Queen (Street) #AtoZChallenge

Downtown, on Queen Street, Charleston, South Carolina, is where you can find beautiful, historic buildings.

At the corner of Queen and Meeting Street is the Mills House Hotel.  The original structure, a hotel, was built in 1853 and had to be demolished in 1968 as it could not be salvaged.  It was rebuilt as a hotel.  Two stories were also added to the original design.  Historic?  Although it only dates from 1968, it looks to be older.

Queen and State Street.  This building dates from approximately 1814 and was part of the original walled city.  The neighborhood at present is called The French Quarter.
 

These are not recent photos but I am using them for the letter "Q".

"Q"day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme this year is: Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

Lovely #AtoZChallenge

Let's check out some Lovely South Carolina skies today.

Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. 

Kings Mountain, another view of the sky.

Let's travel from Kings Mountain to Charleston.

Here's a sunset picture taken several years ago on the Ravenel Bridge that connects Charleston, South Carolina with Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

Here's a closeup of some of the bridge supports.  I love the beauty of this bridge; I even have a print of this bridge at sunset hanging on my living room wall.

The last of another Ravenel sunset.

How Lovely.

"L" day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

Joining with Yogi and other sky watching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.

Downtowns #AtoZChallenge #WordlessWednesday

Before I begin, I've been having problems commenting on Wordpress blogs. I've tried to log in using two different methods.  Some Wordpress blogs don't seem to permit commenting without a login.  If you are waiting for a comment from me for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, please be patient. 

For "D" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I am going to visit some downtowns in South Carolina.

Downtown Camden, South Carolina

 

 

Historic Camden, South Carolina is South Carolina's oldest inland city, and was the site for two Revolutionary War battles.  This picture was taken just after sunset.

The Battery, Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina is the largest city in South Carolina, with a 2021 population of 151,600.  Its metropolitan area includes Summerville, which I visited in my "A" post.  The downtown has many historic buildings and is a "must see" attraction.

Mural at Charleston City Market, 2014.
 

A staircase in downtown Charleston.

Building on campus of College of Charleston.

Farmers Market, downtown Columbia, South Carolina, 2015

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina ,and I will be visiting it again tomorrow for "E" day in the Challenge.

Last, but not least, is Greenville, South Carolina, which spouse and I visited this past February.  This is one of the most beautiful downtowns I have ever seen.

The downtown is full of art, some of which I'll feature in future posts.  This is a statue honoring former Governor of South Carolina Dick Riley, the only Governor who came from Greenville.  This is located at the downtown Peace Center and says "Education Really Matters".  He was also a former Secretary of Education.

One more art installation in downtown Greenville.

Tomorrow, we visit the capitol of South Carolina for a special occasion.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

"D" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

Will the Lesson Be Learned?

Ghosts of vacations past.  What do these all have in common?

Beach, Sanibel Island, Florida.

Shells on a Sanibel beach.

 Boats in a Punta Gorda, Florida marina.

Causeway, Punta Gorda

Shopping area, Sarasota, Florida.

Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa, Florida.  I don't think this is the place where the now viral photo of water sucked out of Tampa Bay was taken but it gives you a good view of the bay.

Tampa, taken from Bayshore Boulevard.

Historic home, Savannah, Georgia.

Ravenel Bridge at sunset, looking at Charleston, South Carolina.

College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina.

Sanibel.  Punta Gorda.  Sarasota.  Savannah.  Charleston.

What do they have in common?  The photos were taken between 2013 and 2020, before Hurricane Ian (or tropical storm Ian) hit.  Perhaps we should call it "the before time".  True, these cities have been hit by hurricanes and tropical storms before.  But Ian was what some are calling a "generational storm".

Of these localities, perhaps Sanibel/Captiva Island was hit the worst.  The island is cut off except by air or water, and its residents are lacking power and water.  I spent part of yesterday looking at satellite images of Sanibel, trying to see landmarks I remembered from my two visits there.

But let's not mourn what was.

Let's not waste another moment without working on what is.

The storms are getting worse.  More frequent.

How many more "I've never seen anything like this before?" must we hear before we wake up to what is happening?

Climate change isn't a political position to take.  This isn't a political post.

Climate change  It is reality.  We ignore it at our peril, and the peril of our children and grandchildren.

Dog Statue #WordlessWednesday

Today, I want to show you a dog I met in my travels.

Near the entrance of Engine Company 102/103 on Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, is a Dalmatian statue.  Or, at least it was there in 2015, the last time I visited Charleston.

In this picture on the Charleston city website, you can see the dog statue, barely.

 

I'm hoping it's still there.

Join Esha and Natasha each Wednesday for WordlessWednesday.

 

Carolina's Gold Rice #FlavoursomeTuesday

In 2011,  I took my first trip to Charleston, South Carolina and immediately fell in love with the city.

Now, in the aftermath of the snowstorm that hit the Southern United States, and drove temperatures in Charleston down to record levels, Charleston is on my mind.  I had come close to visiting it this month, but it never happened.

But back to 2011...

In that visit we had a wonderful location and easy access (an easy walk down the narrow sidewalks of the historic Ansonborough neighborhood where we stayed) to the Charleston City Market.

The Market consists of several open buildings in a four block area. These are the entrances to two of the buildings, as they appeared in 2011.  If you had watched coverage of the Charleston snowstorm, you saw this market.

The Market (at least, when we visited in March of 2011 and 2014) is not primarily a "farmers market" and not all the goods are locally produced, either.  But we had a wonderful time talking and interacting with some of the local artists, and went back several times.

One product that is local, and a revival of a historic heirloom food, is Carolina Gold Rice.

What we bought was grown locally and distributed through Charleston Specialty Foods. The distinctive yellow cloth bags packages of this rice are sold by several vendors at the market, and also are for sale at various historical venues throughout the Charleston area.  As the bag explains:

"In 1685, a distressed merchant ship paid for repairs in Charleston with a small quantity of rice seed from Madagascar.  Dr. Henry Woodward planted the seed in South Carolina, beginning the state's 200 year history as the leading rice producer in the United States."

So why should you pay a lot more for an heirloom variety of rice than the plain old (I won't mention any brand names) stuff you find on the supermarket shelves?

For various reasons, including the freeing of enslaved populations whose labor had permitted the cultivation of rice, rice farming had slowed in the South Carolina low country. The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation is attempting a comeback for this rice, and as the bag also explains "We are proud to be South Carolina's first product made with Green-e Certified Renewable Energy."

So how can you go wrong?  In one swoop you encourage the production of heritage foodstuffs, and support renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.

The rice can be ordered online and they ship on - why not? Tuesdays. (I just offer this for information; I am not receiving any compensation for this.)

So, how does it taste?  And what is the rice like?

I would judge it as medium grain.

It's definitely distinctive, and delicious.   Spouse (our family cook) made a pilaf with it.  It came out fluffy, and nice.  To me, it also tastes like butter was already added to it.

And the best part? One of my cousins in my recent Florida visit had tasted Carolina Gold Rice and had much the same opinion.

I think South Carolina has a winner here.


Join Bellybytes at Mumbai on a High and Shilpa Gupte at Metanoia for their linky party at #FlavoursomeTuesdays. If you want to share a food related memory, why not join us?

Charleston White

The world has turned upside down.

At this moment, there is more snow on the ground in Charleston, South Carolina (about 830 miles south of me) than where I live in upstate New York. 

And that just ain't natural.  For either city.

Charleston usually doesn't get snow, although it has from time to time. 

We got 132 inches of snow last year, as a reference.


I love Charleston.  I've visited it several times, the latest in 2015.  As a matter of fact, I was thinking of visitng it again later this month, but I've had second thoughts and made other plans.  If I had been there yesterday, though, I would have slid all over the place, taking hundreds of pictures. What an opportunity (not that I would have been that happy).

But, I can show you some pictures of the College of Charleston taken in March of 2015, complete with white.

White flowers, that is.

Yesterday, I showed you local snow.  Today, I show you Charleston flowers.  These flowers are called Carolina Silver Bells.

Beautiful blue skies with a white flowering bush and a white flowering tree.

And white azaleas.

This is the "normal" Charleston. It sure does beat snow and ice.

Our strange winter continues, as we are plunged back into the deep freeze.

Day 4 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Ravishing Ravenel #AtoZChallenge #SkywatchFriday

I love this bridge with all my heart.  It is the topic of today's Blogging from A to Z Challenge and Skywatch Friday.

I travel back, in time and space, to walk it in my dreams.

The Ravenel Bridge (aka the Cooper River Bridge) connects Charleston, South Carolina and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  I have walked its full length once and have walked it partially a number of times.

I even blogged about it at least once before for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, but why not blog about it again?

Five years ago, before I lost weight, the bridge conquered my knee.  After losing almost 35 pounds, I succeeded.  It's now been two years since I last visited Charleston, and I would love to test myself against the bridge again.  Alas, if I do visit Charleston this year, it will be in August, and the heat may prevent my attempt.

But one day...I'll be back.  That's a promise.

Connect with other bloggers at Skywatch Friday and see skies from all over the world.

"R" day on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, as I travel through time and space.

College of Charleston

Welcome to day three of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, where bloggers challenge themselves to blog daily (except Sunday) on a topic from A to Z.  My theme is "Days of Our Lives".

Charleston, South Carolina had become my happy place, the place that I, when I am starved for spring after a long upstate New York winter, head to.  But since my last visit in April of 2015, Charleston was hit with tragedy.  A man who attended a church bible study group opened fire on the participants, killing nine of them.

Many lives changed in that instant.  Like sands through an hourglass...

I mourned from afar, seeing familiar places on the news filled with grieving people. I watched the people of Charleston teach the country a lesson - a lesson of strength, a lesson of forgiveness (which is a term so misunderstood by many of us).

Forgiving does not mean forgetting.   This I can understand, given that I work in a community that also suffered a horrific mass shooting (see yesterday's post for its commemoration).

I want so much to go back to Charleston this year, but, due to circumstances, I won't be able to. But, in cyberspace, I thought it might be good to stroll the campus of the College of Charleston, about half a mile from the Charleston shooting location, and take you along for the walk. 

Beautiful Spanish moss hangs off trees, with azaleas in bloom underneath.

A beautiful gate.

Again, more azaleas.

Presidents House

Azaleas along historic Randolph Hall

My guess is, this plaque was created for the 200th anniversary of the college.  I love the antique look.

One day, I will visit Charleston in August (during the season called "Dog Breath Summer" or "Satan's Summer") and see if I still love it.

I think I will.
Charleston.   I am in awe of you.  Forgiveness does not come easy to me.  Against those I feel have wronged me, I hold grudges, sometimes for many years. 

I still have to learn the lessons of Charleston - a true type of forgiveness, to break the power of those who have wronged me.

Civil War Sunday - History Before Our Eyes

Although the United States Civil War officially ended (for the most part) 150 years ago this past April, I've always maintained that the war never truly ended.  Now, in the almost two weeks after a tragic mass murder during a Bible Study class at a Charleston, South Carolina church, we are seeing still another battle in this seemingly never ending war.

Whether our country will have a true dialog about race, and the legacy of the Civil War as a result of this horrific act, or if it will just be a lot of empty talk and then business as usual, remains to be seen.  But the war that has been simmering under our surface is now more public than ever.  At least surface changes are made.  Perhaps the changes are symbolic, or won't hit upon the tough issues, but the fact is - people are thinking.

I am not blogging today to express my opinions.  Rather, I want to show you pictures of some of the sites that have been in the news.  It's hard to explain this to my readers in Great Britain and India, but I will try.  Even a month ago, in my wildest dreams, I would never have imagined the events of the past almost two weeks.


Where do I even begin?

With the College of Charleston, where one of the funerals took place on Friday?  Their President is a former state senator (noting one of the dead in the shooting was a state senator) and a former lieutenant governor, and was a controversial choice when hired last year.

March, 2015, taken by AM

This is the South Carolina State Senate Chamber, where the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, one of the murdered nine, served. The American flag is on the left and the South Carolina state flag on the right.  Outside this chamber, a Confederate flag flew near a monument on the grounds of the State Capitol. Now, debate rages on whether that flag should be taken down.  

The above President of the College of Charleston?  His views on that question.

Many Southerners will have to ponder how best to celebrate their heritage.

Mt. Pleasant Fishing Pier at Ravenel Bridge at Sunset, March 2015

The Arthur Ravenel, Jr.  Bridge, which connects Charleston, South Carolina with Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is a favorite destination for walkers and bikers.  I've walked on it a number of times (and completed the entire walk in both directions once). A week ago today, thousands of people (perhaps 40,000)  marched on this bridge. Some joined hands in a "unity chain" to show support for the people of the City of Charleston.  But the elderly man the bridge is named after - now 88 years old- is, himself, controversial.  There was an effort to rename the bridge earlier this year, which failed. 

Taken March, 2015, by AM, before the defacement

This Civil War Confederate Monument in Charleston was defaced several days ago. (I totally reject this kind of activity, be it a Union or Confederate monument.) Debate now is taking place about whether these monuments should be taken down.

This is a Virginia Sons of Confederate Veterans license place (picture taken by me at a Civil War reenactment I attended). A Confederate battle flag design is on the left side.    This specialty plate, it appears, will no longer be permitted.

Some former Confederate states had incorporated Confederate flag designs in their state flags. They are now rethinking it.  Could this be because the shooter was photographed burning an American flag, and holding Confederate flags?  But, although the Confederate flag is publically debated, it must also be noted that there are thousands of streets, parks, and other public places named after Confederate figures - one, in particular, stirring controversy, due to what he did after the war.

The families of those murdered, the people of Charleston, and people of the South, have some hard days coming as they must work out the direction their future will take.