Bear Lake

Old Tree, Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An old tree clings to the edge of Bear Lake,
an alpine lake in the high elevations
 of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Gate of Hearts

Hearts Gate, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This French Quarter gate has heart...
several hearts in fact, albeit all upside down.

Vortex Blues

Gate Scroll with Blue Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 



Newly minted ironwork becomes a vortical subject
 for an antebellum mansion on Charleston's Battery.

Gems in the Rough

Turk's Cap Lily, near Black Balsam Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina



Along a trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Becky and I discovered
 these two little gems growing in a high mountain meadow
 near Black Balsam Knob. What a joy to find these delicate Turk's Cap Lilies
along the edges of such rocky trail!

Take the Plunge

Divers Fountain, Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sometimes you need to just take the plunge,
 as these synchronized "divers" do
 at a fountain in the Dubai Mall.

Night Scrolls

Gate Scrolls at Night, Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Street lights at twilight illuminate the scroll work
of a churchyard gate in Charleston's French Quarter.

A Fine Day for Dappling

Dappled Sunlight, Fernbank Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A sprinkling of dappled sunlight falls
 on this tree trunk and the grass around it
during a fine summer day at Fernbank Park.

Beauty in the Abstract

Shoreline, Breach Inlet, Isle of Palms, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A curve in the beach at Breach Inlet makes an ideal subject
 for a nature abstract. Soft light adds a touch
 of color to enhance the evening mood.

The Old Spring House

Spring House on Rice Mill Pond, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A gorgeous day at Middleton Place gardens highlights
 the graceful contours of Rice Mill Pond and its beautiful
 surroundings, including the old spring house on the hill.

A Hint of Winter

Autumn, Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A hint of winter pervades this view of Mount Mitchell
with a dusting of snow atop its peak
 and a thinning of autumn leaves among the lower ridges.

Fall Tour of Homes

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



The Preservation Society offers their Fall Tours this month,
 from October 2nd to the 26th. The annual event opens up
private homes and gardens to guests who glimpse Southern living,
 Charleston style.

Autumn Moment

Autumn Maple, French Broad River, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A maple's golden hue contrasts nicely with the river's deep blue
 in this autumn moment captured in western North Carolina.
 Happy Friday everyone!

Smoking Ridges

Misty Ridges, Black Mountains, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Great Smoky Mountains are not the only mountains that emit rising mists. Here it is the Black Mountains, which are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. They are the highest ridges in the Eastern U.S. and include Mount Mitchell, the tallest of them all.

Eastward Facing

Morning Light, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rainbow Row is on display
when its eastward facing facades
 catch the early sunlight.

Refreshed

Antebellum Mansion, South Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A newly renovated antebellum mansion stands proudly,
 after many years of disrepair, on Charleston's South Battery.

Misty Monday - Mystery on the Ashley

Boats Docked in the Mist, Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Low laying mists on the Ashley River add a sense of mystery
 to boats harbored at a Charleston marina.

The Oldest Museum

Cannon Park Ruins, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


All that remains of Charleston's original city museum 
(founded in 1773) are its columns and brick steps after
a fire laid it in ruins during the late 1800's. 
Considered the nation's oldest museum,
it's contents were later moved to a new museum
on Meeting Street. 

Explore

Crabtree Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A small stream flowing from Crabtree Falls
 tumbles over rocks and past fallen trees,
inviting one to mentally step into the picture and
explore this cool Appalachian habitat.

A Favorite Destination

Dock at Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A favorite place of mine to catch the light of sunset
 is Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant, where a combination of boats,
 docks, and waterside restaurants creates a scenic destination.

Hidden in a Secret Garden

Statue, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A vine-shouldered statue stands hidden in a secret garden,
 one of the many pleasant tableaux awaiting discovery
 when strolling through Charleston's historic district.