Never Forget

Fire Station Memorial, Charleston, S.C.

Colorful times on Chapel St.

Chapel St., Charleston, S.C.

This house must be occupied by creative and fun people. Click to enlarge the photo. Wowza! I can't tell if it is already decorated for Halloween or if this is the regular theme. My house doesn't have to look like this but I am glad someone's does. Check out at all the little stacks of flat stones. I'd hate to see this place after a windstorm. Fun times!

Super Heroes for Heart Health

I've had pirates (Me HEARTies!) and Med in Red dresses promoting the Lowcountry Heart Walk in past year, now let me introduce a couple of our Super Heroes for Heart Health.

I do work with a bunch of good sports!

These rascals work in our business office. Debbi Tanner on the right is a Triple Heart-by-Pass Survivor herself and had heart surgery May of 1993. She has been supporting a healthy life style including eating healthy ever since. Super Sassy Survivor's fundraising web site can be found here. She is accompanied by her Super Supporter Laura Icard. Love you two ladies!

Now, what shall I wear?  Super Hero......hmmmm.

The Lowcountry Heart Walk will be held on 9/29. It is a three mile fun walk starting at Liberty Square and heading along the waterfront and back. All good stuff for a good cause. Join the fun here. I love the progress made in heart disease treatment and prevention and intend to take at least 500 walkers to the event. My fundraising site is here. I'd be delighted to see you there.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Pon Pon Chapel of Ease

Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, Jacksonboro, S.C.

Pon Pon Chapel is a beautiful spot. I've never seen anyone else there but in truth it is protected by such giant and ferocious mosquitoes that make it pretty much a click a photo and run place. The mosquitoes are so big I was surprised they didn't show up in the picture. This is where they should test insect repellant.

It is a lovely, peaceful place on a quiet country road. SCIWay has a good write up on the chapel. All that is left is the facade, brick ruins and small historic cemetery.

National Registry Property: The chapel site was located on Parker’s Ferry Road, the busy stagecoach thoroughfare that connected Charleston and Savannah. In 1754, a brick chapel was erected to replace the earlier wooden structure. This brick chapel burned in ca.1801, causing Pon Pon Chapel to become subsequently known as the Burnt Church. The chapel was rebuilt between 1819 and 1822, and was in use until 1832 when it was again reduced to ruins. The façade of Pon Pon Chapel had a central, rounded arched entrance flanked by rounded arched windows on either side, all constructed in a brickwork pattern of one stretcher alternating with two headers. The two round windows in the façade’s upper level utilized the same brickwork pattern. The walls were constructed in Flemish bond. The chapel’s historical significance is due in part to Rev. John Wesley preaching two sermons here on April 24, 1737 and for its burial ground that contains the remains of Congressmen Aedanus Burke and O’Brien Smith, in addition to numerous local leaders. Listed in the National Register January 5, 1972.

Mural Progress

Here is a recent update on a couple of mural projects. For more painted walls around Charleston you can check in on this album: Murals, Charleston, S.C. The ones I have featured today are part of the Avondale murals. Enjoy!

Up close and personal

Red star flower, Charleston, S.C.

I don't even know what they are called. These dainty little red star flowers grow winding around the fences and gates in Charleston. The green vine is so delicate and the flowers are eye catching.

Who knows what it is called?

St. Philip St. redevelopment

St. Philip St., Charleston, S.C.

Check out this redevelopment of the old Masonic Lodge on St. Philip St.  The ad says it has 26 private bedrooms. This is the old real estate ad. Too bad it will be filled with college kids. Throw in a central dining room and a live in chef and I'd move in!  I'll have to track down a pre-renovation view. I am sure I have one in an old album.

Travel Tuesdays - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Peru

I watched a movie once that showed the Andes mountains and the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu and casually said, "I'd like to go there if I had someone to do it with."

I happened to say it when my brother Bob and his wife Elaine were visiting and he said he thought he'd like to hike it. Oooops. I really had no idea what I'd got myself into. I can walk forever but we don't do much climbing in the lowcountry.

This was four days hiking in to the sanctuary through high passes of some of the most glorious mountains in the world. We hiked with guides who set up tents, fed us and carried the bulk of our luggage. On the last morning we were first up and at the entrance ready to hike in. The path was slippery and narrow along the side of the mountain and we hiked single file in the dark. We couldn't see anything except our feet in front of us. We arrived at the Sun Gate at dawn and this is what we saw. Clouds. I didn't even know that we had arrived until the mist lifted and we were there. Unbelievable.

* Travel Tuesdays will feature photos taken out of Charleston and the Lowcountry.  Join me for Travel Tuesday field trips!

My smooth white ceiling

Might not look like much to you but it is my freshly painted smooth white ceiling without the nasty stained popcorn texture. Yeah! Charlie the Handyman is working on the last room, putting up air vents, lights and ceiling fans still but I was brave enough to start sneaking a few bits of furniture back into place. Whew. What a relief. I should have him autograph a corner of the ceiling with his initials!

Mushrooms Everywhere!

Cannon St., Charleston, S.C.

They are everywhere!


Mushrooms
Overnight, very
Whitely, discreetly,
Very quietly

Our toes, our noses
Take hold on the loam,
Acquire the air.

Nobody sees us,
Stops us, betrays us;
The small grains make room.

Soft fists insist on
Heaving the needles,
The leafy bedding,

Even the paving.
Our hammers, our rams,
Earless and eyeless,

Perfectly voiceless,
Widen the crannies,
Shoulder through holes. We

Diet on water,
On crumbs of shadow,
Bland-mannered, asking

Little or nothing.
So many of us!
So many of us!

We are shelves, we are
Tables, we are meek,
We are edible,

Nudgers and shovers
In spite of ourselves.
Our kind multiplies:

We shall by morning
Inherit the earth.
Our foot's in the door.

Sylvia Plath

Labor Day Weekend

Lake Marion, S.C.

It may be a cheapo little girl bike but it gets me to some pretty locations. Look at that! I am a timid bicyclist and have no interest in riding in traffic so this is just the right speed for me. I putter along country lanes and the only people who pass me are trucks towing boats and golf carts. The truck drivers wave and move to the other lane and the golf cart drivers hold their little dogs in one arm and wiggle their cigarettes in the air in passing.

Lake Marion suits me fine but here is a link to: America's Best Lake Vacations. What a beautiful country this is. I've seen quite a few of them as well as some beautiful lakes around the world. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. I am catching up with all the Daily Show and Stephen Colbert recordings from convention week and getting a good laugh. My handyman is working on the last bedroom ceiling so I will soon be able to get my furniture back in place. Whew.

Welcome Home Gentlemen

Welcoming committee, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

I was part of such an extraordinary homecoming event last night. My friend Mary Lamb had passed me in the hall at work last week and said if I wasn't doing anything on Saturday night I might like to take some pictures at a BBQ at her house. I didn't commit to anything until I took a look at the facebook page that had been set up. Holy cow. I was completely blown away and honored to be included.

A young man who they had known since childhood was coming back from serving in Afghanistan for eight months. He was landing with forty four other marines for their debriefing before they headed home. They were put up overnight at Wild Dunes and he got special permission to bring the entire group to Mary & Mark's home in Mt. Pleasant for a backyard BBQ.

When word got out the event blew up. Who gets to be part of something like this? We got to hug these boys before they even got home. A trolly was donated to pick them up, kegs of beer, welcome home cakes, a blue grass band and a motorcycle escort appeared. The VFW decorated the road with flags, kids painted Welcome Home posters. Neighborhood friends decorated and brought cookies. Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Gilligans and Atlantic Bread Company sent over platters of food among others. I emailed Channel 2 and Haley Hernandez was waiting to record the welcome.

The marines were completely stunned by the unexpected welcome. As one of the mothers waiting for news said on facebook, "this was the first real food they have had since January" and she thanked Mary and Mark on behalf of all the boy's mothers. Mary and Mark are pictured in the bottom photo on the right. Thanks for including me!

Farmer's Market morning

Fairy Eggplant, Ambrose Farms, Charleston Farmer's Market

Aren't they adorable? The sign at the Ambrose Farms booth at the Charleston Farmer's Market this morning called them Fairy Eggplants. They are a couple of inches long.

I pass a sign out on a county road that says "Mini Farms for Sale" and each time I have a mental picture of miniature goats, donkeys, ponies and dwarf fruit trees. Now we can have mini veggies on the fantasy mini farm. Mini eggplants, cherry tomatoes and mini peppers for a mini meal.

I got to meet the Banana Man at the Market at his usual Banana booth. Meet Frank Fleming from Simply Bananas and check out his 'Nana related blog.

Avondale Trash Monster

Avondale Mural, Charleston, S.C.

I imagine that these folks don't have to take their trash out. Somebody looks like he eats it all up and licks his lips. Trash monster!

I came home to an almost finished ceiling in my study so it's worth dusting and mopping another room to live in again. One more bedroom to go. This feels like it has taken forever. I put off coming home long enough that I stopped by Sesame at Citadel Mall for the only thing I have ever eaten at Sesame - roasted corn on the cob and the ultimate grilled cheese. So good.

If you are a mural fan here is an event tomorrow evening that might be of interest: Pop Up Show - Gadsden Funeral Home

Here is an update on another one of the Avondale murals:

Seashells by the Seashore

Seashells by the Seashore, Charleston, S.C.

I didn't take this tonight but I could have. After a lovely bright day it is raining again. It's been a full day, Farmer's Market at work, used book sale for the American Heart Association, Ice Cream social.

I see that my hit ticker rolled over the 500,000 mark so yipee! This is the reincarnation of my original blog "Walk this Way" that crashed on a site called Journalspace in late 2007. What a blow that was. Hundreds of bloggers lost years of writing and photos. Another gal had started the Charleston Daily Photo, left town and was happy to turn it over to me shortly after that.

It's been a good ride and I'm not finished taking pictures of everything in Charleston yet. Thanks for keeping me coming back! I appreciate all the comments (10,185 of them!) and behind the scenes emails.

Holy rain storms, kids!

Holy rain storm, kids! I was happy to be safely confined at work with no off-campus meetings today. Some parts of town had 4 - 5 inches in as many hours. There were so many great flooding pictures online today but this was one of the best - kayakers paddling through the Market buildings. It was credited to Jonah Jeter from the Becket Agency.

Then, someone went one better and came up with this priceless version of the kayakers now in sweetgrass baskets.It is credited to Lucy's Red Sky Grill. I don't know who did it but I thank them!

When I lived downtown I was the one who had the best street flooding shots but I can't say I didn't enjoy not having to drive in the mess. I sat smugly imagining sailing home smoothly. What I didn't expect was to find my freshly painted little shed soaking in about six inches of muddy water. The trash can was on it's side and the propane tank floating by the grill. Yuck. No fun. I haven't gone inside the shed yet. That mess can wait until tomorrow. Stay safe kids!

This is the drainage ditch/river behind my house. 

On the road - Sweatman's BBQ

Sweatman's BBQ, Holly Hill, S.C.

I've been escaping my house as much as possible while remodeling is going on. With one hardworking handyman who works full time the dusty job of redoing the ceilings has left me wanting to run for the hills as often as possible.

Saturday was a good day for a drive in the country and I had lunch at Sweatman's BBQ between Holly Hill and Eutawville. Walking in things immediately seemed a different and I remembered that the famous BBQ joint had changed hands at the end of last year. It was cleaned up a bit and there were a few additions to the buffet menu. They added macaroni and cheese and green beans. They served a couple of ribs but other than that it was still self serve buffet with a set price for one piled plate and another for all you can eat. Who needs more than a plateful? I had no complaints. A little cup of banana pudding is included and it is the only place in the world that I eat white trash bread with bright yellow squirt margarine. It's almost disgusting to type that.

Sweatman's BBQ is still a hit in my book. Apparently the new owners even have a listed phone number and now accept credit cards. 

Yarn Bombing Bike Racks

Bike racks, Summerville, S.V.

Just when I thought we'd been left out of the yarn bombing phenomena I spotted these bike racks in Summerville. Thank you, thank you, mysterious knitter!  You have to click the link and see the wild pictures covered in knitting. Amazing. Here is more info on yarn graffiti.