Shrines of Rome

Mary Shrines, Rome, Italy   © Doug Hickok



When walking around Rome's historic center
the stylistic variety of its many Mary Shrines
can be seen on many corners.

Battery Mirror

Reflection in a Rain Puddle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



One of Charleston's East Battery mansions is mirrored
 in a rain puddle on a bright sunny Lowcountry morning.

Summer Hues

Red Hibiscus, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Tropical blooms accentuate the colors
 near Charleston's Rainbow Row.

Cloudland

West Ashely Park, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Coastal clouds over the Lowcountry are typical
 during our humid summer months.
But the last few weeks have been unusually wet and rainy.

Impressionistic Sunrise

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Warm light shimmers on the surface of Charleston Harbor
 in this impressionistic rendering of a Lowcountry sunrise.

Park Bench

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



Benches along the boardwalk at Shem Creek
 are perfectly placed to watch a sunset
 over our Lowcountry tidelands.

A Fine Twine

Blue Plumbago, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This blue flowering vine twines and arches over
 the ornate ironwork at one of Charleston's famous historic inns,
 the John Rutledge House bed and breakfast.

Tree Cemetery

Boneyard, Folly Beach, SC   © Doug Hickok

Bleached by the rigors of time and the elements,

 this old boneyard beach can be found at the

 Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve on Folly Beach.

Narrow Road in the Smokies

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



A narrow country road stretches across a pastoral
 mountain cove in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee.

Courtyard Shadows

Entry Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Morning light casts shadows of an entry gate
into a courtyard along East Bay Street.

Old Man's Beard

Rural Road, near Savannah, Georgia  © Doug Hickok



A curve in the road takes travelers past oak trees
 covered in Spanish moss, which grows thickly
 in this part of the Old South.

Pyramids of the Prairie

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas   © Doug Hickok



Most people think of Kansas as flat farmland or prairieland.
But jutting out of the soil is the protected area
 called Monument Rocks, or Chalk Pyramids.
These ancient formations were once part
of a vast shallow sea that spaned across the continent.

Odd Bird

Sunset, near Harrison, Ohio   © Doug Hickok



After an evening rain storm passed,
the sun set the sky ablaze with color.
This oddly shaped cloud "flew" above the tree line
like a strange meterological bird.

French Quarter Delight

Window Box, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This lush window box in Charleston's French Quarter
 is delightful to see, year after year.

Mirror, Mirror

Marshland, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Calm wetland waters reflect oak trees
 at the edge of a marsh like a polished mirror.

Letterbox

Letterbox, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Fig vines on a garden wall
  punctuate an ornate letter box
near the garden entrance.

Ghost Mines

Old Silver Mine, Colorado   © Doug Hickok



The relic of an abandoned silver mine frames Red Mountain,
which gets its color from iron ore. The Red Mountain
Mining District of Colorado was once one of the richiest
 in American history, lasting about a decade in the late 1800's.

Summertime

White Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Summertime means crepe myrtle time...
all throughout the Lowcountry,
these colorful ornamentals
add their blooms to the landscape.

Campus Beauty

Sago Palm, College of Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A sago palm lends a tropical feel to the Sottile House garden
 at the College of Charleston. The college was
recently voted America's most beautiful campus
 by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Blue Plumbago

John Rutledge House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Flowering blue plumbago follows the curve of entry steps
 to an historic Bed and Breakfast in Charleston.