These wheels were made for rolling

Archdale St., Charleston, SC  

Neatly locked up in front of the Unitarian Church. 

I picture the owner of an adult three wheeled tricycle as a colorful character. I hope that is true! 

I'll make a note to make sure one is in my future. 

The Shady Side of the Street

Gillon St., Charleston, SC  

With due credit a little shady walking poetry: 

THE SHADY SIDE OF THE STREET

May 23, 2012 by PhotoPoetics™

Walking

On

The shady side of the street

Cools me

As

The clip of my stride

Quickens

Pumping

Blood

Through

My body

At

A rate

That

Would cause

Other liquids

To boil

Charleston's Summer Wear

Crepe Myrtle blossoms, Charleston, SC  

Charleston is wearing festive summer wear in this heat. 

Thank goodness for Crepe Myrtle blossoms.

Our annual "How Hot is it?" entry:

It's so hot in South Carolina that...

* A seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

* When the temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

* It's so hot outside it will make you return things you never stole.

* It's hotter than a steel playground at noon.

* You can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.

* The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

* Hot water now comes out of both taps.

* You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

* You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

• It's so hot the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

• It's so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog.

* It is so hot even the sea breeze feels like a hair dryer...

• It was so hot today I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking.

• It's hotter than a June bride in a feather bed.

• It's so hot that the trees are creeping around looking for shade.

• It's stupid hot!

• It is hot enough to cure tobacco.

• It's hotter than the devil's underwear.

• It's another one of those aluminum foil sweater days.

* It's so hot you could spit fire. But, please don't.

Broad St. Blues

Broad St., Charleston, SC   

I can fritter away hours playing with filters and images. I did this one with a click of the mouse in  Dreamscope. Warning - don't start playing unless you have some time to spend. 

It's been too hot to do anything else. I walked this morning at Charlestowne Landing and even the poor animals in the Animal Forest were hiding in the shade. 

Cheers!

Cheers! To the hanging liquor bottles of Santee!

Yes, those are hanging bottles of alcohol. 

My friend Mary Beth Rose asked if I had been in the tiny liquor store in Santee and since I had not 

I had to fix that. I walked in and laughed out loud. The door barely opened a crack and when I 

got inside it was hard to walk the narrow aisles. Bottles where crammed in everywhere but the 

most unusual way to fit more in the small space was by hanging them from the ceiling. 

They were hung with fishing line in singles and in bunches. 

The place was so full, we had to be told to look for the cash register in "the little opening". 

There is nothing special about the outside. It is a regular little ABC Package store in the Citgo gas station plaza but I will grin a little when I dribble a bit of vodka in my Moscow mules from now on. Thanks for the tip Martha Rose! 

How much is that horsey in the window?

Old South Carriage, Charleston, SC    

Love this mural. 

I feel like the horse in the window sticking my head out to see of it is too hot to go out. 

Blah. Another 100 degree day. 

I can do it. I can make myself stretch my legs. 

I'll walk down to the Harris Teeter and buy the ingredients for this pasta salad. 

Gadsdenboro Park

Gadsdenboro Park, Charleston, SC   

I might hop from fountain to fountain during this heat spell. 

If it stays this hot I may just take a dip. 

I believe this is now called Gadsdenboro Park. 

It is across from the Maritime Center on Concord St. offering soccer fields, swings, 

playground and a fountain. It has everything that a 5.7 million $ renovation can offer!

Oldest House in Charleston

17 Chalmers St., Charleston, SC 

I often walk by the Pink House on Chalmers St. hoping to catch it without a car parked in front.

The July 4th traffic was lighter than usual and I got lucky. I was torn about moving

the blue trash barrel down the street but nudged it far enough to possibly crop out. 

Oldest house in Charleston and can be yours for an easy $995,000. 

While I have your attention here is a fun video of Stephen Colbert and Sturgill Simpson 

in the Charleston Waffle House. 

Stay cool kids! Luckily I walked over 8,000 steps at work today so a light evening

stroll this evening should take care of it.  

Kids, water & laughter

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  

If this heat continues we might need a map leading us from fountain to fountain. 

When this fountain at the waterfront park was first built my children wore their bathing suits under their clothes for most of the summer on the off chance we drove by and they could jump in. 

Tall Ship ARC Gloria

ARC Gloria, Union Pier, Charleston, SC   

It is hot and humid in Charleston today but I headed down to the Union Pier to see the tall ship ARC Gloria. Luckily I parked a distance away to make a walk out of it because the cruise ship Carnival was boarding in the same area causing traffic chaos. 

Colombia’s tall ship and the training ship of the Colombian Navy – the “ARC GLORIA” – will be available for tours July 3 - 5. Admission is free and open to the public. Colombian Ambassador to the United States Juan Carlos Pinzón will greet the crew on Tuesday, July 5th at 6:00 p.m.

Wild Kingdom of Santee

Santee, SC 

Just back from Lake Marion where the public boat landings looked like airport runways with boats lined up coming and going. Smith's parking lot in Santee was full and searching for a spot behind the building we happened upon this fun surprise - an elephant and a giraffe tucked away in the woods behind the building. I have no idea why but I loved it. 

PS: Smith's also carries Blenheim's ginger ale, mild, medium and HOT. 

Happy July 4th, kids!

Charleston Social Media Day - 2016

Social Media Day - 2016, Charleston, SC 

Thanks to all the organizers, panelists and sponsors. Well done!

Congratulations to the winners. Cocktail Bandits, Callie's Hot Biscuits and Explore Charleston. 

Teeny, tiny houses - Pawleys Island

Pawleys Island, SC   

 The dreamy little cottages that catch my eye don't always have the most charming histories. 

In the lowcountry they were often slave cabins and that is exactly what this one on Pawleys Island was. The main house is called the LaBruce Lemon House and was built in 1858. There is a bit of history below and we are lucky - since the property is a holiday rental there are images of all the rooms in the house on this real estate page. What a fun tour!

Many thanks to my day-trip partner in crime who pulled to a screeching halt for my photo op. 

On leaving Georgetown & Vote for Me!

Georgetown, SC 

One of the best parts about Saturday's boating excursion was looking back at Georgetown as we sailed down the river. I love shrimp boats and the view was beautiful.

Tomorrow is Social Media Day in Charleston and the topic is actually interesting: Social Media During a Crisis. The event is held at the Charleston Museum on Thursday afternoon. There are some social media award and apparently someone has nominated ME.

Vote for me: as much as it makes me squirmy, if you are inclined to register, you can vote for me in the last category for best Charleston images - Charleston Daily Photo at this link: Social Media Day Awards. Many thanks to the person who nominated me.

ChArt mural project update

ChART mural project, Avondale, Charleston, SC 

It's worth a now and then detour through the ally behind the shops in Avondale. 

Murals come and go. Luckily most of my favorites remain. 

Lighthouse Hunting - Georgetown

Georgetown, SC 

I've been checking the lighthouses in South Carolina off of my list lately. The Georgetown lighthouse is visible from the water so it required a little planning and a boat ride to view it. There are two companies offering lighthouse and shelling trip from G-Town and for more convenient timing we took Cap'n Rod's tour which left at noon. The trips are popular and fill up so reservations are the best plan. There is a lot of history around Georgetown and I'd like to return for the plantation tour. We saw many beautiful plantation buildings through the woods.

We didn't get off at the lighthouse since it is still in operation but had a good view as we sailed by. We had close to an hour and a half on North Island to explore the boneyard beach and shell. Visitors were allowed to take shells and to carry pieces of driftwood of a size that one person could carry.

Begun in 1799 and lighted in 1801, the Georgetown Lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse in South Carolina and one of the oldest in existence on the south Atlantic coast. However, a tablet above the entrance notes 1811 as the date of erection, differing from the nomination form’s conclusion. During the Civil War, the lighthouse was used by the Confederates as an observation post until it was captured by Union forces in May 1862. The lighthouse tower, in the shape of a truncated cone, is 87 feet tall. The stairs and center supporting post were cut from solid stone, and the outer walls are of brick. The light was rebuilt in 1812 and 1867. The lighthouse complex is in a cleared area of scrub-covered sand dunes and includes several one-story buildings that form the Coast Guard station, a dock on Winyah Bay, and a radio tower. Listed in the National Register December 30, 1974.