Mike's Playground

May 2006

The long vacation is over, and it is time to go back to work for both of us. We can still think about the fun we had on the beach, regardless of the weather here.

Henry, master of the backyard, surveys his domain after crushing the junebug uprising.

Henry is enthusiastic about the baby pool, or at least enthusiastic from the sidelines. That is, until he found out how cold the water was on his tootsie.

Henry hiding from us in the garden with his pal. Sometimes all you can see is the foliage thrashing about, and then out runs Henry with that bulldog smile on his face.

This is a view of the trees in my back yard. They are only just now, after nearly ten years, starting to get big enough to throw some shade.

A morning visitor to my back yard. The movement makes capturing these shots very difficult. This one is still a bit soft, but I still liked it.

Another try.

This shot was taken from the car at South Port, looking back over my shoulder. The cabin looked overtaken by the marsh growth. It is hard to know whether someone lived there or not, but I am inclined to believe it was abandoned.

This is a painted rendering from a photo taken in South Point, also. I liked the effect produced by emphasizing the blues and greens.

This is a photograph of lowland marsh land near South Port which I turned into a charcoal drawing. I liked the balance and symmetry of the shot. It had a lens flare, though, and was a bit dark as a photo. I like this much better.

Religion is strongly evident everywhere in the South. In Charleston, tall church steeples are visible at every turn.

Stalking junebugs!

Henry has some blue in his left eye. While this is a fault in the show ring, it is an engaging effect up close.

Sea birds at South Port, near Cape Fear. These birds were there to greet us when we first saw the ocean in the Carolinas. THe original image is a bit rough, but I played with it until I had something I thought captured the moment. You can just make out the lighthouse in the background.

Another rendering of seabirds from Cape Fear.

This is lowland marsh just outside South Port. It was beautiful in the morning light.

Sometimes we rent convertibles on vacation. CJ had a good time driving down the coast with the top down. We thought the extra cost was worth it for this trip.

Yeah, that's right....Henry's the name...trouble's my game.

It wasn't me!

Gracie, just off our back deck in a patient but hurry up stance. She posed dutifully, but had spotted a rabbit that needed to be chased as soon as the photo was done.

A cannon from Fort Sumter. There really wasn't much to see here. The island is tiny, but commands a good view of the harbor. It is easy to see why it was of strategic importance in the Civil War.

Charlotte at the entrance of Fort Sumter.

This is one of the many private tours available in Charleston. We chose to do the walking tour, but these looked interesting. This particular coach was pulled by mules instead of horses, but all of the animals appeared to be healthy and well treated.

This is the burial spot of John C. Calhoun in St. Phillip's Churchyard, the intellectual architect of secession. Calhoun died before the Civil War, but laid the groundwork for the Confederacy. His legacy is bound to slavery, which is an inescapable theme for Charleston. Calhoun was once Vice-President of the USA under John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson. Calhoun resigned under Jackson over tariff issues, but is considered one of the most influential senators of all time.

Two views of the John C. Calhoun monument in Marion Square Park, Charleston.

This Charleston house shows a door on the street, with the porch running opposite the street. This way, people could sit on the porches in privacy and enjoy their gardens. The guide told us the traditional blue ceiling on the upper story was painted to repel mosquitoes. Unfortunately, it attracts wasps. Sometimes it is just tough to come out ahead.

Beautiful Battery park runs just along the shore in Charleston. The huge oaks were stunning.

Our guide (in the hat) told us both of these houses were owned by a free black woman with the ironic name Whiteman. She was the daughter of a slave owner and slave mother, but owned slaves herself and quartered them in the brick house. Her father left her freedom and a large sum of money for the time. Such a situation was rare, but not unheard of in Charleston. Repressive laws were later created to make it virtually impossible for blacks to have their freedom in South Carolina. Note the round paving stones in the street. They were originally ballast in 1800s sailing ships, but were reused to build streets. CJ on the left listens carefully to the stories told by the guide, but toe kicks a few of the stones just to see how solidly they are set in the street.

This is one of a dozen or more beautiful, privately owned homes along Battery Park. The homes have a great view of the sea, just beyond the park. This house featured its own lookout!

This is another of the beautiful privately owned homes along Battery Park.

This house in Charleston, which hosted such notables as Cornwallis and George Washington, was fenced in as a precaution to slave revolts. Our guide specifically mentioned 1831's Nat Turner's revolt. The end result, obviously, is that this beautiful home became a prison for the rich white owners.

This is our new baby bulldog, Henry. This picture was taken in Aiken, SC, the night after we picked him up. Henry was terrific in the hotel and on the airplane ride home. He slept through most of the trip, but is a catamount when aroused now.

Another picture of Henry on May 6. We will get some better pictures when the sun comes out one of these days.

One more picture of Henry. Yes, he will likely join Gracie as one of our favorite models. This rascal has teeth, though. He only moments ago removed them from my big toe....along with a fair amount of my hide.

Henry and Gracie, the senior sister, plan their next move. Gracie is getting along with her new baby brother famously. We are all surprised at her patience with the new kid.

Charlotte enjoyed time on the beach more than any other activity. This is a shot from Myrtle Beach. We had just spotted dolphin in fairly shallow water. We also followed a group of dolphin along the shoreline at Folly Beach.

This photograph was taken just a short distance from our Charleston hotel. We spent the day walking, and were starting to wind down when Charlotte insisted on a just a couple more pictures after dinner. I am glad she did.

This alley used to be a creek bed. Our walking guide told us that rice was first cultivated here by white settlers, which fueled the wealth of the southern plantations before cotton. It now leads to a lush garden area.

We are back from the Carolinas. This is the beautiful Cooper River bridge leading into Charleston. The old bridge is being demolished, but you can still see some of it. To the bottom left is the USS Yorktown, by way of scale. This is one of the most beautiful bridge structures I have ever seen. We came over it initially in an incredible downpour, complete with lightning and thunder. Travel is always more adventuresome when the weather fails to cooperate, but the bridge was still incredible.

Charlotte at Morris Lighthouse off Folly Beach.

We spent one full day at Folly Beach in South Carolina. We discovered this lighthouse view early one morning. It is called the Morris Island Lighthouse. No other people were around, and the view was terrific.

Me at Myrtle Beach.