the lowcountry

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC 

I have worried about boring you with blossom but spring time in Charleston is irresistible. Luckily I have an annual pass to Magnolia Plantation and even though I walked the lake walk last weekend I returned to walk through the garden this morning. The weatherman had predicted rain so it wasn't as crowded as I had expected. It was glorious!