Blossom time in the lowcountry

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC 

I have worried about boring you with blossom but spring time in Charleston is irresistible. Luckily I have an annual pass to Magnolia Plantation and even though I walked the lake walk last weekend I returned to walk through the garden this morning. The weatherman had predicted rain so it wasn't as crowded as I had expected. It was glorious!

Trying to turn a carrot into a chocolate egg

Mural - Folly Rd., Charleston, SC  

Mr. Rabbit is eating carrots and trying to figure out how to lay a chocolate egg. It is bewildering.

I thought I'd catch up on some tv this evening but on second thought I can't. I do believe that more people will cancel their land lines and cable tv during this political season. Watching regular news channels is simply unbearable for more than ten minutes lately. Groan. 

An Easter bouquet of bicycles

King St., Charleston, SC   

It isn't the right day for it but green isn't really my color. Doesn't this look like a perfect Easter bouquet of bicycles? They were painted just the right pastel colors.

I've been busy, kids. Work filled with action followed by after work activities. Not all bad though - last night I enjoyed dinner at Rue de Jean and then walked next door to listen to Joan Baez at the Music Hall. What fun! As always it is the familiar songs that I love to hear again. 

Hanging plant

Bull St., Charleston, SC   

Great plant! It's past my bed time or I would try to pin down what it is for you. Where is my extra hour?

I hosted thirty teenagers interested in learning about Obstetrics/Neonatology this evening at the Mount Pleasant Hospital. What a great group of young people many who had driven a long way. There is nothing, I tell ya, nothing, more fun that teaching people who are excited to learn. It makes all the difference especially to the staff who had stayed late to participate. It does my heart good to know there are still smart, fun, caring people going into healthcare. 

Walking for fresh water

Walk for Water - 2016, Charleston, SC   

Saturday was the annual Walk for Water raising funds to provide water purification systems to countries in need or after disasters. The purification system is manufactured right here in Charleston at the Water Missions International facility started by George and Molly Green. Folks gathered at the Joe Riley stadium and walked through Hampton Park carrying buckets. The buckets are filled halfway along the route to symbolize the daily journey so many people make to get fresh water.

Traveling manhole covers

College of Charleston campus, Charleston, SC  

I've had my eye on manhole and storm sewer covers lately, some decorative, some plain. I noticed that this one was made in India. That is a long way for a manhole cover to travel. After a photographer documented the process and factory the New York Times did an article on it and put factory safety measures in place. A picture can be worth a thousand words. 

Springing forward

College of Charleston, Charleston, SC   

Sunday night we turn the clocks forward and lose a precious hour of our weekends. I read a suggestion that the change time be moved to Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. Bingo - early out on a work day!

Herding up the cattle!

Westie Awards 2016, Charleston, SC  

The part of town I live in is called West Ashley - for west of the Ashley river. One of our landmarks is an old dairy sign that includes a rotating cow on a pedestal. It's quirky, it's cool, it's us! So when the West Of newspaper wanted to come up with an neighborhood award, what made more sense than winning a cow? We love it! It's our local version of the Oscars. I won one a few years ago and it still tickles me.

This evening the 2016 Westie Awards were held at Gala Desserts in Avondale and a group of worthy individuals were honored. Congratulations to all our honorees! Pick up this week's newspaper to learn all about them. We were delighted to have our new mayor John Tecklenburg and his wife Sandy come by to receive his award.

Doors of Charleston - Bull St.

12 Bull St., Charleston, SC 

This appears to be a door upon a door that is being used as a message chalkboard for the College of Charleston's Department of Art and Architectural History Albert Simons, Jr. Center for Historic Preservation. This building at 12 Bull St. is called the Cameron House after builder Hugh P. Cameron built it in 1851. Here is a slideshow of the property showing the interior.

12 Bull St c.1851

Built in 1851 by Hugh P. Cameron, a crockery merchant, this house has an unusual plan, with two parlors in front, a small room and stairhall at the rear and the entrance in a pavillion on the east side. The interior was remodeled in the 1890s in the Colonial Revival style. The initials of one owner, David Bentschner, a clothing merchant, appear in the cast iron gate.

Magnolia Plantation walking

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC  

Everyone seemed to be out enjoying the sunshine today and the parking lot at Magnolia Plantation was packed full. I intended to walk the bike trail but there is a lot going on and some of the paths are barricaded and swamps drained. A three year project improvement is in progress to improve the wildlife habitat along the Ashley River. I was able to get around the blocked paths and enjoyed a good hike.

The impoundment will be drained and the nature boat channel will be dredged deeper. Three more water control devices will be installed to allow for improved water exchange between an adjacent 20-acre impoundment and the Ashley River.
The spoil from the dredging will be used to create additional islands in the larger impoundment, Strange said. These islands will create new opportunities for birds to build nests and roost in the coming years.
The work will not chase away the alligators. "The gators will stick around, and they will be fine," Strange added. "Magnolia has enough swamp, and they will go out in the river. They come, and they go."

King St. serenade

King St., Charleston, SC  

I paid my $2 not for a song but for a photo. 

It's a bright and sunny day, kids! What shall we do with it?

Charleston Food & Wine Festival

Marion Square, Charleston, SC   

The Charleston Food & Wine Festival is in full swing with participants wining and dining all over town this weekend and all the booths were getting set up for action as I walked through Marion Square this morning.  I spotted John C. Calhoun posing on top of the directional sign but no one tossed any food my way.

Fresh & Above Da' Rest

Seafood Alley, Spring St., Charleston, SC   

Sitting in the hospital cafeteria today someone walked by and asked what soup was on the menu. Ummm....it's a Catholic hospital, it's a Friday - bingo, seafood chowder or lobster bisque. Besides, we live in Charleston, right! Where better to have seafood?

Happy weekend kids! I finished a big project and slipped out in time for my Friday matinee and saw Race about Jesse Owens winning four gold medals at the Olympics in Germany. What an amazing story. Many thanks to the movie theater at Citadel Mall for playing decent movies and letting me buy the kiddie combo. 

Train weather-vane for a train station

From my country roads album - a train weather-vane for a train station. Pretty cool I thought. I spotted this in Branchville, SC.

I think I found the train weather-vane here although it would need to be painted black.

No bones about it - Charleston murals

I should have saved this one for Halloween! The artist was having fun with skeletons. I was in behind Rogue Motion on Folly Rd. checking on the old murals this weekend and discovered these more recent ones.

It looks like I've missed a few days here...oooops. Sometimes I throw a few pictures on facebook and miss featuring them on the blog. I have been busy - started going to zumba again, not easy for the world's least rhythmically coordinated woman. We don't need any pictures of that. Just got back from a fundraising bowling tournament at the Alley raising money for the Walk for Water on 3/12. Join the fun for a good cause if you are inclined!

Seashore Farmer's Lodge

Sol Legare Seashore Farmer's Lodge, James Island, SC   

This is one of those unique places that has been on my radar but took me forever to get out there to see it in person and today was the day. Freed slaves settled Sol Legare and their descendants never left. The Charleston City Paper had a great article on it's history when the building was renovated and reopened.

The original settlers of Sol Legare were freed slaves who came to the island in the late 1800s to farm and fish. The community they created embodied the very opposite of slavery. It was autonomous, free, and mutually supportive. The symbol of all that is the Seashore Farmers Lodge, a circa 1915 community center which, thanks to concerned local residents and the help of an exceptionally dedicated genealogist, was recently transformed from a decrepit, hurricane-devastated building to a living museum. "Seashore embodies freedom," Parks says. "We would plant our seeds, farm the land, and we would take it and sell it down on the market. For the longest time, we never worked for anybody but ourselves."

Through the years and off the shelf

Ruff & Co. Hardware, Ridgeway, SC   

We have a few country hardware stores in South Carolina that sell all the regular things - parts, tools, bits and pieces but they have been in operation for so many years that they still have all the vintage items from years gone by on the dusty shelves and they serve as functioning museums. This particular one is Ruff & Co. Hardware in Ridgeway, SC which opened in 1840. I thought they were selling firewood but I discovered a gigantic wood burning stove in the center of the building with a couple of chairs to pull up cozy.

One of the gentlemen laughed when I was leaving and said he should charge me for taking pictures. I told he should put a tip jar out - I'd be happy to contribute! It was well worth it. See below the images for a video clip with more info on this character spot.

These boots were made for flying

Boots made for flying, Charleston, SC   

One of my volunteer gentlemen came to my meeting wearing these boots he had had handmade for him in India seventy years ago. Wow. What a piece of history. He had been flying planes into China as part of the China, Burma, India theater as a Flying Tiger pilot. The boots might not fit me but I told him not to take off his leather jacket or he might lose it. Thanks Mr. Cobert!

Mothers. Daughters. Rebels.

The current political unrest reminds me how recently women were arrested and 

beaten for even trying to vote. Let's make a difference.

I took my hat and scarf to work this morning and we quickly posed the picture and antiqued it to 

model after the Suffragette movie poster. Don't look too closely. The ribbon on my coat is from 

the recent cupcake contest and the hats are from Go Red day! Thanks to my friends Amanda 

and Rebecca for playing along. 

What ship?

Don't give up the ship, Charleston, SC    

What ship? Where is it? What's on it? Has my ship come in? I'll hang on!