Extra Hand

Door Knocker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This door knocker is handy
 for announcing your arrival.

Spring Festoons

Door with Wisteria Vine, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston is draped with blooms this time of year.

From Warehouses to Row Houses

Houses on Cobblestone Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Row houses on this cobblestone street are
 near the waterfront and in an area that was packed
 with wharfs and warehouses in the 1800's.

Dubai Style

Skyline, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Office and residential towers stacked against the sky
 come in many shapes and colors in a newly minted part of Dubai.

An American Aloe

Century Plant, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This century plant makes an exotic centerpiece
 for a courtyard garden in Charleston's historic district.

Redbuds Galore

Redbud, South of Broad, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Redbud in a Courtyard Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Redbud in the French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Spring brings the blooms out
 on Charleston's redbud trees.

Glowing Fence

Fence, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This fence catches the morning sun much of the year,
making it appear as though King Midas just touched it.

Simple Tool

Ladder, Al Ain Palace, Al Ain, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



What tool is more simple and effective than this one.
I say, three cheers for the ladder!

Gothic Gem

Facade, Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Gothic details abound on Matthias Church
 which stands atop Budapest's Castle Hill.

Spring Dazzler

Flowering Crabapple, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston's Washington Park has a flowering crabapple
 that dazzles every spring. Blooms begin as red,
 then fade to pink and white. The green of new leaves
 adds to the mix of color.

Courtyard Sunrise

Lanterns in a Courtyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The rising sun sets these twin lanterns aglow
 in a courtyard near the Battery.

Marrakesh in Charleston?

Door and Window, The Old Saracen, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



You might think this photo is from Morocco,
but in fact this Moorish door and window belong to the old
Saracen restaurant in Charleston.
 
Not coincidentally, I received a surprise package of Moroccan
 cuisine in the mail today (containing couscous, tajine sauce,
 argan oil, kefta rub, and more.). Thanks to my amazing wife,
who signed us up at trytheworld.com, we'll be mailed
 a different box of gourmet products from around the world
 every other month. I can't wait to try the recipes included!

Twinkle

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



Lights appear to twinkle behind a South Battery gate,
adding a warm touch to this photo made at dawn.
If beauty is in the details, the scenes to be found
around Charleston certainly qualify.

Reflections of a New Day

Windows and Ironwork, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



East facing windows on this High Battery mansion
 reflect the warm light of sunrise over Charleston Harbor.

Complementary

Cherry Tree Blossoms, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A warm touch of spring color graces a Charleston evening
 complements of a cherry tree along Meeting Street.

Colors of the Rainbow

East Bay Houses, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



These houses near Rainbow Row catch the morning sun
 which makes them a richly colorful subject to photograph.

Spring City

Azaleas, White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



It's been said that Charleston is a city within a garden.
This is especially true this time of year when
 spring blooms unfold all around town. As a bonus, guided tours
 of private homes and gardens began yesterday
 and continue through April 19.



 

Discovery

Green Shuttered House, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I discovered this green-shuttered house in the Historic District
 while strolling along one of Charleston's alleyways.



 

Framed

Garden Door Window, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Beautifully symmetrical ironwork is framed
 in this garden door window, which also frames
 the house window in the background.

A Natural Ballet

Live Oaks, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The arching limbs of these live oaks
 are like ballet dancers moving in graceful harmony.