Waterfront Morning

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A great way to begin your day is to enjoy a sunrise at Waterfront Park.
 Not only do you witness the warm hues of dawn suffusing the placid waters
 of Charleston Harbor, but you can then savor the colorful flowers surrounding
 the Pineapple Fountain, a symbol of Charleston's hospitality.

Door in the Rock

Natural Doorway, Monument Rocks, Western Kansas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



An archway eroded in rock becomes a natural doorway
  to peek through to the other side.



 

Living Textures

Cypress Swamp, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Living textures abound throughout this cypress swamp garden,
 from new leaves and spring blooms to the detritus
 sprinkled across the sheen of the pond.

Vintage

Antique Ford, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



When walking the narrow streets and alleyways of Charleston,
I occasionally stumble upon a scene that transports me to times past...
such are the charms of the old city.

Summer Rockies

Forest Canyon Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A view of the Rocky Mountains from an elevation over 11,000 feet
 is impressive, even in summer when most of the snow has melted away,
 revealing the ancient igneous rock.

Multiple Uses?

Fence Detail, Sottile House, College of Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


This fence in the garden of the Sottile House
 is not only decorative, but may be the perfect tool
 to uncork your bottle of chardonnay!

Heron Garden

Heron Statue, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



One of my favorite places to visit in Charleston during springtime is
Middleton Place Gardens. The special attractions here include beautiful landscaping amid colonial era buildings, hillsides of colorful azaleas,
and mini gardens within the larger gardens... like this heron garden
overlooking the Spring House and Mill Pond.




 

Misty Monday - Old Time Determination

Tree in a Meadow, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Life still thrives even when drastically challenged.
 This old tree, in an Appalachian mountain meadow, 
sprouts branches and foliage in spite of its top being broken away.
 My, that's relentless determination!

Enter in Style

Architectural Details, Trinity Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The beautiful detailing on the portico
 of Trinity United Methodist Church welcomes
all those who enter. Happy Easter!




 

A Spot of Hope

Cloud over the Ocean, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Off the coast of Folly Beach one dreary morning,
 a little spotlight of sunlight manages to shine through
a dark cloud hovering over the sea.
Perhaps a sunny day is ahead after all.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Rhododendron Tunnel,  Craggy Gardens, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Craggy Gardens, a mountain ridge covered with a natural garden of rhododendron. A hike along Craggy Pinnacle Trail takes you through thickets of these shrubs which arch over the path to form a natural tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a dramatic 360 degree view over the surrounding mountains.... kind of like heaven.

Creeping Shadows

Coastal Live Oak, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



As the evening sun sets on Kiawah Island, 
shadows slowly edge up the trunk and branches 
of a coastal live oak.

Tropical Zone

Sego Palm Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Protected from the elements in a brick walled courtyard,
 a sego palm grows hardily among other tropical plants.

Narrow

A Narrow House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Charleston you can discover a slice of the
city's charm in the narrowest of niches.

Hoodoo

Hikers, The Lighthouse, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The arrival at a hoodoo rock formation called The Lighthouse
 is the apex of a hot 6 mile hike through Palo Duro Canyon.

 It also puts a twist on an old bit of wisdom that goes something like this...
 It's not what do you know, but hoodoo you know.

Retreat in the Rockies

Chapel on the Rock, Allenspark, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A retreat in the mountains takes on another level of meaning at
 the Chapel on the Rock, where one may go to seek peace of mind
 amid the awe inspiring Rocky Mountains. Pope John Paul II
 visited here to pray and hike in the forest nearby.

Advance and Recede

Sunrise, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Duel perspective adds interest to this image of a Folly Beach sunrise...
on one side of the photo the sun throws shadows toward you,
 while on the other side the pier recedes into the sea.

Beneath an Ancient Oak

Pedestrian Bridge and Live Oak, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A small footbridge passes beneath the arching branch
 of a large live oak at Magnolia Gardens.

The Apex of Spring

Wisteria and Church Steeples,  Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



As spring blooms fill every nook and cranny in Charleston,
 wisteria flowers are at their apex. This image was taken along
 Meeting Street, with the twin steeples of First Scots Church
 filling the background.

Away From It All

Beach Walker, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



As this solitary soul walks Kiawah Island beach,
the strife and clamor of urban life no longer exists.