Pineapple Tuesday

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Here is another stylized version of the Southern hospitality pineapple. This one takes the form of a fountain featured in Waterfront Park, a pleasant greenspace overlooking Charleston Harbor. Although it appears to have the spiny horns of a triceratops from the Cretaceous Period, this is misleading. It is, in fact, a man made fountain of the Quaternary Period.

Misty Monday - Ancient Mountains

Budding Tree, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


Right about now, Spring is inching its way up into the high ridges of the Appalachian mountains, some of the oldest on the planet, dating back to the Ordovician Period. On a misty mountain day, early leaf buds waken on this mossy limbed tree. 
Some things never change. This scene of vernal transformation could have appeared millions of years ago. The cycles of the seasons continue, like the flow of time. Gladly, Spring is easing into the colder reaches of the Earth. And gladly, pterodactyls no longer terrorize the skies.

Pineapple Sunday

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


This elaborate ironwork motif over the entrance gate to Saint Philip's church is actually a stylized representation of a pineapple. For Charleston, the pineapple is significant because it symbolizes hospitality. Stories from 150 years ago tell of sailors returning to port with tropical fruits from the West Indies. They would often hang pineapples above their doors as a sign of welcome. These days Charleston is often voted best mannered city in the USA, and pineapple symbols can be seen throughout the town.

The Creatures Among Us, Part Two

Rebar Tangle, Old Navy Base, North Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Kraken


(Please see The Creatures Among Us, Part One)

Finding Little Treasures - The Original

Assorted Rocks, Hunter's Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine  © Doug Hickok


Sometimes one of the thrills of life is finding little treasures, like this assortment of multicolored rocks on a beach in Maine. For a person who relishes rocks and their rockiness, like me, this is striking it rich!

Wishing you a weekend full of little treasures.


Thought I'd start something new also. Calling it Favorite Photographers Friday, I'll post a link to photographers whom I admire or who have influenced my work to a certain degree over time. Today's favorite is Eliot Porter, one of the first to photograph landscapes in color.

Salt and Pepper

Table Shadow, Savannah, Georgia  © Doug Hickok


At a sidewalk cafe in Savannah, Georgia, late day sunlight casts a shadow of a translucent table onto the wall.

Across the Ocean...

Angel with the Sudarium, Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


From yesterday's natural angel we cross the ocean to a man made angel (young in comparison, a mere 342 years old). Designed by the great Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and sculpted by Cosimo Fancelli in 1669, this stone angel is one of ten on the ancient Roman bridge that spans the Tiber River between Castel Sant'Angelo and the city's historic center. Each angel holds an instrument from the Passion. This one displays the Veil of Veronica, often called the Sudarium, which is said to have the likeness of the face of Jesus imprinted on it from when Veronica wiped the sweat off Christ's face during his struggle toward Calvary. The genius of Bernini can be seen in the complex textures and curving shapes of an angel transformed from stone to art.

Around the Bend...

Angle Oak, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok


The Angel Oak is estimated to be as much as 1500 years old, making it the oldest living thing east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a 25 foot diameter live oak tree, one of the largest in the country, that shades an astounding area of over 17,000 square feet. Its longest limb is 105 feet long! Many of these limbs are so heavy that they rest on the ground.  The name "Angel Oak" comes from the couple, Justus Angel and Martha Waight Tucker Angel, who received it as part of their marriage settlement from the Waight family (the owners for four generations).  Now owned by the City of Charleston, it is even more spectacular because there is no admission fee!

For another image of this amazing behemoth, see this post.

Misty Monday - Curving Country Road

Country Road, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok


A country road curves towards the dreamy mists of early morning on John's Island, a rural sea island near Charleston. This road leads to the ancient Angel Oak, estimated to be the oldest living thing east of the Rockies. I'll show you an image of that Methuselah-like tree on tomorrow's post.

Trinity Church Sunday

Trinity United Methodist Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


This antebellum church was designed in the style of a Roman temple, with a lofty portico, ornate Corinthian columns, and an elegant medallion in the center of the ceiling.

The image was made with a technique I like to use when I don't have a tripod handy for a long exposure, or want an unusual perspective on a subject that is commonly photographed in a straight forward way. I lay the camera on the ground pointed upward and release the shutter using the timer. In this instance, a wide angle lens emphasizes the receding lines of the columns and the tall wooden door. Turning the camera on the diagonal creates a more dynamic image.

Impression of a Sunrise IV

Great Blue Heron, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


A Great Blue Heron glides across harbor waters just as the sun peeks over Sullivan's Island on the horizon.

Twisted Trees

Twisted Coastal Live Oaks, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok


At the edge of the ocean, this glowing cluster of coastal live oaks twist and turn from the constant force of winds sweeping off the sea. Like durable trees on mountaintops, they are survivors.
Hope you survive your weekend!

Clip Clop, Clip Clop...

Shadows of a Horse and Carriage, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Clip clop, clip clop... neighhhhh, snort, nicker, whinny, pbbbbb...  "and over here to your left you'll see the Nathaniel Russell House. Built in 1809, it is one of America's most important neo-classical dwellings..."
Carriage tours through the historic district are a part of Charleston's charm, as they offer visitors a slow paced, leisurely view of the city's beautiful and historic setting. This 19th century mode of transportation is so authentic that you might imagine you glimpsed Rhett Butler strolling along a promenade, arm in arm with a lovely southern belle.

This is one of the images from inside this year's Festival of Houses and Gardens brochure (see the post for April 5th).

Bridge Wednesday - Purple and Blue and Clouds Too

Purple People Bridge, Newport, Kentucky  © Doug Hickok


Here's a bridge to get you to the end of the week. This is the Purple People Bridge of Newport, Kentucky, otherwise known as the Devou Suspension Bridge. It spans the Ohio River, connecting Kentucky with Ohio, and dates from 1872. This colorful bridge has been used by railroads, street cars, and automobiles, but today it is used as a pedestrian bridge, providing beautiful vistas of the Cincinnati waterfront and river valley. It's interesting to note that you can rent the bridge for private events, such as weddings and dinners. You can also participate in bridge climbs, as they do in Australia and New Zealand. But you had better know how to climb a bridge. If you fall off, you'll never get to Friday.

Festival of Houses and Gardens

Tropical Flower Vine, Broad Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


The Festival of Houses and Gardens is conducted every Spring by the Historic Charleston Foundation and runs March 17th through April 16th. Select private homes and gardens are open to the public for tours during this time so that visitors can experience first hand the splendor of these beautiful places.
I've been fortunate over the years that many of my images have been featured on the cover and inside the ticket brochure. Graphic designer, Lee Helmer, does a fabulous job creating the brochure each year. Here is the cover shot of this year's brochure. I'll also post a few more images that were used in this publication over the next week or so.

Brochure

Mysterious Monday - Light Keeper's House

Caretaker's House, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon  © Doug Hickok


Legend has it that the Heceta Head Lighthouse is haunted by the Lady in Gray, or Rue as she is called. She was the wife of an assistant light keeper in the late 1800's who lost her young daughter to a drowning in the waters near the coast. In despair, Rue took her own life.
It fits the story that the word "rue" in English means regret or sorrow. Since then, many people have reported seeing or hearing her ghost in and around the lighthouse and the caretaker's house.
 On a misty and moody evening, I made this image of the light keeper's house as I walked down the hill from the lighthouse, and the gloom of the coastal fog moved in. I thought for an instant I saw something move in the darkening shadows. Was someone on the porch? What was that light in the attic? Could it have been the Lady in Gray?

Saint Matthias Sunday

Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok


The Church of Our Lady, better know as Matthias Church, rises prominently on Budapest's Castle Hill, overlooking the Danube River. Originally constructed in the 13th century, it was the city's first parish church. In 1541, during the Ottoman occupation, it was transformed into a mosque. The current appearance of the church dates form the 19th century, and reflects its splendid original Gothic architectural style. This image shows the colorful tiles which form intricate diamond patterns on the steep roof tops.

Bike Taxi at Night

Bike Taxi on King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Charleston's bike taxis are a fun way to get around the historic district when you want to go a bit faster than your feet will carry you. These taxi drivers will be very busy this weekend as approximately 100,000 visitors are expected in the area for various events, the biggest being the Cooper River Bridge Run. Also being held here is the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament, the Flowertown Festival, and the Festival of Houses and Gardens tours.
Good luck finding a parking space.

My House

Antebellum Mansion, High Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Perhaps some of you have been wondering what my house looks like. Well, here it is. This is my town house. I'm upstairs doing some late night reading.

Antiques, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


These are some of my antiques in the entrance hall. That's an original Sully.

Classic Automobile, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


 This is my driving-around-town car. It's a replica of a classic MGTD.  I built it myself with a kit from British Coach Works.


Oh wait, what's today? Is this the first day of April? Well I'll be darned...
April Fools!

The Double-Breasted House

Double Breasted House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


This Georgian mansion dates from around 1760 and is called the double-breasted house due to the protrusion of its pair of curved bays, seen above, added at a later date. In 1861 Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was headquartered here when the Civil War broke out with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. It has been said that when he first arrived in Charleston, his hair was black, but by the time Charleston fell a few years later, his hair had turned white. It's also been said he kept four mistresses. Hmmmm. One wonders which was the real reason for his premature white. Speculation runs rampant.