Knock Knock

Door Knockers, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Here's a trio of door knockers found while walking
 around Charleston's French Quarter.



 

A Sprig Has Sprung

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



A sprig of oak leaves sprouts
 from a tree trunk in Cades Cove.

Old and New

Shem Creek Park, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



An old life saver is part of a new boardwalk
 recently completed at Shem Creek Park.

A Breezy Day in Charleston

Iron Fence, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A decorative detail in this wrought iron fence
 makes a solid focal point, while in the background
 piazza curtains billow in the breeze.

The Irish in Charleston

Saint Philip's Churchyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



A Celtic cross is found in Charleston's French Quarter,
 exemplifying America's melting pot.

Society Hall

Society Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



South Carolina Society Hall is a prime example
 of Adamesque architecture in Charleston. It's one of 1400
 historically important structures within the city's Historic District.

Spring Show

Cherry Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A blooming cherry tree seems too much for its enclosure,
 hanging over a Meeting Street sidewalk for all to see.

East Meets West

Trinity United Methodist Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Morning light from the east illuminates
 a neo-classical pediment
 just as the Moon sets in the west.

Lowcountry Morning

Sunrise, West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Seen on my morning bike ride,
a sunrise reflected in a Lowcountry marsh.

Still Standing Strong

Roman Forum, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


One of the oldest remains in the Roman Forum
 is the Temple of Vesta, which has survived
through the long centuries for nearly 2000 years.
Our thoughts are with you Italy. 

Lowcountry Heat

Boat Dock, Ashley River, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Clouds, heavy with  moisture, fill a hot
summer sky above the Ashley River.

French Quarter Landmark

Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Historic Saint Philip's Church in Charleston's French Quarter
 displays its warm-hued facade on a hot afternoon in August.

Electric Sky

East Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



A summer afternoon thunderstorm brings
 heavy clouds and a crackling sky to Charleston Harbor.

The Verdant Season

West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Summer greens abound around
 the wetlands of the Lowcountry.

Watch Your Step

Railing Scrolls, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



The details are marvelous in
 Charleston's historic architecture,
such as the scroll pattern on this stair railing.

Dawn by the Sea

Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok



Dawn light creates vibrant hues
 that catch the eye at this Folly Beach landmark.

Summer Memory

Cascade in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



This photograph of a small mountain cascade
 in the Smokies takes me back to last summer
 and the memory of this refreshing spot in the forest.



 

Curls, Loops and Lines

Garden Gate (Charleston), Bike Rack and Neon Sign (North Charleston)
© Doug Hickok



Patterns and hues are today's theme from the Lowcountry.

Frame Within a Frame

First Baptist Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



A churchyard gate frames a door which is
 framed by columns and the morning light
 at this neo-classical church in the Historic District.

Palmetto Haven

Palmettos, Kiawah Island, SC
© Doug Hickok



The South Carolina state tree flourishes
 on the verdant sea island of Kiawah.

Charleston's Art Quarter

Ornate Gate, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Charleston's French Quarter is a work of art
 when one considers the numerous decorative gates,
historic architecture, and galleries within its boundaries.

Cool Hues

Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



This freshly painted house combined with a blue sky
adds vibrance to the already colorful
 Rainbow Row in Charleston's Historic District.

Morning Cool Front

Church Creek, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



A summer storm front moves over the tidelands
 on a cool Lowcountry morning.

Beach Blues

Umbrellas and Beach Chairs, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok



Blue hues are the color theme
 on a summer afternoon on Kiawah Island.

Street Textures

Sunset on Elliott Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The setting sun slants down a narrow street
 in the Historic District, highlighting the textures
 of colorful stucco and shutters.

Reflection on History

Randolph Hall, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok



Afternoon showers form liquid mirrors
 to reflect Charleston's historic
Southern neo-classical architecture.

Hearts and Scrolls

Balcony Shadow, Tradd Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok




Hearts and scrolls come alive with morning sunlight
 in one of the oldest parts of historic Charleston.

Dawn Doorway

Classical Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  



I found this doorway South of Broad at dawn
 when the light was soft and the air a bit cool
 even though the hot summer months are upon us.

So We'll Never Forget

Patriots Point Naval Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok



A sinuous coastline along Charleston Harbor
 leads to the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier,
a survivor of World War II and
the feature exhibit at Mt. Pleasant's naval museum.
It is also where the Medal of Honor museum makes its home.

Shadow Art

Gate Shadow, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Sunlight shining directly down a courtyard path
 creates a work of art on a city sidewalk.

Primitive Mountain Church

Primitive Baptist Church, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee  © Doug Hickok



I like the simplicity of this plain window
 on an old Appalachian church in Cades Cove.
This little house of worship was built in 1827 and
its congregation continued to meet here up till the 1960's.

Layers of Limbs

Live Oaks, near Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok




Layers of live oak limbs arch on to the ground
 at an old plantation near Charleston, South Carolina.

Ubiquitous Red Scooter

Scooter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



I see this red scooter often around the Historic District.
This time it's in the French Quarter where there are many
 arts and crafts galleries to explore.

Desert Howl

Wolf Window, Mission San Xavier,
Tucson, Arizona  © Doug Hickok



At a Spanish mission in the Sonoran Desert,
a wolf howls at the moon on this decorative window grate.

Reds and Greens

Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



In Charleston's French Quarter, hues of a crepe myrtle
 complement the red door and shutters on the Pirate House.

Saguaro Man

Saguaro Cactus, Superstition Mountains, Phoenix, Arizona
© Doug Hickok



An ancient Saguaro assumes an anthropomorphic shape
 as it appears to wave down a taxi in the Superstition Wilderness.

Stone and Flower

Saint Philips Churchyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Tucked among a cluster of fading hydrangeas,
 an old headstone in the French Quarter
 forms a stoney contrast to the vegetation's delicacy.

Stepping Up

Rope Ladder, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The easiest way to climb Charleston's big oak trees
 is to attach a rope ladder and reach for the sky.

Battery Stillness

White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Morning fog from the sea envelopes
 the oak-filled park on The Battery.

Vine and Iron

Vine and Ironwork, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Clinging to any surface reachable,
 creeping fig finds a wrought iron grate
 to explore in Charleston's French Quarter.

Growing Wild

Informal Garden, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



An informal garden springs to life with an array of blooms
 in Charleston's Historic District.

Spring in the Churchyard

Azaleas, St. Michael's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok



Bright blooms fill Saint Michael's Churchyard
 with warm hues in the springtime.

Paddling

Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



Along Shem Creek, a paddleboarder heads toward
 the open harbor and the setting sun.

The Stone Cutter

Rocky Outcrop, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok



The Colorado River meanders through the eastern portion
 of the Grand Canyon, cutting its way into the stone
 during its long journey toward the Pacific Ocean.

Circle of Hearts

Courtyard Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A heart motif is the central focus
 of this garden gate near the Market.

Sun Bathing

Red Chair, Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
© Doug Hickok



A red chair catches some rays from the afternoon sun
 in a courtyard at the Heard Museum.