Roper Mansion

Antebellum Mansion, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



The Roper mansion occupies a prominent spot on The Battery overlooking Charleston harbor. The wealthy cotton planter, Robert William Roper, 
built his edifice in 1838 with the intension of it being the first house seen by ships sailing into Charleston from the sea. It is difficult to miss, even today.

Powered by the Flower

Old Mercedes Flower Bed, Miracle Garden, Dubai, UAE
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Flower power seems to drive this retired Mercedes Benz
 on display at Dubai's Miracle Garden.

A Little Slice For You

Ornate Door, Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Given the nature of the holiday, you might be a little hungry while waiting for your turkey. So I posted a little slice of Hungary for you, from the Fisherman's Bastion.
Ouch, that was bad.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Wader

Waves and Wader, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A man wades into the early morning surf at Folly Beach.
The scale of this view only hints at the enormity of the Atlantic Ocean.

Looking Glass Rock

Looking Glass Rock, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film)



A view from the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway affords this portrait of Looking Glass Rock, located in Transylvania county, North Carolina. The monolith is named for the way it glistens like a mirror, especially when the evening sun shines following an afternoon rain. Sorry, no Draculas here, but rock climbers love it no matter what the weather is like.

Golden Scrolls

Gate Scrolls, The Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Evening light paints gate scrolls with golden hues
 on a South Battery mansion entry.

Bear Lake Forest

Lake Side Forest, Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Offering cool shade in the high mountains, a grove of conifers
 shelters the edge of Bear Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Political Symbolism

Hercules and Cacus, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



This prominent statue of Hercules and Cacus is in the Piazza della Signoria, the main square in Florence. According to Roman mythology, the Greek hero Hercules killed the fire-breathing giant Cacus for terrorizing the people of the Palatine Hill in Rome.

This politically charged sculpture was commissioned by the Medici family after their return from exile. Hercules was used as the perfect symbol of their power and subjugation of the Republic of Florence.

Blue Windows

Detail of Portico and Windows, The Ascent, Covington, Kentucky
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A triangular roof over the entry to The Ascent, a high rise luxury condominium, points to a maze of blue tinted windows.

Throwback Thursday - Moon and Palmetto

Moon and Palmetto, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Kodachrome film)



A Kodachrome shot of the moon rising above a lamp-lit palmetto slightly resembles South Carolina's state flag emblem. I made this image years ago when we first moved to the Palmetto state from Ohio.

Lingering Mists of Acadia

Misty Coastline, Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The curious nature of coastal fog is that it sometimes lingers along the immediate coastline, while a mere several steps inland, the air is perfectly clear.
Shifting winds soon completely dissipated the morning mists in this scene,
revealing a rocky headland and the blue sea beyond.

Fountain in Autumn

Fountain Waterfall, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A pool reflects the blues and golds of a clear autumn day
 in a park in Atlanta.

Misty Monday - Kiawah Palmettos

Palmettos and Pond, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A misty stillness envelopes a row of palmettos on
the resort island of Kiawah, creating a painterly, picturesque scene.

Trinity Medallion

Ceiling Medallion, Trinity United Methodist Church, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Ornate architectural detailing embellishes the portico
of one of Charleston's many historic churches.

Appalachian Vignette

Autumn Colors, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



An autumn breeze rustles the vibrant undergrowth along the Blue Ridge Parkway, adding a painterly touch to this Appalachian vignette.

Visual Delight

Garden Tree, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A finely feathered tree presents a delightful visual contrast
 with the solid stone shapes of Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque.

Throwback Thursday - Headless in the Courtyard

Headless Sculpture, Belvedere Courtyard, Vatican Museum, Vatican City, Italy
(Kodachrome film)



A headless classical statue finds its niche
 in the Vatican Museum's Belvedere Courtyard.


Three years ago this week, I found my niche in the blogosphere when I started Doug's Photo Blog. Over 1100 consecutive daily posts later, I am still at it and determined to continue as long as possible.

I wish to thank all visitors, especially the one's who have been regulars over
the years. And I offer a special thanks to my wife, Becky, who has been my
 blog/life editor since the earliest days.

Haven for Nature Lovers

Footbridge, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A footbridge beneath moss draped live oaks leads to trails that explore wilder parts of Magnolia Gardens, including an observation deck that overlooks ancient rice fields. These marshes are a haven for water birds and reptiles.

Reflecting Canal

Reflection in a Canal, Rio di San Barnaba, Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Venetian waters mirror a row of warm hued buildings
bordering a canal in the Dorsoduro sestiere.

A November Autumn

Cobblestones and Autumn Leaves, Chalmer's Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fall comes to Charleston later in the year than many places in North America. November is our autumnal month, when splashes of colorful fallen leaves decorate our cobblestone streets.

Lingering Light

Spanish Moss and Palmetto, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The last light of day lingers on beards of Spanish Moss
 dangling from branches in a maritime forest.

Ancient Dunes

Mt Herard, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



In the blue shadow of lowering clouds, Mt. Herard and the Sangre de Cristo Range rises above the the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. It has taken nearly half a million years for these dunes to pile-up in the San Luis Valley.

Fly Over

Parachute and Plane, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An air strip along the coast of Dubai
 is the destination of a parachute gliding down from above.
 Sightseeing by high flying daredevils is a popular activity over the city.

Future Event

Olympian Athlete Sculpture, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia



A stylized Olympian athlete seems engaged in molecular shifting
 to pass through a wall of heavy metal,
 perhaps foretelling an Olympic event of the distant future.

A Moravian Village

Tree Shadow and Fence, Old Salem, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Shadows from a bare tree provide a wintery setting for a picket fence in the village of Old Salem. This restored village interprets the lifestyle of a Moravian community that thrived here in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The League of Extraordinary Women

The League, near Mount St. Helens, Washington  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Thanks Gramomistel.
The League wouldn't be so extraordinary without you.
Happy Birthday!

Autumn Marshes

Brackish Pond, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Late season colors appear in Lowcountry marshes
 as russet hues take the place of lush summer greens.

Lounging Around the Vatican

Statue, Vatican Museum Belvedere Courtyard, Vatican City, Italy 
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A man lounges around in a Vatican Museum courtyard,
spending a carefree Sunday afternoon frozen in time.




 

Valley Hues

Mountain Valley, near Hot Springs, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Backlighting from the afternoon sun warms
 a mountain valley alight with autumn hues.

Mimicking Clouds

Clouds at Sunset, Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Clouds at sunset hover high above Appalachian ridges,
 whose contours the wispy vapors seem to mimic.