We'er out of here

No picture...just love you all..thanks for the prayers and see ya in a couple of weeks!

Get a Room!!!

These ding dang bugs are everywhere! Have they no shame??In the house, garage, car, and even in the frig if you leave it open long enough. I hate them..they are so pesky...one even climbed on the inside of my glasses..on my face today!!! YUK!

Wrought Iron Gates

I would love to have a gate

similar to this

if I did not have dump trucks

and big equipment coming in

and out of it constantly.This one is nice.. with the oak tree, moss and azalea's behind it.
I did a little research a while back on wrought iron gate designs.

The one above (if my memory serves me) is called "scroll".
This one is called "floral".

A lot of the gates tell stories of families, trades, and some speak of royalty. They can contain a lot of information, even can say if you are a Christian, by the symbol, cool huh? Charleston has some really beautiful ones..this gate is actually in Walterboro, SC. Gates are the entryway into gardens and always seen so welcoming. Not sure what design I like, today you see them with palmetto trees, turkeys', and deer on them. So far I like all that I've seen so it will hard to choose..if I ever get to.

Dirt Roads

I love dirt roads.

Something about them speaks peace.

They lead to special places, like Grandma's, fishing ponds,and swimmin' holes. The best dirt roads twist and curve to give the trees the right-of-way.

Francis Marion

Today I was "rambling" (that's what my Nanny would have called it). I had some errands to do and I was just taken my time (a rare thing). We all know what a beautiful place we call home. So I saw some really pretty swamps today...I know swamp and pretty in the same sentence.. only a Carolina Girl could say that! But as I rambled...I got to thinking about Francis Marion...

you know..."Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox

Tail on his hat

Nobody knows where the swamp Fox at.."

Brigadier General Francis Marion fought against

the British in the revolutionary war...His parents were French Huguenots, and first generation

South Carolinians..anyway he was raised here in Winyah, SC (near Georgetown) and roamed the swamps, he was so good at eluding the British; they gave him the nick-name

Swamp Fox.. because he wore a fox tail on his hat

his men wore feathers..I was also thinkin if Jake, Charlie, Luke, Eric, or Riley, or any of the other boys we love had been named Francis...they would rather be called Swamp Fox too..

If ya get a chance his life makes for interesting reading..not all of it complimentary as you might expect.. I love this history..

The Real Thing

I love old bottles, I have quite a collection.

My nephew scuba dives off the docks in Savannah

and has given me some really cool ones.

I have a milk bottle collection.. even some from Brays' Island Dairy..

Wayne has been working on Parris Island for few months,

this week he dug up this old coke bottle. Knowing I love

the old bottles he brings all he finds home for me,

he says I always smile when I get them

The really cool thing about this one is it was bottled in Ridgeland, SC.

I know the Ridgeland Bottle Co started in 1910...

It celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 1960, It's not there today but I could not find

out when it closed.

The bottle is really nice.....

but I keep telling Wayne when he digs up that buried

treasure chest full of gold doubloons I'll be ecstatic.

Why?

Can anyone tell me why people paint the trunks of trees white?

It appears that it's a southern thing.

Kinda like burying old tiers halfway in the ground, like edging and painting them white.
It has always been a puzzlement to me...

Mount Sheldon.?

I was 0n my way home this afternoon, and I saw a mountain off in the distance.

Now, if I were in Alaska this would not be news, there are mountains everywhere.

But how often do we get to see one in Sheldon?

Looks just like a mountain range, huh?
Alas, it was only clouds..

911 Do you remember where you were?

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was already at Picket Fences...Richard called and said have you seen the news...I said no.

He said get the key to my mom's house and go turn on the news..I asked why and he wouldn't say, then he said he'd be right there.So I did..we got there at about the same time and I just could not believe my eyes..

Richard knew Shane and Jamie were somewhere near the Pentagon,

and was trying not to scare me. (nice try)

I started trying to call and I finally got Jamie,

She said Shane was across the street and saw the plane, and

while we were talking Shane called and told her to

get the kids and leave....Now. Well, she choose to go north

with some friends...to PA...bad choice..

So many lost their lives....we need not to forget.

I did not have photo for today, until I went the PO and the BCB had this flag hanging up, it gave me chills. Lord bless all who lost loved ones and those who are still feeling the pain of this awful day and may we never experience anything like this again.

Japanese Maple/Lantern Tree

I planted this plant a year ago..It said it was a Japanese Maple/Lantern tree.

It grows very straight-up, and has thin stick like limbs. It's leaves do resemble maple leaves.

The neatest thing is that it has these lantern like blooms on it.

They look very much like Japanese paper lanterns. If you enlarge the photo you can see the veins in the bloom.

It's not easy being green..

Or trying to focus pass the leaves in front of the subject behind.

Short and sweet tonight.

How about a big shout out to..Our Hero

Today is Shane's Birthday...

This is not the best picture in the world of Shane or otherwise, but it is one I have cherished and had framed since Jamie sent it to me...this was right after 9/11. If you look closely you can see the big hole in the Pentagon. That is Shane's silhouette on the right.

I go about my day and, I forget...then I see this picture and

I remember he is a hero, as are many others...

Happy Birthday SSG Matthews.

Thank you and we love you!

Forest Floor

We don't use the word "forest" much here in the south, we always say "woods".

But somehow "woods floor" does not have the ring and mystery of "forest floor".

Does it have to be a certain number of acres to be a forest?

Anyway, I took this picture and it reminded

me of a picture you might see in a children's story book.

Just needs a toad with a fiddle.

Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus, 1758)

No it's not a foreign language, I was doing some research on this butterfly and this is the scientific name.

The Common name is Gulf Fritillary.The cool thing was the male patrols for the female while she lays her eggs.. (when is the last time anybody patrolled for you while you did your business??) they overwinter in the south so that is why we are seeing them so much right now.

They love to feed on lantana and this little tropical plant, can't remember the name right now, I got in Myrtle Beach at the beginning of the summer.
Generally, they just like hangin around...

Congress Street

This Old House on Congress Street has always intrigued me.

It looks out of place, like an old country farm house, right off of busy Carteret Street.

The worn, weathered boards are beautiful. If I could I'd move it to Georgia.
But then again, I'm not sure it would look right without a plametto tree next to it..Detail on the gable end.

The sun was imposible at the time of day I was able to take the pic.

I still have not managed to get the depth and sharpness of Amy's BWs.

One day.

Thanks for my "Fairy Tale Life"

No Pic, but I just had to say, today we have married for 38 years...no not perfect lives but as we enter the Autumn of life we are very happy and marvel each day at the Grace God shows us, I always thank Wayne for my "fairy tale life", (he thinks I'm nuts). But after living in the world all day, when I get home to Sheldon, SC, and Wayna...I am in heaven here on earth.

Poetry in Motion

The Horse

Not just an animal, but a friend

I watch him gallop;

Smooth as glass;

Gracefully, I talk to him he understands;

No criticism, no hatred

Just a friend, with an encouraging nicker.

Spunks girlfriend came to see him today (I've known about them for sometime now).

It started out with just a kiss across the fence..

Now things have really taken off.
I had never seen him in purple until today, it becomes him.

Heart to heart they ride...Horses stole my heart a long time ago. I never had my own until I got married, then I took Wayne's LOL her name was Pet and I loved her!! They have broken my heart and bit my butt (no kidding), carried me on the wind and knocked me down (my fault). Then, when I had back surgery the doc said absolutely not... Spunk was given to me because he's not "perfect" by some standards (Biscuit, too). He probably hasn't been under a saddle in about eight to ten years (we usually let the kids ride bareback)..until today, his eyes got big as saucers when he saw the saddle...I'm not sure who I was more proud of..Christina or Spunk...Wayne did have to get on him and settle him a bit..but the fat ole boy (Spunk not Wayne) did so good. Christina, I know you love him...and as long as someone is here with you...come anytime...he'll get to where he is expecting you. You will never have a better friend. But I warn you...chances are he will break your heart one day.

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man" ~Winston Churchill~

"No hour of life is wasted, that is spent in a saddle" ~ Winston Churchill~

It is not enough for a man to learn to ride a horse: he must also learn how to fall ~Old Spanish Poverb~

Happy Birthday Luke!

We had been told to expect a girl...

I remember flying down the Interstate in NC, trying to make it to "her" birth, and then I got the call...Jeff sounded worried when he said "Momma"..and I said what is it son...he said "She's a boy". LOL . I had to go buy him blue clothes to wear home....They didn't have a name for HIM so Charlie named him

"Luke Sky Walker"...Well, the Luke stuck. He is 5 today....My sweet little

John Lucas

I had to post this...he wears his boots to the pool... Gotta love those cowboys!!

Persistence Pays Off

Finally caught with his wings open...I don't think he had completely landed.
It looks like his body is still in the air.