May 16, 2014 - Part 1

We hit Charleston this morning and first on our list was a carriage ride.  It was a wonderful way to get a good overview of the city before setting out on foot.  Patrick was our guide and he was fantastic.

 Jed found a horse he wasn't afraid to pet.  :)

May 15, 2014

The next day we all headed down to the Isle of Palms for a visit to nearby Charleston.  Our condo's balcony overlooked the beach and was a sweet place to relax. 

The storm rolling in dropped the temperature quite a bit - that was pretty sweet too.  :)

May 14, 2014 - Part 6

After the garden we headed to the Oceanic Restaurant at Wrightsville Beach, where we ate outside on the pier.  The pier was a tiny thing when I was visiting Wrightsville years ago, but it has since been rebuilt and now rocks a nice roof for dining without the heat.

May 14, 2014 - Part 5

This glass structure was a really fun surprise...made of all sorts and colors of bottles set in concrete.

We circled the outside of the structure first...then found the interior to be an even bigger surprise, as we had not had any idea that what we were seeing on the outside was forming a butterfly on the inside. So cool!

May 14, 2014 - Part 4

This fountain was a delightful respite from our wanderings.

May 14, 2014 - Part 3

 Sculptural art abounded throughout the park.  This guy was a bit of an unpleasant shock.  :)

 This little fellow, guarding the entrance to the butterfly pavilion, was more to my liking.  :)

Butterflies adorn the top of the pavilion.

 An archway extended above a bench in the butterfly garden.

May 14, 2014 - Part 2

There was plenty of wildlife afoot in the garden.  These turtles were slowly making their way to the sunny end of the log.

 Lots of herons were perched about in various places.

 This mother swan and her cygnet were a sweet sight.

This swan was quite a surprise...I was walking along a path by myself (i.e., quietly), and I happened to catch sight of him out of the corner of my eye.  He was huge!

By the time the others had caught up with me, he had decided to take a nap.  Even Jed passing by wasn't enough to disturb him.  :)

There was a butterfly pavilion full of beautiful creatures.

May 14, 2014 - Part 1

Our friends Kirk and Diane from Missouri, whom we haven't seen since we moved to Maine 7 years ago, came for a visit to the southeast.  We had so much fun showing them around Wilmington. First up was Airlie Gardens, which we were enjoying for the first time too.

May 12, 2014

 Look what I got in the mail today!!

 Gorgeous leaf bowls with fused glass in the bottom.

If my photography skills were better, you'd be able to see how exquisite these really are.

May 10, 2014

I drove up to Virginia for the weekend to be with my mom for Mother's Day,

the highlight of which was dinner at Smithfield Station on the Pagan River.
It was hard to leave the hammock behind.  haha

 Bacon-wrapped scallops - yum!

We got a riverside view to boot.

I made this jar for my Mom...it's full of notes telling her things I'm thankful to her for.  My childhood memory is not the greatest, but I remembered more things as I went along, which was great fun.

May 9, 2014

Jed spent hours in the hammock today reading...if I had known this would happen, I would have asked for a hammock years ago.  :)

I put a lamp out on the screened porch to facilitate nighttime reading.  I've been looking for a place in the house where the colored balls in this lamp would shine, and this is definitely it.

This is quickly becoming my favorite spot of the house. :)

May 6, 2014

This was my birthday gift from Tracy.  

Kind of fitting for someone of my advanced years.  :)  

I've always wanted a hammock; 

I can't get over how relaxing it is, 

or how long that relaxed feeling lasts, 

even after getting out of it.  

If I can figure out how to air condition the porch 

I'll be all set for the summer of Sandi.  :D