Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - St. Mark's, Chester, S.C.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Chester, SC

This is a first - I am featuring a guest submission for the Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance series! I am not in Chester, SC but my long time blogger friend Lindsay moved there recently and forwarded  this lovely shot of St. Mark's Episcopal church my way. He knows my fondness for these historic chapels. I can't find much history on it but this site has a mini video tour and states that it originated as a Presbyterian Church and was constructed in 1878. Thanks Lindsay!

The morning rain disrupted my walk and it's too hot to do much outside so it's been a chores and puttering day so far. Stay cool, kids!

On the road - Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO

MO Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO

I love Botanical Gardens and St. Louis has a great one. What a treat. The heat let up a bit and we enjoyed the day. It is an extensive garden so we caught the trolley to experience the entire property in a short visit. They had a lovely Japanese garden and a Ottoman garden. We had lunch in the cafe and tried not to trip on June brides. I believe we spotted close to ten weddings during the course of our visit to St. Louis!

On the road - St. Louis

Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis

Honey, I'm home! Did you miss me? I took a quick trip to visit a dearly missed friend in St. Louis and had the most perfect time. I waited until the direct flights were offered and that made all the difference. We had a little break in the weather and took advantage of it with outdoor activities. We visited the botanical gardens, Forest Park, the Hill (Italian neighborhood), St. Charleston and the Laumeier Sculpture Park where I skipped around taking these shots.

I hope y'all behaved while I was away. Fasten your seat belts for a few more travel shots in upcoming posts.

Back to the Future

Back to the Future, Charleston, SC

How do you like my new ride? I was at a Leadership training day with the theme Back to the Future and they found the right car for it. The owners raise funds for Michael J Fox Parkinson Research. 

Pineapple Fountain

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  

Waaa, waaaa, waaaaa. It is so hot I was tempted to take a dunk in the fountain with the kids.

It's a bad sign when this early in the summer it's already too hot to walk at night and I sit at home eating ice cream pops. Last night I did walk down through Avondale and taking a short cut through the community garden on Magnolia I was given a delicious warm tomato. Thanks neighbors!

Family Ties

Family Ties, Vendue Inn, Charleston, SC   

I didn't make it to the opening reception so missed the live performances but finally got to the Vendue Art Hotel this weekend to see my friend and batik artist Mary Edna Fraser's show. This time she was joined by her daughters! I was dazzled by all the art on display in the hotel's gallery. 

Family Ties explores the "interconnectedness of a family of makers," featuring work from local artist Mary Edna Fraser and her daughters, Labanna Babalon and Reba West Fraser. This show is curated by Erin and Justin Nathanson of The Southern.

Joan Baez singing "The President Sang Amazing Grace"

Peach time!

Peaches, Eutawville, SC   

It is that magical time of year - when delicious peaches are sold at roadside market stands. The St. Julien booth is finally open with tomatoes, corn and peaches for sale. I am enjoying a perfect peach right this moment.

Albino Alligator Being Attacked at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area - ...

Albino alligators are extremely rare. Most are in aquariums. They are generally blind so not likely to survive long in the wild. That is why this video taken by my friend Rebecca Williams Connelly and her family at the Donnelley Wildlife Management area yesterday is so surprising. What appears to be an albino alligator of a decent size is attacked and eaten by an even larger alligator. Yikes! 

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.

Welcoming the future of healthcare

SCRUBS Camp 2018

It is the time of year when we welcome high energy students interested in exploring health careers into our hospitals. They are a wonderful and brilliant group. I may not come up for air until Friday afternoon! 

Ranching Lowcountry Style!

Tin can ranching, Hwy 15, SC 

This recent series of pictures are from a haul of goodies I happened upon on Hwy 15 near St. George, SC. I couldn't believe my luck. If someone spends this much time on yard art I can assume they want folks to stop to admire it. Wow. The cattle appear to be cut from metal sheets. It was quite a display and seemed to cross over between a few properties so all the neighbors seemed to be on board. Giddy-up cowboy! 

Riding the rails in St. George, SC

Train mural, St. George, SC  

St. George has a lot of murals. I had taken pictures of this particular one years ago and on a recent drive was happy to see it looking bright and refreshed on the main corner next to the gas/convenience station.

Something was missing though. In my earlier version of the mural, the train engineer had been painted in and was the image of the gas station owner. As it changed hands through the years he was painted out of the engineer role. Below are the earlier shots:

Before and almost after - Thomas St.

Thomas St., Charleston, SC 

15 Thomas St. is getting a new look. It's nice to see a home I have walked by for so many years getting love and attention. Since it changed hands last year we still get to look at the interior shots from the real estate web site - tour.

Listed as valuable in ''This Is Charleston'' and also noted as one of the 70 properties that defined the Historic District when it was defined in the 1960s, The Samuel S. Mills House was built by a Massachusetts ship captain as a New England double house in 1839. This home sits high on a large corner lot in one of Charleston's most sought after historic neighborhoods. Grand scale rooms on both floors feature high ceilings, large windows, wide doorways and beautiful wooden floors. 

Before

Renovation in progress

Ear Corn

Ear Corn, St. George, SC   

Well duh me. I thought I was taking a funny sign and that they intended to say Deer Corn. Turns out there is Ear Corn. Apparently I don't know everything after all.

First off, ear corn is just simply kernels of corn still left on the cob, freshly picked from the corn stalk. Essentially, it’s corn on the cob, the same as your sweet corn you eat during the summer. (But it’s not sweet corn.)

Farmer's market time!

Gruber Farms - Veggie Stand, St. George, SC   

Hip, hip hurrah for Farmer's Market stands! This one is on Hwy 15 heading towards St. George, SC and was a happy sight. What a treat to get fresh vegetables. I happened to need a couple of zucchinis for a blueberry cake recipe that has been floating around facebook recently and it is in the oven at this very moment. Fingers crossed.

The Gruber property also has the three tiny rental cottages from a time when it was a major traffic thoroughfare. They are still rented and over 60 years old. I had noticed them before put purchasing a few vegetables felt like permission to grab a photo op. The owners even moved their truck so I could get a clear shot of the adorable cottages.

Bottle Tree

Bottle Tree, Hwy 15, SC   

I've featured bottle trees before but this is a show (car) stopper! Wowza! When you have a display like this I don't imagine you mind people pulling up to take a picture. I had to enlarge my shot to figure out that the statues on guard at the door appear to be Chinese warriors. These folks are enjoying their property.

It's been a bright and sunny day but I hit the door as a thunderstorm hit. Thunder and lightening, oh my! Stay dry, kids.