Essence de Pluff Mud

Tidal Creek, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



At low tide, a salt marsh creek reveals
 a gooey layer of pluff mud, 
rich in decaying organic matter
 and smelling of rotting eggs. 
It is the fragrance of the Lowcountry...
Oh la la!

Glistening Stream

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Covered with a mixture of mountain water and rain,
 a jumble of rocks shows glistening textures 
in a fast flowing stream in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Cliffside Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Acadia National Park, Maine
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A setting sun peeks through conifers
 above a cliffside lighthouse,
 located near Bass Harbor, Maine.

Jagged Rocks

Jagged Rocks, Colorado National Monument, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A narrow breach in jagged rock
permits a glimpse of the Colorado River valley
 and the Book Cliffs beyond. 
This high point of view is from 
the Colorado National Monument park road.

Edisto Pelicans

Brown Pelicans, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



During the heat of midday a flock of brown pelicans
preen atop posts on South Edisto River.

Into the Surf's Edge

Tree Shadow, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



At the boneyard beach of Botany Bay,
a dead tree's skeleton casts a long shadow,
 its branches reaching into the surf's edge.

Old World Churchyard

Unitarian Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This lush, overgrown churchyard
could be a scene from the British Isles,
but it is Charleston, which, in places,
 has that old world charm.

Atypical

Canopy and Supports, Performance Pavilion  Waterfront Park, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Click on image for larger view)



I like searching for atypical points of view when returning to places that I visit often, such as the outdoor pavilion at North Charleston's Waterfront Park. 
The pavillion is inhanced by the way evening light touches it.

Circus in the Desert?

Playground Canopy, Kindergarten near Al Ain, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Looking up at this colorful canopy,
I was reminded of being beneath a circus tent.
But this tent was in the desert
shielding kindergarteners from the
blazing Arabian sun.

Background Check

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



Finding colorful backgrounds is useful
 in making a striking graphic image,
 as in this photo of a Charleston wrought iron scroll.

You may have noticed, this week's photos of 
yellow, green and red, make a nice trio of hues.

A Fondness for Fronds

Palmetto Frond, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I was fond of this frond that I found one day. 
So I made a close-up of its texture
 using an early model Nikon digital camera
 fitted with an old camera lens from the 1980's. 
The result is an abstract which has the look of grainy film.

Ceiling Abstract

Porch ceiling, Sottile House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A ceiling detail of colors and curves
makes an eye-catching abstract.

What Is and Is Not

Lamp and windows, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I found a lamp that is a lamp,
but windows that are not windows.

Bat Man?

Chalk Drawing, Saint Michael's Churchyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



... or Cat Man?
You decide.

Single Source

Electrical Outlet, Charleston Marina, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Both power and water come from a single source 
on a pier at Charleston Marina.

Sails in the Desert

Kindergarden Canopy, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Like the sails of a dhow billowing in the breeze,
canopies stretch over a kindergarden playground in Al Ain,
 providing shade from the searing Arabian sun.

Delightful Charms

Gateway and Letter Box, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Ferns growing on a brick wall,
a decorative letter box,
a gateway with a view through an oval "window"
to a vine covered mansion...
all suggest some of the charms
 which delight the eye in Charleston.

Aging Stones

Sheldon Church Ruins, near Yemassee, South Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Aging sarcophagi are part of the old Sheldon Church graveyard.
 The church dates back to South Carolina's colonial period, 
and has survived more than two centuries of strife and decay. 
What remains of a brick pulpit can still be seen inside the church walls.

Gramomistel's Hibiscus Heaven

Pink Hibiscus, near Harrison, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




My, how lovely grows your garden!

Bear Creek Falls

Bear Creek Falls, Ouray, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Bear Creek Falls near Ouray is a beautiful and easy cascade to see. 
It flows beneath the Million Dollar Highway and 
can be seen from the vantage point of a roadside overlook. 

The area around the picturesque little town of Ouray, 
nestled high in the San Juan Mountains and surrounded by majestic peaks, 
is one of our favorite places. If you ever get to Colorado, don't miss it.