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.

Mirror to the Sky

Dawn on the Kiawah River, Kiawah Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film.)



At dawn, when the tide is high and the waters still,
Lowcountry rivers reflect and hold the hues of the expansive sky...
to one's eye, it is a timeless scene, and a perfectly peaceful way
 to begin the day.

Scoot and Park

Green Scooter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A quick way to scoot around the narrow confines of Charleston
 is on a Vespa... and best of all it's easy to park.

Light for an Evening Stroll

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



An overhead lantern shines light into the twilight
 to assist with your stroll in the French Quarter.

Beach Geology

Sea Stacks, Cannon Beach, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography)



A view of Cannon Beach's iconic Haystack Rock (middle left)
 shows several other sea stacks as well. These geological
 formations provide perfect nesting habitat for sea birds
 and are protected as wilderness areas.

Art Galley Window

Art Galley Window, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)




I found this art gallery window while wandering around
Charleston's French Quarter. I was attracted by the flowers,
 and also by the painting framed in the window and the colorful
 house reflected in the glass. In all, there was a wide range of hues
contained in this little scene.

Piazza Moon

Moon Setting, South Battery Piazza, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



A setting moon is framed by a South Battery piazza
 as evening fades to night.

Undulation

Curving Sand Dunes, Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Various natural forces coincide to shape sand dunes
 into undulating forms, creating S's that wiggle down this Oregon beach.

Out to Sea

Surfer, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



A surfer paddles out to sea through
early morning waves at Folly Beach.

Cat in a Courtyard

Courtyard Cat, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



A cat poses for a portrait amid its courtyard surroundings.

Design Connection

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



An S-curve in the James Island Connector
 makes an eye-catching design,
 highlighted here by the colors of the setting sun.

Now and Then

Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



The steeple of Saint Michael's Church
 glows against the dawn sky,
as it must have done when it first
opened its doors in 1761.

Distances

View From Atop Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A view from atop the tallest peak in the Eastern U.S.
 takes in the ridges of the Southern Appalachians,
and a distant valley where a small lake shimmers softly in the haze.

Grand Design

Moorish Arches, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, UAE  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A walk past rows of Moorish arches
 offers a sense of the rhythm, symmetry and scale
 in the design of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Rustic Way

Live Oaks, Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)



The way to Botany Bay is bordered by live oaks
 whose branches overhang the rustic rural road.

Seen in the French Quarter

Flower Box, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A charming mix of red and green enhances
 this window scene in Charleston's French Quarter.

Golden Fount

Night Fountain, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Spotlights highlight fountain spray
in a Charleston garden at twilight.

Misty Monday - Night Lamps

Lamps at Night, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



A misty night along Charleston harbor
 softens the glow of street lamps at Waterfront Park.

A Foul Weather Light

Yaquina Head Light, Newport, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Yaquina Head Light is Oregon's tallest lighthouse, perched on a
basaltic peninsula at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. In the late 1800's,
it was know as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse... a more colorful name
in my opinion, one perfectly describing a beacon that guides ships
 to safe harbor in the worst of maritime conditions.

Charleston Front Yards

Chalmers Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Charleston's French Quarter is a place where one's front yard
 may be a cobblestone street.

Behind the Scrolls

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Behind this ornate gate is a lush, semi-tropical landscape
 surrounding a white gazebo. Not far from The Battery,
 it is one of Charleston's prettiest gardens.

Early Snow

Snow Clouds Over Mt. Celo, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Dark clouds hover over Mt. Celo, sprinkling its peak
 with a light dusting of autumn snow.

Hey Look!

Sunrise, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view.)



Hey look! Over there in the harbor, it's Fort Sumter!
 And some dolphins too!

Back in Time

Saint Michael's Alley, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A walk down Saint Michael's Alley
 is like stepping back in time.

A Farewell to Summer

Maples, Fernbank Park, Cincinnati, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A cluster of summer maples shades a spot at Fernbank Park, near the Ohio River in Cincinnati. As September arrives, I bid a farewell to the long summer months... months I remember fondly now, when I was a kid playing in the grassy parks of Ohio, so very long ago. Those were such blissful, innocent days.

Victim of Progress

Walls, The Old Plex, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Bold color set against a blue sky makes a graphic image. 
This former landmark no longer stands, 
being a victim of growth and progress in the area.

One Million!

Garden Gate and Cherry Trees, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This past week, Doug's Photo Blog surpassed one million page views.
So thank you all for your visits! I hope you continue to enjoy the beauty
I so love to share with you.

Porch View

Porch and Chairs, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography.)



Time to relax, sit a spell, and enjoy the view.
Have a stress free weekend.

Echos From the Past

Entry to Pirate's Courtyard, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(iPad photography)



It has been nearly 300 years since pirates were last seen in Charleston.
But the entry to Pirate's Courtyard may invite your imagination to wonder if,
at the end of this narrow passageway, you might hear the echos
of a "yo ho ho", or a "shiver me timbers".

Date Palm Oasis

Date Palms, Al Ain Oasis, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



When is a desert not a desert?...
when there is a subterranean water source beneath the sand,
and date palms grow thick as weeds.

Color, Texture, Order, Chaos

Colorful Rope, Tall Ships, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Interest abounds in this detailed image of nautical rope
 found on a Tall Ship anchored at the Port of Charleston.

Flag Tree

Flag Tree, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Rocky Mountain National Park, the fringe between the subalpine 
and alpine life zones is the kruppelholz or krummholz 
(German for crooked or bent wood). 
This area is where spruce and fir trees are stunted and shaped 
by fierce winds, creating elfin trees or in this case, a flag tree.
You can tell the predominant direction of the winds by the pointing limbs.

Old Bridge

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



Spanning a colorfully landscaped cypress swamp is
an old 19th century foot bridge, which has become an
iconic landmark at Magnolia Gardens over the years.

Night Hues

Night Gate, near Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



By day Charleston has its unique charms...
by night it takes on an entirely different hue.