Smoothing Out the Wrinkles

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A long camera exposure transforms the turmoil
 of a rushing mountain stream into a silky smoothness.

High Art

Mary Shrine on a Corner Facade, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Elaborate styling on this baroque shrine placed above the street
 exemplifies Italian architectural art.

No Hay Required

Street Corner, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In the modern era of Charleston
 bicycles are hitched to posts instead of horses.

Illusion

Side Door of a Rustic Cabin,
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A tight composition of this rustic cabin in Cades Cove
 gives the optical illusion of a split image. Visual depth is created
 with a view through an open door into the woods beyond.

Crescents

Gas Lantern, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A gas lantern sits atop a gate adorned with crescent moons,
a key symbol on the South Carolina state flag.
 The symbol comes from little crescents worn on the caps
 of the Revolutionary soldiers who defended Charleston in 1776.

Grassy Gap

Gap in the Mountains,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Thick grass fills a gap in the mountains
 at an overlook along the scenic
 Foothills Parkway in the Smokies.

Local Haunt

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



By day this hidden 19th century alleyway
 offers a secluded stroll through Charleston's French Quarter.
But by nightfall it is known to be haunted by the whistling ghost,
so beware of strange sounds arising from the shadows.

To the Rescue

Heart Door with Fire Hydrant, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An occurrence of the red-hot heart
may need relief close at hand.

Life Cairns

Stone Cairn Along a Coastal Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



If only life's path could be as easy to know
 as following the markers placed along the trail.

Edgelands

Row of Oak Trees by a Meadow, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Mountain woodlands boarder a large meadow
 where a mix of flora and fauna converge
 to make Cades Cove the most popular point of interest
 in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Adornment

Stonework, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A close-up of this stonework shows the fine craftsmanship
 involved with embellishing tombs at historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Pining

Pines in the Mist, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I imagine these tall pines reaching longingly
 for mists that hover fleetingly above Appalachian ridges.

The Good Ole Days

Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Here are some images I found in my archives to prove
 that Charleston was once a warm sunny place.

Dawn's Glow

Lanterns in a Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The warm glow of courtyard lanterns is in contrast
 to the twilight in Charleston's Historic District.

Warm Hues of Autumn

Sourwood, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Vermillion hues caught my eye on this sun-kissed sourwood
 growing along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Rustic Pastureland

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rustic fence lines recede into pastureland
 at the edge of Cades Cove in the Smokies.

Ancient Echoes

Capital Detail, Randolph Hall, College of Charleston,
Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This Ionic capital could very well be from ancient Greece,
but is actually on the iconic portico of Randolph Hall
 at the modern day College of Charleston.

Prime Real Estate

Perching Heron, James Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A lone heron gazes across a tidal marsh
 from a prime vantage point
during a misty morning on James Island.

Cool Refreshment

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Tumbling mountain water twists its way down the photograph
 and rushes around a lichen covered boulder in the Smokies.

Garden City

Courtyard Entry, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Shaded by on old redbud tree, this French Quarter courtyard
befits Charleston's description as a garden city.