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| Our daughter, Chelsea (aka Zee Puff Schmooie) Photo by Mom. |
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| Our son, Adam (aka cookin' Ochie) Photo by fashion photographer Billy Graham. |
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| Doug & Becky (aka Papa Bear and Momster) Photo by Grammy; smiles by Pop-pop. |
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| Na'vi wannabes Photo by an Avatar... what!? Just for fun, here are some family snapshots for today. Look... you were right! The face behind that Mardi Gras mask is lovely and adorable! Here's to enjoying time with your family! (This post brought to you by Becky.) |
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| Cafe near Borgo Pio, Rome, Italy © Doug Hickok Today would be a perfect day to find a tranquil spot... off the beaten path. Relax... pull up a chair and savor a fruit smoothie with me, Roman style. |
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| Clouds at Sunset, Oregon Dunes NRA, Oregon © Doug Hickok As the day ends, a cluster of clouds blowing inland from the sea is torched by the light of the setting sun, just as they scurry dramatically over a ridge of grassy dunes. May your weekend be as breathtaking as clouds ablaze with sunset's fire. |
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| Ballet Shoe, Charleston Ballet Window Display, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Ballerina, Charleston Ballet Window Display, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Ballet Dancers, Charleston Ballet Window Display, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok Illustrated here, in these three images, is a little dose of Charleston culture and style. The Charleston Ballet Theatre, a professional dance company, stages various performances, both modern and traditional, throughout the year. Additionally, it features a school for aspiring dancers. Reflected in the Theatre window is a yellow Charleston single house, the William Akien House (circa 1810). This National Historic Landmark is a prestigious venue for weddings, dinners, and other special events, and was featured in the 2004 film, The Notebook. |
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| Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, traditionally begins a time of prayer, fasting and alms giving for Christians around the world. If you are in the frame of mind to give alms this Lenten season, please take a moment to visit the site of one of our fellow photographers, Sidney. |
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| French Quarter, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok Here is our daughter wearing a Carnevale mask she brought back from Rome. She and her friends are in New Orleans today for the Mardi Gras celebration. So, on that note, happy Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and Carnival to everyone! Today is the perfect day to feast on the biggest hot fudge sundae you can find. |
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| Porter's Lodge, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok What is that skittering sound? Is it coming from behind the door? I thought I saw a shadow flicker... Am I imagining things? No! I definitely heard it this time! They say there are ghosts all around Charleston. Could it be the ghost of General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregaurd? Or did an alligator find it's way here from the swamp? Oh! There it goes again! I can't stand it... I have to look. Aw man... I'm so embarrassed. It's just up and coming rapper, Zee Puff Schmooie, on her iphone, tweeting her latest lyrics to her cookin' producer, A Cee. |
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| Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok This colonial era church is the oldest in Charleston (1761), and has withstood earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and the bombardments of the American Civil War. It stands today as a symbol of Charleston's enduring qualities. For different views of this church, see this earlier post and this post. |
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| Balustrade, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Piazza and Palm, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Saucer Magnolia, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Hidden Garden, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Old Iron Fence and Camellias, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Flowering Cherry Trees, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok The early Spring blooms continue here in Charleston. On a stroll through parts of the historic district, I discovered plenty of flowers and warm hues to grab my eye. |
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| Via G. Zanardelli, Rome, Italy © Doug Hickok Here's wishing you a delightful weekend. Maybe you can take a bike ride... or visit a museum... or learn about a famous artist, like Andy Warhol for instance... or take a trip to beautiful Italia. Or maybe you can ride your bike to an art museum that features an Andy Warhol exhibit... in Italy. Yes, that's the ticket! |
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| Restaurants and Shops, East Bay St., Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok There's been a little chill in the night air this week, a reminder that old man winter is not quite ready to exit the stage. Yet these kinds of nights are perfect for enjoying the show that is called "Charleston's Fine Dining". Along East Bay Street are restaurants that play out plenty of these culinary performances. But if Shakespeare is more your kind of dish, then try this theatrically scripted post... |
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| Gate to Pirate Alley, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok Two signature fixtures of Charleston are its ornate ironwork and brick walls covered with stucco. A little side light here brings out the texture in both. This gate opens to Pirate Alley, an area in the French Quarter, where the old colonial stories tell of visiting pirates spending their booty on grog and other diversions. One tale tells of the time when the flamboyant freebooter, Jack Sparrow, danced a fast flamenco with a fuchsia flamingo at a nearby tavern called The Flaming Fandango. But, to be honest with you, I'm a bit skeptical about the veracity of such yarns. Arr. |
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| Old Sign, Burnsville, North Carolina © Doug Hickok There's more to a sign than just its letters. Often, it's the hues that catch the eye. |
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| Old Oaks and Tidal Marsh, Daniel Island, SC © Doug Hickok Yesterday the Lowcountry had a foggy start to the day, so I went out early to capture the misty mood of the morning. |
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| Daffodils, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Red Camellia, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Daffodils, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok |
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| Narcissus, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok The weather here has been so warm lately that we now have a yard full of the hues of early spring flowers. We also have tea olives beginning to bloom. They have tiny white flowers, easily missed by the naked eye, that have the most stunning and far reaching fragrance. It seems they're all a few weeks early this year. So the good news is, it's Spring! |
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| Pink Door Under Renovation, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok This paint job could give any contractor the blues. The color therapist recommends extensive rehab to restore a healthy pink glow. This pink's for you, Leanne. |
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| Receding Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina © Doug Hickok May your weekend be as golden as mountains aglow at sunset. |
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| Porch Balustrade, Georgetown, SC © Doug Hickok To continue from yesterday's theme, here is another pattern of lines photographed against a purple background. A porch is an ideal place to have a restful gathering; to sit back and relax a bit. So why not add a shade of orange, and a green hue to that eye-catching purple, and have a nice gathering of secondary colors? You can almost here them conversing, speaking that special language only colors can speak, when they are happily together. |
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| General Westmorland Bridge on a Foggy Morning, Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok Here is a multi-pylon bridge to guide you over the mid-week murk, and safely into the weekend. Woop. Woop. |
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| Old Tree and Haystack, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee © Doug Hickok Ents (Etymology note: Ent is an Old English word for "giant") |
