Music, action!

Break Dancers at the Charleston Farmer's Market, Marion Square, Charleston, SC  

The break dancers at the Charleston Farmer's Market are amazing and perform for hours every week. I love watching them and love watching the expressions on the faces in the crowd while they dance. The Charleston City Paper had a good write up on the group here. What a treat. I always leave a tip in the bucket.

For a biscuit?

Callie's Hot Little Biscuits, 476 King St., Charleston, SC   

This crowd was lined up for biscuits?! What? Who has tried Callie's Hot Little Biscuits? I have not and I wasn't considering standing in a long line like this on a hot day, but it didn't stop these folks. I passed the tiny shop a couple of times and watched the line get longer and longer. These must be some tasty biscuits. 

Charleston City Paper: Biscuit maven Carrie Morey (of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits) shared with City Paper today her plans to open a new a counter-service restaurant, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit at 476 ½ King (currently Parlor Hair). According to a press release, Morrie says, “Since the beginning of this business, fans of Callie’s Biscuits have urged us to open up a little shop — ‘a hot little biscuit shop’ they would say. 476 ½ King Street has just the right character, and we’re thrilled to squeeze into all 629 square feet of it and make it a destination, albeit tiny, for biscuit lovers near and far.” 

Callie's Hot Little Biscuits, 476 King St., Charleston, SC

Callie's Hot Little Biscuits, 476 King St., Charleston, SC

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - birdhouse style

Birdhouse, Georgetown, SC  

It isn't Sunday morning but today's featured church is a birdhouse up the coast in Georgetown, SC. You should hear the chorus!

Georgetown has a lovely boardwalk with restaurants overlooking the water. The photos below are taken from the water side looking through the gap left by the awful fire a few years ago. The space where the historic building burnt down is still empty.

Georgetown, SC  

Georgetown, SC   

Georgetown, SC  

Murder Mystery Cruise

Charleston, SC   

There is nothing like being out in the harbor breeze with a beautiful sunset. Wow. A couple of friends (thanks Linda, thanks Mindy!) invited me to go on the Harbor Murder Mystery cruise this evening. They leave from the Charleston Marina at 8 p.m. and return around 9:30 p.m.

They had a bar but no food so luckily I ate before we sailed. It was a perfect evening to be on the water. The murder drama was all fun but to be honest, I enjoyed the dolphins and sunset as much as the play.

Photo Club Presentation - Aug 12

The Edge of America, Folly Beach, SC  

My friend and fellow blogger Chuck is the host of the 21st Century Photography Club and meet-up group. Chuck asked me if I would present to the group next Wednesday, August 12.

I hemmed and hawed but finally agreed if he would let me talk about the photos of hand-painted, handwritten signs I have collected. Most are from local walks around Charleston, lowcountry backroads, some from international travel, Indian road signs and my fine collection of sidewalk graffiti. Join us if you like! Here are the meeting details:

Chuck says: 25-35 of our members meet on the 2nd Wednesday at 7:00 pm at the Carolina Ice Palace, a really fine centrally located spot in North Charleston by Northwoods Mall. I'm pleased to have launched this as the organizer and invite you to join us.

You pick 'em

Sunflowers, Eutawville, SC  

 You pick 'em sunshine, $1 each!

Wentworth Mansion

Wentworth St., Charleston, SC  

It's difficult to imagine that this beautiful hotel used to be an insurance building. Now it is the Wentworth Mansion and has won many awards for luxury inns of its size. I had dinner at the restaurant a couple of years ago and they let me snoop around a bit. You can check out some of the rooms on their web site. It is a beautiful building and I'm happy to see it being well used.

Time for me to get my lazy self out for a walk.

Charleston Pride Parade - 2015

Pride Parade, King St., Charleston, SC  

Have you ever seen such a joyful, colorful parade? Perhaps they can be put in charge of all of our parades. I am glad I got to town in time to grab these happy photo ops. More photos uploading here. Help yourself!

August 1st - theme day: Bicycles

North Charleston River Front Park - Sculpture

There are "Daily Photo Blogs" featuring cities all over the world and on the first day of each month, many of them participate in a theme day photo. The August theme day topic is to feature a "bicycle in your city". I can do that!

This colorful bike sculpture delights me and I had to track it down after I saw a picture of it. It is part of the outdoor sculpture competition at the Riverfront Park in North Charleston.

This is the link to information on the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition information. They are currently featuring fourteen sculptures by established and emerging artists from across the nation and are on display for eleven month. I learned that the colorful bike art is by Meuller & Charzewski and that I missed some described on the site and will need to go back. Thank you North Charleston!

Click here to see Bicycle Theme Day photos from around the world. There may be one from your city!
 

Zodiac Women - which one are you?

Grayce Perry, Canada  

When I was in Canada in June I was tickled to catch the end of my sister Grayce's show in artsy Elora, Ontario. Grayce has worked in different mediums but her most recent work is in collage and features the women of the zodiac. Each one is original and to a certain extent I believe can be personalized. You can check samples of your own sign in her work at this site: Zodiac Series. What a great personalized gift.

The show was a hit and I imagine she sold out of most of them but we can make her create more, right? I have no idea how shipping charges work from Canada but I am sure it could be worked out if you were interested in a Perry original. Her contact info is on the biography page. Tell her you know me :).

My Sign - Aquarius! 

Old Navy Base - Quarters H-I

Charleston Navy Base, North Charleston, SC   

My last post left everyone so sad seeing the fading glory of the building on the old Navy Base that today's photo is intended to be a more positive view. This is the neighbor of yesterday's photo.

Lovely! In my recent visit I noticed that the walkway and driveway at Quarters H-I was all new, the landscaping was fresh and lovely and the building looks in good shape. Happy day!

This particular building was often featured in the series Army Wives. Here is a 2012 article from the Post & Courier by Robert Behr:

Old Navy Base's Best Building Renewed: It may be the finest architectural work on the former Charleston Naval Base, and a $1.5 million renovation is putting Quarters H-I back into use after remaining vacant for more than a decade.
Built in 1905, this Renaissance Revival work is a highly eclectic blend of classical, arts and crafts and Italianate flourishes -- a Beaux Arts beauty built of first-rate materials.
While the old Navy base has industrial buildings far grander in scale, none of them match this for attention to detail, befitting its original use as the offices of the Commandant, his staff and for the Captain of the Yard.
Its grandeur also fits its prominent site. The 8,000-square-foot rectangular building sits atop one of the base's most prominent hilltops and on axis with the Cooper River in Frederick Law Olmsted's Chicora Park design (Charleston briefly created its own equivalent to New York's Central Park here before President Theodore Roosevelt and the U.S. Navy got interested in the land).

Old Navy Base - North Charleston

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Something is different every time I walk at the old Navy Base property in North Charleston. Some buildings are gradually getting fixed up, sidewalks and parking lots pop up and new businesses move it. Other buildings sadly fall into worse and worse shape.

In other and unrelated news, I have been watching an odd but entertaining BBC series called A Young Doctor's Notebook starring John Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe on Netflix about a young doctor in Russia in the early 1900's.

Before & After - Coming St.

Coming St., Charleston, SC   

Here is a colorful transformation. Wowza! If you saw this house on it's own you probably wouldn't immediately guess that it was in downtown Charleston.

A few years ago when I was selling and aiming to downsize I knew where every small house was on the peninsula on my walking route. At that time this mess above was for sale for $515,000. I have a sneaky feeling they did not get their asking price!

Room for one for the night?

Eutawville, SC  

It doesn't quite fit the new tiny house fad but almost. I didn't get inside to give you a proper photo tour but as I understand it, it is the old one room jail. I hope there weren't too many crimes committed at once in little Eutawville by the Lake since it isn't very roomy. Y'all behave now.

I've lazed around long enough after work, eating leftovers and watching recorded Naked & Afraid shows. Time to get outside and get a good walk in before it gets dark.

Royal Stamp Photo Party

Queen Vera, Charleston, SC 

Ohhh, I have been neglecting the blog for the quick thrill of facebook posts lately. I toss a picture up on FB and get so many immediate responses. Then, I feel like half my audience has already seen the image and I hesitate to backtrack and post it here. Shame on me. On the other hand, do feel free to join me on Facebook.

Once I realized that an individual is allowed to design and make custom legit US postage stamps from Zazzle.com I couldn't let it go. I was a childhood hobby stamp collector. Why should only the royal family be allowed to have royal stamps? I decided I could take care of that.

I ordered a tiara and bought a roll of red ribbon for a sash. I brought home all the shiny gold pins from various awards and events that I used as push pins on my bulletin board at work. I googled Queen Elizabeth stamps and decided my mother's old navy woolen nursing school cape would suit. I stopped at Joanne's Fabrics and bought a couple yards of blue background cloth to hang in my sun room and tossed out a Royal Stamp Photo invitation on Facebook.

What a silly fun afternoon we had! I downloaded the Last Night of The Proms so play as background music. I didn't come up with suitable tea party menu since I ordered pulled pork from my neighborhood pork dealer - Swine & Swig, but we did have them in cute little slider buns.

My friend Laura came prepared with lots of shiny bling - necklaces and earrings and two mink stoles! Thanks to all the ladies who made it an afternoon that will go down in royal history.

Cheers kids!

Queen Rebecca of West Ashley, Charleston

Meeting St.

Meeting St., Charleston, SC 

 

I posted this picture last night and then fell to sleep. Busy days, kids!

 

Every once and a while you just need a pretty Charleston picture because that is what we fell in love with in the first place, right?  

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

Crown Royal Whisky tasting, Charleston, SC 

The only thing better than a Charleston daily photo is a photo with whisky in it, don't you think? I was invited to the Crown Royal Whisky tasting at Stars Rooftop restaurant.

Crown Royal Canadian Whisky recently expanded its portfolio with the announcement of two new variants. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, the brand’s first-ever blended rye whisky, and Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, paying homage to the brand’s signature smoothness. Acclaimed Master of Whisky, Stephen Wilson, led a guided whisky tasting and showcased Northern Harvest Rye cocktails perfect for the summer season.

While the other attendees took the time to savor and describe all the subtle flavors and spices they detected I simply sipped and thought, "hmmmm.....THAT is nice". I was invited because of my social media presence so I gave them double exposure by inviting fellow blogger Chuckography along with me. He didn't mind at all.

Cheers!

This is a cake!

Chuck tries a Crown Royal contail

Now this, is a tree!

McLeod Oak, Charleston, SC 

I have a new favorite tree (as I often do)! This one is the McLeod Plantation Oak tree and is estimated to be 600 years old.