Colonial Lake blossoms

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC

The Parks Conservancy Park Angels have done a wonderful job with the flower beds and maintenance at Colonial Lake. It is a treat to see what is in bloom every time I go by.

It's pretty hot out there! I had to wait almost until dark to go for my walk. But I did. Drip, drip. 

More blossoms!

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC    

I did a quick walk in town this morning and I'm glad I did. Charleston is a garden in bloom. The Parks Conservancy did a lot of work at Colonial Lake and today it is paying off. These brilliant pink roses are growing around all of the Palmetto trees at the lake and are in full bloom. It is quite a show.

Around the lake

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC 

We've enjoyed dramatic blue skies and billowy clouds today. I often park on lower Rutledge when I march about town and carrying a camera makes me try to see the same sights in a fresh way. The red brick building was the former Baker Sanitarium and is now fashionable condos. 

Clothes washed, walking done, a few chores taken care of. I may have time to squeeze in a nap.

Remember that as Charleston Restaurant ends, Avondale Restaurant week begins. These are the restaurants that will be participating from September 19 - 25. Where shall we go? What shall we eat?

• Al Di La

• Avondale Wine & Cheese Bar

• Mellow Mushroom

• Mex 1 Coastal Cantina

• Pearlz Little Oyster Bar

• Triangle Char & Bar

Colonial Lake renovations

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC   

I parked near Colonial Lake to check on the renovation progress since I'd heard the fences were down and garden plantings in place. I spotted these couples with a baby enjoying the morning and offered to take their group photo. They were two young couples from Jordan and poured me a cup of thick rich spiced coffee from their thermos. 

Colonial Lake drained

Colonial Lake drained for restoration, Charleston, SC  

This isn't something we will see very often! As part of the Colonial Lake improvement project the lake is actually drained. It isn't as deep as I would have guessed. Things are progressing and I can't wait until the fences come down. It is going to be a lovely spot again.

According to the web site, the improvements will include: 

• A new and improved flushing system so water within the Colonial Lake Basin will be more consistent with the water quality in the Ashley River. Controls within the flushing system will enable the water level to be maintained at most times to between 12 and 18 inches below the promenade level.
• Gardens designed and maintained with the highest level of horticultural skill will be added to Colonial Lake.
• The promenade around Colonial Lake will be enhanced with new, improved and additional pathways and shade trees.
• Seating and gathering places will be situated in each of the four corners of the park.
• Rutledge and Ashley avenues will be slightly narrowed to slow traffic and enhance pedestrian safety. All travel lanes and on-street parking lanes will be maintained. The resulting additional park space will be used for additional street trees, including added shade trees along Ashley Avenue.
• Historical markers and displays will detail the lake’s history.

Colonial Lake renovations

Colonial Lake renovations, Rutledge Ave., Charleston, SC

Colonial Lake renovations, Charleston, SC

I am sure it will be beautiful but I am missing the lake (and my secret parking spots) during the renovation period. It will be nice to have it back new and improved.

The excited buzz in South Carolina today is about Volvo's announcement that we have been selected for their first US factory. Woohoo! This is grand although I did pause in surprise when I read they are now a Chinese company and will be making Swedish cars in South Carolina. Still, even with all the incentives offered, the possibility of good jobs always feels like positive news. Happy day!

Am I a complete wimp? I just turned my air-conditioning on for the first time. I went for a walk to finish my 10,000 steps and came home hot and sticky.

Going, going, almost gone

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

I imagine this scene will be completely different next year at this time. The Sergeant Jasper apartment building is scheduled to be demolished and the Colonial Lake area to be completely renovated. If those walls could talk, I bet they would tell some interesting tales!


I am at work today and set this to post. I am hoping to get a lot of work done on a quiet day. Y'all carry on eating leftovers and playing with your new toys.

Lake side art in progress

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

I can't resist checking out an artist at work. In this case he was painting the old Baker House or the old Baker-Craig Sanitarium across Colonial Lake.

I love, love, love it staying light later. I worked late, enjoyed a walk in daylight, made dinner all for me, grilled veggies on the grill, did a little yard work. Aaaaah. It looks like it is going to be a lovely week in Charleston. 

Colonial Lake Reflections

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

I've had a non-stop weekend and am trying to do a little cooking and cleaning in between activities since I invited a few of my volunteers for dinner tomorrow night after work. I made these mini chocolate cheesecakes and have my fingers crossed that they taste as good as they look.

I have many more photos to process and post but these are a few from yesterday morning. I parked close to Colonial Lake before the Walk for Water early in the morning and caught this action. What a pretty scene. I've been fascinated by reflections lately and this one was a gift.

Congratulations to Post & Courier for winning 93 state journalism awards at their annual banquet on Saturday night. Photographer Grace Beahm was named photographer of the year by the SC Press Association. I always enjoy seeing her work in the paper. Congrats to Andy Paras for Best Use of Twitter. Yay, Charleston! I get most of my news online but am an old style hold out and read the paper with my morning tea.

I enjoyed brunch with my son at Madra Rua this morning and then a walk on Folly Beach this afternoon. Time for a rest and cuppa tea. What a lovely weekend.

Refelctions - Colonial Lake

Old Baker Hospital, Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

Everyone who owns a camera was out enjoying the day today and at this time of night the best photos start flowing onto Facebook. You'd think we were all hunters boasting about our catches. Birds, sunsets, cute kid pictures....it is a treat and makes me happy to see that people are out enjoying nature and their families. I started the morning walking in town and ended up in a park in Dorchester County. Not a bad end to the weekend.

Want to make a difference and have a chance at a really fun evening? A $10 donation to water.org and the Eastern Congo Initiative gets you a chance to win an evening out with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on an all expense paid trip to Hollywood. Win win! Go Out in Hollywood with Ben and Matt! I love that they are doing this. What a brilliant way to earn money for a good cause. 

Reflections of - Colonial Lake

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

I did a series like this last year but it is so pretty when the water is still it bears repeating. Shame on me for missing the Party in the Park that raised funds for the renovation of Colonial Lake. I'm in! I'm a supporter. I reckon I need to put a little money where my mouth is. It is a lovely spot and could use a little freshening up.

Don't let me forget that I need to be at a meeting in town at 8:30 a.m. I'm afraid my car will head West Ashley on auto pilot.

Colonial Lake Condos

Beaufain St., Charleston, S.C.

Drat. Had an entry written up and lost internet access and the entry. The image saved so will share that and I am off to my bed. This building at 63 Beaufain St. is a cornerstone of the Colonial Lake block. It is condos now, small and not so cheap but I expect a nice place to hang your hat. G'night kids!

It's Oleander time!

Oleanders at Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

The Oleanders are in bloom at Colonial Lake making a nice frame for the Baker House. When I recently featured old pictures of the downtown hospitals someone asked about the old Baker Hospital. This is it. It is now ritzy condos.

Baker House:  The Baker House was constructed in 1912 as the Baker-Craig Sanitarium. This sixty-bed hospital and nursing school was founded by Dr. Archibald E. Baker Sr. and Dr. Lawrence Craig. The Baker House was designed by John D. Newcomer and Ernest V. Richards, prominent architects of the period. The building is a rare example of early 20th-century Eclectic architecture in Charleston, with Mission Revival and Craftsman design features. The Baker Hospital relocated in 1981, and in 1983 the building was rehabilitated for residential use. The building is protected under a conservation easement by the Preservation Society.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I am trying to spruce up my yard and stopped at Lowes to load up my little car with greenery, blossoms and edging stones. I've been spending so much at Lowes I might as well arrange to have my paycheck directly deposited there. On the way home I stopped at the new Black Bean Company restaurant on Savannah Highway. Yum! They have a full dinner menu now and had live music playing. It was a healthy, tasty oasis in the KMart parking lot.

Changes for the Sergeant Jasper

Sergeant Jasper, Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

Fourteen flours high counts as a sky scraper on the Charleston peninsula but we got used to it. Built in 1950 it is considered at the end of it's usable life. Now the Beach Company is hoping to rezone the area and will probably demolish the Sergeant Jasper apartment building. Susan Cohen at the Charleston City Paper reports on the discussion of the six acre area might be used for.

As it stands today, the big, brown Sergeant Jasper apartment building on Lockwood Boulevard (or Broad Street, if you'd like) shoots up 150 feet into the Lowcountry air. It has 14 occupied floors, plus two additional floors for mechanical equipment. There is also 17,000-square-feet of commercial space leased by doctor's offices, insurance and financial planning companies, and a minimart, while a mix of college students, MUSC nurses and interns, young urban professionals, and retirees live in the 221 one- and two-bedroom units. And these are very, very small apartments.
"If you want to have a refrigerator, you have to put it in your closet because there's not room to put one in your kitchen," explains Kent Johnson, vice president of the Beach Co., which owns the Sergeant Jasper. The pipes for the plumbing systems are so small that the units can't have garbage disposals or dishwashers. And the whole place smells a little funny.

If those walls could talk we might have an interesting book about Charleston. Each former tenant could write a chapter.

I like to throw in a bonus shot with a cool automobile for Lowandslow.  That usually earns me a comment!

Reflections - Colonial Lake

Baker House, Colonial Lake

I met friends at Husk for brunch this morning and knew it would be a good idea to walk a bit before and after that delicious food. I parked at Colonial Lake and walked the loop around the lake before heading down Queen St. The still water made for dramatic reflections of the old houses and a nice start to my 2013 album.

Sunday Blog Hopping

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

Lowcounty Sun newspaper has a great article on Charleston based blogger photographer Vanessa K. I've been a fan for a while so I was delighted to see her featured on their cover.

Blogger Suzie of Townsend Tales has been a whirlwind of activity. She sold her house in three days, bought a fifth wheel and is moving into a campground for the time being. How exciting!

Ummm....did you know that Charleston is regularly featured in something called the New York Social Diary?  This the fall 2012 chapter of the Charleston Social Diary. Thanks to Charleston InsideOut for the link.

I spent this afternoon watching my friend Andre' christen sweet little Abram Delaney. Congratulations to Chris & Vanessa Delaney on this precious bundle of adorableness.

Holy thunder and lightning kids! The picture is bright and sunny times at Colonial Lake but as I am typing this it has started to pour rain.

The Weekend Cometh

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

Let's do this weekend thing!

I wasn't sure I was going to make it to my ritual Friday afternoon matinee movie since I am taking 526 people from Roper St. Francis Healthcare to the Lowcountry Heart Walk in the morning. My office looks like an explosion of blue t-shirts and my drawer was full of money stapled to scraps of paper with people's names and teams on them.

 
I couldn't make to the Terrace so I scrambled in late to see Sleepwalk with Me at Citadel Mall. FYI, the snack deal at Citadel Mall is the kiddie pack - small drink, small popcorn and small candy for $4. Thank you! The movie was just over an hour long by comedian Mike Birbiglia about his career as a stand up comic and his sleep walking problem. He actually jumped out of a hotel window while sleepwalking. Yikes.

See y'all at the Heart Walk!

Colonial Lake & Rooftop Views

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

I hope they all got home safely but it delights me to know there are still little rascals having adventures.

I parked around Colonial Lake yesterday evening and kidnapped a work friend whose wife sells jewelry in the market in the evenings. We went up to the rooftop bar at the Vendue Inn and enjoyed the incredible view and perfect weather even though we did talk about work all night. We did solve everything...heheh.

I had never been up to the rooftop bar although I'd always heard it was one of the best views in town. After you look over the rooftop air conditioning units it is. By the time we came down there was a waiting line winding down to the street level so I don't think it will be regular place to go in the tourist season. We were  lucky last night getting in and getting a good table. Since we don't have many tall buildings in Charleston I am always on the look out for the best views.

Yeah, my handyman and his son are working on my house this morning. We are close to turning the old green shutters (yuck) blue. Whew. 

Links:
Ready for some beautiful garden photos? Tidewater Gardner is always a treat.

Art, decor and more! Add Barbara Stroud to your list. I am discovering a lot of new artists through her eyes.

Before & After - Colonial Lake

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

The trees grew. I notice that difference in so many old photos of Charleston.

Hey - it's getting dark earlier. I need to get myself out marching before it gets too late.

Colonial Lake Walking

Colonial Lake, Charleston, S.C.

It's where I first started walking on a regular basis - round and round Colonial Lake. My mind would race ahead and I'd keep on marching forgetting how many times I had circled. I pounded the day into the pavement.

Colonial Lake: The park around the lake was developed in 1882-87. Fountains were placed in the lake in 1973, not for decorative purposes, but to aerate the water and prevent fish kills on hot summer days.

"Gala Week" used to be held in the fall of the year, with a fireworks display on the west side of the Pond, which was then an undeveloped area. Spectators filled to park and crowded onto boats in the lake.
Stockton, DYKYC, May 14, 1973. Rhett & Steele, 24-25. Whitelaw & Levkoff, 154-155.

Gala Week? Maybe we should bring back Gala Week at the lake.