Walk In's Welcome

Spring St., Charleston, SC

What do these two pictures have in common?

It's raining, it's pouring....I'm glad I'm not driving in it. I got home from my walk just in time and now have my doors open listening to the downpour.

According to the UK Guardian, our sex scandals are more romantic than British ones.

I get a kick out of Criggo's newspaper bloopers.

Stay dry, kids!


Liberty Hill, North Charleston, SC

Sidewalk Sermon

Charleston, SC

Sidewalk sermon. Ooops. Got my toe in this shot.

None of y'all made me dinner? Again? Sigh.

The Ultimate Comfort Food

Brickyard Plantation, Mt. Pleasant, SC

This is where I celebrated the 4th of July. Not too bad, eh?! I was invited over and served the most delicious meal. We went for a walk after dinner and I was blown away by the beauty of the spot. Many thanks to my gracious hosts!

I don't want to sound like I am thinking of food all the time but this is important. Hugging the Coast has the scoop on a Macaroni and Cheese Contest with a prize of $5,000 and 25 pounds of cheese. I could make good use of both!

Do you have what it takes to make the best gourmet macaroni and cheese in the country? Are you looking for an excuse to take your gourmet mac and cheese to the next level? Then you might want to enter Tillamook Cheese’s 5th Annual Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Contest.

Here are the contest rules. Quick. Tell me all your Macaroni and Cheese secrets or enter on your own and make me a sizzling casserole.

Tuesday Hodge Podge

Taco Boy, Huger St., Charleston, SC

The Taco Boy opening in a most unlikely spot on Huger St. has captured attention. They have made the best and most colorful use of space. They had someone directing traffic in the large parking lot, the restaurant was packed and noisy and the patio was full. What a happy success story. Long may it last. Now I am too full to go for a walk.

In other news, I skipped out of work and across the parking lot to have lunch with our local Tea Blogger from Uniquely Tea. We talked "Blog talk" and she drank her tea iced while I had mine hot.

Charleston Magazine had an article on the tall ships as they left the Charleston Harbor. I noticed that they mentioned Coastal Yacht Charters and the same Captain that I did. Hmmmm. It turns out they made exactly the same trip at exactly the same time I did on one of their other yachts. We have almost the same pictures. Theirs. Mine.

Charleston County Parks used one of my pictures as their featured photo this month and will send me a certificate for a Gold Pass to the parks. Yipee! No more paying $7 to park at the Folly Beach pier. Not bad at all. They are still taking submissions so send them a shot.

Ending on a light note, Shoebox presents this list of:

Underwear Brands to Avoid:

* Li’l Leakies
* Newman’s Own
* Blaghoyevich
* Creep-ups!
* Elas-ticks
* Super Thong
* Johnson & Johnson mint-flavored floss thong
* Big n’ Tasty
* Fully Loaded
* Untidy Whities
* Skiddy’s
* Fruit of the Womb

See what I do when I don't go for a walk? Sad.

The year of the Crepe Myrtle

Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

This is the year for the most glorious Crepe Myrtles. Last year we had an incredible show of Magnolia trees in bloom, but this year the Crepe Myrtle trees are heavy with blossoms. After the rain the sidewalks are splashed with a carpet of colored flower petals. Everywhere. Charleston is a garden.

Color Cleansing

Church St., Charleston, S.C.

Consider yourself warned. Someone is rounding up blue people and putting them in chains. I came across this frightening scene next to the John Dunnan Gallery on Church St.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance

St. Anne's Catholic Church, Holly Hill, S.C.

I may take a Sunday "Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance" but these folks do even better! They attend a service and write a report.

Mystery Worshiper

What is this?
Since ancient times (ok, 1998), Ship of Fools has been sending Mystery Worshipers to churches worldwide. Traveling incognito, they ask those questions which go to the heart of church life: How long was the sermon? How hard the pew? How cold was the coffee? How warm the welcome?

The only clue they have been there at all is the Mystery Worshiper calling card, dropped discreetly into the collection plate.

Their web site lists a directory of the churches and mystery worship reports. Neat idea!

Walls

Charleston, S.C.

As much as I like clever graffiti I am whole heartedly against vandalism and have been a victim of it myself. I have painted the masonry on my house at 9 pm on a Sunday evening to cover up spray paint. So, here is a grand idea! Check out the Walls Notebook:

The Walls Notebook is exactly what it is called, it is a notebook filled with pictures of walls. Empty New York walls that is, just waiting for you to add some art. A sketch, a doodle, a note; or really work it and let your inner Banksy emerge and show off your artistic capabilities. Or maybe you are more into graffiti? That's fine too; there are clean subway cars, delivery trucks and post boxes, just waiting to be tagged.

Whoopsie! Just checked the link again and it seems everyone else liked the idea too. The Walls Notebook is sold out. I guess we can take pictures of our favorite walls and graffiti them ourselves.

Fireworks by Pes

I found this cute fireworks show on uniquedaily.com.

Almost did myself in this morning.

I was pulling down my heavy attic ladder with one hand (rat bait in the other) and it came down in a rush hitting me directly on the head. Ouch. I had my very own personal fireworks show. I grabbed a frozen bag of blueberries to use as a ice pack and not realizing it was an open bag and was a little startled when I noticed dark purple drips down my neck, For a moment I thought I was bleeding.

There. I was able to pull off this entry without too many typos so I am going to assume no brain damage. Impressive goose egg though.

I love me some Friday's off, I do

Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, SC

Up and at 'em kids! I took the day off to celebrate my adopted country and the fact that if I was Queen, three days weekends would be mandatory. Hip hip hurray!

I pretended that yesterday was a technical Friday and made it to the Terrace Theater in time for a matinee, sat in the dark alone with my cuppa tea letting the work week seep out of me. It is my theater/therapist/spa. Mike the owner let me know he had discovered the blog - hey Mike! Isn't it time I rated my own large tea mug?

Today's photo is of the renovated Francis Marion Hotel. It is one of our few tall buildings in Charleston and over looks Marion Square. You can walk out the door and have breakfast at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. Here are a million reviews. I pass it almost every day of my life on my walking route and will do so again in about ten minutes.

Where in the world is Byron?

King St., Charleston, SC

Where in the world is Byron?

Has anyone had a Byron sighting lately? I've been spending my King St. toll dollar on lottery tickets since I haven't seen him for weeks. The last time we talked he admitted he had been restricted by the Police from the section of town between Calhoun and Morris St. They had good reason no doubt, and yet....can't help worrying a little.

Theme Day - Empty

Charleston, SC

The first of each month is Theme Day for the Daily Photo community and participants from all over the world are posting pictures that represent the word "Empty" in some way. It was too dark when I got home to hunt for a picture today but I had this one in my album file and thought it might suit. Either someone wasn't happy with their tip or someone stole a tip jar.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Wednesday Funny

Elliott St., Charleston, S.C.

Just a quick joke for the moment. Home late. Starving.
_____________________

Two Scottish nuns had just arrived to the US by boat when one said to the other, "I heard that the occupants of this country actually eat dogs."

"Odd," her companion replied, "but if we shall live in America, we might as well do as the Americans do." Nodding emphatically, the mother superior pointed to a hot dog vendor and they both walked towards it.

"Two dogs, please," said one.

The vendor was only too pleased to oblige and he wrapped both hot dogs in foil. Excited, the nuns hurried over to a bench and began to unwrap their 'dogs.'

The mother superior was first to open hers, then, stared at it for a moment, leaned over to the other nun and whispered cautiously, "What part did you get?"

Off to Work

I am off to work. It's another exciting day in health care. I'll keep my eyes peeled for these folks. I haven't spotted them yet and I've been around for a long time.

Heh. I wanted to pose a re-enactment shot but everyone is scared.

Tuesday Hodgepodge

Charleston, SC

We haven't dipped into the Black Cab file for a while. British taxis and palm trees in the same picture make me smile.

Lazy woman's flower garden. Click your curser to grow a flower bed.

Last week I posted before and after pictures of this renovation project on Vanderhorst St. Yesterday I noticed that the construction workers autographed their work on the pavement. They inscribed the wet cement as "100% Mexico".

This might be the perfect container for sugar and flour here in giant palmetto bugland.

Early this month, I featured Geoff, our quirky British blogger/videographer who took off aiming to drive to every town in the US that had a name matching one of the London Underground stations. All was going well until he was robbed of expensive camera and video equipment along the way. Lowcountry bloggers quickly spread the word and set up a paypal donation site to keep the project going. Here is the link to his blog and more information on how to help.

I am off to my corner of the couch. Don't stay up too late.

Color me Lucky

Tall Ships, Harborfest Charleston, SC

I won't be the only one to post these shots but I may have been the happiest person in the harbor to have had the chance to be out on the water and take them. Aren't the tall ships glorious?

I got home from work in time to get on this yacht and out into the harbor to watch the tall ships leave Charleston with a glass of wine in one hand and my camera in the other. I can't think of a finer way to end the day. I took a zillion shots of course, ending in a dramatic downpour at the Ashley Marina as we docked.

Thanks to my friend Andre' for including me and Captain Matt Galvin of Coastal Yacht Charters. Picture me blowing kisses! I am feeling very lucky this evening.

Pam has gone to the trouble of naming all the ships.

I Love this Bar/Church

Yanks Pub, Hwy 78, Summerville, SC

The "We Love this Bar" sign on Yank's Pub on Hwy 78 always makes me smile. I've never been inside but for some reason I believe the sign and imagine that it has a group of regulars that love the tiny place. It's one of the little things that make me happy on that stretch of road.

Apparently I'm not the only one! Today I noticed that the Revival Center church just down the road copied the format. It seems they "Love this Church."

Wandering Minstrel Band

Canon St., Charleston, SC

I came up behind this merry band as I walked to Piggly Wiggly for pancake blueberries this morning and heard one of them say, "what if we were just a wandering band, playing music where ever we went...?" and I thought, "You are! You do!"

Checking out the Tall Ships up close!

Harborfest Charleston, Charleston, SC

Between Philip Simmon's Funeral and Harborfest Charleston, things were pretty chaotic on the peninsula this morning.

I didn't have time to make it worth standing in line for a ticket so I snooped around the outskirts to see what I could see and happened to be there while the air show was going on. The little plane was performing incredible stunts in between the tall ships. It was quite a sight.

Charleston Harborfest

Charleston Harborfest, Charleston, SC

Ahem. Well worth the price of admission.

PS: There are some very cool tall ships here as well.