tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68914715284616201242024-03-19T04:47:47.570-04:00BirdsEyeViewsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger394125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-6313628785808145722024-03-18T09:20:00.005-04:002024-03-18T09:23:26.871-04:00ACE Basin Getaway<p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My Spring Break from school has been a busy one but I was determined to take one day for an excursion to the Lowcountry’s <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/ace-basin/">ACE Basin</a>. </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">This is the land of vast nature preserves, a protected watershed region totalling some 1.6 million acres.</b></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0Pi_R96vPvFkN7WqCKW4fdKZCUhmjwc02V0pcfpxOqshDYbFOm4q8Ur9vMOzDwg0GAIHhVUwScpBS8BBe0fzHUmVQVpUHev8-ijzFrygJlRBZFrl3qqujEl8NOerfhPDtWdwArIAW6AODhASHuZXu-ayWCaxwdvbHTke1SBmK6Vfwo73DtfataWoryg/s5184/IMG_4589.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0Pi_R96vPvFkN7WqCKW4fdKZCUhmjwc02V0pcfpxOqshDYbFOm4q8Ur9vMOzDwg0GAIHhVUwScpBS8BBe0fzHUmVQVpUHev8-ijzFrygJlRBZFrl3qqujEl8NOerfhPDtWdwArIAW6AODhASHuZXu-ayWCaxwdvbHTke1SBmK6Vfwo73DtfataWoryg/w400-h300/IMG_4589.jpeg" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>On Wednesday I drove south the 60 miles or so to the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area. <a href="https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/bear-island-wildlife-management-area/">As this site claims (accurately!) Bear Island is a birdwatcher's paradise.</a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here can be explored the 18th and 19th-century rice fields that brought wealth to plantation owners and enslavement to Africans brought (and bought) to toil in swampy waterways like this one. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKdBifX372OkEjNoARoHiIx7R1DPwJPK73899nK2xvZjMinpLOepcID2ZxIP5dzURkhVPz95M2gjI6oI2-VoIZddAOwZPBwwzrZu8sJF5SREGYXzP0tEtUuuWFkxdFTNKSQY8v27jXfYMlG5iyfNhE17KEfaQXng-RAG5ipcNC_kOe7HZkAvD8JeQLXkw/s5184/IMG_4594.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKdBifX372OkEjNoARoHiIx7R1DPwJPK73899nK2xvZjMinpLOepcID2ZxIP5dzURkhVPz95M2gjI6oI2-VoIZddAOwZPBwwzrZu8sJF5SREGYXzP0tEtUuuWFkxdFTNKSQY8v27jXfYMlG5iyfNhE17KEfaQXng-RAG5ipcNC_kOe7HZkAvD8JeQLXkw/w300-h400/IMG_4594.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://deweesislandblog.com/dewees-history-tour-station-1-rice-trunk/">Wooden trunks</a> like these continue to be used to control water levels in the former rice fields of the ACE Basin whose name comes from the confluence of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">These are happy places for me full of seemingly endless walking and driving trails that lead to waterways where birds of all shapes and sizes may be found. You will also see alligators and sometimes snakes, lizards, raccoons, deer, wild hogs and other land animals. </b><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWmhNexwvLh-2zLqiHQIIjYDSccNND1q44_3H-iBeTZGtB61q70weI0NJTERW66_8bUbm_s_11IMz0Nyw4hT8TQgDxaxRy_lAFBUSBdI4Qwm-O7aF_Wn0Rgx69JoINa3s0kXtHxMAE9rg_82_-n5wBVgkE6_8DwJF6Gz-KcFNcNJYD8JpFNF9gY_vOn_T/s4032/IMG_4569.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWmhNexwvLh-2zLqiHQIIjYDSccNND1q44_3H-iBeTZGtB61q70weI0NJTERW66_8bUbm_s_11IMz0Nyw4hT8TQgDxaxRy_lAFBUSBdI4Qwm-O7aF_Wn0Rgx69JoINa3s0kXtHxMAE9rg_82_-n5wBVgkE6_8DwJF6Gz-KcFNcNJYD8JpFNF9gY_vOn_T/w400-h300/IMG_4569.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Two other wonderlands in this area, similar in layout to Bear Island, are the <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2017/07/painted-bunting-donnelley-delight.html">Donnelley WMA</a> and the <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/ernest-f-hollings-ace-basin-national.html">Ernest Hollings National Wildlife Refuge. </a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My blog documents numerous visits to these great places. See the above links and/or go to search this blog space in the column on the right.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyESq8M6wuHhiXe1GBjxVi1gvUxkow8DH46hsyj5Y1LR4CaEN_L1ue87DjQwbLbOBN8_kuqNeBVt87xG3a4-CNw5mI0pj6qIZgfEHhwc0i634UqIvoU9BZf3yoSll5eQxq-o7s11ttLZnKCY_iTwPUabW5BEO7Zmizlj8Uppa7RvovRatPbQBcpT-lw9s/s5184/IMG_4590.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyESq8M6wuHhiXe1GBjxVi1gvUxkow8DH46hsyj5Y1LR4CaEN_L1ue87DjQwbLbOBN8_kuqNeBVt87xG3a4-CNw5mI0pj6qIZgfEHhwc0i634UqIvoU9BZf3yoSll5eQxq-o7s11ttLZnKCY_iTwPUabW5BEO7Zmizlj8Uppa7RvovRatPbQBcpT-lw9s/w400-h297/IMG_4590.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>So stark in many ways but you never know what you may see. What I didn't see were other people.</b></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ56-tH7HN2uyViXxdGGYor1QLkBxJh_SZd2DTlIOGtqpAIPDzIP9Fx0ujhnOHrI8QyDR692CT_HO7YDWCc5p0A0n0dYOCPqAbl0m3ftMGyOrGGX-w-ePnRFmMHHrN_KJmjM4z8Z2bB3DFSavucxL1ljCumymB4Ue0u9mCmoUAVtP6dcl9sIzyqmmY64Zi/s5184/IMG_4597.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ56-tH7HN2uyViXxdGGYor1QLkBxJh_SZd2DTlIOGtqpAIPDzIP9Fx0ujhnOHrI8QyDR692CT_HO7YDWCc5p0A0n0dYOCPqAbl0m3ftMGyOrGGX-w-ePnRFmMHHrN_KJmjM4z8Z2bB3DFSavucxL1ljCumymB4Ue0u9mCmoUAVtP6dcl9sIzyqmmY64Zi/w400-h300/IMG_4597.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>During this Bear Island outing, I explored some outer fringes for the first time. The dirt road behind Mary’s House Pond just inside the preserve took me to Pinkney Break. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgJT_XP6DgqbCfqZW74At9v5_P9v2YivnqieVC-DTxeRW8z1YWrl466rvZ8XVAQa1LES_Yudh0W-Kd7G6FER4fwcCA3ywXOzIPhs4uFMIfF4m_htmjHMcUlOxdrUY1GZOx21EpQahVGWx2y8l04p1zBFIzz_3SMB4hPxZOHVSe4ljDBXtBhVkDsJG093V/s5184/IMG_4593.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgJT_XP6DgqbCfqZW74At9v5_P9v2YivnqieVC-DTxeRW8z1YWrl466rvZ8XVAQa1LES_Yudh0W-Kd7G6FER4fwcCA3ywXOzIPhs4uFMIfF4m_htmjHMcUlOxdrUY1GZOx21EpQahVGWx2y8l04p1zBFIzz_3SMB4hPxZOHVSe4ljDBXtBhVkDsJG093V/w400-h300/IMG_4593.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I parked at some point (cars are not allowed in many places) and walked until I came to the South Edisto River. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The weather was ideal with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s. Bugs, which can be a nightmare later in the spring and summer, were not too troublesome. To be safe, I carried repellent in my pocket whenever away from the car. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumm1SIwscfagaVKCaI0cL0SuTEgLYWE0lPk9AViY7ITbLGpYvee3MNFUy2wv3ZfPdnOWbV9mXWRIG4SYxGNq0elxjjtE5fhUspodqMnhLOUrrRhHqGKg0ogq_AUg3zFkQuT8HYLTGO4uzhK0vwjfiPwSv2OZjkjyownIuJEou-dvS3FlRWsigoJUyxgYu/s5184/IMG_4591.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumm1SIwscfagaVKCaI0cL0SuTEgLYWE0lPk9AViY7ITbLGpYvee3MNFUy2wv3ZfPdnOWbV9mXWRIG4SYxGNq0elxjjtE5fhUspodqMnhLOUrrRhHqGKg0ogq_AUg3zFkQuT8HYLTGO4uzhK0vwjfiPwSv2OZjkjyownIuJEou-dvS3FlRWsigoJUyxgYu/w400-h300/IMG_4591.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The very back of the reserve is always a good place to explore. Last Day Trunk offers long walking trails going in different directions, all adjoining the old rice fields.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMacHctFXYpEcJCVBK_Rgggx6lejgcCoBJwRPIWQxvO0gWkAhh7BBMjXBs_A7_5f3ZWkPSDGjYvcC8IvQ1G9DTJSLS2_C10k8mNMyGwosgUMFILr0Mu0z7QqjA5zeoHQUCtfs_l2A-tutC0CkfsjWqaX_14eXDgAMOS0Ht-_hn94BRlIDnMByj9CeP6f-/s5184/IMG_4599.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMacHctFXYpEcJCVBK_Rgggx6lejgcCoBJwRPIWQxvO0gWkAhh7BBMjXBs_A7_5f3ZWkPSDGjYvcC8IvQ1G9DTJSLS2_C10k8mNMyGwosgUMFILr0Mu0z7QqjA5zeoHQUCtfs_l2A-tutC0CkfsjWqaX_14eXDgAMOS0Ht-_hn94BRlIDnMByj9CeP6f-/w400-h300/IMG_4599.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhbSKynOOvzgXhWpC-stc_2ls1ls7jGoqGNIYLa7SSa-Ij6tST7noVWOn5C9tFzFL7eVBPpr4xF9mzw3EVwmj7im0bhbd_N7J7R7H0VwzW3QcQb3VCWQrW9o00bm8i5NZKbYEguVHgTVxRwNwpR8HH5giRJYpAPZ0hPdLRDGujMkHZjFExjSUfnvWiY0j/s5184/IMG_4598.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhbSKynOOvzgXhWpC-stc_2ls1ls7jGoqGNIYLa7SSa-Ij6tST7noVWOn5C9tFzFL7eVBPpr4xF9mzw3EVwmj7im0bhbd_N7J7R7H0VwzW3QcQb3VCWQrW9o00bm8i5NZKbYEguVHgTVxRwNwpR8HH5giRJYpAPZ0hPdLRDGujMkHZjFExjSUfnvWiY0j/w400-h300/IMG_4598.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>WARNING: Alligators of all shapes and sizes live here too. The good news is that gators are as afraid of people as much as we are of them. But still, caution must be taken while walking near the waters. Keep your ears and eyes open for these critters. Keep your distance from them, and they’ll do the same. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>If you see little baby gators, they may look cute but their mama may be nearby so be especially careful! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlTYZ34eCt-qd9Crxb4Ug8Q8elLxiFcRqeUTl3Zv6_cT_4D4f5flzXf1iB-UEMaizzlcqRAoC7UQkhoLghSVO3k4AHhAkq_2LM4sQ7ilgglPlEhnSAm3S6v1ekBynBoG0Wqy3evaMd-MR3uKgG36FFRgk0wLOz7ky4MekRs5PWozDmMJv-H9pvvw2qMyG/s4162/IMG_4567.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2745" data-original-width="4162" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlTYZ34eCt-qd9Crxb4Ug8Q8elLxiFcRqeUTl3Zv6_cT_4D4f5flzXf1iB-UEMaizzlcqRAoC7UQkhoLghSVO3k4AHhAkq_2LM4sQ7ilgglPlEhnSAm3S6v1ekBynBoG0Wqy3evaMd-MR3uKgG36FFRgk0wLOz7ky4MekRs5PWozDmMJv-H9pvvw2qMyG/w400-h264/IMG_4567.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Now let’s get into the birds I saw and photographed. <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id">Bald Eagles</a>, the national bird of the United States, were the highlight for sure! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I spotted one flying overhead early in my visit.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKCW3Phs_Tklrvvv62uDz2o3eHR89-1iLXeuk6pUlVKp1yVuGnX867XJaafbJD4ZMvqfwXHB0TEu9_naWdD0ZnIjAzegz9y5WUeOQs5RpLRT9-tO3KzkcHNuEcp4jKs8cxJ24Wjg7u71MYmOP0Fg4_rPVcbEmkRCb-RLVavgkXwpkF8s9HJTCzMGNvHKl/s4142/IMG_4568.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3199" data-original-width="4142" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKCW3Phs_Tklrvvv62uDz2o3eHR89-1iLXeuk6pUlVKp1yVuGnX867XJaafbJD4ZMvqfwXHB0TEu9_naWdD0ZnIjAzegz9y5WUeOQs5RpLRT9-tO3KzkcHNuEcp4jKs8cxJ24Wjg7u71MYmOP0Fg4_rPVcbEmkRCb-RLVavgkXwpkF8s9HJTCzMGNvHKl/w400-h309/IMG_4568.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>It’s never easy, for me anyway, to get a bead on a bird in flight. It’s harder to see through the camera lens than you might think. Maybe I need a better camera and better eyesight as well. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Regardless, I was pleased to get these images. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5cfKer28g_HNASEp5vo2-dyAb050jiEgfGP-AN9JC6ATcF68kl9ff3nPMoIs4M_vIbWMfdd21nqwwheevlBb-aSeTtp7VBowQznaokT9S2s7Lq8fdRKHVw4I4RaJQ9JsnvEGCTx7NyYtb_cpmHHI9uXUXHn95v4DFadiRQBIXIS3QtMCYqNkS7UK43HZ/s5184/IMG_4565.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5cfKer28g_HNASEp5vo2-dyAb050jiEgfGP-AN9JC6ATcF68kl9ff3nPMoIs4M_vIbWMfdd21nqwwheevlBb-aSeTtp7VBowQznaokT9S2s7Lq8fdRKHVw4I4RaJQ9JsnvEGCTx7NyYtb_cpmHHI9uXUXHn95v4DFadiRQBIXIS3QtMCYqNkS7UK43HZ/w400-h300/IMG_4565.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I was excited too when in the Last Day Trunk area a Bald Eagle flew over and then landed on a utility pole. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>More photos to follow! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLSmcNmqQpGZhpH5wcTWD9mbOlbc-svcCrvmIKDVrwGTz0qc8U-bUUw2EFZixSmAuepqpGj_IF-PWUHqyKgGlh2sx6xzALcUim-lQgJARn5j78IxGpIWNHWsx6hdoSeB9c69BMSCzkFjChPniu0r7WeNjrr7A7-GJdfGLopFVGr1eseh-qF70P4PLUW7M/s5184/IMG_4566.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLSmcNmqQpGZhpH5wcTWD9mbOlbc-svcCrvmIKDVrwGTz0qc8U-bUUw2EFZixSmAuepqpGj_IF-PWUHqyKgGlh2sx6xzALcUim-lQgJARn5j78IxGpIWNHWsx6hdoSeB9c69BMSCzkFjChPniu0r7WeNjrr7A7-GJdfGLopFVGr1eseh-qF70P4PLUW7M/w400-h300/IMG_4566.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNl7ROu6RGXkohSvtY61jo8p0tQizoVHJuoXivqCRVFFcuAfBd_dhhC7jkFnp4KM3kVQcebnxOFTgl36DnlaeMKKrQiBSP1SYfkGru6fVmBUTaZtgjpThIhz4WWsDdDJBlWNlEAAkILapDgnKCMLmoLr9yOmCs_yobrJxl_rpY6hDC1Gu90HTIrBBGvFe/s5184/IMG_4564.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNl7ROu6RGXkohSvtY61jo8p0tQizoVHJuoXivqCRVFFcuAfBd_dhhC7jkFnp4KM3kVQcebnxOFTgl36DnlaeMKKrQiBSP1SYfkGru6fVmBUTaZtgjpThIhz4WWsDdDJBlWNlEAAkILapDgnKCMLmoLr9yOmCs_yobrJxl_rpY6hDC1Gu90HTIrBBGvFe/w400-h300/IMG_4564.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEhI8jvV4Cs8IX51TKIIyfeCWw-3uBEtFJ62-wFoZQanfC_jQegZOTrADAQabmanR22zDxrsCAsZ0W5MEUC_Q98hH9SeEAqa8Z7hzpKStWAWaupBlmOo3RiBhwLs7egwUf6LwEkqzyNujPpxFw52WEOSdDRG7lE1EWgBF3S_Nff2hUBHDtR1NvNdBCmZ9/s5184/IMG_4600.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEhI8jvV4Cs8IX51TKIIyfeCWw-3uBEtFJ62-wFoZQanfC_jQegZOTrADAQabmanR22zDxrsCAsZ0W5MEUC_Q98hH9SeEAqa8Z7hzpKStWAWaupBlmOo3RiBhwLs7egwUf6LwEkqzyNujPpxFw52WEOSdDRG7lE1EWgBF3S_Nff2hUBHDtR1NvNdBCmZ9/w300-h400/IMG_4600.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b>Here’s the shot that shows the setting. I wish I had checked the focus and tried to take a few sharper images. But that glorious American Bald Eagle stayed on that pole for several minutes, allowing me to take all the pictures I wanted. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVae-cMnRK8jvjqGTi1pk6ehtuRSB6Mzl2FZPGz_X6PX8qme4fw8n0z8VeZp5Ccz6Ts1RGTZRdxlArRh2_bRkYJNEPlRL9KMftgh8ucNSu2DDjjiubYIk10M2G1WfqHS1jN57_rJXEcO9fKT1nYAirsY1oKjLWealo6xY1EvhE7Nx2BW7d0xJcDcgqdNtX/s5184/IMG_4581.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVae-cMnRK8jvjqGTi1pk6ehtuRSB6Mzl2FZPGz_X6PX8qme4fw8n0z8VeZp5Ccz6Ts1RGTZRdxlArRh2_bRkYJNEPlRL9KMftgh8ucNSu2DDjjiubYIk10M2G1WfqHS1jN57_rJXEcO9fKT1nYAirsY1oKjLWealo6xY1EvhE7Nx2BW7d0xJcDcgqdNtX/w400-h300/IMG_4581.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I’m very familiar with <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-coot">American Coots</a>, having seen them on the water in many places in <a href="https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/">the South Carolina Lowcountry</a>.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>But I’ve never seen so many together in one place.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZUZPxfk88qLfZYfgtIY_GFRrCUKjnnb9Jt0tK7risYIAHOGhpCeW5KGKstDpk4v6aqu6cDQlUP_iMBQG9v3sF5Pp1CfVj9yWS3cOJsFG8nGvWCilPUTUJO9kkT857rm4PCVmPdm8iGml6nM4VHKVKpRc72EKVzwtFz0kruqkUZeE6cCcTvZc6x1rHFUK/s5184/IMG_4582.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZUZPxfk88qLfZYfgtIY_GFRrCUKjnnb9Jt0tK7risYIAHOGhpCeW5KGKstDpk4v6aqu6cDQlUP_iMBQG9v3sF5Pp1CfVj9yWS3cOJsFG8nGvWCilPUTUJO9kkT857rm4PCVmPdm8iGml6nM4VHKVKpRc72EKVzwtFz0kruqkUZeE6cCcTvZc6x1rHFUK/w400-h300/IMG_4582.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I had also not noticed before the red spot at the top of the bill almost between the eyes. It kind of looks like a third eye. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2wC4ac9i-6LWMKjsGdegcx3D-OuLPthzgP-qjTDQRvWm1O-lrWW0y9Z_2GaICr-uX_R5pGeqYtrlegxeBe0pCMgIr7ZV3vB925ihDX2KaTNb6tCcDen0uNGcfkZr7aQtXzC-FP5Vsr6o3914gVgHgSDU1v8qwkRSYrJ1etQ2yvjPVjf3g_4cK85v5sN-/s5184/IMG_4583.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2wC4ac9i-6LWMKjsGdegcx3D-OuLPthzgP-qjTDQRvWm1O-lrWW0y9Z_2GaICr-uX_R5pGeqYtrlegxeBe0pCMgIr7ZV3vB925ihDX2KaTNb6tCcDen0uNGcfkZr7aQtXzC-FP5Vsr6o3914gVgHgSDU1v8qwkRSYrJ1etQ2yvjPVjf3g_4cK85v5sN-/w400-h300/IMG_4583.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Coots have different collective names. One is rafts and another is covers. A third is commotion. This because when gathered they are often very noisy, causing quite a commotion. But this group was quiet perhaps because of the Bald Eagle that was flying around nearby (see my earlier eagle photographs).</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2W1OsJzwLxnG6KT2eWap8d0ccyl8XUNQGYqSowiqMBzgHw88HbRD-YuLQqjJwHQHpVlBTa463ugyvaJz11jsoiGOcvLfu1tKVaOKgkIQIAp2JLUSDp5Dx42LxZ2zmBQ5ntIM1Ub1ny9rh_0MwrGIguHhWTcDwN8_1zxn8APenXbNBdt5Kh0iV7HyTBp_/s5184/IMG_4570.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2W1OsJzwLxnG6KT2eWap8d0ccyl8XUNQGYqSowiqMBzgHw88HbRD-YuLQqjJwHQHpVlBTa463ugyvaJz11jsoiGOcvLfu1tKVaOKgkIQIAp2JLUSDp5Dx42LxZ2zmBQ5ntIM1Ub1ny9rh_0MwrGIguHhWTcDwN8_1zxn8APenXbNBdt5Kh0iV7HyTBp_/w400-h300/IMG_4570.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>One of my favorite images from the day! You see why <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-rumped-warbler">Yellow-rumped Warblers</a> are affectionately called butter butts.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I have been seeing these Warblers a lot in my backyard lately. I guess I was a little surprised to see some in this remote and rugged wilderness.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy5HZxAHjIy5YQUGxglbUi-J9ce-2KErClBmIjMGkzfPfjwZl56cHi4ZdMvPeE9ReW0o-BEQze3uEkaELDFHOS8hIMMUM4kF0bcUviw4Be7ju-5Pexq3qhjfxzxV1eGHLzJHVnL3eLyf6vwneNScOWp9Bd3MpyVomJqo2KRLPhavxrOG6UEcbJi28pBQw/s5184/IMG_4596.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy5HZxAHjIy5YQUGxglbUi-J9ce-2KErClBmIjMGkzfPfjwZl56cHi4ZdMvPeE9ReW0o-BEQze3uEkaELDFHOS8hIMMUM4kF0bcUviw4Be7ju-5Pexq3qhjfxzxV1eGHLzJHVnL3eLyf6vwneNScOWp9Bd3MpyVomJqo2KRLPhavxrOG6UEcbJi28pBQw/w400-h300/IMG_4596.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The <a href="https://www.nwf.org/en/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Birds/Northern-Mockingbird">Northern Mockingbird</a> is another wide-ranging bird. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfOBluk7V5JWQM8H-c5PsNtOpD9mZ-HkEANUzIfTuOyUP-ytJNoUhAtqk9xI-psgNEURBwfRR9SZ1jEnRspOmO3JCj5s_eZgeDry5yx2JvI1l4hlOQPj3U7Q2yrV6Z66ntHmhHqs7Z3Fr23c9iMFAMpiPbdUDWMmgp-E7keQd25FZMVoepApimu5Dva8C/s5184/IMG_7702.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfOBluk7V5JWQM8H-c5PsNtOpD9mZ-HkEANUzIfTuOyUP-ytJNoUhAtqk9xI-psgNEURBwfRR9SZ1jEnRspOmO3JCj5s_eZgeDry5yx2JvI1l4hlOQPj3U7Q2yrV6Z66ntHmhHqs7Z3Fr23c9iMFAMpiPbdUDWMmgp-E7keQd25FZMVoepApimu5Dva8C/w400-h300/IMG_7702.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-winged-blackbird">Red-winged Blackbirds</a> are a common sight here in the ACE Basin. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hZoIZat58SmQ9lLOCDok6ySlui7nXYVP4q0wcwf1zBKpdLgcFz20CfhQyC01ZQZWNy3pNEy7PIXHLntba0zyzBJRv8GK-4gxefrD0XWA86nKdnwc0iLxwfFlYfEPZ0tKBU0bhWKugdQOftAZlVTOMJTtQA0D86_bJi04vaQi1TagIgKxUepYFX2e8ErA/s5184/IMG_4588.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hZoIZat58SmQ9lLOCDok6ySlui7nXYVP4q0wcwf1zBKpdLgcFz20CfhQyC01ZQZWNy3pNEy7PIXHLntba0zyzBJRv8GK-4gxefrD0XWA86nKdnwc0iLxwfFlYfEPZ0tKBU0bhWKugdQOftAZlVTOMJTtQA0D86_bJi04vaQi1TagIgKxUepYFX2e8ErA/w400-h300/IMG_4588.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron">Great Blue Herons</a> do have a great deal of wingspan! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR46wLwyN47h1vAE9spNV9Hcibt_k7hWI88NWCCzDnXOwI1w6jCFwCh_ZautP0_1ePoN7zLm-P8yyQC3-9hWu4UKX2RMs8oEHP_Kl-NgqDkbSwkgvZroWOf5wanPqdH9QFt6mKarbyi6q21dNyAcGH06RjUr5NkUD5Q96XXZ6okSWxFBeWoFL7YSwqri8/s5184/IMG_7803.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR46wLwyN47h1vAE9spNV9Hcibt_k7hWI88NWCCzDnXOwI1w6jCFwCh_ZautP0_1ePoN7zLm-P8yyQC3-9hWu4UKX2RMs8oEHP_Kl-NgqDkbSwkgvZroWOf5wanPqdH9QFt6mKarbyi6q21dNyAcGH06RjUr5NkUD5Q96XXZ6okSWxFBeWoFL7YSwqri8/w400-h300/IMG_7803.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Lots of <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/boat-tailed-grackle">Boat-tailed Grackles</a> around the property today. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJgwry4p2LQYPs-cg-wNJuIl3WDWtZjYLMxVD1u-pirruA75UXwxzghGOtB2XYtHmT2xoDivqSsdUzvCYePYnAQ5Hq8Uge6JD6yCACiJozTXSV_t8oeGojDf6GyHrIkhhsUOlpPDuX_q572AK0kGJv3OC0EM4gAQSDqU0nCRhunmmELaWrFOffXJIfiwD/s5184/IMG_4573.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJgwry4p2LQYPs-cg-wNJuIl3WDWtZjYLMxVD1u-pirruA75UXwxzghGOtB2XYtHmT2xoDivqSsdUzvCYePYnAQ5Hq8Uge6JD6yCACiJozTXSV_t8oeGojDf6GyHrIkhhsUOlpPDuX_q572AK0kGJv3OC0EM4gAQSDqU0nCRhunmmELaWrFOffXJIfiwD/w400-h300/IMG_4573.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Note the blue sheen on this Boat-tailed Grackle. </b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqBgG5AJvD35MUPbiNxntrcpi0kCVJsAX-KFF-E_YWzJRld2ccpgeafZzdS3s0PmjdMqpRJkXR-Jk1cNN62x80tVTF7il8D5Rmy8aB6KkNn0nb_1NLV8gc_uDEQKTNJEZ2OdCYrld8u-AzJNL4K-Jp7g_4AAA8mIMoi4aXjtgVu3wK6PfwEjGafwQFXkg/s5184/IMG_4572.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqBgG5AJvD35MUPbiNxntrcpi0kCVJsAX-KFF-E_YWzJRld2ccpgeafZzdS3s0PmjdMqpRJkXR-Jk1cNN62x80tVTF7il8D5Rmy8aB6KkNn0nb_1NLV8gc_uDEQKTNJEZ2OdCYrld8u-AzJNL4K-Jp7g_4AAA8mIMoi4aXjtgVu3wK6PfwEjGafwQFXkg/w400-h300/IMG_4572.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTjz6C9BnuHIaHUrMRx66phyphenhyphenoFSofj52Z2DLmulOHakJJq_IddH6e4bP2eQZ6xtG5ZaeGV2c7Blx62Sl7zsbqMT6i9iI9gGw_EPttkWfoZkkz1iF2xOqrtIqz3nMkYqlcOXtteGSYM7eGFUa-Ypm3GjhRZIU5JBZdM2UlP_2vQI7BksYQbTzL_8uNFLdV/s5067/IMG_4578.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3800" data-original-width="5067" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTjz6C9BnuHIaHUrMRx66phyphenhyphenoFSofj52Z2DLmulOHakJJq_IddH6e4bP2eQZ6xtG5ZaeGV2c7Blx62Sl7zsbqMT6i9iI9gGw_EPttkWfoZkkz1iF2xOqrtIqz3nMkYqlcOXtteGSYM7eGFUa-Ypm3GjhRZIU5JBZdM2UlP_2vQI7BksYQbTzL_8uNFLdV/w400-h300/IMG_4578.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/forsters-tern">Forster’s Tern</a> taking its turn on this platform. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The close-ups below were taken from the seat of my car. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDFGi7fN6E4bqACkQ1XHb5PAHJxOAt544LXR0ncrQf2AcuwtlNL1VMfb_17WPaesAOduEKaeZoP3CVFATyK8uC5DaXaAjy81XT-mFOb0t7Nhs99gYZqGqrgHc2h98V_wGiNQnN3RUuTAEOyRXyktHL3ZoATVeKrUeoVvrmBcZLD-w8FdlzDWYiBVVeS7W/s5184/IMG_4577.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDFGi7fN6E4bqACkQ1XHb5PAHJxOAt544LXR0ncrQf2AcuwtlNL1VMfb_17WPaesAOduEKaeZoP3CVFATyK8uC5DaXaAjy81XT-mFOb0t7Nhs99gYZqGqrgHc2h98V_wGiNQnN3RUuTAEOyRXyktHL3ZoATVeKrUeoVvrmBcZLD-w8FdlzDWYiBVVeS7W/w400-h300/IMG_4577.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUSh_K9QFtVoBQV7m6lMwqH8RzlvzV_cFAr3xBWJvxc1KQM0z_asrX1174Zpa6lQRi8ciaK4N9l0_5gOSGbl4lA1iXWr_RwM9vFQ9zt6o-iEPAjm_zrDoH7_jlSOMRAU253aumhqeZg7XBFMWwdJ3u11Vs30EiTgbncVz6jypuGuooCLSLIDbbANdanCO/s5184/IMG_4579.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUSh_K9QFtVoBQV7m6lMwqH8RzlvzV_cFAr3xBWJvxc1KQM0z_asrX1174Zpa6lQRi8ciaK4N9l0_5gOSGbl4lA1iXWr_RwM9vFQ9zt6o-iEPAjm_zrDoH7_jlSOMRAU253aumhqeZg7XBFMWwdJ3u11Vs30EiTgbncVz6jypuGuooCLSLIDbbANdanCO/w400-h300/IMG_4579.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkXk_gmGL6VKKi3UzCbkVcrDTHIg-sZnUeGNEkXOqHP5YO5W08x8PuOlcnhk_gK1CDZDHCFUTb6pFOZusO7ptJIZ6zH9JyYbbfBrlMQor9dmnZyVtidDOCgaRFei1jB9TeMJPNbLqV4LdNkKYF_gUDZ_4rPRi7ksLZ7qFeJzbNnqBr5guex3XELOe9OAe/s5184/IMG_4576.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkXk_gmGL6VKKi3UzCbkVcrDTHIg-sZnUeGNEkXOqHP5YO5W08x8PuOlcnhk_gK1CDZDHCFUTb6pFOZusO7ptJIZ6zH9JyYbbfBrlMQor9dmnZyVtidDOCgaRFei1jB9TeMJPNbLqV4LdNkKYF_gUDZ_4rPRi7ksLZ7qFeJzbNnqBr5guex3XELOe9OAe/w400-h300/IMG_4576.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Can you guess what this bird is? </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWhyj_MVqoHgiYQAOwz47uWcJQbx_-UNwFfSxoBNeGRjW4AVv72o8IQt0oKR8IDz669zsBMiVhXVL19R7KLFA4Y3B2TATs3jfjzMFeu2XbA79axpoi0aQPhAbGQjVUnLjXmFqbcVxO9uZYSg4n1e-RGV8uttSDx5zTNRL-U57kITp9GZTg-L32C7_DY62/s4544/IMG_4575.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="4544" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWhyj_MVqoHgiYQAOwz47uWcJQbx_-UNwFfSxoBNeGRjW4AVv72o8IQt0oKR8IDz669zsBMiVhXVL19R7KLFA4Y3B2TATs3jfjzMFeu2XbA79axpoi0aQPhAbGQjVUnLjXmFqbcVxO9uZYSg4n1e-RGV8uttSDx5zTNRL-U57kITp9GZTg-L32C7_DY62/w400-h343/IMG_4575.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Who me? I’m a <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-vulture">Black Vulture</a>. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FBGfhyphenhyphenh1UaVHzut3c0lIwis9n2dposdsEQTQFrvBuWRO5H6kDXl7oqN7kp3LV5knV00T4kxtHYV2_dYahKYJEstEEWhkP5_HM7kaZrzj9wlizbk_PcmTol-ts4mMRpLonusQ0Psnqjaq10UYKY_igTiVfoOZbZjP-qeaB2YNsJGmpRB_in76lin7s7Bv/s5184/IMG_4584.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FBGfhyphenhyphenh1UaVHzut3c0lIwis9n2dposdsEQTQFrvBuWRO5H6kDXl7oqN7kp3LV5knV00T4kxtHYV2_dYahKYJEstEEWhkP5_HM7kaZrzj9wlizbk_PcmTol-ts4mMRpLonusQ0Psnqjaq10UYKY_igTiVfoOZbZjP-qeaB2YNsJGmpRB_in76lin7s7Bv/w400-h300/IMG_4584.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/tricolored-heron">Tricolored Heron</a> on the hunt</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_F4uEcG1x8aK_cRQmsgaef3cpJwRP6-e6vyYBBGGAjIdJjsMR0qzzd7oeh9COX0LBELj50-EoKG_GOfIRMYdFakr0HtIEXTVvJdA5v0F7XKy40HPjtfMPM0L1WB5RL3lJ1eyemTHqxF16JIdLRVUsD8-kt_4AZyCgUSaAjvD3AwTLoJqOV7JhTk2_DZa/s5184/IMG_4617.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_F4uEcG1x8aK_cRQmsgaef3cpJwRP6-e6vyYBBGGAjIdJjsMR0qzzd7oeh9COX0LBELj50-EoKG_GOfIRMYdFakr0HtIEXTVvJdA5v0F7XKy40HPjtfMPM0L1WB5RL3lJ1eyemTHqxF16JIdLRVUsD8-kt_4AZyCgUSaAjvD3AwTLoJqOV7JhTk2_DZa/w400-h300/IMG_4617.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>My bird ID app says these are <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/hooded-merganser">Hooded Mergansers.</a> No males in the group. They stand out for the big white spots on their heads. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/hooded-merganser.html">See my photos in this post. </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtO25E38ExBfx-Rt9DCOHT3M5RMWpse-Ugvli34J7zWbzuIhNpp6mntMA2hfvAdhOZk_yh4DsWkgmodLFyfnYXKs9RUEJIh5jaaRNvKVWgul_4_lyRLj_SxGrg2MVUh9iJBg-ooV4WjeON9YEwrU63Ixu3kZ7N9C0fGpDLWYJmHGi_ZxY8YH-6N-Gqzl4/s5184/IMG_4615.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtO25E38ExBfx-Rt9DCOHT3M5RMWpse-Ugvli34J7zWbzuIhNpp6mntMA2hfvAdhOZk_yh4DsWkgmodLFyfnYXKs9RUEJIh5jaaRNvKVWgul_4_lyRLj_SxGrg2MVUh9iJBg-ooV4WjeON9YEwrU63Ixu3kZ7N9C0fGpDLWYJmHGi_ZxY8YH-6N-Gqzl4/w400-h300/IMG_4615.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>These small ducks are called Hoodies for short. They are migratory fowls that fly south for the winter from Canada and beyond. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudoAhDsyh4hMb-OSiDfmnTWb0BO-pLv8zpRZ0gPywpQoxZvGWGgEhh7jVZm24YjH7LO5m9FsEHvzXhC8yIhma8035poDiPhx6memnEyfakJF636UpYeAAWDPpuGmkrmClJnmCzep5p40dOgrL8-AdReFkA9Avy5weyPJ-ZfaPs19Ww10yMD0nm4k4pRLT/s5184/IMG_4616.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudoAhDsyh4hMb-OSiDfmnTWb0BO-pLv8zpRZ0gPywpQoxZvGWGgEhh7jVZm24YjH7LO5m9FsEHvzXhC8yIhma8035poDiPhx6memnEyfakJF636UpYeAAWDPpuGmkrmClJnmCzep5p40dOgrL8-AdReFkA9Avy5weyPJ-ZfaPs19Ww10yMD0nm4k4pRLT/w400-h300/IMG_4616.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>It was a eeally good day for me and my trusty steed.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmghQdBUmDVD6mWfZVFGCK2Qio8m6vaRGveyQ5t_DIlJ_JEuWZyvd_1kmM_qy5tniDsTcphSjcwpqCZApXxgSPEac3ZgibpsyzUhBH_088BaDV0Kfq-r_1DxYfqVzEipobSg9z7roWmM88ONfJeRYY4DMjU24bqTssXOrc9AmLkgc1aXYemlkaBT-qf1p/s4032/IMG_4618.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmghQdBUmDVD6mWfZVFGCK2Qio8m6vaRGveyQ5t_DIlJ_JEuWZyvd_1kmM_qy5tniDsTcphSjcwpqCZApXxgSPEac3ZgibpsyzUhBH_088BaDV0Kfq-r_1DxYfqVzEipobSg9z7roWmM88ONfJeRYY4DMjU24bqTssXOrc9AmLkgc1aXYemlkaBT-qf1p/w400-h300/IMG_4618.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I hope to return in the spring to another of these wildlife management areas. Good for the mind and heart! </b></div><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1pMnBM_Hbz4AKY9dRMwGMVgg94zLfb4WconhFcw1x4GOG9O8EgI481KJv6CX8D2GnyUhIFoZbnESo9Z5Qaxh3O5Ypph-r8ELIxqspJQiR5lVxCBw68Rh_BkfbPGw0JYrwjo2ICV0mvLXnL2QrJIOREoG-LuEu1H6NUbEGfgyF6Vf0fjAAicPVRWPsTd9/s4544/IMG_4575.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1pMnBM_Hbz4AKY9dRMwGMVgg94zLfb4WconhFcw1x4GOG9O8EgI481KJv6CX8D2GnyUhIFoZbnESo9Z5Qaxh3O5Ypph-r8ELIxqspJQiR5lVxCBw68Rh_BkfbPGw0JYrwjo2ICV0mvLXnL2QrJIOREoG-LuEu1H6NUbEGfgyF6Vf0fjAAicPVRWPsTd9/s4544/IMG_4575.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1pMnBM_Hbz4AKY9dRMwGMVgg94zLfb4WconhFcw1x4GOG9O8EgI481KJv6CX8D2GnyUhIFoZbnESo9Z5Qaxh3O5Ypph-r8ELIxqspJQiR5lVxCBw68Rh_BkfbPGw0JYrwjo2ICV0mvLXnL2QrJIOREoG-LuEu1H6NUbEGfgyF6Vf0fjAAicPVRWPsTd9/s4544/IMG_4575.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><b><br /><br /><br /><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-75999748605207755852024-03-03T11:07:00.007-05:002024-03-06T16:25:41.813-05:00Recent Camera Captures<p> <span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2024/01/feeder-camera-fun.html">Christmas gift camera feeder</a> continues to be a hit attracting a variety of birds but also an unwelcome squirrel (keep reading). This post features some of the recent activity with 20-second video clips.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzgwrLCtWHGA8_hTRccWGKQDrZSt33vCVLkuq-RgCibX3YAfPGAD7dh_ua31tZ8S_e2ezHvM0YohdqWmiZVPQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/id">Yellow-rumped Warbler</a> <br />(aka butter Butt for the splash of yellow it shows from behind on its behind lol)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxJq_SohrKJq1NwFeaX7v-pKFdozIo-2_3iUyAADvtXkS0Z9QyiWvh2BUoRPTMoUZ1LSUzEI4wHhGDKQvjNcg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://abcbirds.org/bird/tufted-titmouse/">Tufted Titmouse</a><br />(easily recognizable for its "jaunty crest of gray feathers, big black eyes and rust-colored flanks" per the above website)</b></div></b></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwOkyV1okkE-6zvMsQhAX421FSMwKkW9lblSbMEyD1p5bePoKQglOoqYPvGP_1kJPCtmyGwdCPc0uWxhsNCUw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://abcbirds.org/bird/ruby-crowned-kinglet/">Ruby-crowned Kinglet</a><br />(one of North America's smallest songbirds)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><br /></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgoGma4uBZGm4wK1S6DR0qGIPbhxRNqJ81q8fm502OEQcsESNj2MJukQFILNTGLUwddO9wdxW_1iWM_rxjnw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/how-tell-carolina-black-capped-chickadee">Carolina Chickadee </a><br />("ever perky, smartly dressed in black and white"- see the above site for how the Carolina Checkadee's call is slightly different than that of the Black-capped Chickadee)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwxBTLxQ3ydKGh37vP4yfZ14uKYK0zr-DnqEyj10iKGcqyCGZiQdwfPM43y9MXR3TPIAcCzTLrtithd3O0BJg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/carolina-wren">Carolina Wren</a><br />(the state bird of South Carolina)</b><br /><b><br /></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylv2Yrm-GXZ_0EEmkSs8me9kMZR8rrh1IPgauaNFsMIAHcRW4jkw1lJMhUmrAj0MmaPh_vehJhL6NM2OEndQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/brown-headed-cowbird">Brown-headed Cowbirds</a> (male and female)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(not the most popular birds on the block because they like to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwHCHZhhzNDCe8cam2CRYllKmkKFAF3iYpB5yFn2tpKcnKEu19Qlodts71PQVq1BYLQSquDlLJgtBugmRPvKA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b> <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/chipping-sparrow">Chipping Sparrow</a>…briefly then a female Baltimore Oriole…then a male Oriole </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(A Chipping Sparrow has a chestnut cap, white eyebrow, black eyeliner)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy7u1U6StwtcpGY3nQrezRCNkIPbgDzx04-K0VLH50A1bpGhLy-9Cq-TKVu874QIs78hPHeU2XJT1c_Stix6A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Watch as a <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-rumped-warbler">Yellow-rumped Warbler</a> (YRW for short) enjoys the food until…</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7oYAznozIG3InB4XazmJsmp-_s4SFfjgKPiqkj-Ej_08t_PgRaqnOKkW3LtqJ4B_oYPauKa8LwEP4Eg7-pg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b>I like how this female <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/baltimore-oriole">Baltimore Oriole</a> is checking out everything. No rush, no hurry. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>("one of the most brilliantly colored songbirds in the East, flaming orange and black, sharing the heraldic colors of 17th-century Lord Baltimore" who is credited with founding Baltimore, Maryland)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzis71tXFUL0TRr_sNeS3BBIj2BHlQwQ5u7dOMTUAePmuZLQ6WQLvBg1z5dq0cKR88YOpRHWmWBeOwdW0WYhQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b>This is a male Oriole who is a regular patron of my grape jelly. I call him Bandy Randy because of the different colored tracking bands on each leg. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzyr5t9U8CSsChZIFBG1JBWEOnsl5hNkUq-YRP9Hz-MZSJ__sAG-vQSY_YKoRw-fFgsHWpAuwzQQNBcii5D7w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b>The sunlight on BR (Bandy Randy) is really good in this clip. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwa8dD8BtCZMYIyyEOlRlsAJWdwVJ5BiSrQwICmFndtUAGnySTjRHH2HYlugYJtCA3-Va-XbvJuH_rVCmyTDg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">Rainy Days! The jelly is liquified.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxBOUfTiaFwF5umrBu0IgHoRBDUVloayvBys_ZlYdDzuSFYqVlDRDUzN43DIVsNPYxhNDJb2O9uwPbMAk-JMQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I continue to do battle with pesky squirrels <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel">Eastern Gray Squirrels</a> to be specific. Despite the barbed wire surrounding the pole, this one still got up to the food. To counter this annoyance, I moved the round baffle from one feeder system to the other. </b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YtL1tely6WVuOOr_ewPrmb2-QwD1tnqi08SK_pESm6UJeGSCGU6UuSQxfV2Z_cxMJD9dcJAlKOFPfjUKq1nG9J069gOCC6twMzgoRCLUEZp1VLk9deGchwGE0QmCMXa64dkZhOsMebYa6DfiRh_j2RoYhZKJP9YxirypitmYFBihM_3B_2Lk5U6sscLN/s4032/IMG_4502.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YtL1tely6WVuOOr_ewPrmb2-QwD1tnqi08SK_pESm6UJeGSCGU6UuSQxfV2Z_cxMJD9dcJAlKOFPfjUKq1nG9J069gOCC6twMzgoRCLUEZp1VLk9deGchwGE0QmCMXa64dkZhOsMebYa6DfiRh_j2RoYhZKJP9YxirypitmYFBihM_3B_2Lk5U6sscLN/w300-h400/IMG_4502.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I have on order from Amazon another of the cone-shaped baffles to protect the other feeder.</b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Below you see the camera doing its job, recording me as I took the photo on the left. <br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpA2ZiWh3yoc1XyPCPFcJf1EBpuKUP-tSoHsmUppS9OF1Tn-6HiwwXutZ2-Sw0zFy1RnFAGrAgbk6l8xU9vIEl7TQt9Nq25CiZqc-FSqy5RZu8M_0ck6krs5GkBHaWtcV8kJpqeHn91GgVCMIpR0lnSaX4hR9CIyYGkKSxfQNHFc-R2DeFfVjdD_pz52JS/s1347/IMG_4509.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1347" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpA2ZiWh3yoc1XyPCPFcJf1EBpuKUP-tSoHsmUppS9OF1Tn-6HiwwXutZ2-Sw0zFy1RnFAGrAgbk6l8xU9vIEl7TQt9Nq25CiZqc-FSqy5RZu8M_0ck6krs5GkBHaWtcV8kJpqeHn91GgVCMIpR0lnSaX4hR9CIyYGkKSxfQNHFc-R2DeFfVjdD_pz52JS/w400-h319/IMG_4509.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5OgeFAiAlSFT1zvUTL_QrZYRfJq5cvwjvH9EKWZvQfwEOJC4d0oYx1-gmu3i32rXZx3KvBO-jmatXSSpZycvwxRG9tkH5G6A2qVU7ZcLS2bsXfnfCguyPuhUfZLot4ExHQ0lA7BkIYeu-_XQ7v6PKLOdIX3asNrjGFj40F0YY7wDFBSpwsh4p6gIleTy/s4032/IMG_4502.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-37844463682932535572024-02-23T08:44:00.001-05:002024-02-23T09:54:40.973-05:00Beautiful Baltimore Oriole<p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I took these photos last week from my upstairs “bird blind.” There’s a small window in our master bath that winds open enough for me to give my camera lens a clear view of the nearby trees and the bird feeders below. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrJXsEbsEPTYKPMlMu6r2eHAvKIGs1IVnqHgSKrRQMXXjCJUfxOfL-WTJh-1snJJjxP9rEzaSB_FG83a1-H-ZH0hXB1y4JHdCxH8x63GAcBUeVri3npUMgGguYs_xDQl_nS2MXyKLBf2sb1sUScbTV_J1T3sYy6GKCu2k61ueaepkd_qbH37SaeUQaMUJ/s4096/F5FFA2D3-EE4E-483D-BBCA-383D26201F48.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrJXsEbsEPTYKPMlMu6r2eHAvKIGs1IVnqHgSKrRQMXXjCJUfxOfL-WTJh-1snJJjxP9rEzaSB_FG83a1-H-ZH0hXB1y4JHdCxH8x63GAcBUeVri3npUMgGguYs_xDQl_nS2MXyKLBf2sb1sUScbTV_J1T3sYy6GKCu2k61ueaepkd_qbH37SaeUQaMUJ/w400-h300/F5FFA2D3-EE4E-483D-BBCA-383D26201F48.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Male and female Orioles are still coming regularly to my Christmas gift camera feeder. This bird really loves jelly, especially grape jelly. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2024/01/feeder-camera-fun.html">See this recent post about the cool camera feeder.</a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2PUOVVF4tDp4WqXjYZHAeyXhAtDhxvd7ezR4HKeDDM3JU8f0T2H1-OZ-gAY10nFIGvUDc-R1fabOIT5G3lwqGIo9fOgoq3igRxA4yfq_8QmWVi9L9jSl0vbVEJyp5pg13yrGO8-njVOrwCXwuAfn1tfLPuKWAZVfqptx94Rlj47FjvmYrI-zJ_Bazhjw/s4096/D6428A49-562E-4CB0-AAB0-9514323DCA0F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2PUOVVF4tDp4WqXjYZHAeyXhAtDhxvd7ezR4HKeDDM3JU8f0T2H1-OZ-gAY10nFIGvUDc-R1fabOIT5G3lwqGIo9fOgoq3igRxA4yfq_8QmWVi9L9jSl0vbVEJyp5pg13yrGO8-njVOrwCXwuAfn1tfLPuKWAZVfqptx94Rlj47FjvmYrI-zJ_Bazhjw/w400-h300/D6428A49-562E-4CB0-AAB0-9514323DCA0F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd74ILyWXlLzZ7sVOPN_Szxr4XCspW76Lpi2QlYyYTboCiLLQD6yi8AKHI40L11pYl1Nen9t0yCgl0cAI6GubTr3-xTPQDjlmAIPt7t8tJEfl8O8hxd9tuOFUWfiN2FosVXh7I-yTvtr4ybkTlFZrbinGWDfL02whyphenhyphenOjVzGH7fn3VKz4YBBIJeGoq4LEzI/s4096/B88F97E6-D8B0-4424-8598-E3D3CB0794D6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd74ILyWXlLzZ7sVOPN_Szxr4XCspW76Lpi2QlYyYTboCiLLQD6yi8AKHI40L11pYl1Nen9t0yCgl0cAI6GubTr3-xTPQDjlmAIPt7t8tJEfl8O8hxd9tuOFUWfiN2FosVXh7I-yTvtr4ybkTlFZrbinGWDfL02whyphenhyphenOjVzGH7fn3VKz4YBBIJeGoq4LEzI/w400-h300/B88F97E6-D8B0-4424-8598-E3D3CB0794D6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru4jAfngT8llpyhgnvUcKMIRZLJtYnbahRPkgv_BFkoCFUJmU3-VlZrtfCtQnyNBh_gOFMq1cn6wR3KGmeF44wdMaw0tfzYKuxJzRGiscDTbdI2rAikxG4NHTIfiVyRwwG1YrAsNdBGISYvgGzKTYDXEoeedauexCr9tirGkDUPNv8FrP61o6dZ9sdw2U/s4096/BB6437F9-5D40-49F1-ADC7-5E6F89FC80CE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru4jAfngT8llpyhgnvUcKMIRZLJtYnbahRPkgv_BFkoCFUJmU3-VlZrtfCtQnyNBh_gOFMq1cn6wR3KGmeF44wdMaw0tfzYKuxJzRGiscDTbdI2rAikxG4NHTIfiVyRwwG1YrAsNdBGISYvgGzKTYDXEoeedauexCr9tirGkDUPNv8FrP61o6dZ9sdw2U/w400-h300/BB6437F9-5D40-49F1-ADC7-5E6F89FC80CE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfeGpUblYqPtgXWmJyWBHFqDSowQX1FjoLzhIHJLQWrU5W-vooA_JAFMSu8TJB0CssZaXwgUmYfRWo0wwJJcyqgTBMoRtJoGoY3aMAPnleErQaM1b5uGjV6y1tggnH-5uF4zKy1wYbgfgCMZS04iH8Ln4zjWKYvwrTnxbJiFAPkjc-4ZxvndOoGoIE5Oo/s4096/A5501670-DBE3-48E9-B1F5-2F1FA3F78430.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfeGpUblYqPtgXWmJyWBHFqDSowQX1FjoLzhIHJLQWrU5W-vooA_JAFMSu8TJB0CssZaXwgUmYfRWo0wwJJcyqgTBMoRtJoGoY3aMAPnleErQaM1b5uGjV6y1tggnH-5uF4zKy1wYbgfgCMZS04iH8Ln4zjWKYvwrTnxbJiFAPkjc-4ZxvndOoGoIE5Oo/w400-h300/A5501670-DBE3-48E9-B1F5-2F1FA3F78430.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-85820077789487577282024-02-12T11:06:00.008-05:002024-02-13T18:28:59.776-05:00New Fossil Find Could be Millions of Years Old! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir81oW6mE70yKYuAKU5PTVN8UVBT122uWoFaeav-T9GU9ddhzelUCJl8dHyW3tDQaIu1VCjewiMOwp2ex84J1xH0M64ZBToVQbNByyAihdShyHtDSV50hNYQMW3FKfuf0nLRZzetx8Wb1Jd2fxG2rJI3QvuxLwjSMuDzLymo9KXpeilPdg8Hlgai6py2mG/s4032/483F32AB-1650-4381-8495-7ADE8EDBC1B8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir81oW6mE70yKYuAKU5PTVN8UVBT122uWoFaeav-T9GU9ddhzelUCJl8dHyW3tDQaIu1VCjewiMOwp2ex84J1xH0M64ZBToVQbNByyAihdShyHtDSV50hNYQMW3FKfuf0nLRZzetx8Wb1Jd2fxG2rJI3QvuxLwjSMuDzLymo9KXpeilPdg8Hlgai6py2mG/w300-h400/483F32AB-1650-4381-8495-7ADE8EDBC1B8.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Wow! What a find! There’s a new townhouse development going up just down Dorchester Road from us. From experience I know that when ground around here is dug up on a large scale there may be fossils to be found.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLNVTIoYAnVJ0Jk4zyAfuKYKQH7DETAmoZy6Hgk9a08ZTkaC0gzaobG9Lb1bZWuYxLEmR_nCE9PEyWqrnoeAQ8TurERYbjluOR0mUrc9L9w_b5hqtiy1Dsur3R8umQJoi6igvQreXv5ernnGl9vrsbKCvq_1U7QiLkSoBjj9Nd02GPNiW2CUOXVqcE6Oo/s4032/15F8735F-7C86-4457-BC7B-16AD2B44F383.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLNVTIoYAnVJ0Jk4zyAfuKYKQH7DETAmoZy6Hgk9a08ZTkaC0gzaobG9Lb1bZWuYxLEmR_nCE9PEyWqrnoeAQ8TurERYbjluOR0mUrc9L9w_b5hqtiy1Dsur3R8umQJoi6igvQreXv5ernnGl9vrsbKCvq_1U7QiLkSoBjj9Nd02GPNiW2CUOXVqcE6Oo/w300-h400/15F8735F-7C86-4457-BC7B-16AD2B44F383.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Two Sundays ago we went over and walked around. When I spotted this smallish sandy area at the work site, I paused to give a close look. Lo and behold this round protruding object caught my eye. I knew immediately that it is a shark vertebrae. This one is about an inch and half wide. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I have found a number of shark teeth and vertebrae before over the years in a few miles radius from where I live. Hard to believe, but the South Carolina Lowcountry was under water (today’s Atlantic Ocean) as far west as Columbia, S.C. millions and millions of years ago. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.buriedtreasurefossils.com/index.php/shop-by-sharktooth-locality/morocco/shark-vertebrae.html#:~:text=Finding%20fossilized%20shark%20vertebrae%20is,50%20million%20years%20ago).">People sell shark teeth and vertebrae online! </a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgin6IqueMsf4TF4bhk4MmlCiBQC0vPEgDQUkUJuBxEpTCHXPCEGXpkqeKW-PA3nGiArfmDjxJIfQN3DCZeSZtxUO_njHo32xU5GagsbhYEjKlYjE1OWocp7b8iT2aHVEnt-_qlVk4x92ajf9y0ZQXEZCn54E0g6oDQu13iK6hMXnexYqC_twB4Opy2PLxy" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgin6IqueMsf4TF4bhk4MmlCiBQC0vPEgDQUkUJuBxEpTCHXPCEGXpkqeKW-PA3nGiArfmDjxJIfQN3DCZeSZtxUO_njHo32xU5GagsbhYEjKlYjE1OWocp7b8iT2aHVEnt-_qlVk4x92ajf9y0ZQXEZCn54E0g6oDQu13iK6hMXnexYqC_twB4Opy2PLxy=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br />My most recent fossil find before the vertebrae was in the nearby Wescott community in November 2022. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2022/11/fine-fossil-find.html">See more about this shark’s tooth here.</a> The post also includes a photo of my fossil collection. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>How old are these shark fossils? Well, the age range is 10,000 years to 75 million years old! <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/an-experts-guide-to-finding-shark-teeth/">So says this article.</a><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt_iA1Pmf-moErM4oj16YPBGmgaSRBkcAZZhJqphoOkHZW0lR6ej-6dzV_V_Rdd94Gtq7a2cEzY08CosuxtrAE5T81wYyfzVm8NxjNsr4TQTBfbZMSs9rVn1HEd1VgEkIVo1qVSmT2ni1fHRlk2HmpA0ugE7Vxzl8ri-aub8rQozQwxsp-jYjQ_55Ypf1/s4032/458E8A7B-972C-4E77-9758-D1836B0994A7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt_iA1Pmf-moErM4oj16YPBGmgaSRBkcAZZhJqphoOkHZW0lR6ej-6dzV_V_Rdd94Gtq7a2cEzY08CosuxtrAE5T81wYyfzVm8NxjNsr4TQTBfbZMSs9rVn1HEd1VgEkIVo1qVSmT2ni1fHRlk2HmpA0ugE7Vxzl8ri-aub8rQozQwxsp-jYjQ_55Ypf1/w400-h300/458E8A7B-972C-4E77-9758-D1836B0994A7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Last Sunday was another clear dry day so I went back to the construction site, thinking where there’s one fossil there’s bound to be more. I’m sure there are but just a week later the spot where I found the vertebrae had been covered with a layer of new dirt. I walked extensively around the large site but had no luck. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSp5vAetZhRMwoGyJwX762A-hpwRyJ3Qhoaq2vi0DNAbF2xI21JmTAvqOg3OfW_W1EH-zzOgYZKv5trNbM5eYt0K15EkkMr7mc4BcCu87V6X2DVbpKjiL9BTxlg1yNsHPw2j9ikNGvW2tdWupcIulBVSDK6I0GvASDqOdiap9zN_Gwys88Tnky5W4ZV8A/s4032/40DEE16E-F305-4D65-99E3-3E66267A0827.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSp5vAetZhRMwoGyJwX762A-hpwRyJ3Qhoaq2vi0DNAbF2xI21JmTAvqOg3OfW_W1EH-zzOgYZKv5trNbM5eYt0K15EkkMr7mc4BcCu87V6X2DVbpKjiL9BTxlg1yNsHPw2j9ikNGvW2tdWupcIulBVSDK6I0GvASDqOdiap9zN_Gwys88Tnky5W4ZV8A/w300-h400/40DEE16E-F305-4D65-99E3-3E66267A0827.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br />I did come home with this chunk of rock that is embedded with a few small shells, fossilized I reckon. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBdS0k1K9eBLW4BSSMcH1kt5vl79LPrnjHYJXVWkdq95dixFgcwSW5lOWdYu2L1ZGJcb-K7xU5wP96Jp0_8AmhU5UzVm7PVu15nF6-QxYl1V9nlNADAMal44F82VwiAuMzuBO5mIzlRJPXzDGqMtJwcgRivt85f_fURy8EvkeesPdhyphenhyphenXiM7Ytr_hUp4YA/s4032/98EE4E99-B12A-487E-8671-EA93AB4CFEB5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBdS0k1K9eBLW4BSSMcH1kt5vl79LPrnjHYJXVWkdq95dixFgcwSW5lOWdYu2L1ZGJcb-K7xU5wP96Jp0_8AmhU5UzVm7PVu15nF6-QxYl1V9nlNADAMal44F82VwiAuMzuBO5mIzlRJPXzDGqMtJwcgRivt85f_fURy8EvkeesPdhyphenhyphenXiM7Ytr_hUp4YA/w300-h400/98EE4E99-B12A-487E-8671-EA93AB4CFEB5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>A new keepsake…a unique new paperweight if nothing else.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NmbfG9dX1hAQCkJGcYV_oVUkDMCeRd5zhnXkmS3Q13TmlFGUuJ1Me58BikAOew6l9T_69t91Do523T1q-53ltAgcNwIsHTzZ0IVS10rJxYk2VzDVVx1_C-jRpNhENFJcNft2hBJf-Sqgoa3fDk-DwVhJMd7yV7MFnycvaUYgiS0RDMWm1ve5DfQJJj5W/s4032/Hawk%20Feb%202024.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NmbfG9dX1hAQCkJGcYV_oVUkDMCeRd5zhnXkmS3Q13TmlFGUuJ1Me58BikAOew6l9T_69t91Do523T1q-53ltAgcNwIsHTzZ0IVS10rJxYk2VzDVVx1_C-jRpNhENFJcNft2hBJf-Sqgoa3fDk-DwVhJMd7yV7MFnycvaUYgiS0RDMWm1ve5DfQJJj5W/w300-h400/Hawk%20Feb%202024.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This outing did include a bird encounter. Unfortunately, I left my DSLR at home. With my iPhone I did get this image of a hawk, possibly a Red-shouldered one. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Look closely at this image. The Hawk is perched on the thin branch above the heavy equipment. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQSlL1Uu61W-f1robtWqXJSqGeRAzyBoDHuR3s6rFidYe9gidhBTTvus8HSpmgncCez7iWh1Xx4qkSIJCCLpYjXkHU-nBF-_K3_QehjLr9dwRUxvr3dyCfiqssfnYI4CVZeeuZ6yrivGlJYqyKKkp6dCG32OoiYtC177zwFt9AmnBAaDjHG6aVnz3cq_e/s4032/Hawk%202%20Feb%202024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQSlL1Uu61W-f1robtWqXJSqGeRAzyBoDHuR3s6rFidYe9gidhBTTvus8HSpmgncCez7iWh1Xx4qkSIJCCLpYjXkHU-nBF-_K3_QehjLr9dwRUxvr3dyCfiqssfnYI4CVZeeuZ6yrivGlJYqyKKkp6dCG32OoiYtC177zwFt9AmnBAaDjHG6aVnz3cq_e/w300-h400/Hawk%202%20Feb%202024.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here's a better view. When I first arrived at the site, I think I surprised the hawk. It was on something behind a port-a-potty and flew up to this branch as I came forward. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xG4APdPsqPrwbqWhb7UCEsQQSYQm0GXPsAH5YTPy6GVPJcKwHy2NGOsVlRXOVWHlRGNQDwKo-JT6DeerGPF3tG1mSIxAOhmGXnKb2ZGmZ5A1XDF8_5zcPSHzISTpKhsJwy92Ot4QMhBWDm5E-TAx8XBgnV-skEGgDRvEpKLzRLxigfSin-vsfIpZy0NT/s4032/Hawk%20flying%20Feb%202024.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xG4APdPsqPrwbqWhb7UCEsQQSYQm0GXPsAH5YTPy6GVPJcKwHy2NGOsVlRXOVWHlRGNQDwKo-JT6DeerGPF3tG1mSIxAOhmGXnKb2ZGmZ5A1XDF8_5zcPSHzISTpKhsJwy92Ot4QMhBWDm5E-TAx8XBgnV-skEGgDRvEpKLzRLxigfSin-vsfIpZy0NT/w300-h400/Hawk%20flying%20Feb%202024.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Bye bye birdie! </b></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-18928904322451243292024-01-26T08:41:00.025-05:002024-02-06T09:40:08.123-05:00Camera Bird Feeder Fun! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqW5fEOJrRndmFH73j2gkLdbqMqqWVXUKXn4dCLHyP2mY3G3hZXTiWSiWivxnNL_J-ddfJdlKimhyOBCrAuAcCLLo51TqHtl1DXT3qr8Ta6VNTwThbo-HWgcKR9dakPwXciKS8L5-9AbT2lkE5m4qOyRgnqYHfOkQmXl-4n-rSSX7HbZIPfKng8dMu2Ja/s4096/ADD32B68-7054-48B4-8631-9E792597459F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqW5fEOJrRndmFH73j2gkLdbqMqqWVXUKXn4dCLHyP2mY3G3hZXTiWSiWivxnNL_J-ddfJdlKimhyOBCrAuAcCLLo51TqHtl1DXT3qr8Ta6VNTwThbo-HWgcKR9dakPwXciKS8L5-9AbT2lkE5m4qOyRgnqYHfOkQmXl-4n-rSSX7HbZIPfKng8dMu2Ja/w400-h300/ADD32B68-7054-48B4-8631-9E792597459F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>A surprise Christmas gift (thank you Joseph and Tamy!) has added a new dimension to my birding hobby. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">It’s a bird feeder with a built-in camera that takes video or still shots. It is designed to be mounted on a tree but my immediate thought was how easy it would be for squirrels to get into it and eat all of the seed. </b><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b60WYsp4J9kejeFwM6TwfDYftQa1r_-E4PKUDV4KX5UFDaBO4k3vH73bD-Wwq7M8ZnZbcJRSWvICqd_Yf-kCd8OGUQIp_6uzOPGK3-PLbcWICs6FRRioswz3OaeotXSST7W5c4wOUoi4_ShcvJUvtZBSPVBlzEsK_Ml3zoGsmGpoTJDdgzpbTGN94R1a/s4096/A5713327-6FBC-4654-9587-D25C0DEC3186.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b60WYsp4J9kejeFwM6TwfDYftQa1r_-E4PKUDV4KX5UFDaBO4k3vH73bD-Wwq7M8ZnZbcJRSWvICqd_Yf-kCd8OGUQIp_6uzOPGK3-PLbcWICs6FRRioswz3OaeotXSST7W5c4wOUoi4_ShcvJUvtZBSPVBlzEsK_Ml3zoGsmGpoTJDdgzpbTGN94R1a/w400-h300/A5713327-6FBC-4654-9587-D25C0DEC3186.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">I'm really liking the features and quality of this camera feeder, my first. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/160%C2%B0Wide-Activated-Waterproof-Wireless-Identify/dp/B0BVRDCCGV/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2Z2EOQ69KT81W&keywords=bird%2Bcamera%2Bfeeder&qid=1706115196&sprefix=bird%2Bcamera%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1">Here's a link to it on Amazon. </a></b><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Instead of affixing it to a tree, I found a way to firmly attach it to this hanging basket stand that has long been in our backyard. Fits in nicely don’t you think? </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgawvDFLW_--VjZ4uJUOhIB2sa4ppc9Fi5_N3RAGCJLMTfUUxCGLHX_4_3HyJTHh7Hu_OIvOtAGcrRZPMbXQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>After charging the camera battery and putting the app on my iPad (and iPhone) soon enough there were visits from a few bird types, particularly Black-headed Cowbirds, Carolina Chickadees and Chipping Sparrows. I had been recently seeing <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/overview">Baltimore Orioles</a> at my other feeders. Knowing <a href="https://www.therockpile.com/2016/05/01/feeding-orioles/">their love of grape jelly,</a> I placed a dish of jelly in the tray with the seed. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>In the background right is my long-time main bird feeder set up with its buffet of seed, suet, butter bark, jelly and more. Those feeders stay busy year round. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz4d4iAqcivdfRjCm_HoDPuPARoDV2cW1ENvAt3YYFv7p_cqYcVfZ9spGpKaPhKwzKFUlROcSd9ZOy_sADjGw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Soon the jelly was in belly after belly of beautiful male and female Orioles! Some of them are banded. Look at the legs. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I'm impressed with the video quality. It's especially good in the morning on sunny days. There is sound but it's only of so-so quality. </b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwjMvBPZics31_hfrCIqFU7ey4AoGSxghwLhWrVsLDo7iR78pvl1H8GH_7DmJVMg4-LMfj1jknMtoTC1V9s6w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I’m calling this one Bandy Randy for his two bands on each leg. Birds have long been tagged, going all the way back to the naturalist and artist <a href="https://www.audubon.org/content/john-james-audubon">John J. Audubon</a>. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Bandy Randy was back today (Jan. 27). </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIhu8cv2ae0X475QFEiSGlNXQqlzUsBfZxEyep6fQOyiFUlDR9c9B1R_b3TRMuhY5zsnZ_sYtwe-l2ebEBZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.usgs.gov/labs/bird-banding-laboratory/science/why-do-we-band-birds">According to this U.S. Geological Survey site,</a> "i</b></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(23, 23, 23); color: #171717; font-family: Patrick Hand SC; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>ndividual identification of birds makes possible studies of dispersal and migration, behavior, and social structure, life-span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth." </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Watch quickly this next clip to see three Orioles in the 20-second video. </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx-O3H873Zqng0c8FOGYTxvVlrJqtWKvFBEfwUJkQPtIiXURLogt613tBdgjtZciR-vk2O3rZ6dkQnMIJaH9Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Next is a male Oriole that is not banded. He looks a bit wary that he has all this jelly to himself.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5VPJ3Odog4sINOUIIosoWTmS8ldSx9hFMpEDYSuwlrDjcFrdjD8ZslngBIc1lftRukQ31rAIFwwsMFdUG7w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><br /></b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This Baltimore Oriole has something going on with the black spots on his or her head and neck. I first thought this a female with a disease or birth marks. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6reB0SeK0w9_6pKBp8ACroEn8yQievCq7LM2rkPxdz1Iy5QBL7E0ZMo46VGQQvVyJlld-RqZMSFkLRSbyVg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Sharing the jelly doesn’t seem to be an option!</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw_Lk2sQWfoEQ2MrG2AIduEMnFny2NXDf0uXwo_kQ5vTP-FepdY4yysLYDIoOiaqa3vpjZYn3qXWB6Fdc-kKw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I’ve tried researching the black marks did not find anything that might explain. Until…</b></span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIkugIpJavwAuvREZCwk9Ln_L5bFcjIXN5LdKyd9Fm-nMwsnX282oyTyBlIyul0mv8f4WUuIRNiCYg001WKQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> I shared a clip of this spotted Oriole on the Facebook site Carolina Bird Photo Sharing Group. I received a few informed responses. The consensus is that this may be a youngster still developing the full grown male’s beautiful color palette. Someone else who has had Orioles caught and banded on his property said it is "virtually impossible" to differentiate between a juvenile Baltimore Oriole and an adult female. </b></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxmMotnq9L0oCUKABEJQSAeSkfPD2_84cNt6zXcURl1PAutFF-Q1cIP4vVpvCwIb9PGCyRNODR5fsbU2F1a8g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><br /><b>I guess you could call this the ugly duckling phase! Tell you what, the birding hobby always offers new learning opportunities! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This is definitely a female Baltimore Oriole that came for jelly at around 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 29.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxekEc2k3ZpnDtAOorUyVtxZslhxCprYJ9232wuCjkgr72ZLCOjb2VAFptmPSucAdRAJIy1DUfxUKbNAn1o-w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>There have been other types of birds captured on my candid camera. This was an exciting surprise: <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/id">a Ruby-crowned Kinglet</a>. I needed help to positively identify. I have photographed this small bird at my feeders before. But that one had the eponymous red tuft of feathers. The guy on Facebook who helped me identify said sometimes the Kinglet doesn’t show its red head feathers. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtbTShijk2pM3lQHu5_US1K0P5N--BmFrC_dNcG78j2QP6NAT6J75glhaABPhthUfzl4DJlGle4lMbEUJw1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Here's a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet that I photographed in January 2018. See the small touch of red (or ruby)? <br />We had a very rare deep snowfall at the time. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2018/01/snow-storm-ignites-bird-blitz.html#more">Check out my post from back then!</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXmpYugckKQuhba9EqdDWW5xP_yh8ygZw9I62NiPyHp6q4E-B5mmhiLuTQQTdPxQ14wFaOrfJnfKFIdGk86-VOD6xJQixz935krZcFTNzk460xKuM1QI9G5fj2_vx0cwUsF-JdViqeNbwaSM9Zj-U2KOsN4HlG-DIG48gjCdDtWqndvAoGwb45IUrbuYMS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1164" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXmpYugckKQuhba9EqdDWW5xP_yh8ygZw9I62NiPyHp6q4E-B5mmhiLuTQQTdPxQ14wFaOrfJnfKFIdGk86-VOD6xJQixz935krZcFTNzk460xKuM1QI9G5fj2_vx0cwUsF-JdViqeNbwaSM9Zj-U2KOsN4HlG-DIG48gjCdDtWqndvAoGwb45IUrbuYMS" width="263" /></a></div><br /><b>Here’s a cute <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/overview">Tufted titmouse</a>…no wait…another Baltimore Orioles! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzkwaf4SqJiJuirRF4wXUIExi3PmfnaO0xrnMpqCBX62VoH39djJKrAJLqjYfweCSYMDsLubbsUvefINaxYzQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>OK, here again is a Tufted titmouse, this time it has the seed and shells to him or herself.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3pTl5foAr_6X3X-2XHFksceQS1D5pwD_0aDIrkfULvoO2pfFY2Eil9UxCGPTi_4c1E-5Qcl3iXJo2ac2eAQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/id">Yellow-rumped Warbler</a> (below) enjoying some grape jelly. This morning (Jan. 29) I put out a hardy portion, as I finished off a bottle of Welch’s Concord Grape. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyIsg--rBtGY1liqDS_ZDPuXMB6cdnwXzDreUBnDyMS8vEyMBAWKfTdQXwzETsgPuwlgUM4qW7Xh_mrWcNjAw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>In the next clip, a Chipping Sparrow is at the feeder then it takes off when the Yellow-rumpled Warbler drops in. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPBnCTbSHyOyl9TVJOERrux_6ScPzT4UZGFuA12FCH2jzqmqscKm2m6giTkyOOVRZWrzwPhMqwm7HCC2rZtQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></span></div><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee/id">Carolina Chickadee</a> just checking out the scenery.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyjwVvBmMIK-mU_imdp_-FZ5No8TKPHe9gQrXn-po0xtncpZf0EwXsfIuwJ9NHhWqJ9CohLpjAt5Xq9KJoHMg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>A pair of <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chipping_Sparrow/id">Chipping Sparrows</a> enjoying the seeds. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dymlavVfZ9dkpIpn0Inkk5KxW9-VUPUcNWc_N9jPtpRxG2NNYO4ASAgCmOZI3eu7YcictZUIcCcQeV57U9GEg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown-headed_Cowbird/overview">Brown-headed Cowbirds</a>, interestingly, were the first birds to be recorded. This was a few days after Christmas. This is the male. I don't see these birds too often so that's what surprised me. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzt3UKStfuxy5nvyrsDsOno5miTVowhN_Q56Jdu-iG0gzJCJJNomeBQbXZMXd286G8pLsYQXnXmcFA6fBpk9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>Two males and a female Cowbird. Plenty of room up here! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzqckwUzKG85jw_WFA8HgmDXvu-pwb5vHB4pPqJL8MrG3d7AhDmStZDvaBGf4S9ZCARAiGGXijE4IfsaGHhFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I first set the camera to record 10-second clips, but then realized 20 seconds would be better. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy3KioGx-R-Q_itRBOQkL_dS7p2wqiNQT6p3cT8y6WAGvt61Jg47IEnxkm6SjlqtjcQeoaWOvqudGz3r5RCiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>On a recent rainy morning, a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Warbler/id">Pine Warbler</a> hit the jelly dish. Many types of birds have a sweet tooth! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzA1-hqG5mHnPTRpRSil1Un2dqL4l5LYcYqaWNhLwJjjXRegFI1dtRBSDeWg5Vf6NpKtqX83i1ojp-6vp84aQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></div><b>Here’s a critter that is NOT welcome! If I catch a squirrel in the act I can remotely sound an alarm with the app. I have ordered barb wire, which I have on the pole and around the bottom of the feeders seen in the background of these videos. A squirrel recently had been getting to that food. A drastic measure has stopped that. 🤞 </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzkWRCxpALwP3Ee5ln1HW63eIBA2J__b8DC_fctYt1DzS_nhusnP5kDTCDdpTMR2tR2mbkVlzTo4xwHMFpkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>I am sure more clips will be added here. Meantime I will keep supplying the grape 🍇 jelly.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-8T02W9_8GEgPpnmgKbFn_SEVygJzEf6IxkBZsMFHnSc3wac0pQBDQyfedJqNG42DH7rXSvcCjSSnrgxufdR-68A3rhchJ1kE4_FyfK1vYIL4Vqiw3UA7GTJRlVuBYr_MpbVkGRkYntHUWjKHZvg1fKVwjMknZti4z4P2GQis3dlzC1BoeTiI-UbIZf_/s1668/1D1767F3-6945-4DFD-A35D-16A5EE91548A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1668" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-8T02W9_8GEgPpnmgKbFn_SEVygJzEf6IxkBZsMFHnSc3wac0pQBDQyfedJqNG42DH7rXSvcCjSSnrgxufdR-68A3rhchJ1kE4_FyfK1vYIL4Vqiw3UA7GTJRlVuBYr_MpbVkGRkYntHUWjKHZvg1fKVwjMknZti4z4P2GQis3dlzC1BoeTiI-UbIZf_/w400-h358/1D1767F3-6945-4DFD-A35D-16A5EE91548A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Note at the bottom of the above image it says “A person wandering around.” That would be me. This camera isn’t just for the birds. It also provides 24/7 back-of-the-house security. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-7939252745826493642024-01-22T18:46:00.010-05:002024-01-23T14:37:18.274-05:00Unusual Bird Sighting <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRuSfR3jGNZ-oTrSo9DH8a1_DUmkSYhOkuKbavIpRwV8oGDELzIo1xqS_sVUAG8koC51NLw0Qqp2Q55UvnR0JIMd_hHsoT_Ss44BS2Gv5JNdCLwINGdVNqOCngpwrHpnc5NE9CENwbYBhxOBRT_bqD0i2XfUdV0vRHoh-cjNO44m7-cooJNbBjgi_AX3m/s2762/829E5137-2E36-4C91-8971-37B65B00F92F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2762" data-original-width="2741" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRuSfR3jGNZ-oTrSo9DH8a1_DUmkSYhOkuKbavIpRwV8oGDELzIo1xqS_sVUAG8koC51NLw0Qqp2Q55UvnR0JIMd_hHsoT_Ss44BS2Gv5JNdCLwINGdVNqOCngpwrHpnc5NE9CENwbYBhxOBRT_bqD0i2XfUdV0vRHoh-cjNO44m7-cooJNbBjgi_AX3m/w398-h400/829E5137-2E36-4C91-8971-37B65B00F92F.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Odd word for an odd bird!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Male <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/overview">Northern Cardinals</a> are known for their vibrant red colors while the female is more subdued with brownish hues and some red edges on her wings. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>They are birds commonly seen at area feeders.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>So why the different look to this Cardinal spotted in my backyard a couple weeks ago?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My query on a bird Facebook site solved the mystery. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3QXxWRFO6MCwFWwwM5Bz_7Ch57fFrWdvUGvr4HHKh1u0v2X6zSEiBpKMMuOV8pHHKjY8tkRLHLv4eGkv_CFGLtTWvRYRYekzl_4fWje-HAPZ09Najy6Pwnn_Ehdiab3aTeSDAvp3P-Zm6jtFZK19ZFy_aTanxVJDRbFsC3Ksy2DOBn3rAzqXPOSqr8in/s3506/C30BEBE2-524C-4CC3-BEE9-60E88CF3BE5E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="3212" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3QXxWRFO6MCwFWwwM5Bz_7Ch57fFrWdvUGvr4HHKh1u0v2X6zSEiBpKMMuOV8pHHKjY8tkRLHLv4eGkv_CFGLtTWvRYRYekzl_4fWje-HAPZ09Najy6Pwnn_Ehdiab3aTeSDAvp3P-Zm6jtFZK19ZFy_aTanxVJDRbFsC3Ksy2DOBn3rAzqXPOSqr8in/w366-h400/C30BEBE2-524C-4CC3-BEE9-60E88CF3BE5E.jpeg" width="366" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><a href="https://journeynorth.org/tm/robin/AlbinoLeucisticRobins.html">Leucistic</a> is a new word for me. A fellow birder identified this Cardinal as having a partial loss of pigmentation due to a lack of melanin. The embedded link at the start of this paragraph includes a photograph of an American Robin with leucism. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>According to <a href="https://avianreport.com/how-rare-leucistic-albino-birds/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%3A,is%20more%20common%20than%20albinism.">an online site</a>, abnormal plumage like this is very rare: 1 in 30,000 birds have leucism or albinism. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwRsBUKBh_1efM0yXP3iA183K12dBQ59NrMfC8mxUM9xVgE1UyIL5iMWY7Rb3p-iwu0CJjr6FdiI9HMtSbQySezCNH2jh6ZpkWAR0DW2y8DuQxqCA7bd9JbC3wd8Dsr1bs0-9rTQ6g_pHsGlTRyFLi0ZE08jzhvXVHuuyz-gFL7NqpQ0YWopOwN51PQyw/s5184/86D39D78-8C18-48D9-85E6-ADC20BEB4A53.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwRsBUKBh_1efM0yXP3iA183K12dBQ59NrMfC8mxUM9xVgE1UyIL5iMWY7Rb3p-iwu0CJjr6FdiI9HMtSbQySezCNH2jh6ZpkWAR0DW2y8DuQxqCA7bd9JbC3wd8Dsr1bs0-9rTQ6g_pHsGlTRyFLi0ZE08jzhvXVHuuyz-gFL7NqpQ0YWopOwN51PQyw/w400-h300/86D39D78-8C18-48D9-85E6-ADC20BEB4A53.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The pale plumage is very noticeable when compared to the male Northern Cardinal. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The one above looks different, but I agree with the Facebook bird expert who said the leucistic bird is still uniquely beautiful. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLyirNbZHWHaDi8z2dAe33EU3wfCPem8V2IaXmKdEuqehDtDCOj7qtEVUOIHd2GN67VqbdMFQwvLYD6zjHfNGIGIDpt3pXB-1n4Rg4swaPU4hln7y27pPtJhnrmxm6kLp86mAQ9wPBA3tJQeORShxrKdVn6XLygemCUWKpZ22OcB0Bj0NS365TY5yprHt-" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLyirNbZHWHaDi8z2dAe33EU3wfCPem8V2IaXmKdEuqehDtDCOj7qtEVUOIHd2GN67VqbdMFQwvLYD6zjHfNGIGIDpt3pXB-1n4Rg4swaPU4hln7y27pPtJhnrmxm6kLp86mAQ9wPBA3tJQeORShxrKdVn6XLygemCUWKpZ22OcB0Bj0NS365TY5yprHt-" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br />Just as another point of comparison- the female Northern Cardinal. </b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-54416129634603935952024-01-13T11:26:00.022-05:002024-01-14T19:12:52.721-05:00St. Augustine Visit Begins 2024 with a Bang!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy-CUumVbTLELeC2uX8Vf28s7z9yy0gkNU1S8tmHLQqpvHkUuDf7A4k2-ZN1tXlto_PHjz5MTSSR8rpPyiguL0vnoqZ663VXdmsI-JpnxBA6uUObS7jyL7E9sQOQUhNU7I5N23NHc9VUvAk6rrlHbJqoCBj1Ac1FV8oWdj8ULg0wqcZXUjHuz4JK4xEwV/s3796/BE18D538-8978-4926-86FC-3AC9482A51EE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="3796" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy-CUumVbTLELeC2uX8Vf28s7z9yy0gkNU1S8tmHLQqpvHkUuDf7A4k2-ZN1tXlto_PHjz5MTSSR8rpPyiguL0vnoqZ663VXdmsI-JpnxBA6uUObS7jyL7E9sQOQUhNU7I5N23NHc9VUvAk6rrlHbJqoCBj1Ac1FV8oWdj8ULg0wqcZXUjHuz4JK4xEwV/w400-h276/BE18D538-8978-4926-86FC-3AC9482A51EE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It was quite a treat to begin the new year in a jewel of a city in Florida: <br /><a href="https://www.citystaug.com/">St. Augustine!</a></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Alesia and I arrived on Jan. 2 and stayed until Jan. 5.<br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G4sXpAd7scBbf_QlnfigTPSfWMdsbAJJog3qa6RbIUGVQaOcJy8ez2qhElqtyaZqRKrF7u096A6W5RfEELdGqfBDKpU7qlkjSduZCrLnBupQRj1yvMDosyutTHmwWB21RrHyF-yVoWoOOuoYGs2kOMpuPFDY6Ca7kDG_wSOhRDEZLBPAh5tHnVISy9bT/s4096/886DE9EA-63AC-460B-B377-6DC60FC3BE7D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G4sXpAd7scBbf_QlnfigTPSfWMdsbAJJog3qa6RbIUGVQaOcJy8ez2qhElqtyaZqRKrF7u096A6W5RfEELdGqfBDKpU7qlkjSduZCrLnBupQRj1yvMDosyutTHmwWB21RrHyF-yVoWoOOuoYGs2kOMpuPFDY6Ca7kDG_wSOhRDEZLBPAh5tHnVISy9bT/w400-h300/886DE9EA-63AC-460B-B377-6DC60FC3BE7D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>St. Augustine is located on the Atlantic coastline 40 miles south of Jacksonville. From our North Charleston home, the drive was about five hours. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm1_4niLu3klWPSYQwiyUssk2GCnO3e4V3aKLtc0_fb9xrExuWToMGYwlIq7saoKX-nde23DF8zE-_nvLvp_p0eeF5UMUD6Lt39Qs85kwh7F_D0Ftr3LX7rWG4C8OpaCKKa3E_ZC3j5SLR190igWwJ965m6N6J1N8OKE_uQc5D89FjLnj1q7n0wTovPuz/s4096/97F0D490-47F0-4377-A3EC-726C5DEC3245.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm1_4niLu3klWPSYQwiyUssk2GCnO3e4V3aKLtc0_fb9xrExuWToMGYwlIq7saoKX-nde23DF8zE-_nvLvp_p0eeF5UMUD6Lt39Qs85kwh7F_D0Ftr3LX7rWG4C8OpaCKKa3E_ZC3j5SLR190igWwJ965m6N6J1N8OKE_uQc5D89FjLnj1q7n0wTovPuz/w400-h300/97F0D490-47F0-4377-A3EC-726C5DEC3245.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This was my first time here and I hope it will not be my last because St. Augustine offers so much to see and do.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmiyVsq0Tos7w5ProsRGNTy95VieAPisZ5RBZuMp05EVJN_CArBVy_bBQggRabj-XuI58Tpgz2iHDEv4SVq_Eq3wUb-Ci1Cdj3YMD_GDlhBp5joI9oR2ws5sO-GBdXL12jDB5G-L45cz2jlvQgRJ9wc5dRXacaj4C-V_xPHr0oXyGsUConMA2C0Xsoxzg/s4096/9672AC1B-C3B4-4B09-8B8D-D3E51C0D011D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmiyVsq0Tos7w5ProsRGNTy95VieAPisZ5RBZuMp05EVJN_CArBVy_bBQggRabj-XuI58Tpgz2iHDEv4SVq_Eq3wUb-Ci1Cdj3YMD_GDlhBp5joI9oR2ws5sO-GBdXL12jDB5G-L45cz2jlvQgRJ9wc5dRXacaj4C-V_xPHr0oXyGsUConMA2C0Xsoxzg/w300-h400/9672AC1B-C3B4-4B09-8B8D-D3E51C0D011D.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>History…</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVjnQDfp29cDrJ1FXao-lMNm97MFr32Is4XXSAkx6YpVXK6y7PDwe0geb3NB38Bw0Gd1BIoSzBs-c6oZd53va16v9H09A9_acGFvQ0hhN4k7JlEm33fsz4gEe5k8GzNpZrbZfgnZxY7S28xjHSNGF483w6o3tJqWDZK_NZxxo1zBk707vkpspt67Ek4rz/s3851/15C64662-1624-42D5-A05C-70EC7D18C281.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3851" data-original-width="2857" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVjnQDfp29cDrJ1FXao-lMNm97MFr32Is4XXSAkx6YpVXK6y7PDwe0geb3NB38Bw0Gd1BIoSzBs-c6oZd53va16v9H09A9_acGFvQ0hhN4k7JlEm33fsz4gEe5k8GzNpZrbZfgnZxY7S28xjHSNGF483w6o3tJqWDZK_NZxxo1zBk707vkpspt67Ek4rz/w296-h400/15C64662-1624-42D5-A05C-70EC7D18C281.jpeg" width="296" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Shopping…</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VC2eK9T4IrneA3PA1hWwFTlIK_uClfupSY0ejDksNWEk3nwnOMIlLvIb7dN0T46MO0pt0V_Wd65SsNhKxyrqDawTy6V_H16cTZe8ytYW8ETUHIeFCsdBiCSZ-Zdlum6CrN_2vEhKa9w2DpsDSyXWIXRbTXlXnO_y9NmHUnkcvkCfnTNzyrisBOi4C_-A/s4032/6AE99629-DDB3-4A70-A9A4-D5BE3224001B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VC2eK9T4IrneA3PA1hWwFTlIK_uClfupSY0ejDksNWEk3nwnOMIlLvIb7dN0T46MO0pt0V_Wd65SsNhKxyrqDawTy6V_H16cTZe8ytYW8ETUHIeFCsdBiCSZ-Zdlum6CrN_2vEhKa9w2DpsDSyXWIXRbTXlXnO_y9NmHUnkcvkCfnTNzyrisBOi4C_-A/w400-h300/6AE99629-DDB3-4A70-A9A4-D5BE3224001B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Fine dining…</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQFt7vkx0lkWQIwRMzmrT9Bh0CTekrN-u7Ky0Zrl6hlOcDzZRYQHZHMZ2ybqr9zaH0j3JqntANffmTarhVmKHyAnCoV9Ryy-a1cI7mw1P_Xg6Cm3tm9BSgmHBqZmgBqkTokJLRlZtNoi2t4zL61hvQdPaUOJ3QlaLA5N3EJfyjvnROUiGxjvZPptNgxr-/s4096/9272A0B3-E2F5-4CF3-8C5E-708EF37B51A2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQFt7vkx0lkWQIwRMzmrT9Bh0CTekrN-u7Ky0Zrl6hlOcDzZRYQHZHMZ2ybqr9zaH0j3JqntANffmTarhVmKHyAnCoV9Ryy-a1cI7mw1P_Xg6Cm3tm9BSgmHBqZmgBqkTokJLRlZtNoi2t4zL61hvQdPaUOJ3QlaLA5N3EJfyjvnROUiGxjvZPptNgxr-/w400-h300/9272A0B3-E2F5-4CF3-8C5E-708EF37B51A2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Architecture (the Hotel Ponce de Leon built in 1888; since 1968 part of Flagler College)…</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7RzTUNbOO8TRcYqZFgT7wCIvVWjZaEVWD2KaEo_p6tsHrVnhyhIalV4iw51sD7HfufnNRRrQ2Em_uHuOLpL3qB2Lnvd2PDFy4nfwW9vLfQynhY2BPe0j0OI7syDnwAlVDgosycW1VN4_vLdnYoBLL79MWGqwk0JuHTLDmaRHaU1xnIuKQ04Chp1Xpl0F/s4096/08A30A61-9D17-4C81-BEBE-83D32EEAE682.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7RzTUNbOO8TRcYqZFgT7wCIvVWjZaEVWD2KaEo_p6tsHrVnhyhIalV4iw51sD7HfufnNRRrQ2Em_uHuOLpL3qB2Lnvd2PDFy4nfwW9vLfQynhY2BPe0j0OI7syDnwAlVDgosycW1VN4_vLdnYoBLL79MWGqwk0JuHTLDmaRHaU1xnIuKQ04Chp1Xpl0F/w400-h300/08A30A61-9D17-4C81-BEBE-83D32EEAE682.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Beaches (such as the one here at Anastasia State Park) </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">and even a…</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm5aED0ANuhKLm7Npn7mctGj_CyJ4pL9RSF7UoTCUyn9zlTVjC3ABdZcw5Ez55KM4ACzgjlqlAhSRY2qk3AJXohSRDtx_tNj07oNjDtXD_LkKY4RykNk47RFNE6znsXDqAhPU77RprOq4BD1vHbanYUZNjp5T52tq0dE7mT2pmTOcuJVehzftTvDbbj7F/s4096/2688E164-BADD-4661-80EB-24283EEA1777.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm5aED0ANuhKLm7Npn7mctGj_CyJ4pL9RSF7UoTCUyn9zlTVjC3ABdZcw5Ez55KM4ACzgjlqlAhSRY2qk3AJXohSRDtx_tNj07oNjDtXD_LkKY4RykNk47RFNE6znsXDqAhPU77RprOq4BD1vHbanYUZNjp5T52tq0dE7mT2pmTOcuJVehzftTvDbbj7F/w300-h400/2688E164-BADD-4661-80EB-24283EEA1777.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Lighthouse- the St. Augustine Lighthouse that visitors can climb to the top…</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aFoHyfF9lzawUuU8HEhIF1cVqI7Y-FmheHdK9QmVd8fL3YIAbo6Hjm1ZCCudszjYPz3n0kuR5fPJs8MP0Vlj9tH0Fn4feRgUxu5P-xXObf_4HlT7Xh5dPTytSiHjACNFIVa1nUrrfXmqiVXuS597kkfz4zK6HydMTw36o0SO-jlL8vzAOnTPP32x8-tg/s4096/DB6DC5B7-3DCD-4CDF-AC37-7E37EAECDEC3.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aFoHyfF9lzawUuU8HEhIF1cVqI7Y-FmheHdK9QmVd8fL3YIAbo6Hjm1ZCCudszjYPz3n0kuR5fPJs8MP0Vlj9tH0Fn4feRgUxu5P-xXObf_4HlT7Xh5dPTytSiHjACNFIVa1nUrrfXmqiVXuS597kkfz4zK6HydMTw36o0SO-jlL8vzAOnTPP32x8-tg/w400-h300/DB6DC5B7-3DCD-4CDF-AC37-7E37EAECDEC3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>As we did! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The St. Augustine trip was Alesia’s idea. I chipped in by inviting my brother Mike and his wife Christine who live in Sarasota, Fla. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>safe to say, a great time was had by all! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><!--more--><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa0qHuIgTAWPUGmu8lPXD_eRfGWh6Z_0W6lfGQRQ58a-ZKNXmpOSrmTVlCzvQkLwDfLdy1x2IBg7WzEYLWejDQM8d3NoZRmQOOxJh-ru_6wbKixKn_vVMf6sdQesepRho-4ibh4twoqNDAHDe02jRosROs8EsEvIiEXGZ6dFPyGdliaO6aPS7K_ejK0W3/s4032/DC03A767-98F2-4DD2-9A26-EB173305EDE8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa0qHuIgTAWPUGmu8lPXD_eRfGWh6Z_0W6lfGQRQ58a-ZKNXmpOSrmTVlCzvQkLwDfLdy1x2IBg7WzEYLWejDQM8d3NoZRmQOOxJh-ru_6wbKixKn_vVMf6sdQesepRho-4ibh4twoqNDAHDe02jRosROs8EsEvIiEXGZ6dFPyGdliaO6aPS7K_ejK0W3/w400-h300/DC03A767-98F2-4DD2-9A26-EB173305EDE8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>A surprise when we arrived was St. Augustine’s <a href="https://www.oldcity.com/st-augustine-nights-of-lights/">“Nights of Lights.”</a> Running Nov. 18-Jan. 28 much of the downtown area looked like this! <a href="https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/nights-lights/">National Geographic</a> has called this display of holiday lights one of the world’s 10 best.<br /><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2PLDkg1v6SMnuzWx3QBHoEXEnkWL3_ONVMqFQVJefwWpALcCtcP4rhUHsyDzjbWhX0FfyvZJIU1rGE6FURZ7yaLrWZ8jaSA3t3nlvqzPsGznfqxwYrVhiEiv87nHMaT5jF8wJqoKB9Ved7O8z27ZsR-dUrAKH8hf8ERyjATDj6WAy4vyQYfKcZ1hypR9/s4032/4FAD56A1-69BC-4BAE-B880-7A2B9C38DBD9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2PLDkg1v6SMnuzWx3QBHoEXEnkWL3_ONVMqFQVJefwWpALcCtcP4rhUHsyDzjbWhX0FfyvZJIU1rGE6FURZ7yaLrWZ8jaSA3t3nlvqzPsGznfqxwYrVhiEiv87nHMaT5jF8wJqoKB9Ved7O8z27ZsR-dUrAKH8hf8ERyjATDj6WAy4vyQYfKcZ1hypR9/w400-h300/4FAD56A1-69BC-4BAE-B880-7A2B9C38DBD9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>And our beautiful hotel was part of the bright lights! Our room is the one on the second floor behind the street light in the center of my photo. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKr3YY4-OK5mA3Qe-EZiONOfmUMsy5xFLbmNV8Gx0nvMXFoYptfoYwbUR20DMIbEVwxl8EgmxRECKx7fIwZHONql7eyTn2edtiVWIZ3q9kzt5fY_MFkmpL68_WMhg9F1h0a3v1gFjv6xoyReXowxniL1e0PoNDUSJCdS-phpTUGbwddF5gdjsUZrAfMms/s3789/FB539060-CB00-4776-A1B5-A05BE139B365.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2841" data-original-width="3789" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKr3YY4-OK5mA3Qe-EZiONOfmUMsy5xFLbmNV8Gx0nvMXFoYptfoYwbUR20DMIbEVwxl8EgmxRECKx7fIwZHONql7eyTn2edtiVWIZ3q9kzt5fY_MFkmpL68_WMhg9F1h0a3v1gFjv6xoyReXowxniL1e0PoNDUSJCdS-phpTUGbwddF5gdjsUZrAfMms/w400-h300/FB539060-CB00-4776-A1B5-A05BE139B365.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>We all stayed at the Renaissance St. Augustine. It is centrally located within walking distance of many popular attractions.</b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The hotel's full name is <a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/jaxrj-renaissance-st-augustine-historic-downtown-hotel/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0">Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel.</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It does kind of look like a gingerbread house! <br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxfNq4emltdc8t6kufkMD8Y4M4bHgTpzucHYXBnm4_oCwQCZU6kdsCiAbVf1NyEhThvqH1-jCCI-6WBKzBMADSTgsx4jVP51TLBisy0VLEmnrKnNs9Uz5IcENLYExIEs4uiEhvxlTdoXjUdGXZzS8rqrVm4gXEvAwdRDLi3-kRvIQ9ezhsK0ePqEpO7z9/s4032/12051FB6-6956-4591-B546-AB775EA028B7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxfNq4emltdc8t6kufkMD8Y4M4bHgTpzucHYXBnm4_oCwQCZU6kdsCiAbVf1NyEhThvqH1-jCCI-6WBKzBMADSTgsx4jVP51TLBisy0VLEmnrKnNs9Uz5IcENLYExIEs4uiEhvxlTdoXjUdGXZzS8rqrVm4gXEvAwdRDLi3-kRvIQ9ezhsK0ePqEpO7z9/w400-h300/12051FB6-6956-4591-B546-AB775EA028B7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The hotel at 6 W. Castillo Drive was festive for the holidays. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJf0xXfLDP99ErVH7c550IspMstxX8kx3V0hZb0Eg3J_u2J5jB0TTjZUAixLhFkPI5Af0lmkI7-RxqSML9RNlmg9JsVvO8QXALAeXgEFhRPWltBIOWnXPrywDSQm21J2q8byklZoHV7AQbhQbf96OuuJ2nrWRVxUIGj7sVRCQ0RKHFPnKXT4h_82of9p7/s4032/E56A53B6-4CB3-413A-81D9-6752F48BC819.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJf0xXfLDP99ErVH7c550IspMstxX8kx3V0hZb0Eg3J_u2J5jB0TTjZUAixLhFkPI5Af0lmkI7-RxqSML9RNlmg9JsVvO8QXALAeXgEFhRPWltBIOWnXPrywDSQm21J2q8byklZoHV7AQbhQbf96OuuJ2nrWRVxUIGj7sVRCQ0RKHFPnKXT4h_82of9p7/w400-h300/E56A53B6-4CB3-413A-81D9-6752F48BC819.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Alesia and I stayed on the second floor in a room with a terrace. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV99UD-OU8aG4YT0leX0S5AQitqVLe6jy1tU_DZLeqVQ8vXRn97JtkxLyo5C8ZIhV33Bb1aQK_XVW-L49xR-ZY1j6Sc_QE67BFlld_uwcWZF4XRLTlY_ukgwYWyTSIonKbu02VmaEcCS4uLAkK1ReZ-IxMDM7jCZT0jyimSmCzPzCFJ0N7XyYATlo55uy/s4032/40CD83D7-8E3F-469E-8567-4964759D498A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV99UD-OU8aG4YT0leX0S5AQitqVLe6jy1tU_DZLeqVQ8vXRn97JtkxLyo5C8ZIhV33Bb1aQK_XVW-L49xR-ZY1j6Sc_QE67BFlld_uwcWZF4XRLTlY_ukgwYWyTSIonKbu02VmaEcCS4uLAkK1ReZ-IxMDM7jCZT0jyimSmCzPzCFJ0N7XyYATlo55uy/w400-h300/40CD83D7-8E3F-469E-8567-4964759D498A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>From the terrace, we observed the steady stream of cars, tour buses, pedestrians and even horse-drawn carriages. Just a few days into the new year, the atmosphere was festive. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiok9a9KkEeYd3BYKYOubcn_tXzutOnVN4Ec6MFWxCWF9Wq7vLIGNpwoxuZjTkywgfSWFs28npswUQZETY1tMdgDiVHXKTpMHy81MVoRwWEIDZfFS29Sv4LQvnBiFRMtLhQtFZzlXjt9IYdhAFeiGJcTiV-UA0OS7df0OTapMFQBLjP8pLWFqU-wV-QYsfJ/s4032/FB7FE8D5-A94B-41DE-AC13-2A8AA0D0735A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiok9a9KkEeYd3BYKYOubcn_tXzutOnVN4Ec6MFWxCWF9Wq7vLIGNpwoxuZjTkywgfSWFs28npswUQZETY1tMdgDiVHXKTpMHy81MVoRwWEIDZfFS29Sv4LQvnBiFRMtLhQtFZzlXjt9IYdhAFeiGJcTiV-UA0OS7df0OTapMFQBLjP8pLWFqU-wV-QYsfJ/w400-h300/FB7FE8D5-A94B-41DE-AC13-2A8AA0D0735A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The lobby of the Renaissance Hotel was all about Christmas! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94uzqt0qB4se-7Y0TICOCAeox-ZF3JgWtmAJ_3OC3XhxhDlVTFIj1gXFXQTo6zogQ3M8NQ7bKRZikEq8BkOV45jH9ch5K09wQZc09S1T2Lng8XIrPFYMbez-V_dzgC70euaw_Knl8yMIn8wJlMndhsBILfKHEE63fDR6u7LirVt-CgQUKh5WOo2FZ0JE/s4032/A1599B96-3481-4DEE-8A73-902527815DC0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94uzqt0qB4se-7Y0TICOCAeox-ZF3JgWtmAJ_3OC3XhxhDlVTFIj1gXFXQTo6zogQ3M8NQ7bKRZikEq8BkOV45jH9ch5K09wQZc09S1T2Lng8XIrPFYMbez-V_dzgC70euaw_Knl8yMIn8wJlMndhsBILfKHEE63fDR6u7LirVt-CgQUKh5WOo2FZ0JE/w300-h400/A1599B96-3481-4DEE-8A73-902527815DC0.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpF505oRH38EcTfRnWEDGZd9dOb99DUgRtE_Fd895InMh4Vn4Io6TG6zVdyKE0gSPmvhliFS7iacbnpeArwrvJIqlnj1xQb_xhmFRTx2R73w8X4EO3Kid7hKZJGbBDV7Dh1hMy9YsO3JiJrSQRkg2zPWLYJGs0uoxto6YtEZrq4ZiiHUprTNGOlY-9lHO/s4032/IMG_4627.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpF505oRH38EcTfRnWEDGZd9dOb99DUgRtE_Fd895InMh4Vn4Io6TG6zVdyKE0gSPmvhliFS7iacbnpeArwrvJIqlnj1xQb_xhmFRTx2R73w8X4EO3Kid7hKZJGbBDV7Dh1hMy9YsO3JiJrSQRkg2zPWLYJGs0uoxto6YtEZrq4ZiiHUprTNGOlY-9lHO/w400-h300/IMG_4627.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWdtPGKDMZlt0-Wi1FwTnV-HT4D3MV967eKzZ18J7m8hs6IVdG9ObnxunIIVoeJwunZxH9ZhdRoOMBu4R4wKfYtpgmYSRmIVT6q2BpVzTETZQ50cLaxgGltOrLno4uSJQFgPSLY72uFo_zrB3q2L-J2d_jp-RU4-m8Nj8Q4e1QIT4-Frd0KX6mSAhLY0R/s4032/IMG_2312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWdtPGKDMZlt0-Wi1FwTnV-HT4D3MV967eKzZ18J7m8hs6IVdG9ObnxunIIVoeJwunZxH9ZhdRoOMBu4R4wKfYtpgmYSRmIVT6q2BpVzTETZQ50cLaxgGltOrLno4uSJQFgPSLY72uFo_zrB3q2L-J2d_jp-RU4-m8Nj8Q4e1QIT4-Frd0KX6mSAhLY0R/w300-h400/IMG_2312.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span><!--more--></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xlT12T-hUg1FI96bmuYv753jlWsFt4MkPsmic1k18TdnRS_vXbRuHkpLuSll47dT351FOYzTfAwRsF3YUhBZbSRJASP9y97owRkWpVrsQ_8jojWyuno7M4E1xy5uPWyAQwZzeSz_XEFe6f-Gv8I_17uhw8rIR2D9scSs9NYe1Q9N1V-uCODvKj3xfzNk/s4032/4BCEF337-AEC5-4F36-A352-DC3639450515.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xlT12T-hUg1FI96bmuYv753jlWsFt4MkPsmic1k18TdnRS_vXbRuHkpLuSll47dT351FOYzTfAwRsF3YUhBZbSRJASP9y97owRkWpVrsQ_8jojWyuno7M4E1xy5uPWyAQwZzeSz_XEFe6f-Gv8I_17uhw8rIR2D9scSs9NYe1Q9N1V-uCODvKj3xfzNk/w300-h400/4BCEF337-AEC5-4F36-A352-DC3639450515.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><br /><b>We enjoyed walking around St. Augustine’s historic district, which includes many unique shops and restaurants. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We came home with some fun and fine items to remind us of this New Year’s getaway and rendezvous with relatives. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGf68dH3TqyzmZ4fqLwYcXLLy8N3dOAQl4NujR5GZ2KX2acZmH8dZmGJLUDzmeavabLoKKUrkQi1Ltx2jcj1LoC5P53z2zzNDWiiwZGnomZ98Hs-MujwEVgYpa7q6sXHPwovuX6YKbzBDMOz-kmqhB79Dek25suW8o1B1PfQ0RmRh5evniqxLHhsEY1sCt/s4032/1DEC253A-64DD-44C9-ACB0-499EF9AFDE87.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGf68dH3TqyzmZ4fqLwYcXLLy8N3dOAQl4NujR5GZ2KX2acZmH8dZmGJLUDzmeavabLoKKUrkQi1Ltx2jcj1LoC5P53z2zzNDWiiwZGnomZ98Hs-MujwEVgYpa7q6sXHPwovuX6YKbzBDMOz-kmqhB79Dek25suW8o1B1PfQ0RmRh5evniqxLHhsEY1sCt/w300-h400/1DEC253A-64DD-44C9-ACB0-499EF9AFDE87.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Our adventures included a tour of the bizarre <a href="https://medievaltorturemuseum.com/?city=St.%20Augustine&utm_source=google&utm_medium=google_aug_bio#tickets">Medieval Torture Museum</a>. More on that later in this post. <br /><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwibfV6euUeOpXX59_XPtql1f6bXjM1jo6jJf8j4Rwqpcm_jbHOrxUcLQk4ogB-UvCpT7Bc_8s6ocRHMAOOvPCbhdOKkTBoZxpGzWDMVMZzu2ocThnlJgym08l19k5mCokLqXcDiI8hBRswW4yC4C9IA5yGpcF4WJs2qXDy4f4ycsLn_CiBrTlsIqGZ6s/s4032/066A7FB2-E888-4EEA-B795-9A7DAC20222A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwibfV6euUeOpXX59_XPtql1f6bXjM1jo6jJf8j4Rwqpcm_jbHOrxUcLQk4ogB-UvCpT7Bc_8s6ocRHMAOOvPCbhdOKkTBoZxpGzWDMVMZzu2ocThnlJgym08l19k5mCokLqXcDiI8hBRswW4yC4C9IA5yGpcF4WJs2qXDy4f4ycsLn_CiBrTlsIqGZ6s/w300-h400/066A7FB2-E888-4EEA-B795-9A7DAC20222A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>ST. AUGUSTINE’S HISTORY </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Oldest continuous and permanent European settlement in what would become the United States. That in a nutshell is St. Augustine’s historic claim to fame. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The red and white flag flying above this fort, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm">Castillo de San Marcos</a>, was Spain’s national flag in 1565 when it claimed this New World frontier. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyK5TdXWmfTjhzElzVJryJEfDi5SgFs_Kum1xjfKlxofjQlBmTCsvpT8GHkzV6kJok-7B6hDg5q6P3P2nzJRkdJk7aOx3ZpkFnU9ACNcIWMV85K1PkS7oHH4tYAdQzlpdvcUhrOTUk9sgcu81HWERnisR45QN4lTIykOkMUNrH0Bzd9N11cGpI9yOHzMB/s3072/6CE5A004-B60C-4309-8D29-0AB37477BD56.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3072" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyK5TdXWmfTjhzElzVJryJEfDi5SgFs_Kum1xjfKlxofjQlBmTCsvpT8GHkzV6kJok-7B6hDg5q6P3P2nzJRkdJk7aOx3ZpkFnU9ACNcIWMV85K1PkS7oHH4tYAdQzlpdvcUhrOTUk9sgcu81HWERnisR45QN4lTIykOkMUNrH0Bzd9N11cGpI9yOHzMB/w400-h383/6CE5A004-B60C-4309-8D29-0AB37477BD56.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>But before we go further let’s acknowledge this man: Spanish explorer and conquistador <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/juan-ponce-de-leon">Juan Ponce de Leon</a> who on this statue is credited as being the “discover of Florida” in 1513 landing “near this spot.” Wow, that was 511 years ago! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZach2Z6vEJQslC2vEqRzyQ5WZns44fWapjBGHZFSg1lm2-VddVEoDs9pCWSJBDWJMhP4XJGactCmSdxV2gL8YjxXkDQCL02F37JUu0s26Ok33f8I6rG3n_Qgy4ZIR5I_MH5Nyncj3BIixCoiTkqz7BE3VmEfTUHIBFKkYwdCByjit0OQxHAJqErfjZRi/s4096/11323E90-C561-443D-8E26-682AC6B74404.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZach2Z6vEJQslC2vEqRzyQ5WZns44fWapjBGHZFSg1lm2-VddVEoDs9pCWSJBDWJMhP4XJGactCmSdxV2gL8YjxXkDQCL02F37JUu0s26Ok33f8I6rG3n_Qgy4ZIR5I_MH5Nyncj3BIixCoiTkqz7BE3VmEfTUHIBFKkYwdCByjit0OQxHAJqErfjZRi/w300-h400/11323E90-C561-443D-8E26-682AC6B74404.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>More than 50 years later, it was this Spanish soldier and sea captain, <a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com/pedro-menendez-de-aviles/">Pedro Menendez de Aviles</a>, who established an outpost here more than 450 years ago. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>He called it St. Augustine because he first spotted the land on August 28, the <a href="https://www.augustinian.org/news/feast-day-of-st-augustine-august-28">feast of St. Augustine</a>. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRGpeqiP491xHbvvGuxaj7YqimCUOFAIdrrRKcSqltdf30f_LMteRfDb6l4noO2aWGm_mF6KJsbnXHDPCLd-3yF6XpbRIj6n8rAatjARJazSwwkuaAETlPGArXs6lbVF5LUgQxqP0CSUZXxFT2nkBoRTGuwzxlpYTP_4mrKNtGxqgfhps9heuffcKaVdH/s4096/7A42D19C-B6F0-4FBB-9103-A15185318452.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRGpeqiP491xHbvvGuxaj7YqimCUOFAIdrrRKcSqltdf30f_LMteRfDb6l4noO2aWGm_mF6KJsbnXHDPCLd-3yF6XpbRIj6n8rAatjARJazSwwkuaAETlPGArXs6lbVF5LUgQxqP0CSUZXxFT2nkBoRTGuwzxlpYTP_4mrKNtGxqgfhps9heuffcKaVdH/w300-h400/7A42D19C-B6F0-4FBB-9103-A15185318452.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Not too far from the old fort is <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/23455">The Great Cross</a>. The 208-foot tall stainless steel structure was dedicated in 1966 to mark 400 years since a Spanish priest planted a Christian cross near this location. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBb3lyHgF8SEpYY6KW2-T2DK0354I3A_Kk9HRq7p4TKIgn4kG3HsoRAkJc9WIPmhSejnRqtl3PWgERbiU8XOQGfc8r4kok4d7VJizmi9ByETSaReqJNxSHEwI5R1sGOM6wBxFhrL6PBTVVGgbCNsOEMD34SnlQKTgfn9S6aRIMmnja3rWQVhkn5g98bPjo/s4271/6C22AA52-96F7-4A92-9E60-1DBB4BA5F671.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3219" data-original-width="4271" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBb3lyHgF8SEpYY6KW2-T2DK0354I3A_Kk9HRq7p4TKIgn4kG3HsoRAkJc9WIPmhSejnRqtl3PWgERbiU8XOQGfc8r4kok4d7VJizmi9ByETSaReqJNxSHEwI5R1sGOM6wBxFhrL6PBTVVGgbCNsOEMD34SnlQKTgfn9S6aRIMmnja3rWQVhkn5g98bPjo/w400-h301/6C22AA52-96F7-4A92-9E60-1DBB4BA5F671.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This dramatic image shows <a href="https://www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/history-just-around-corner-2/mission-nombre-de-dios/on-the-grounds-statue-of-father-francisco-lopez-de-mendoza-grajales">Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales</a> leading the cross-raising in 1565. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9O5i0uZX0B3iiT_iljwCzg2glCZZGn9xka2mrXAJScBm-Gdi44Vmm3HBmdsb74x3nEost6qGezE6EJPlt9jojNrukDDt8B0Fd3WKAt574-MwC6j9tYAcLwMem2AJ-Wp6A4JZmopaqg3_xFvGudmKW8PdSSQLMgSCRFbRgcbfyVgdJ9JSqSxoIzggF3IX/s4032/80704A7F-F0E0-4B0B-A0F2-A7879CD24190.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9O5i0uZX0B3iiT_iljwCzg2glCZZGn9xka2mrXAJScBm-Gdi44Vmm3HBmdsb74x3nEost6qGezE6EJPlt9jojNrukDDt8B0Fd3WKAt574-MwC6j9tYAcLwMem2AJ-Wp6A4JZmopaqg3_xFvGudmKW8PdSSQLMgSCRFbRgcbfyVgdJ9JSqSxoIzggF3IX/w300-h400/80704A7F-F0E0-4B0B-A0F2-A7879CD24190.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>We first saw the cross the night before while walking along San Marco Avenue to a restaurant. I’m glad we went back to see it in daylight and learn the story (plus we had a cool Osprey bird encounter- see my photos later in this post). </b></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuG4cTBGd7uK-4g6F9AqP93fYTkUgPnP9hNZeAIh5WSB4O4I0cGCB-ExUwwWN3BIuVlgFcYZDLcPKNhwMgzhimqf9FEq-VI1N6jG5GQKv-M6OIORwNl5mLCk6xNbCEXfoXfSxj3ZDMFye4TMH2El4Vu9eKlXtvP6B_bjNUXZh2u8CcETU8Dq1DAcVYj3Q/s4096/218C7B6D-01F0-44CD-A92A-6934CB366176.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuG4cTBGd7uK-4g6F9AqP93fYTkUgPnP9hNZeAIh5WSB4O4I0cGCB-ExUwwWN3BIuVlgFcYZDLcPKNhwMgzhimqf9FEq-VI1N6jG5GQKv-M6OIORwNl5mLCk6xNbCEXfoXfSxj3ZDMFye4TMH2El4Vu9eKlXtvP6B_bjNUXZh2u8CcETU8Dq1DAcVYj3Q/w300-h400/218C7B6D-01F0-44CD-A92A-6934CB366176.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The Great Cross is in a great location on the grounds of a very old and historic Catholic church, <a href="https://missionandshrine.org/">Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre De Dios.</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbls0l-TMl1_g7Lu4xfHfUIePnVGWQwCndKBUUnI5w-efrCwDymHSSaYp1ixhHavIJecMYBFDULSUCXCe3ywWzKanoKFFrv4fYLWpP4n1cWPZWxXUoLl5kOHUx8VJ-oTSfDyNjqQoyMoG9k2O6C5Qwdk8VBZImotil1xepnFyx0zlAELNqU8ku2_FP7dfV/s4096/39849D77-88DD-4EC3-AEBD-53C7BA986D5A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbls0l-TMl1_g7Lu4xfHfUIePnVGWQwCndKBUUnI5w-efrCwDymHSSaYp1ixhHavIJecMYBFDULSUCXCe3ywWzKanoKFFrv4fYLWpP4n1cWPZWxXUoLl5kOHUx8VJ-oTSfDyNjqQoyMoG9k2O6C5Qwdk8VBZImotil1xepnFyx0zlAELNqU8ku2_FP7dfV/w300-h400/39849D77-88DD-4EC3-AEBD-53C7BA986D5A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The Stations of the Cross, associated with Easter, are posted around the cross. It would be special to attend an Easter Mass outside here! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffr80U9YS1p2W_gXnU1Jc0q26yoNXzmiwzMBTIQvLKaYK3hUN7TscVC-vAYWLMwKpgfphnbwVDN0-qwyQp2162BiCj3Ih7yNdswtzLsrw42QcSI4nz3nqAc8vYFXrVXUQ_ke0sytI-x4RTev_JUV8CInH8hoXbMITxwsaAkIFqmNMi5DQMSxtSo3DeruD/s4096/D2A8DC0E-732B-4FB1-BE6B-DB53ECA80142.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffr80U9YS1p2W_gXnU1Jc0q26yoNXzmiwzMBTIQvLKaYK3hUN7TscVC-vAYWLMwKpgfphnbwVDN0-qwyQp2162BiCj3Ih7yNdswtzLsrw42QcSI4nz3nqAc8vYFXrVXUQ_ke0sytI-x4RTev_JUV8CInH8hoXbMITxwsaAkIFqmNMi5DQMSxtSo3DeruD/w400-h300/D2A8DC0E-732B-4FB1-BE6B-DB53ECA80142.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>A cemetery neighbors The Great Cross, which you see beyond the large burial mound. There are grave markers on both sides of the mound with small trees planted above the graves. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7NixvMUCpQVOjLCwDF-HnECfDM9MnyQ2KvnZQ0NrxxIEKaeJQmvLZ6AEJ-CeMgK5vFIL-6M7K32ofXMSnvKYJF48hVCZK7ODknckuSn0kIMSnF_1Cbtz0680vUe45jpqzvj0alfYa_3_QEfIIz-vEEBmWFnRwYb8RC3ITJq0HhCXWQvfQ7VXaDgpmvdP/s4096/9048FFB8-D2D3-4C02-967B-B3F4B1687CD9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7NixvMUCpQVOjLCwDF-HnECfDM9MnyQ2KvnZQ0NrxxIEKaeJQmvLZ6AEJ-CeMgK5vFIL-6M7K32ofXMSnvKYJF48hVCZK7ODknckuSn0kIMSnF_1Cbtz0680vUe45jpqzvj0alfYa_3_QEfIIz-vEEBmWFnRwYb8RC3ITJq0HhCXWQvfQ7VXaDgpmvdP/w400-h300/9048FFB8-D2D3-4C02-967B-B3F4B1687CD9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The Stations of the Cross are also represented on the plaques in the mounds. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>What sacred grounds these are! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cQlCgqry4D8S1_xI3wMXF8FsMi1rOvyaPzZulcYETAy1WHpuJ_42ArfekuWH2SfrpmUWNT-1rJsbBShTm5Szcz8T6iOtjYZNjx7LKoc3Ck_P-H_7I8IAvdyNsXp58EpTNF0nPuLDcGBqt419Y4ekyaFMdN6i7NkI93ZmDZeN4Aq4nGHJUVu3wiMZhXKD/s4852/4834F937-17B2-4AA5-B55E-778D50FF32D0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3639" data-original-width="4852" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cQlCgqry4D8S1_xI3wMXF8FsMi1rOvyaPzZulcYETAy1WHpuJ_42ArfekuWH2SfrpmUWNT-1rJsbBShTm5Szcz8T6iOtjYZNjx7LKoc3Ck_P-H_7I8IAvdyNsXp58EpTNF0nPuLDcGBqt419Y4ekyaFMdN6i7NkI93ZmDZeN4Aq4nGHJUVu3wiMZhXKD/w400-h300/4834F937-17B2-4AA5-B55E-778D50FF32D0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Signs like this, as intended, help a visitor grasp the historical significance of a place, person or object. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This one at The Great Cross site emphasizes St. Augustine as the first permanent European/African/Native American settlement on the U.S. mainland. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMjr5Jov8fJBjzoxG1K8Q6cwxAljFpkZjb6qqp0mV7ubXDSUxFBE6ssCcZWKtzZf2ID7I6XzZXsTNYJZrZLavntrS1mcDDJI3FX2On5X7_bGdX1AQeu7eOf5epQVDEQe86EmxAgZ1zTzI4NOYR7XUIHYKIzYND16ipQl_cMh1OtKzWpKd00I3bp_zxaFX/s3200/B2ED8D8E-DA1A-437F-BCE9-C570FF24D293.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2674" data-original-width="3200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMjr5Jov8fJBjzoxG1K8Q6cwxAljFpkZjb6qqp0mV7ubXDSUxFBE6ssCcZWKtzZf2ID7I6XzZXsTNYJZrZLavntrS1mcDDJI3FX2On5X7_bGdX1AQeu7eOf5epQVDEQe86EmxAgZ1zTzI4NOYR7XUIHYKIzYND16ipQl_cMh1OtKzWpKd00I3bp_zxaFX/w400-h334/B2ED8D8E-DA1A-437F-BCE9-C570FF24D293.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This pie chart in another part of town shows how St. Augustine over time was controlled by, in order, the Spanish, British, Spanish again, then the United States. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYGt5NJeCTOo6bVXzQcBIYhpnglkv_GQ85Ed_a5ZOMESsigIZatLjmaON9I4UUotExzD4JZYJbHXs1ixwU8qb_mHLQLyrbJC3X82Dpugw4uNMXhIj0vgOALmeV8_AX1gJcb5QE5CpGNsKeUXXHz9QgQrxFAw8CTci9LWDM_UI8si8XKhjb1QMS2e1yu6t/s4096/BD76FA55-07C3-485D-898C-86FB63BBC8C0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYGt5NJeCTOo6bVXzQcBIYhpnglkv_GQ85Ed_a5ZOMESsigIZatLjmaON9I4UUotExzD4JZYJbHXs1ixwU8qb_mHLQLyrbJC3X82Dpugw4uNMXhIj0vgOALmeV8_AX1gJcb5QE5CpGNsKeUXXHz9QgQrxFAw8CTci9LWDM_UI8si8XKhjb1QMS2e1yu6t/w300-h400/BD76FA55-07C3-485D-898C-86FB63BBC8C0.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Another plaque titled <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=112507">“Four Centuries— Five Flags”</a> also conveys St. Augustine’s changing rulers over the centuries. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfpE1J9nomf6NDq_jQQe_xED1KSFm8KVx9c2PMYWxjr8dG0nrTpo9MY4rcPrrTxC1XANrxOX1mGmM1NkW5cWhyphenhyphen48OOETZw1hFnVR_yLEb9diKtHXj44x5ktYlw9VgBcAMIJoTfG49HODPyNZNlOovhapa2fzbccaMdq8BYQlQ2t-oJYDAUqdZMspmfST1/s4096/C820D88F-F6DA-4409-B79D-14FAF6E2B375.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfpE1J9nomf6NDq_jQQe_xED1KSFm8KVx9c2PMYWxjr8dG0nrTpo9MY4rcPrrTxC1XANrxOX1mGmM1NkW5cWhyphenhyphen48OOETZw1hFnVR_yLEb9diKtHXj44x5ktYlw9VgBcAMIJoTfG49HODPyNZNlOovhapa2fzbccaMdq8BYQlQ2t-oJYDAUqdZMspmfST1/w400-h300/C820D88F-F6DA-4409-B79D-14FAF6E2B375.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Above the plaque are the five flags. This is on Frances Street in front of the historic <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/gonzalez_alvarez_house.html">Gonzales-Alvarez House</a>. Dating to around 1723, this is the oldest Spanish colonial dwelling in St. Augustine. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul7wf1rt3B7nUGU1nwPVufdbdKMLVmQlARjx3K_bGEAdSlUql7InLAUOZyulMg4OmNH6LCRGWVZOq1irvJ0DiAnf0cXAYB3KKznjdhOrIimRUUA4mMgyhTJ81uH_NMR8b2e3mJQJ8KAgyXvF9ih-OjSt3ObiBD72HaYrOkO3eVXtk8GoANrS4dWU0Am-B/s4032/51C940CC-C0FA-4E79-8352-46E25FAD9A59.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul7wf1rt3B7nUGU1nwPVufdbdKMLVmQlARjx3K_bGEAdSlUql7InLAUOZyulMg4OmNH6LCRGWVZOq1irvJ0DiAnf0cXAYB3KKznjdhOrIimRUUA4mMgyhTJ81uH_NMR8b2e3mJQJ8KAgyXvF9ih-OjSt3ObiBD72HaYrOkO3eVXtk8GoANrS4dWU0Am-B/w300-h400/51C940CC-C0FA-4E79-8352-46E25FAD9A59.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The <a href="https://www.citystaug.com/618/Visitor-Information-Center">St. Augustine Visitor Center</a> gives a full historical immersion for those interested. This display complements the plaque at The Great Cross about St. Augustine being North America’s oldest settlement of Europeans, Africans and Native Americans. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDx8_-tMyN2fwcjWtCJ7zf5-O1o8FfwaAGMzLjYqOsSBA1WIiUKbUERCfaLl1eddNquDGJDUHV051VKZweyOhYgNlPES_-5WiDk7DqeHVioo7jdYHzoub4WCC4BDgmfH7J4kKPE2z8c5DZkyPWKazbNB7FGxNcZCslliirIGDTNjsJk1YPQa_-Qf2lFeF/s4032/AD2D961A-05F4-41C4-8675-696DEF757C54.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDx8_-tMyN2fwcjWtCJ7zf5-O1o8FfwaAGMzLjYqOsSBA1WIiUKbUERCfaLl1eddNquDGJDUHV051VKZweyOhYgNlPES_-5WiDk7DqeHVioo7jdYHzoub4WCC4BDgmfH7J4kKPE2z8c5DZkyPWKazbNB7FGxNcZCslliirIGDTNjsJk1YPQa_-Qf2lFeF/w300-h400/AD2D961A-05F4-41C4-8675-696DEF757C54.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Spanish galleon replicas can be studied and…</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM51aLMVzzeVCRIdWsVdjyxD5b8xUVkazcriT5w_J0HPzoFaf4uOwy-ddGE5zH8K1xzywOTwUx11lHIRdPpcD1jINQrz61NPQ63xqR9XNOPxO5QNE6yJyc3qJ-zOU3jK4YmJj_mWK_eIt8lYzbJ3YK1T0J4lGMDtp5lrtJBvwJOD9J6JMPflmpfUA0m-i/s3826/96D4B4BD-172A-4DE9-BFAB-228732930056.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2869" data-original-width="3826" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM51aLMVzzeVCRIdWsVdjyxD5b8xUVkazcriT5w_J0HPzoFaf4uOwy-ddGE5zH8K1xzywOTwUx11lHIRdPpcD1jINQrz61NPQ63xqR9XNOPxO5QNE6yJyc3qJ-zOU3jK4YmJj_mWK_eIt8lYzbJ3YK1T0J4lGMDtp5lrtJBvwJOD9J6JMPflmpfUA0m-i/w400-h300/96D4B4BD-172A-4DE9-BFAB-228732930056.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>…can be experienced on Spanish-style ships available for tours on the nearby Matanzas Bay. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt252S-1wW3InOzK7wllNSDCpo2eVrb5KjI2XONtkjmR922ZCF2CJVqofu6Xi0DH8DKyNslR5w_grshtfhR29kz-ESc1wFeLafkRyT_JJmVONKYEA37KI0NZ9173bFutOyqXZ8A5uu2EhaFMvk8OxU-wlKz1AUnEMOA-exiYx12eYvcRO98AFI2l0TXHL/s4096/FDACDE07-F31C-41EF-BECC-E5135C8BC9FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt252S-1wW3InOzK7wllNSDCpo2eVrb5KjI2XONtkjmR922ZCF2CJVqofu6Xi0DH8DKyNslR5w_grshtfhR29kz-ESc1wFeLafkRyT_JJmVONKYEA37KI0NZ9173bFutOyqXZ8A5uu2EhaFMvk8OxU-wlKz1AUnEMOA-exiYx12eYvcRO98AFI2l0TXHL/w400-h300/FDACDE07-F31C-41EF-BECC-E5135C8BC9FE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uK4ZvsokAAvFOy_qY-jLXtIoenMwnFUzgo5iTc7XSxMwbfAzHCJy3DcVd4bbW5Xp537cEXr5bem51S79rfqgYblFnBO3O5E7WMMBiJ-g3d3aABzXJH0G_dk4IiZtOeMXPIxCQou4H75DVikf_omcvj1gAT99PIk2aFpAmF0fDHTEuN5D3CE6tu0do6hL/s4096/57693E33-6ED2-4D78-8F88-A8A891F7BD6F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uK4ZvsokAAvFOy_qY-jLXtIoenMwnFUzgo5iTc7XSxMwbfAzHCJy3DcVd4bbW5Xp537cEXr5bem51S79rfqgYblFnBO3O5E7WMMBiJ-g3d3aABzXJH0G_dk4IiZtOeMXPIxCQou4H75DVikf_omcvj1gAT99PIk2aFpAmF0fDHTEuN5D3CE6tu0do6hL/w400-h300/57693E33-6ED2-4D78-8F88-A8A891F7BD6F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>San Mark’s Castle is the English translation of the name of this fort built by the Spanish. The British changed the name to Fort St. mark during their time in charge, and under U.S. control it became Fort Marion. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>When in St. Augustine this is <a href="https://www.visitstaugustine.com/thing-to-do/castillo-de-san-marcos">a must see! </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CvDUYy72xvBq2DMT1PlZtef_laouFN5Y1125c5lbYzddcXqvi3zjCUsFDb75hb9YqFAFyXqJnSP60t_jpi4lSk53P5HsGSXtexErso3YkL3X6hMKKnXSEHKprmDMKIFgnH3lDRW8vL3I_avklp_QjukTwemaW9J8CoWgv0SEeONxWn03rr1nFQuiFyYb/s4096/39FA34FD-30E4-48CF-8030-E6D82D70329F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CvDUYy72xvBq2DMT1PlZtef_laouFN5Y1125c5lbYzddcXqvi3zjCUsFDb75hb9YqFAFyXqJnSP60t_jpi4lSk53P5HsGSXtexErso3YkL3X6hMKKnXSEHKprmDMKIFgnH3lDRW8vL3I_avklp_QjukTwemaW9J8CoWgv0SEeONxWn03rr1nFQuiFyYb/w400-h300/39FA34FD-30E4-48CF-8030-E6D82D70329F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I took this picture at around 2 p.m. on Jan. 4 after we toured the fort. We arrived around noon and there was no line. Come early to avoid such crowds. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Another tip: for $20 we acquired a one-year pass to all National Park Service locations. And that covers both of us. The regular admission price is $15 for visitors age 16 and older. Fifteen and under get in free but must be with an adult. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuthPKkUvZcYPcbqB-7qvMek8kbLL5mXnnVJaP6rUA_2deama6iyxZHrhM7sQo7oWdLL5PQG9HDBO1-FiS-zaqU8ieFGbbKaOZuyJgFF6f8YhLwqT1uM8mBWf-aemVxcyuADL0cIXAVyEMu4u1ByX2Y-jnwBeii6CsqlM47JynnFqlaSKLxgzLLigxDdYQ/s4096/1298505E-3C0B-4280-9F6E-E6FE52B0DDFC.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuthPKkUvZcYPcbqB-7qvMek8kbLL5mXnnVJaP6rUA_2deama6iyxZHrhM7sQo7oWdLL5PQG9HDBO1-FiS-zaqU8ieFGbbKaOZuyJgFF6f8YhLwqT1uM8mBWf-aemVxcyuADL0cIXAVyEMu4u1ByX2Y-jnwBeii6CsqlM47JynnFqlaSKLxgzLLigxDdYQ/w400-h300/1298505E-3C0B-4280-9F6E-E6FE52B0DDFC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>We had ideal weather conditions and enjoyed a leisurely walk around the large structure that offers a well-designed chronological tour. <br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCx3um03XO66TpbxY9xuSm-NBS7Zi48McSMSLICKQXoLSeK0RgJX3d9Gt_2UwdNC7M6n0PBPGiuGj5REozo9PenXQAPkBaRrkGw1CX_nin605cD8R1jmj6YDSkaJAIguYasOj-PSrM4B_VDfWF_tMPTCIoWMf7Rw9EigIWkjDi28f9aXLc1l9w6A7VOly/s4096/28F452BE-4B0F-4021-AFEC-5908820C33C6.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCx3um03XO66TpbxY9xuSm-NBS7Zi48McSMSLICKQXoLSeK0RgJX3d9Gt_2UwdNC7M6n0PBPGiuGj5REozo9PenXQAPkBaRrkGw1CX_nin605cD8R1jmj6YDSkaJAIguYasOj-PSrM4B_VDfWF_tMPTCIoWMf7Rw9EigIWkjDi28f9aXLc1l9w6A7VOly/w300-h400/28F452BE-4B0F-4021-AFEC-5908820C33C6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>A soldier is available to answer questions and demonstrate how to fire his gun and cannon. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgMmvRsnzCgPq56pE5cW1BTxiKrG6VdBv0dDp9JmqhzyI6Fom6OZ86MNmGkwuRf31G0pP4ZNgxuzwxduJ5lMh0zdnlbD3pgGBPBDLQacLMZ6dRbmGZEjk6xM5-zx3JjTBKmzs0JJTkNAExD678cz9QwXW3_eGaWYF8SMqs9dofvR5Ql46Ojbb2SDG9ts9/s5184/B19B7F34-13C4-4A6E-8106-D4DE5528D296.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgMmvRsnzCgPq56pE5cW1BTxiKrG6VdBv0dDp9JmqhzyI6Fom6OZ86MNmGkwuRf31G0pP4ZNgxuzwxduJ5lMh0zdnlbD3pgGBPBDLQacLMZ6dRbmGZEjk6xM5-zx3JjTBKmzs0JJTkNAExD678cz9QwXW3_eGaWYF8SMqs9dofvR5Ql46Ojbb2SDG9ts9/w400-h300/B19B7F34-13C4-4A6E-8106-D4DE5528D296.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>On the ground level, you can walk from room to room each space providing displays and artifacts. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3TlatqFsiGMfG_MhFdfTK0rlj5KDkMJUbJTu3k7Ldzb2BLJreTGBwCb8J4yU2RcUzXKwKvSIPEw5X_0PjLJU4tDVvaB3BPWrBe5v879N5v6yR4lbL_sJefGa000CR8ERiGf8xq6k6ZHtpA5b7Wqscaa8tkt5pUxE1AUYFaMupkY8Eu8HQn3AyGoFBUiG/s3720/7E94A474-E168-4C20-886D-347BB377EAB7.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3TlatqFsiGMfG_MhFdfTK0rlj5KDkMJUbJTu3k7Ldzb2BLJreTGBwCb8J4yU2RcUzXKwKvSIPEw5X_0PjLJU4tDVvaB3BPWrBe5v879N5v6yR4lbL_sJefGa000CR8ERiGf8xq6k6ZHtpA5b7Wqscaa8tkt5pUxE1AUYFaMupkY8Eu8HQn3AyGoFBUiG/w400-h300/7E94A474-E168-4C20-886D-347BB377EAB7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>You get a sense of how the soldiers lived— and slept…</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUpaaSAqrLHWqRcGgYaWkvxdhcQEbXMzoIh6FB_GlO85K-YAqtfiFzpuCjYU0BzJJBNsqIilOicV5lSB1LbbmG6RsErBBidv3_p_cYGzy275mrGX-9iYci9pYSWqJxclLcDGWGLerKmg_1hneFDLkO84wzUJ56Pb154yB5vxMTlUUMzf5ZniCOwAaMxYo/s4096/FD72EFB0-DC1A-4CEE-AC56-D66B8E657B0C.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUpaaSAqrLHWqRcGgYaWkvxdhcQEbXMzoIh6FB_GlO85K-YAqtfiFzpuCjYU0BzJJBNsqIilOicV5lSB1LbbmG6RsErBBidv3_p_cYGzy275mrGX-9iYci9pYSWqJxclLcDGWGLerKmg_1hneFDLkO84wzUJ56Pb154yB5vxMTlUUMzf5ZniCOwAaMxYo/w400-h300/FD72EFB0-DC1A-4CEE-AC56-D66B8E657B0C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>…how they ate…</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T6k1kN11i_hBf_8oFlab7Qun095xT6hBfYz5jxLEFh8wy7OUz2s4TkRPierzA9veUh7po4OjPksNPu70RrcozigVNU3n0dAD1KPT6yYNOgBZ-uS15Hy8pvfp3l1qwDAu0swd_D8bM_43vLrnQESnb0Grf4DuaIpv_l3e8efHVkd4nG6xMObPk-g5EgOj/s4096/FCDDAAF9-1D99-434F-9C31-376FC372050A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T6k1kN11i_hBf_8oFlab7Qun095xT6hBfYz5jxLEFh8wy7OUz2s4TkRPierzA9veUh7po4OjPksNPu70RrcozigVNU3n0dAD1KPT6yYNOgBZ-uS15Hy8pvfp3l1qwDAu0swd_D8bM_43vLrnQESnb0Grf4DuaIpv_l3e8efHVkd4nG6xMObPk-g5EgOj/w400-h300/FCDDAAF9-1D99-434F-9C31-376FC372050A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>…and how they played when off duty. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This display includes a bunk bed for British soldiers. Their muskets were kept close in a rack at the end of the bed. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4E7lEFV3Fn0SxgWd5Ijoh0ohsRkvVH_onx3krspJiDZ4xLopOJWcRbUa1OYWSivNMkzHHHOM6CWcd5osm5Q9k89bbAnRwfXEmGn1-1hY6nuz9PUrFH8RUtD1cUcJTpqSiI0or0nYm4abxKjMiezjYdXD9YkNOg8xrSybRwNKHfAovdaeUnLsPEBcx4ls/s4096/53DA707D-4218-4D47-9637-DBD49FF0ADBC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4E7lEFV3Fn0SxgWd5Ijoh0ohsRkvVH_onx3krspJiDZ4xLopOJWcRbUa1OYWSivNMkzHHHOM6CWcd5osm5Q9k89bbAnRwfXEmGn1-1hY6nuz9PUrFH8RUtD1cUcJTpqSiI0or0nYm4abxKjMiezjYdXD9YkNOg8xrSybRwNKHfAovdaeUnLsPEBcx4ls/w400-h300/53DA707D-4218-4D47-9637-DBD49FF0ADBC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Keeping the powder dry was a priority! </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0ySiknd0gZSDbGYt_RUH5HjWFzMhYrsz8lYvP3BNdhM0H3fJCTemQ7KSQo3CK0NCgnLoUBsKFw5MtuThZz58nOIyBqdv4cTeKwnyG_dOW4ek4UIrCZkFvVVptKuUkET_3hnY2sOoYkm6sTTeMXf1v5GT3_yQUD_fyvgcuVYz3S-zBJpKSifOkKEa5BaW/s4096/F3B41752-1573-4380-AD8C-6D4DDB381FE2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0ySiknd0gZSDbGYt_RUH5HjWFzMhYrsz8lYvP3BNdhM0H3fJCTemQ7KSQo3CK0NCgnLoUBsKFw5MtuThZz58nOIyBqdv4cTeKwnyG_dOW4ek4UIrCZkFvVVptKuUkET_3hnY2sOoYkm6sTTeMXf1v5GT3_yQUD_fyvgcuVYz3S-zBJpKSifOkKEa5BaW/w400-h300/F3B41752-1573-4380-AD8C-6D4DDB381FE2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Soldiers, whether Spanish, British or American, spent lots of time training. Defending the fort and Spanish settlements from invasion from enemies was, of course, the main goal. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIPld9ybFQ1tC2svZiDCLkw7N-IjMAp3LAj5VHG4l9K0BIy6kiWYR4Tasm1IwUuZxKb1j-ld6nQnyt6Jo8byxAHZXP24WOAalqzoYAMAMWMKpXmLxjk1Rs20HtoejPq_0XM_WzvTIEmqfK-vtUrX2Q5JUuJy4SQZEeaW-4ZxCY2a3lDZKcVQNOhxZvZvl/s4096/B17F4D7F-5E61-4E2D-8203-65E931FED640.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIPld9ybFQ1tC2svZiDCLkw7N-IjMAp3LAj5VHG4l9K0BIy6kiWYR4Tasm1IwUuZxKb1j-ld6nQnyt6Jo8byxAHZXP24WOAalqzoYAMAMWMKpXmLxjk1Rs20HtoejPq_0XM_WzvTIEmqfK-vtUrX2Q5JUuJy4SQZEeaW-4ZxCY2a3lDZKcVQNOhxZvZvl/w400-h300/B17F4D7F-5E61-4E2D-8203-65E931FED640.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>There are plenty of weapons of war to examine. They come in all shapes and sizes. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKk54ChLuErXGraBhLdwZv3hCA3_UxrTCbs9iaS8paTcSIT4in4vABLpvpmpMA76UpMQpUIctXHI60rxnUZh67_a2Bqz6ooVaelhac7zPQHVO0Lkf4ZeNN4XBGe1vdWotbqXY8WS6D0JjtbFQzCDOsVJQz-cGyLImSjtsRXTYdRb23BGUcl3I0kV_NRD1/s4096/A5C4282D-2679-451C-A91C-A77444B261DA.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKk54ChLuErXGraBhLdwZv3hCA3_UxrTCbs9iaS8paTcSIT4in4vABLpvpmpMA76UpMQpUIctXHI60rxnUZh67_a2Bqz6ooVaelhac7zPQHVO0Lkf4ZeNN4XBGe1vdWotbqXY8WS6D0JjtbFQzCDOsVJQz-cGyLImSjtsRXTYdRb23BGUcl3I0kV_NRD1/w400-h300/A5C4282D-2679-451C-A91C-A77444B261DA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>18th-century mortar</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3q2PLZiDmrSLMKrjQ0aYIoxjwbxqyhsvfx469gvHKvHP3s9645lFp4bfQA5zeKyAft6fKrJtFqoC8RJCabcVFVQ4A7UwppkIgccwyKEAeQWBFHQ7CgzZVLn8y-qsRLHo5OIBzDjLF-yIh0COLgeF1j0qsIb61DaHDsKpCRN03J_bnH1vN84POIEAiBQu/s4096/6EFCC8E7-439C-4DF7-BC11-A7B7103D5945.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3q2PLZiDmrSLMKrjQ0aYIoxjwbxqyhsvfx469gvHKvHP3s9645lFp4bfQA5zeKyAft6fKrJtFqoC8RJCabcVFVQ4A7UwppkIgccwyKEAeQWBFHQ7CgzZVLn8y-qsRLHo5OIBzDjLF-yIh0COLgeF1j0qsIb61DaHDsKpCRN03J_bnH1vN84POIEAiBQu/w400-h300/6EFCC8E7-439C-4DF7-BC11-A7B7103D5945.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDYuyT7x6tbGgUREy71dv8FOEXE4yNC5qPPljHH5lPDzypKfVEzYH2HPEuzgarMm-0YhkTaMH9JpEaFX5cutzqX0fBrkxNmXz212iFbqjKay3vKrlUmNTKNJlco3XLcSvXb04yVYKiMuqDI8c0yer9b7ZY2qxFVrLSNk-7KULKqhXZhDsanSyjeYO8qmd/s4096/37FD6F90-8E08-458B-A5FE-5CD9A811E748.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDYuyT7x6tbGgUREy71dv8FOEXE4yNC5qPPljHH5lPDzypKfVEzYH2HPEuzgarMm-0YhkTaMH9JpEaFX5cutzqX0fBrkxNmXz212iFbqjKay3vKrlUmNTKNJlco3XLcSvXb04yVYKiMuqDI8c0yer9b7ZY2qxFVrLSNk-7KULKqhXZhDsanSyjeYO8qmd/w400-h300/37FD6F90-8E08-458B-A5FE-5CD9A811E748.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Note above how decorative the Spanish mortar is. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ6tuParOS5LHC2LlPA1yFMdylEymFcznItchMXOdh0erqxBNcdzYbeV-obUffUw5H_VRoP_YbTUyCTb96EFm9AXdjcqLeLIAYTVQN8VtChKrMVunh4qnv5kFUozKYs8xWYKu143oISJHoQabm_syB1l6Ncl9i1vd995tx_CJ9IPgOlo0zihi1cFlQDMk/s4096/D3BBFF8D-12C4-48C8-9250-0E0B3B96D547.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ6tuParOS5LHC2LlPA1yFMdylEymFcznItchMXOdh0erqxBNcdzYbeV-obUffUw5H_VRoP_YbTUyCTb96EFm9AXdjcqLeLIAYTVQN8VtChKrMVunh4qnv5kFUozKYs8xWYKu143oISJHoQabm_syB1l6Ncl9i1vd995tx_CJ9IPgOlo0zihi1cFlQDMk/w400-h300/D3BBFF8D-12C4-48C8-9250-0E0B3B96D547.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>These are 18th-century garrison cannons.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4ZRdzQo6uKnawHufANJUNe7Nas-i44PP5J4p3XubOVHJxGNdXeGYOJBelAQJrxydRN8AmX4Tkr5NXE6F8Tcbl4SRsFwDjRcU2giUiFOh-vQSB1EfBxLI9YpiD1YKt47LWxJyhOyGMSKDEklmP5McKkuv7SHBCxwLBwt-1OioPQtVgP4C7b9DZ_ZmK-Nb/s4096/74ECA3DA-B09B-4F6C-A244-DCEDFBE48DC2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4ZRdzQo6uKnawHufANJUNe7Nas-i44PP5J4p3XubOVHJxGNdXeGYOJBelAQJrxydRN8AmX4Tkr5NXE6F8Tcbl4SRsFwDjRcU2giUiFOh-vQSB1EfBxLI9YpiD1YKt47LWxJyhOyGMSKDEklmP5McKkuv7SHBCxwLBwt-1OioPQtVgP4C7b9DZ_ZmK-Nb/w300-h400/74ECA3DA-B09B-4F6C-A244-DCEDFBE48DC2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>How imposing and impenetrable Castillo de San Marcos must have appeared by land and sea. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The domed structure was a bell tower.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzBzsDJ42mw2htPJ4PnD4SJ92eib0_3Q_3JjebDmjxgi_3KbeipgQNpgGxXeQfmIYwn9lTgYN2vrfoad-BlK6hYMJf5PwqsMmf97rNEuGDFrlPqa8WAse09pylDBlh63NyJKl_yjRWw4Vthe6dj2Ey8FoW5ZDmd1vSoqoQiLSEMEbeI_GtuzNYHVtyPVl/s4096/39D66332-C9EE-45D4-9244-F5EF9F7F0353.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzBzsDJ42mw2htPJ4PnD4SJ92eib0_3Q_3JjebDmjxgi_3KbeipgQNpgGxXeQfmIYwn9lTgYN2vrfoad-BlK6hYMJf5PwqsMmf97rNEuGDFrlPqa8WAse09pylDBlh63NyJKl_yjRWw4Vthe6dj2Ey8FoW5ZDmd1vSoqoQiLSEMEbeI_GtuzNYHVtyPVl/w300-h400/39D66332-C9EE-45D4-9244-F5EF9F7F0353.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The old bell tower is one of the many nooks and crannies to explore. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFN540vl1a9Rrb-iollBQwUPHRICbZUDWxNrV2GlfYIq0NwI-NkIVI3Jj_xy_RD2q7ifxjAy3tFyncn93tew1aNGCI1UWXoErXTOTZ-1oQcrwU5QnLtraSDn_1Vy1xUu5kjfmgZoENbCZ8VMWj6RoZeYJkMc4KZX-eFjX1EuFIKpqlcS5avGDuSleeg5F/s4096/E76944A6-3C48-49B5-958F-BB7A69F43E14.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFN540vl1a9Rrb-iollBQwUPHRICbZUDWxNrV2GlfYIq0NwI-NkIVI3Jj_xy_RD2q7ifxjAy3tFyncn93tew1aNGCI1UWXoErXTOTZ-1oQcrwU5QnLtraSDn_1Vy1xUu5kjfmgZoENbCZ8VMWj6RoZeYJkMc4KZX-eFjX1EuFIKpqlcS5avGDuSleeg5F/w300-h400/E76944A6-3C48-49B5-958F-BB7A69F43E14.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>There are turrets like this on each of the fort’s many corners. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJBBQQ8seA-hwcJK6Bu6jJkTPSvmkgudOT2bEeQBVIbbfCLTaorK4BOyNfX3rS1KNFj3xkNSO6-H1z9R-boyX8hbvJmw40oz8aETLy5EZYiQ9I6AzD373PV3XtZN4uuQZb8QnQ0Fz7iq5AhsHjh7abwV9myw9W_pfjTGn52PpHnonB0rKWorVjtgpUmsc/s4096/0EE05784-AAA9-48D6-A56E-40E68D61B8FD.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJBBQQ8seA-hwcJK6Bu6jJkTPSvmkgudOT2bEeQBVIbbfCLTaorK4BOyNfX3rS1KNFj3xkNSO6-H1z9R-boyX8hbvJmw40oz8aETLy5EZYiQ9I6AzD373PV3XtZN4uuQZb8QnQ0Fz7iq5AhsHjh7abwV9myw9W_pfjTGn52PpHnonB0rKWorVjtgpUmsc/w300-h400/0EE05784-AAA9-48D6-A56E-40E68D61B8FD.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This was the only turret we could go into on this day. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAKGcMLbI5pxK9DV2RF9h0ezQO1HvS7Br_4EZKPzdwMClan7OXewM6XbzYGhKHjtGLEcgKWVo13zRyuO6Q7Ft3Pq_av9BVvJZ_hlfr_Jp4gLbOPzm2aAr_wObJGu2Ym0IlBtThMLpm3uaPtkD1jwRnB0HLzm7uQgR8meofz31bUSolLYML65bvQHnZkBC/s4096/3929BC90-B909-4655-BB79-D5401F16B6EC.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAKGcMLbI5pxK9DV2RF9h0ezQO1HvS7Br_4EZKPzdwMClan7OXewM6XbzYGhKHjtGLEcgKWVo13zRyuO6Q7Ft3Pq_av9BVvJZ_hlfr_Jp4gLbOPzm2aAr_wObJGu2Ym0IlBtThMLpm3uaPtkD1jwRnB0HLzm7uQgR8meofz31bUSolLYML65bvQHnZkBC/w400-h300/3929BC90-B909-4655-BB79-D5401F16B6EC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>A peek through a turret opening to Matanzas Bay. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIR0lFQWSSLiGV6qwd1mICM0B-jYZzkPQ9rhkqF4LohqjefM5OUBvOT17qK3FjHmtQlHSWjJ6XZA2MTCGXfZlpYbLWea05kCPpyD_9iHQsqcH79TDiLDhfI0z0rPnqf4GiBp8sWNAWdpIJZf1aV8TPY4YzoFlI5T-Bc3XOFTUE5-V2zKyBUexA0rx4GOED/s4032/77EC1578-7E33-4270-A534-ECF1ED8152AD.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIR0lFQWSSLiGV6qwd1mICM0B-jYZzkPQ9rhkqF4LohqjefM5OUBvOT17qK3FjHmtQlHSWjJ6XZA2MTCGXfZlpYbLWea05kCPpyD_9iHQsqcH79TDiLDhfI0z0rPnqf4GiBp8sWNAWdpIJZf1aV8TPY4YzoFlI5T-Bc3XOFTUE5-V2zKyBUexA0rx4GOED/w300-h400/77EC1578-7E33-4270-A534-ECF1ED8152AD.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Notice in this photograph the material used to build this fortress. Yes, it is made of seashells! Specifically, this is <a href="https://www.nps.gov/casa/learn/historyculture/coquina-the-rock-that-saved-st-augustine.htm">coquina, “The Rock That Saved St. Augustine,” as stated in a fort information sheet. </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Formations of small pink, lavender, yellow and white shells accumulated along the nearby Atlantic coastline. Over centuries, the shells form submerged deposits several feet thick. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br />Military engineer <a href="https://www.nps.gov/casa/learn/historyculture/who-built-the-castillo.htm">Ignacio Daza</a> was the man with the plan. He selected the fort’s site for its natural defensive strengths. He, however, would not live to the finish, dying seven months after arriving in Florida. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs299MwuEmzFCM1qeIFqg4JHj8I3IF698fEgmmEzIf-5e5HoSNrMjSkVzrcjtlJIZhlD1nQj5VdEAYRM7kwUlOPFHTxNoo23bkDEAM04x3dbFEML-gYU-tG-E-9SURxilnf9yrW4cDgj718dj-4-yYAL3tyHGWU5IBmgfWke81eBmSbRtVJbJbZrzLzQqR/s3512/89D51BE4-6520-4310-8921-38B2B83BCF31.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3512" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs299MwuEmzFCM1qeIFqg4JHj8I3IF698fEgmmEzIf-5e5HoSNrMjSkVzrcjtlJIZhlD1nQj5VdEAYRM7kwUlOPFHTxNoo23bkDEAM04x3dbFEML-gYU-tG-E-9SURxilnf9yrW4cDgj718dj-4-yYAL3tyHGWU5IBmgfWke81eBmSbRtVJbJbZrzLzQqR/w400-h350/89D51BE4-6520-4310-8921-38B2B83BCF31.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisx2MurWskk0pZq2GgaSVLsk4qOtjC-7Ngcz1ybkA7T3WC9yMAtN5pmliSzv8nU3mWMV7KtNuBOd7uIEmVH7Hg9SP398dImVfuMalYux-V1EomPcwLEadwO67RR4vUKuzDEIBUbzZkHbmRJH_UOpejE-y9Rs-NK3cWOAyFnFaf_i-klRKnzajoygkLfrov/s4096/AC48970B-73E5-4660-A781-25DAF99E318E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisx2MurWskk0pZq2GgaSVLsk4qOtjC-7Ngcz1ybkA7T3WC9yMAtN5pmliSzv8nU3mWMV7KtNuBOd7uIEmVH7Hg9SP398dImVfuMalYux-V1EomPcwLEadwO67RR4vUKuzDEIBUbzZkHbmRJH_UOpejE-y9Rs-NK3cWOAyFnFaf_i-klRKnzajoygkLfrov/w400-h300/AC48970B-73E5-4660-A781-25DAF99E318E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Spanish engineers realized they had a unique geological material nearby and in 1672 work began on the castle fort. Forts were mostly built of wood up to that time. The Spanish wanted something stronger and more durable to defend against the British and French also making New World inroads. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The coquina (tiny shell) stone was quarried in the area of present-day Anastasia State Park. Keep reading to see my beach photos taken there. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjefSHJwv_o6Y6vfRpg7g_5HigvY_AI60rHcoecWXCetyLl01J2IDo7riQFxsMMpKcZP0X6u5mtrDk0RtDtujRV9Tq1fBkyBH3oNsSNZESNn2hQgrw4gwjfuJFw9OT7Cc8MtFVM4jU7AcpBlPVVet8AgZu0CK2Pd9y7SwuJc0tb_ay-kcp5Zb_EiTL_MR/s4096/5F536A3D-A895-4063-ABDF-8888AED0F706.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjefSHJwv_o6Y6vfRpg7g_5HigvY_AI60rHcoecWXCetyLl01J2IDo7riQFxsMMpKcZP0X6u5mtrDk0RtDtujRV9Tq1fBkyBH3oNsSNZESNn2hQgrw4gwjfuJFw9OT7Cc8MtFVM4jU7AcpBlPVVet8AgZu0CK2Pd9y7SwuJc0tb_ay-kcp5Zb_EiTL_MR/w400-h300/5F536A3D-A895-4063-ABDF-8888AED0F706.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>The coquina showed its value in 1702 and 1740 when British attacks on the fort were unsuccessful. “Instead of shattering, the coquina stone merely compressed and absorbed the shock of the hit,” according to that fort publication. “The cannon balls just bounced off or sunk in a few inches. The shell rock worked!”</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This reminds me of <a href="https://www.sullivansisland.com/fort-moultrie.html">Fort Moultrie</a> near Charleston built from local palmetto trees that also thwarted British cannon fire early in the Revolutionary War. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFN3IwpPJB6WmFJOErBPlsjOKosEjYTbCkws5dNIQOTokBuLIAPpCd9k3rIsDjn2v17Lmwx5pMMDjqw3cN5dxk1h_0gPaXnlj6qrONwYc6pPdcho5JAYqxjhBOr1xtECgM2rjaBkOJ4Z2u9ohyphenhyphenf08EOEKELXIVx6tQMRvKmIRhwbo2aQJ2QstjcLqZLuo/s4032/5D4850FC-DA52-4D14-9E41-6F3316AA68A8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFN3IwpPJB6WmFJOErBPlsjOKosEjYTbCkws5dNIQOTokBuLIAPpCd9k3rIsDjn2v17Lmwx5pMMDjqw3cN5dxk1h_0gPaXnlj6qrONwYc6pPdcho5JAYqxjhBOr1xtECgM2rjaBkOJ4Z2u9ohyphenhyphenf08EOEKELXIVx6tQMRvKmIRhwbo2aQJ2QstjcLqZLuo/w400-h300/5D4850FC-DA52-4D14-9E41-6F3316AA68A8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>We spent approximately an hour and 45 minutes at the fort. It wasn’t too crowded, too hot or too cold. You see the clear blue sky behind us. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I left Castillo de San Marcos very impressed with what I saw and how everything was laid out and interpreted. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINT AUGUSTINE </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQO86rt5jYdwifBo34yotLIZwDeToDMNx3LuIv5nvPuQsD5sWjFLsrELb6sYZiQOUFm3sTWEbWehsrtTWWg9deI4BTvMU7AQQhsTpzt0H4Jvpx-QqybgH5rUH72D6_aDvsFFfMNf0KuGx4r2RdmAjlM_paULFUrfjoyqwgcZscSKBTwWaZgU-Ma6UWlch/s4782/D1C099EB-EA73-497B-9E50-23ED881721F4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4782" data-original-width="3587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQO86rt5jYdwifBo34yotLIZwDeToDMNx3LuIv5nvPuQsD5sWjFLsrELb6sYZiQOUFm3sTWEbWehsrtTWWg9deI4BTvMU7AQQhsTpzt0H4Jvpx-QqybgH5rUH72D6_aDvsFFfMNf0KuGx4r2RdmAjlM_paULFUrfjoyqwgcZscSKBTwWaZgU-Ma6UWlch/w300-h400/D1C099EB-EA73-497B-9E50-23ED881721F4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">St. Augustine boasts religious firsts such as the first Catholic Mass in the continental United States, the first Christian congregation, the oldest Christian congregation in the contiguous United States, and the oldest parish.</b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1MpJAgouezbPBHDarwfufDKYNbnSibs00FFGwbP9pTgjTQtkrnqsjXI0cIkTgFYIJlH4zN3C7fBztDD71PcaOIR4zYibTcWNPjvtIrNCelh648Gn-y-ahWzz45dXvjFTkLtcTlv9v_RubL1D2KsLrZN8XX83jXxlMewJyqi-CnAhri1c4yzQXJAc2Rrt/s4096/B0F368B1-79FB-4CC6-B75A-29C888ACCCE7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1MpJAgouezbPBHDarwfufDKYNbnSibs00FFGwbP9pTgjTQtkrnqsjXI0cIkTgFYIJlH4zN3C7fBztDD71PcaOIR4zYibTcWNPjvtIrNCelh648Gn-y-ahWzz45dXvjFTkLtcTlv9v_RubL1D2KsLrZN8XX83jXxlMewJyqi-CnAhri1c4yzQXJAc2Rrt/w300-h400/B0F368B1-79FB-4CC6-B75A-29C888ACCCE7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">A statue of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Augustine">St. Augustine</a> is above the church’s entrance. The sculpture below is a tribute to <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=153919">Father Pedro Camps</a> “The spiritual leader of the Minorcan colony.” Some 1,500 <a href="https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/exhibits/florida-folklife/subjects/?id=minorcans">Minorcans</a> came to Florida in 1767 from the Spanish island of Minorca. They were brought in to work on a plantation but didn’t like how they were treated so fled to St. Augustine for relief. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigockSkPRZWLO_UD6l4rOMfHZkqcNg6ye-Wq21JZgCYqvjqLxJGNFM_8fLZK-091zC_TQeU1SuqykVffNroEuDAhddrkRSZzTMiVF9fV4H0Cmus0Mk73sKI28zCQWPacwOrm09gTtKUW_6-whX_LL2EZvvZtNQJiWXWHc0RgBF8K4HslxssW0BgwX_7GFd/s4096/E7AD7128-3E2A-40E6-AE84-6A9046CDACB2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigockSkPRZWLO_UD6l4rOMfHZkqcNg6ye-Wq21JZgCYqvjqLxJGNFM_8fLZK-091zC_TQeU1SuqykVffNroEuDAhddrkRSZzTMiVF9fV4H0Cmus0Mk73sKI28zCQWPacwOrm09gTtKUW_6-whX_LL2EZvvZtNQJiWXWHc0RgBF8K4HslxssW0BgwX_7GFd/w300-h400/E7AD7128-3E2A-40E6-AE84-6A9046CDACB2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW3tXp9_pVvEGnz5jqbQBrSDfiuIJs5dhPxsNuosdHXPt17-MpJ5LwMrkWfuOrBM-88kLrCR8CDK6EiW7uYK-BUisaSBR6ZcSya1Etn5FASqsGRHyDvBX1GyOh4PqDHdZZ1V_GHnz-mgyu-3y_sL1YmK9ZQcDtTZ8inEZTAEccUWc1t-STrNsOF_VAC3b/s4096/0F44EC36-17AB-44AC-A192-D63369D704CB.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW3tXp9_pVvEGnz5jqbQBrSDfiuIJs5dhPxsNuosdHXPt17-MpJ5LwMrkWfuOrBM-88kLrCR8CDK6EiW7uYK-BUisaSBR6ZcSya1Etn5FASqsGRHyDvBX1GyOh4PqDHdZZ1V_GHnz-mgyu-3y_sL1YmK9ZQcDtTZ8inEZTAEccUWc1t-STrNsOF_VAC3b/w400-h300/0F44EC36-17AB-44AC-A192-D63369D704CB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><a href="https://www.visitstaugustine.com/thing-to-do/cathedral-basilica-st-augustine">The basilica we see today</a> dates to the late 19th century. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1887. Tycoon Henry Flagler made a considerable donation and a national fundraising campaign helped restore the church to even greater glory. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">To follow are photographs of the beautiful sanctuary. The manger scene I especially appreciated during Christmas time. </b></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWMzZyeORQKYcTeE5M6PUAW6vLmfLI9iizHiQiN7XHwLSfvrMehzDroa8p7oPqyGxf0rOZHB0K621Hb_i-3y0G4fnmz2EItRhduvT04zc-9BF3W2oB-Lo-pePPevty7gz-Ibwd2DLaYWcL8Lhq5ecMs7BN-InwX_HbQVtmGl1RQmQDI90cJc9HgYkbqfy/s4096/394F3660-CF61-49FF-88F3-0B661AFD11FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWMzZyeORQKYcTeE5M6PUAW6vLmfLI9iizHiQiN7XHwLSfvrMehzDroa8p7oPqyGxf0rOZHB0K621Hb_i-3y0G4fnmz2EItRhduvT04zc-9BF3W2oB-Lo-pePPevty7gz-Ibwd2DLaYWcL8Lhq5ecMs7BN-InwX_HbQVtmGl1RQmQDI90cJc9HgYkbqfy/w400-h300/394F3660-CF61-49FF-88F3-0B661AFD11FE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIWQH7XgXwSM6uel6yx3n0xNmuUxVyRL2tg6JtnfdjOr49lJY93yuEa3Kmt5GMt6sZt_3Az2eDzrbycs0NKHnrbwADMvs8F1iump7UUMRdcsDk26bHM1T_T-nz-dUwF9lYe5U7rHF7QrTwgnvR8GIHWH-0JwWdPaVRIH9FOdKjk1iPI6ySnB3ZAYxJHbK/s4096/B4C0577F-F617-401E-9E8B-ECC8CEC102C3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIWQH7XgXwSM6uel6yx3n0xNmuUxVyRL2tg6JtnfdjOr49lJY93yuEa3Kmt5GMt6sZt_3Az2eDzrbycs0NKHnrbwADMvs8F1iump7UUMRdcsDk26bHM1T_T-nz-dUwF9lYe5U7rHF7QrTwgnvR8GIHWH-0JwWdPaVRIH9FOdKjk1iPI6ySnB3ZAYxJHbK/w400-h300/B4C0577F-F617-401E-9E8B-ECC8CEC102C3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqzgUfX4coXGahKWgmeoZNANpKfwgfMNkp5ZrLq1PoV0BzPFFhSBCqYJSbKwxI5KcN4CM87H7Js4YAshFUA_o38T-kAecby0O5brINLlXCxQ9bHHuo8u-Hu5YV7jTNTRG8YOqolDUwZWvJynoIUTuAcLo0gaBkPsad3lVCsRd1FjVePpETtqoj1zVEmjU/s4096/310F918E-3D87-485E-9011-4AF30CA75470.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqzgUfX4coXGahKWgmeoZNANpKfwgfMNkp5ZrLq1PoV0BzPFFhSBCqYJSbKwxI5KcN4CM87H7Js4YAshFUA_o38T-kAecby0O5brINLlXCxQ9bHHuo8u-Hu5YV7jTNTRG8YOqolDUwZWvJynoIUTuAcLo0gaBkPsad3lVCsRd1FjVePpETtqoj1zVEmjU/w300-h400/310F918E-3D87-485E-9011-4AF30CA75470.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ICGjbTEwD8xpeAe2AfhvSeIvGFtKbj3M26hf6OewXvesOWem1oXqReTosZbprPM4p4_xtKwpIJUGJNxurB3mCGW2r5no2g94zbcqZUA0zZfZKRBtppJJnNyHIFGuiVY-r7VzkR6joeAztpSEZmc-zNdBxacVO8K_iUP58vOGp7TBt-ScmQJO1nK6ZoJL/s4096/C89D4333-29C1-4A51-805A-4A95EC426327.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ICGjbTEwD8xpeAe2AfhvSeIvGFtKbj3M26hf6OewXvesOWem1oXqReTosZbprPM4p4_xtKwpIJUGJNxurB3mCGW2r5no2g94zbcqZUA0zZfZKRBtppJJnNyHIFGuiVY-r7VzkR6joeAztpSEZmc-zNdBxacVO8K_iUP58vOGp7TBt-ScmQJO1nK6ZoJL/w400-h300/C89D4333-29C1-4A51-805A-4A95EC426327.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aHDlHoIZInWbyc48OZDtbydFiey6Wpsi12awVxUw84DziGKkASCklPkJIsvlqqTZQop9fBxKP1aDTt0x7utf52Dhgzkg0mEHIGj36PP_P4QNmQC4eTQlqj92EGMsg5S8pqhDJrCY7LPIZDED6EF8hFwRAEHi8W_duxZOSPR4YNKpNGcLRCAIsYnhNlvI/w300-h400/F6DBFEA0-0B18-4981-9542-0F04E5F166C7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W8rvN5JSPa_aRHxhe2E5ifgjLI7x1b4Unnbq1YSAlokBawg5RbZSzptWPenr2rElYTUJd7sB4hVjGuhSZgKKO8rq5SPO-MYa8Soa7uCyuY-p6oVVf4XZ6YQ-uFwYLz67cpiyitEV8uMrv40kTXJ972pTtuCdDv7Mz2ZJoV85eQpgGc6h_oY73LbU_NDq/s4096/A5B8548C-593D-43BC-B9D7-17D3929F01D7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W8rvN5JSPa_aRHxhe2E5ifgjLI7x1b4Unnbq1YSAlokBawg5RbZSzptWPenr2rElYTUJd7sB4hVjGuhSZgKKO8rq5SPO-MYa8Soa7uCyuY-p6oVVf4XZ6YQ-uFwYLz67cpiyitEV8uMrv40kTXJ972pTtuCdDv7Mz2ZJoV85eQpgGc6h_oY73LbU_NDq/w400-h300/A5B8548C-593D-43BC-B9D7-17D3929F01D7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OB8PteQxunU89bdsMtzytNxW9Na1la3W-1F5EA_BZjND4QrfFzlsMzbM4QupWoa08XAcy2ppR7DxuXoKugRRvzxwWn8tQacbWcHDUC4R-2vt1iyC8kgIaT4tUUkzdxTgeNWkhPp5yVQCKl5oIgrUE4DdoUUOcC8ONAo0GfH1OnTD_lcYBexHFvnh3ig9/w400-h300/8B4873C4-25C8-49C9-859A-76E2AAABC094.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSeXksSkkrvMJFh0kYLsIfCrX4GvJ3HlQIS5PtbLT-SsarJdYc37DYjVQs8HEtFHVunNy2SfL39Rg-XuieTXiwnXDDCSexhrnkT1HRz2iqtwKikwlXcFO7sHuPFyrS7KTN1tW0-1JHkiiqMFiOu7PUPY8leMCplE-rKj8oEdptMzx2ynZayJge7zzFaUw/s4857/064C9BA8-AC8C-48DF-8E7C-51C6655C6385.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4857" data-original-width="3642" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSeXksSkkrvMJFh0kYLsIfCrX4GvJ3HlQIS5PtbLT-SsarJdYc37DYjVQs8HEtFHVunNy2SfL39Rg-XuieTXiwnXDDCSexhrnkT1HRz2iqtwKikwlXcFO7sHuPFyrS7KTN1tW0-1JHkiiqMFiOu7PUPY8leMCplE-rKj8oEdptMzx2ynZayJge7zzFaUw/w300-h400/064C9BA8-AC8C-48DF-8E7C-51C6655C6385.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>HENRY M. FLAGLER: SUNSHINE STATE DEVELOPER</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Names such as Ponce de Leon and Pedro Menendez de Aviles are important to early St. Augustine and Florida. In more modern times no one seems more influential than <a href="https://flaglermuseum.us/history/flagler-biography">Henry M. Flagler</a>. This is his statue in front of the college named for him, <a href="https://www.flagler.edu/">Flagler College.</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Flagler co-founded Standard Oil with the legendary John D. Rockefeller. So that tells us he was rich! In the 1880s Flagler honeymooned in St. Augustine with his second wife. He saw the potential of Florida as a travel and vacation destination and addressed the question of how to conveniently get there. So he pieced together various railroads that became the Florida East Coast Railway. </b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDh72MLsLLGGB6Z-whO8KYZwHVFlk0PhgIBqJmKHMGdlnlwhABGBv0KwysI6k4EZvo81o00Pj5e_aRgq0IG95bCLdEIRG0Ll7UaGd96OPvFOtXM9gBaMKhEEHqm4RGiojY_0v7EdHgpbrAxmOkQmresRMN-0Dan7j5d-wlqj8d72hxeNayAr_7F51zvTAo/s4096/F8D99202-F347-4413-8473-E0FEFAFE5047.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDh72MLsLLGGB6Z-whO8KYZwHVFlk0PhgIBqJmKHMGdlnlwhABGBv0KwysI6k4EZvo81o00Pj5e_aRgq0IG95bCLdEIRG0Ll7UaGd96OPvFOtXM9gBaMKhEEHqm4RGiojY_0v7EdHgpbrAxmOkQmresRMN-0Dan7j5d-wlqj8d72hxeNayAr_7F51zvTAo/w400-h300/F8D99202-F347-4413-8473-E0FEFAFE5047.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Along with his rail line through Florida Flagler also built fine hotels for well-to-do guests. In the late 1880s he opened the <a href="https://www.visitflorida.com/listing/historic-tours-of-flagler-college%3A-hotel-ponce-de-leon/24815/">Hotel Ponce de Leon</a> (which in 1968 became the centerpiece of the new Flagler College). </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwEkPm1i0X5UNotgDU2ryoS8EbTkubG7dXLBgdd_sI7aMKdAuPK-EJBvhdUg_LojBfOHmMw3mjsqeVOjoo0kGq8aTBG8Bys7kbOMAlQty4qkvAYjps4GcjlAQrqu8osdO_T99EYimnj1HHYM0PNIU5_0poWUT53RZW5hUUFK52MwPuUs_gVzECL-7fDiu/s3768/FC0555A1-7E31-4D1E-82EE-B9522DC23343.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3768" data-original-width="2833" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwEkPm1i0X5UNotgDU2ryoS8EbTkubG7dXLBgdd_sI7aMKdAuPK-EJBvhdUg_LojBfOHmMw3mjsqeVOjoo0kGq8aTBG8Bys7kbOMAlQty4qkvAYjps4GcjlAQrqu8osdO_T99EYimnj1HHYM0PNIU5_0poWUT53RZW5hUUFK52MwPuUs_gVzECL-7fDiu/w301-h400/FC0555A1-7E31-4D1E-82EE-B9522DC23343.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">What a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age">Gilded Age</a> masterpiece it is! Visitors can go inside and see some of the grand flourishes. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAsay5_BiFKa6qqvRFiyA3DSN2AdJOOKukZMgLMxIJLiIvrAKfVVPjSMjObkI6BSU6h7YMUDfsk631ebPCP6qQCzjxviOp5uHyJ5Jo1SIB18fJnXPoV3bKqO1LcsoT3qUaS00uMU0h0xV8Wq_ZAhYBW43VeKQuk2NKieYOlvM6KtRnmnAsQcaQ8lkHmUf/s4096/9F0038B5-34DF-4B7E-B8F5-377E8E2FB5DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAsay5_BiFKa6qqvRFiyA3DSN2AdJOOKukZMgLMxIJLiIvrAKfVVPjSMjObkI6BSU6h7YMUDfsk631ebPCP6qQCzjxviOp5uHyJ5Jo1SIB18fJnXPoV3bKqO1LcsoT3qUaS00uMU0h0xV8Wq_ZAhYBW43VeKQuk2NKieYOlvM6KtRnmnAsQcaQ8lkHmUf/w300-h400/9F0038B5-34DF-4B7E-B8F5-377E8E2FB5DC.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrxV0nut_RoesNxx4fot8DW9YiapnRxeQMm7sESpfnRtELLeIxDxOSXFrBNzZepNXeq73If80GW1m0hgaHBxXYnlczjvIsVdgx9B5JXLzhueVqWRi5mk8TtLGZT03cEYvsgpMofAH1wLbpDUXZTRbmB7Bw6w3Inzz6kTM-WfNBXbrvg3zdRwv_zQxyCIx/s4096/222342BB-EDBA-4ED5-8DFA-2AFEA6A4131C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrxV0nut_RoesNxx4fot8DW9YiapnRxeQMm7sESpfnRtELLeIxDxOSXFrBNzZepNXeq73If80GW1m0hgaHBxXYnlczjvIsVdgx9B5JXLzhueVqWRi5mk8TtLGZT03cEYvsgpMofAH1wLbpDUXZTRbmB7Bw6w3Inzz6kTM-WfNBXbrvg3zdRwv_zQxyCIx/w400-h300/222342BB-EDBA-4ED5-8DFA-2AFEA6A4131C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyvxO89fvlLDOGZAZe2X9xKyHGJbnjNVQWH0NeLQORn9frt8joX_BRiufzZi3E68jBEsMYfrU1a1UW0OM1KSi-GYrvuaxcXFBGkv2Y3zNGNaq87XcL_oXwfKGa61cmZSoKekkx52YbndXbvgFQDS8vSZu3KDrpwuQ6aArwBCnObdad741T_oLdIw0Cqxb/s4096/4E5319C4-C4F4-4EA0-8F24-250761FD3669.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyvxO89fvlLDOGZAZe2X9xKyHGJbnjNVQWH0NeLQORn9frt8joX_BRiufzZi3E68jBEsMYfrU1a1UW0OM1KSi-GYrvuaxcXFBGkv2Y3zNGNaq87XcL_oXwfKGa61cmZSoKekkx52YbndXbvgFQDS8vSZu3KDrpwuQ6aArwBCnObdad741T_oLdIw0Cqxb/w300-h400/4E5319C4-C4F4-4EA0-8F24-250761FD3669.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRf9P51XXVMivfIcULs6lIq2ASOLgaqyfqoRaiHsBPgPGjg-5D8iUdmH9B5POvLkVNT2w7XxQyAn4y7DJLgCsB0RmpxZC8xy8qrkUShDEAQuzS24NuoVikX6SaRRdUfWNfbv2d34MUl7-WBGDME4T1MJmTOkOc_U5vzDFshw5JP2lRhyphenhypheng5IyJA_Q5ns1S/s4096/7FFA59BA-31A1-4C89-9FB6-2A6260D7A969.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRf9P51XXVMivfIcULs6lIq2ASOLgaqyfqoRaiHsBPgPGjg-5D8iUdmH9B5POvLkVNT2w7XxQyAn4y7DJLgCsB0RmpxZC8xy8qrkUShDEAQuzS24NuoVikX6SaRRdUfWNfbv2d34MUl7-WBGDME4T1MJmTOkOc_U5vzDFshw5JP2lRhyphenhypheng5IyJA_Q5ns1S/w400-h300/7FFA59BA-31A1-4C89-9FB6-2A6260D7A969.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWHTbxSj0XwVRYX7uL9nIQyv2FEJXenBR2VswiZ9vu4yVDeMFlBBQN_SNVyfMCIc1tIJV3mR2OnrmJdwM5kwW-OkvWej_P6AAMgqMElhpc_V9yhkx_stJj-T-A2bzrVlQHCrmWb1U_ooBgxk5kW9RNlWLNNhfZY9f1gCNNXRAqLoC4eQFxANHdfzRAEsh/s4096/C4F6F4FF-62D0-45BE-BF01-23A640B36968.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWHTbxSj0XwVRYX7uL9nIQyv2FEJXenBR2VswiZ9vu4yVDeMFlBBQN_SNVyfMCIc1tIJV3mR2OnrmJdwM5kwW-OkvWej_P6AAMgqMElhpc_V9yhkx_stJj-T-A2bzrVlQHCrmWb1U_ooBgxk5kW9RNlWLNNhfZY9f1gCNNXRAqLoC4eQFxANHdfzRAEsh/w300-h400/C4F6F4FF-62D0-45BE-BF01-23A640B36968.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Imagine being a Flagler College student and having a dorm room in this beautiful former luxury hotel! That seems to be a plan in the works per the sign below. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKiEaR6C9dzgohPBzn7CwIztz-06-ZfchpCAgiIsYRT-_OIRrxzt7R2pjxIqZNC3G_x58n0qrRtf9uplVxafuMfrgnzmy0JojihJhIvN7U5F14Y7vdo9Vh90KuGWMeXcDU61c4S0po7V0MNdnnPkE3iqPFj47zr2iPHRGwWDtsCbZQZ2fGpIybWM_91Kc/s5184/AF346F4F-CCCB-431E-B980-803628E4B6E2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKiEaR6C9dzgohPBzn7CwIztz-06-ZfchpCAgiIsYRT-_OIRrxzt7R2pjxIqZNC3G_x58n0qrRtf9uplVxafuMfrgnzmy0JojihJhIvN7U5F14Y7vdo9Vh90KuGWMeXcDU61c4S0po7V0MNdnnPkE3iqPFj47zr2iPHRGwWDtsCbZQZ2fGpIybWM_91Kc/w300-h400/AF346F4F-CCCB-431E-B980-803628E4B6E2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZo9JosGW1-mqZWd8Q2UBaBLTlY5DFn3MT9ZaN21RSdJER4zwgYjwL6Ke8nq1BWq0syhqpZCcwJoDBU4e9Ndpb106AbiLnExCWM72JEbQ_8wf-tl-W0kZFqzH67wznonJSIktG12SfDJq0Vhn9w2R4INDMXaeOvKzTrYEQYdeqc8fgeRNc-P0VzfUK7rq/s4032/D7F3A468-0845-4EF8-943C-87C4EC61C1EA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZo9JosGW1-mqZWd8Q2UBaBLTlY5DFn3MT9ZaN21RSdJER4zwgYjwL6Ke8nq1BWq0syhqpZCcwJoDBU4e9Ndpb106AbiLnExCWM72JEbQ_8wf-tl-W0kZFqzH67wznonJSIktG12SfDJq0Vhn9w2R4INDMXaeOvKzTrYEQYdeqc8fgeRNc-P0VzfUK7rq/w300-h400/D7F3A468-0845-4EF8-943C-87C4EC61C1EA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The historic district is very walkable and we were fortunate to have pleasant weather for our sightseeing. That big white building on the right is the <a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/jaxak-casa-monica-resort-and-spa-autograph-collection/overview/">Casa Monica Resort & Spa</a>. It dates to 1888 and was also built by Henry Flagler. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We stopped by the hotel for a quick look and rest. The decor is very elegant and upscale (below). </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmu5o9SWle-WcwZZGyySAB6SE0R_gyXqpWyefCgu5NfF2rQMMIN8VjU4qklrVtxktERt3yt7lcsrVP9yf7wEVEJjTTVtssYuduVvwiP5eCDnNZ_tsNm6BvBNPRDzRmrXSI0EfOHCI52FvIg4Dge939DjNqNIppTDj3wO_zN2tYM1Wf5hv6qLOf2MqnCLJV/s4032/43FAB759-6DA3-472E-B961-4DCA77810E41.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmu5o9SWle-WcwZZGyySAB6SE0R_gyXqpWyefCgu5NfF2rQMMIN8VjU4qklrVtxktERt3yt7lcsrVP9yf7wEVEJjTTVtssYuduVvwiP5eCDnNZ_tsNm6BvBNPRDzRmrXSI0EfOHCI52FvIg4Dge939DjNqNIppTDj3wO_zN2tYM1Wf5hv6qLOf2MqnCLJV/w300-h400/43FAB759-6DA3-472E-B961-4DCA77810E41.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8vH8yAjfXzK-2JEZ1pjbnTC3adcnV5rVUYlsWKVe7s5dpkDrPpWSBeCqRdRq1OVwHkicMDL3FpeKlz4BSzY7IfpXwF7FytubnpiuNYCm0Fpu5gs-Rz0LDcTwplPXnVDwXoPzoUxFyLJp9gEL8C2Ye5HAE2snxBEPEInEtTliNHcQeCFvFeYkmxgO-924/s4032/8823C36A-4FA9-4E72-9535-FA24F8C127D4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8vH8yAjfXzK-2JEZ1pjbnTC3adcnV5rVUYlsWKVe7s5dpkDrPpWSBeCqRdRq1OVwHkicMDL3FpeKlz4BSzY7IfpXwF7FytubnpiuNYCm0Fpu5gs-Rz0LDcTwplPXnVDwXoPzoUxFyLJp9gEL8C2Ye5HAE2snxBEPEInEtTliNHcQeCFvFeYkmxgO-924/w300-h400/8823C36A-4FA9-4E72-9535-FA24F8C127D4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QTRtVghKS1BCd3jnjSmzDAATP-y5TDSCy1wzaR5Tkogoj8-_ldMl9v6Sv84c1OIX4sLhnUJMnR0TyzLjBx1aNuCetFkTbaijykabxlJgSv5LY6L0LePrU6KMvQpAU6570o1bNunxe-dqKasSQ8MW4zUgddzB5fUhOEGnZD9tLcDG75s4zIcub2OKyXS0/s4096/7D5B1276-7E3A-4918-87D3-39CFE5767301.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QTRtVghKS1BCd3jnjSmzDAATP-y5TDSCy1wzaR5Tkogoj8-_ldMl9v6Sv84c1OIX4sLhnUJMnR0TyzLjBx1aNuCetFkTbaijykabxlJgSv5LY6L0LePrU6KMvQpAU6570o1bNunxe-dqKasSQ8MW4zUgddzB5fUhOEGnZD9tLcDG75s4zIcub2OKyXS0/w400-h300/7D5B1276-7E3A-4918-87D3-39CFE5767301.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Plaza de la Constitucion (right) is a town center of sorts. It has a<a href="https://www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/plaza-de-la-constitucion"> long history</a> that includes being a slave market. </b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8NtVEDx6rXR4RtsN4SS3oN723fQgbU6j_NbAXXEJPOdmWBMu7cE5fKrmVBWfQkfjoVeksFakpXv6LZRXUe1QClTYAhI6ZZAArbqKEVdH8KnHz6Adn-pl42XMgoLjylauvo5Aa6XTEFbPBb1SlAVXtM7D_YQyjPhs7-FF6rAB3UyKSOhC92Uav1A1Z0IM/s4096/2ECD844F-8CC0-461D-8492-E2FDFBA77BCC.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8NtVEDx6rXR4RtsN4SS3oN723fQgbU6j_NbAXXEJPOdmWBMu7cE5fKrmVBWfQkfjoVeksFakpXv6LZRXUe1QClTYAhI6ZZAArbqKEVdH8KnHz6Adn-pl42XMgoLjylauvo5Aa6XTEFbPBb1SlAVXtM7D_YQyjPhs7-FF6rAB3UyKSOhC92Uav1A1Z0IM/w400-h300/2ECD844F-8CC0-461D-8492-E2FDFBA77BCC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Our walk also took us to the <a href="https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/blog/the-bridge-of-lions/">Bridge of Lions.</a> Opened in 1927, it connects downtown St. Augustine with Anastasia Island. This and another marble lion were commissioned and donated by former mayor and medical doctor Andrew Anderson. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAuaBgKqtkw8uvtdxDjrLcnYqt9Aa4tYl6clBLvbPIYf6qwOI6pSLOLzmaeF8_CRNxqWfDzUCVvlLsxy3bH1BDmdQRuJbu_mzquTAB-74tjclaZ86zQkMbDGoXb72F4iG_2inNxrxtU2gUBgOe90XvYVVU-XFuJyzo4DsFK-25of0KdFKfjVHb7NWh4gA/s4096/F1356615-D68E-468C-A97E-0F838F052D18.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAuaBgKqtkw8uvtdxDjrLcnYqt9Aa4tYl6clBLvbPIYf6qwOI6pSLOLzmaeF8_CRNxqWfDzUCVvlLsxy3bH1BDmdQRuJbu_mzquTAB-74tjclaZ86zQkMbDGoXb72F4iG_2inNxrxtU2gUBgOe90XvYVVU-XFuJyzo4DsFK-25of0KdFKfjVHb7NWh4gA/w400-h300/F1356615-D68E-468C-A97E-0F838F052D18.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The bridge has a pedestrian lane that offers dynamic views of the cityscape. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDlZLelSmPvboDXmkA8pOC2f8vkyYcyOaY3OwmEamMKRd2FO8LA5zc4_2UZul6WsXCsRm55FYsvCl5a93A8ATnIE5PsKMRba2jejxbHpRYbJnkRkg8jQmHS9T691QdH1QqDwd0BVV5gS3Y34t5zB6syfBBu5KCHQyFWaWSIGivhLhVgHDpzQlVC3L4Hlm/s4096/A68418AB-96F8-4DAA-B9C2-CD109D23436A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDlZLelSmPvboDXmkA8pOC2f8vkyYcyOaY3OwmEamMKRd2FO8LA5zc4_2UZul6WsXCsRm55FYsvCl5a93A8ATnIE5PsKMRba2jejxbHpRYbJnkRkg8jQmHS9T691QdH1QqDwd0BVV5gS3Y34t5zB6syfBBu5KCHQyFWaWSIGivhLhVgHDpzQlVC3L4Hlm/w400-h300/A68418AB-96F8-4DAA-B9C2-CD109D23436A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>There’s a bustling marina featuring a boat called, simply, Boat. It was, perhaps, visiting from Wrightsville Beach, N.C., per its registry. </b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3OwosHWl-aBxLBkypPQcyA2fnAKk5clYUFsA2XQfkwh7xeZJviAZp2iURFZhYy1C_OS-JkU5rR5IrLb6jluMyUsgs3OeTfRqomD-1_Yx3y3dxMDHPccceAt2GiHTA-Q6Ll54arVL0v6CxSEi4w5JrmtLhZ3usACIzfWnJJVlCbBq7VPzJ-cmvMseTCxQ/s4096/694B4E42-42C7-492F-80E6-626281BCE1A8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3OwosHWl-aBxLBkypPQcyA2fnAKk5clYUFsA2XQfkwh7xeZJviAZp2iURFZhYy1C_OS-JkU5rR5IrLb6jluMyUsgs3OeTfRqomD-1_Yx3y3dxMDHPccceAt2GiHTA-Q6Ll54arVL0v6CxSEi4w5JrmtLhZ3usACIzfWnJJVlCbBq7VPzJ-cmvMseTCxQ/w400-h300/694B4E42-42C7-492F-80E6-626281BCE1A8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIVdcZHJ0zN-_WjkKmC5hPOH4aSbOYWNIpiRwyS_Y8j61P5i63MyDeEdfC2FNpPcylqN2nq8Ah0i5Wv1mqGmjRrDgQIgzigjJkpZsNO1gMjp8zlEyX5CoJ0C1vF48F9S69Qlni79E_hZABlNFqBo9X5dfTugT3MdYAt-lm-I8c1YpUX_d4P-UTgrtYNQV/s4096/891D06F6-E15C-4E05-8B8B-8CF45BA0320C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIVdcZHJ0zN-_WjkKmC5hPOH4aSbOYWNIpiRwyS_Y8j61P5i63MyDeEdfC2FNpPcylqN2nq8Ah0i5Wv1mqGmjRrDgQIgzigjJkpZsNO1gMjp8zlEyX5CoJ0C1vF48F9S69Qlni79E_hZABlNFqBo9X5dfTugT3MdYAt-lm-I8c1YpUX_d4P-UTgrtYNQV/w400-h300/891D06F6-E15C-4E05-8B8B-8CF45BA0320C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>ST. GEORGE STREET SHOPPING </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>While St. Augustine has plenty of history to absorb it also has a fun shopping area close to many of the major historic sites just shown. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>St. George Street (right) is the hub with many unique shops, some quirky. There are jewelry, clothing and touristy gift shops as well as restaurants and bakeries to satisfy any tastes. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6-aSDvJCktB9T4ZEoE-8I-7us7bZrrZC75_CVHwSTmlRR-B_KPjkUEdhwliKgIgFgNo5p86jMZQsH9ylSLUrggX7EqkhpjvYuoFMZplpRvy_Nxa-tNZiXIWmQzWUU9QuT3FoUOWrxliUB4Y13OzDg4NWeKyMGrOhvWkgQz-QPlW9ynHoqB7lj1wfEHll/s4032/5B68485E-ACE8-4FAC-9AAC-20B56AACB4C9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6-aSDvJCktB9T4ZEoE-8I-7us7bZrrZC75_CVHwSTmlRR-B_KPjkUEdhwliKgIgFgNo5p86jMZQsH9ylSLUrggX7EqkhpjvYuoFMZplpRvy_Nxa-tNZiXIWmQzWUU9QuT3FoUOWrxliUB4Y13OzDg4NWeKyMGrOhvWkgQz-QPlW9ynHoqB7lj1wfEHll/w300-h400/5B68485E-ACE8-4FAC-9AAC-20B56AACB4C9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>My eye is often drawn to the quirky. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcVEecXPPRvX51_CGwAaDfdJwof_3asID3ChnR6XMbDvzh7xEEZli0JXwWYTDywjN-rHLJYtsulH82np9WognV_cHp_SiNyH9ZZYl2_hk4geXnvbSCAuWTFTMPP3kE7YAtomFcS0omhwN9ZqzmhDGdP8JRtq5bgcWBPm8GCh7J8iluaYVtmiFYYwYSQjj/s4032/958905BA-2C3F-42E5-888B-5081466A7CF5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcVEecXPPRvX51_CGwAaDfdJwof_3asID3ChnR6XMbDvzh7xEEZli0JXwWYTDywjN-rHLJYtsulH82np9WognV_cHp_SiNyH9ZZYl2_hk4geXnvbSCAuWTFTMPP3kE7YAtomFcS0omhwN9ZqzmhDGdP8JRtq5bgcWBPm8GCh7J8iluaYVtmiFYYwYSQjj/w300-h400/958905BA-2C3F-42E5-888B-5081466A7CF5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Poor Santa! Hope he got down safely from this predicament. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlinAPIRZb2CMNiA90WcBEIH93ZkkGQV8k55T_cYXwZzKyegg_IOUCYBzApCgHecghNexpBIXIuN9MlHA8LfLxYZRfJ5zdZVnJPMrkcGoPXc8HX6dWeqo802_HT0-Dy7DwGdOTzB5E2m037I8eUKvK0Bjf5xDeEuiMvq1WvfmL7nsFYwhrWSF6J89muj4a/s4096/DFD7C0FA-01C8-4581-BBD9-7C6260650539.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlinAPIRZb2CMNiA90WcBEIH93ZkkGQV8k55T_cYXwZzKyegg_IOUCYBzApCgHecghNexpBIXIuN9MlHA8LfLxYZRfJ5zdZVnJPMrkcGoPXc8HX6dWeqo802_HT0-Dy7DwGdOTzB5E2m037I8eUKvK0Bjf5xDeEuiMvq1WvfmL7nsFYwhrWSF6J89muj4a/w400-h300/DFD7C0FA-01C8-4581-BBD9-7C6260650539.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Christine and Alesia Took the lead toward the cleverly named Faux Paws, a shop for dogs and, more importantly, their owners. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3r2E3vQQj1fwXE4pz2EKV51T1NYon1r9rh_0_3Qcn0vMhyd3Dq0lAwTy2tc6sUnJNPQetiijahrbBGu4rCgXNHva7VD2EPnoMfF1KeujzVoCy_PlvAmElmiUKd_11bugTsI7fz0fgbGWQ0ePfyzyeBQWR0G_EONvBhce6flLnOXlJtcuYFiBQtN_qBHP/s4032/F92D53FB-C8BD-4800-B0B1-F0B7B8D7641B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3r2E3vQQj1fwXE4pz2EKV51T1NYon1r9rh_0_3Qcn0vMhyd3Dq0lAwTy2tc6sUnJNPQetiijahrbBGu4rCgXNHva7VD2EPnoMfF1KeujzVoCy_PlvAmElmiUKd_11bugTsI7fz0fgbGWQ0ePfyzyeBQWR0G_EONvBhce6flLnOXlJtcuYFiBQtN_qBHP/w300-h400/F92D53FB-C8BD-4800-B0B1-F0B7B8D7641B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>We looked at and smelled soap samples. The sales guy was very good, offering to take a photo of us. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ApiqQTDIhhDhECLiKqTF8n5x0rPIKh79tw-OqgsuqtviqXTU-xIDXwfCroftzCNoMqEd2AJjH55ecFZlU-8jgdee6U_4Q_qY1inMfG-lzCnxJ6oA-rMeH7g83o0E_-OhbVZuZ6nblMU6XN3xqIP9IFoS27K8NeIQ0Y7EZfep2YEMit4zfPX1D8XdRSQk/s4032/A043E00A-0A43-4B0B-B966-B0996E3737E4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ApiqQTDIhhDhECLiKqTF8n5x0rPIKh79tw-OqgsuqtviqXTU-xIDXwfCroftzCNoMqEd2AJjH55ecFZlU-8jgdee6U_4Q_qY1inMfG-lzCnxJ6oA-rMeH7g83o0E_-OhbVZuZ6nblMU6XN3xqIP9IFoS27K8NeIQ0Y7EZfep2YEMit4zfPX1D8XdRSQk/w300-h400/A043E00A-0A43-4B0B-B966-B0996E3737E4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsNnqJHepBNCwY2VFAazEv2En9X8coFfqjCz1PgSWAJ7gIsxSVbvk1ZzOVxDwcjGrRnPnBeBQcdxS3eUEZhshAQlcd10k8fc0l7PxzPRvLPCpSBbpNHkzs7zdJIsxnnLEQA7vUxYcOoxRRNWtn38dKpQG489KAIA0GMkn7KACI-AGCPhq8sjf7Wx9zmSn/s4032/48CDE444-0D23-4411-9776-71277341B2AC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsNnqJHepBNCwY2VFAazEv2En9X8coFfqjCz1PgSWAJ7gIsxSVbvk1ZzOVxDwcjGrRnPnBeBQcdxS3eUEZhshAQlcd10k8fc0l7PxzPRvLPCpSBbpNHkzs7zdJIsxnnLEQA7vUxYcOoxRRNWtn38dKpQG489KAIA0GMkn7KACI-AGCPhq8sjf7Wx9zmSn/w300-h400/48CDE444-0D23-4411-9776-71277341B2AC.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I always like to take home a souvenir or two to remind of our travels. In the bag is a tall wooden cat figure for the house. It’s similar to the cats at the bottom left of this photo taken by Mike who knows I like lighthouses. Next visit maybe I’ll take home one of these lighthouses. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oCLJ-s8qd6MSyHFz-XD4Kvj7n3WVgQc6D9fAJPBLgRW9eXYJIi9oZt54BrYwYnwxuLwNsF0bGCQF0bPj4TwXI7OH19YpeN-dCOmr3tEmGmVhUwAjBy4hJUofUgoTrN-lZghnnLybWjvy_vTS-bau91Wb6qFFsxsXx9hJREDUKgc0AR1nopxDtjySUiH3/s4032/B1FBAC6B-AA6E-44D4-A53E-5CD1999A9566.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oCLJ-s8qd6MSyHFz-XD4Kvj7n3WVgQc6D9fAJPBLgRW9eXYJIi9oZt54BrYwYnwxuLwNsF0bGCQF0bPj4TwXI7OH19YpeN-dCOmr3tEmGmVhUwAjBy4hJUofUgoTrN-lZghnnLybWjvy_vTS-bau91Wb6qFFsxsXx9hJREDUKgc0AR1nopxDtjySUiH3/w300-h400/B1FBAC6B-AA6E-44D4-A53E-5CD1999A9566.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Also at this store, called the Shell Shop, I bought three of these multi-flora “air plants” after learning they look good in conch shells, which I have collected since coming to Charleston. See, don’t they look good? </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ07jAMnhdVUcDCYlVBZkq4vaZLUWOseWZBN2UxTqze4eyo35_uGGp_jKIRyuRD_4EqPdw8BnSmTrMr9GQIchjQBqwtXVEY2z8hyphenhyphendV9p28BZKqzROxIGqcQ6jPAoKtmQvz1BxzV_2jborDIv25iXRyVaQN9vBur4S3ABJAkJgwNudJ53dIJ6y4HHdilS-y/s3022/ED2438C3-4315-4444-B9B6-6BA0DDDE1147.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2763" data-original-width="3022" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ07jAMnhdVUcDCYlVBZkq4vaZLUWOseWZBN2UxTqze4eyo35_uGGp_jKIRyuRD_4EqPdw8BnSmTrMr9GQIchjQBqwtXVEY2z8hyphenhyphendV9p28BZKqzROxIGqcQ6jPAoKtmQvz1BxzV_2jborDIv25iXRyVaQN9vBur4S3ABJAkJgwNudJ53dIJ6y4HHdilS-y/w400-h366/ED2438C3-4315-4444-B9B6-6BA0DDDE1147.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Next we go from the quirky to the bizarre. Among the diverse offerings along St. George Street is the<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34599-d12352576-Reviews-Medieval_Torture_Museum-St_Augustine_Florida.html"> Medieval Torture Collection.</a> My curiosity was aroused and I talked the group into going.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGEKpC8qvHZnb7f-T5SdXW8i3O_RxsG5Y4rpnDLJ-jrWlELMUt_E4UpyWIKpcyJF55BU8bv5ZgeRh9O3j6oGqTAh6tYKkCi5s7AYirdCBevSOl45ncquDHY0V2bqXUkjis2XfQZBZ5X5ZkpaztbBJEPF-AZbwu0a6V28k4oACA3wnzeo1NDB9miSPQ4i5/s4032/D913DB0C-BE35-4E34-88D1-EBB57497C35C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGEKpC8qvHZnb7f-T5SdXW8i3O_RxsG5Y4rpnDLJ-jrWlELMUt_E4UpyWIKpcyJF55BU8bv5ZgeRh9O3j6oGqTAh6tYKkCi5s7AYirdCBevSOl45ncquDHY0V2bqXUkjis2XfQZBZ5X5ZkpaztbBJEPF-AZbwu0a6V28k4oACA3wnzeo1NDB9miSPQ4i5/w300-h400/D913DB0C-BE35-4E34-88D1-EBB57497C35C.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi64nqCEyclfhH_EiuCboXszMUA-ypauSBVL5nX5HCF2l9JZpTOhai3YIC-bCFloUju6MZPkQ7wOs01b2Jrmy4YcwZCvsyQ2cYgjHpqEwyYU8IVoZSKW5lMkJMPjhPDCMwgR5tlCmEzAaXcALMLFePz-4He26lnGEq8SXuM_As3eoLDFCo_ZsyydNsOBY/s4032/C085AB08-FC72-4EE5-88B3-C1AA093067E0.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi64nqCEyclfhH_EiuCboXszMUA-ypauSBVL5nX5HCF2l9JZpTOhai3YIC-bCFloUju6MZPkQ7wOs01b2Jrmy4YcwZCvsyQ2cYgjHpqEwyYU8IVoZSKW5lMkJMPjhPDCMwgR5tlCmEzAaXcALMLFePz-4He26lnGEq8SXuM_As3eoLDFCo_ZsyydNsOBY/w300-h400/C085AB08-FC72-4EE5-88B3-C1AA093067E0.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div>Admission was around $20 per person. So we paid, went in, and quickly found the museum did not water things down. See for yourself in my photographs. They are graphic and gross- just to warn you! </b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Man's inhumanity to man is on full display!</b></div></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_QUW9bG7mt_seQJXVGDOkeePN6JpvaA4bXvKAEamLdGf_ja0m2CDZdQc3xDxnCBIEezmZLjhsYnEJ0sr53u6FtpKxCYjHvqWp3NVAallD0joJ58k5sQWRiG1He7vQQdehBGU5FXhB0sQKpu-1HMRcElbb7eBLoZUzqC6uvgy2zBWu8Wwmtr5fQk_j2e1/s4032/IMG_2381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_QUW9bG7mt_seQJXVGDOkeePN6JpvaA4bXvKAEamLdGf_ja0m2CDZdQc3xDxnCBIEezmZLjhsYnEJ0sr53u6FtpKxCYjHvqWp3NVAallD0joJ58k5sQWRiG1He7vQQdehBGU5FXhB0sQKpu-1HMRcElbb7eBLoZUzqC6uvgy2zBWu8Wwmtr5fQk_j2e1/w150-h200/IMG_2381.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtJed0QvZfvmDzH9SR3RktnSKxA4wYIB7sQG-57B-X9IFwo9OlYjdpBFYVrAB8PgbNuwbuTlYH9Wh7CO_s5P2lCaueaW1pPE5-gblGtZJifiDxjk3ZrBNTFnW68_9QbPFJlBrWEFOCFsNxITAEhoeMJiFAzpM2Q6EKE1vja6WpffaTkW9XgLRVs078Wj7/s4032/IMG_2383.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtJed0QvZfvmDzH9SR3RktnSKxA4wYIB7sQG-57B-X9IFwo9OlYjdpBFYVrAB8PgbNuwbuTlYH9Wh7CO_s5P2lCaueaW1pPE5-gblGtZJifiDxjk3ZrBNTFnW68_9QbPFJlBrWEFOCFsNxITAEhoeMJiFAzpM2Q6EKE1vja6WpffaTkW9XgLRVs078Wj7/w150-h200/IMG_2383.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiO8zyUvWWVTiXwGMOLyf2O4KrgVAxfD9Ht6quiaydiIfFdzC0CKRwYZvFHMieQSGVMVYblgdH_dQeLBd2WVbmbe0F02_1nTU44Z-Y1EiGHa5jFxn_vQ02JVOzRwXCYImWMegB93pjzqYy67B6U_HQYA4u9ezZuPVdGGj6-O74_iNMbaSSgrUO3f456Kw/s4032/IMG_2387.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiO8zyUvWWVTiXwGMOLyf2O4KrgVAxfD9Ht6quiaydiIfFdzC0CKRwYZvFHMieQSGVMVYblgdH_dQeLBd2WVbmbe0F02_1nTU44Z-Y1EiGHa5jFxn_vQ02JVOzRwXCYImWMegB93pjzqYy67B6U_HQYA4u9ezZuPVdGGj6-O74_iNMbaSSgrUO3f456Kw/w150-h200/IMG_2387.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hn4SmgcOt4CchGBIDOPXn71t0XLSGgUo41A_YC1-4WMxAx5u4MdhtA6XUi7t9YlkwGXTqYXQruG8r1G_JYkmmEJeKTUcgjeFTtO665zMsPf7XfW4lXFyvJTmUJaKDCWgk6TDqseBYiIS5ntn4t-nDS92X9yDWy9xngw9JVBFFgpS4CoD8nk21ajLLIjn/s4032/IMG_2386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hn4SmgcOt4CchGBIDOPXn71t0XLSGgUo41A_YC1-4WMxAx5u4MdhtA6XUi7t9YlkwGXTqYXQruG8r1G_JYkmmEJeKTUcgjeFTtO665zMsPf7XfW4lXFyvJTmUJaKDCWgk6TDqseBYiIS5ntn4t-nDS92X9yDWy9xngw9JVBFFgpS4CoD8nk21ajLLIjn/w150-h200/IMG_2386.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qajSKiK4vGXwZ0cMSopuD0SXYR1nNzCFZwduj25EzwcjhT6-0cDKHNTIw6KnnY6hHQO5YgbdjHr3L4NCNO3XuDnCM8T9OHmPHrasBrGVYL2Fp2IaWSRko8Z4rW01R987aeZ-H8WJPwv0eSnksmEBWZWWftyAaJ50efJM_PY3-Ad7mHPRFNqh6uJCBHVH/s4032/IMG_2388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qajSKiK4vGXwZ0cMSopuD0SXYR1nNzCFZwduj25EzwcjhT6-0cDKHNTIw6KnnY6hHQO5YgbdjHr3L4NCNO3XuDnCM8T9OHmPHrasBrGVYL2Fp2IaWSRko8Z4rW01R987aeZ-H8WJPwv0eSnksmEBWZWWftyAaJ50efJM_PY3-Ad7mHPRFNqh6uJCBHVH/w150-h200/IMG_2388.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNFeajgigneb4S8I5P-at3VBwG5wX6Qf6tboI76lRfJLjlY6XC-TH2Mo-hKlOx1GJPaDBytTpdl3HnIXn7kCZjqS9I1f7B82xgPyVQx4WATbvnSq1hG60AMljw4vIVE09eFn3M5kjLTbQpFiI3Z2GIyqO1Bn9nv7HqxoaPR9oNsXrgCL-lmR4rXk6Eumo/s4032/IMG_2389.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNFeajgigneb4S8I5P-at3VBwG5wX6Qf6tboI76lRfJLjlY6XC-TH2Mo-hKlOx1GJPaDBytTpdl3HnIXn7kCZjqS9I1f7B82xgPyVQx4WATbvnSq1hG60AMljw4vIVE09eFn3M5kjLTbQpFiI3Z2GIyqO1Bn9nv7HqxoaPR9oNsXrgCL-lmR4rXk6Eumo/w150-h200/IMG_2389.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLDmSIf_Ynnn7L1dpALeUG4oQzKMmO9zxAFFwB_0ul95VYofHDabj-ISPNKCNn0TaUC_-QAsVTEbqk2Fdl2rAz4fpdJ94OgxDQ2-wkPzGcgDdo7lnRdGMPc5DoLFlOnwHj6o1_LCrNIUMr2UA7tzPO_zkzLz2GlWeq4KHDBEPw_to8DtyhejJvanMrwRi/s4032/IMG_2393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLDmSIf_Ynnn7L1dpALeUG4oQzKMmO9zxAFFwB_0ul95VYofHDabj-ISPNKCNn0TaUC_-QAsVTEbqk2Fdl2rAz4fpdJ94OgxDQ2-wkPzGcgDdo7lnRdGMPc5DoLFlOnwHj6o1_LCrNIUMr2UA7tzPO_zkzLz2GlWeq4KHDBEPw_to8DtyhejJvanMrwRi/w150-h200/IMG_2393.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-bqfqENuRkc1uYtEKlTWIIvdINA4xWjc0fr_mDerW1Dbk0t_BDXPEsP7wE8bsMEpWyBcF0CW54vntEcCH4dHxSPb7SmBtkJRcTXhZMsL8K6CicGOWgujWLr764I0RtAiEL-NzIDc1Tq6aVuxNLHjAOQFRzZO0OYfn_rXccG8abeHMfzX6rbXsEP5Z8ZV/s4032/IMG_2394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-bqfqENuRkc1uYtEKlTWIIvdINA4xWjc0fr_mDerW1Dbk0t_BDXPEsP7wE8bsMEpWyBcF0CW54vntEcCH4dHxSPb7SmBtkJRcTXhZMsL8K6CicGOWgujWLr764I0RtAiEL-NzIDc1Tq6aVuxNLHjAOQFRzZO0OYfn_rXccG8abeHMfzX6rbXsEP5Z8ZV/w150-h200/IMG_2394.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOwNbBZB9iH84CZGvEV85lWOzjtFfenSlJ1V2u6fVK5tY-OF7Qg3JVP7rGXFh6KP4z7sebcwZYD-hjb_Os5kA3JS01WzlcviKpXeIpJeTgS5Bcjj85yT-3f8WIfNqlqoDtFA1-vPZWN7_IYQWAPWKxOum8SIgwyNNbuAtfOHZEDIowa30DNnryTDiJKAO/s4032/IMG_2395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOwNbBZB9iH84CZGvEV85lWOzjtFfenSlJ1V2u6fVK5tY-OF7Qg3JVP7rGXFh6KP4z7sebcwZYD-hjb_Os5kA3JS01WzlcviKpXeIpJeTgS5Bcjj85yT-3f8WIfNqlqoDtFA1-vPZWN7_IYQWAPWKxOum8SIgwyNNbuAtfOHZEDIowa30DNnryTDiJKAO/w150-h200/IMG_2395.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmM2B3VFp6y12P2omhCa08mTb6bE4E7E57obRfKvDuAZmJKbrJAKPh9ygtl5I3lRdwd2fCIBwwkRF2IqA_FaUEngPbiiqLkq6qOoAbFdztspB-wW0_QrUP6iKuPQ7zrJOTEbg-OJ2tuB5WOw3qVw_c90GbHlRII02DmzfcIwmOZgRgnfcpqHR5s46NI18/s4032/IMG_2390.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmM2B3VFp6y12P2omhCa08mTb6bE4E7E57obRfKvDuAZmJKbrJAKPh9ygtl5I3lRdwd2fCIBwwkRF2IqA_FaUEngPbiiqLkq6qOoAbFdztspB-wW0_QrUP6iKuPQ7zrJOTEbg-OJ2tuB5WOw3qVw_c90GbHlRII02DmzfcIwmOZgRgnfcpqHR5s46NI18/w150-h200/IMG_2390.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My sister-in-law Christine remarked after our tour that she was surprised to see young children visiting the Medieval Torture Collection. I agree- what were their parents thinking?! </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPu8l5-eMN4Npm6PjSc9ABD37FjZMgPYzbXf-3dviLuThLkLxz53fW-doBVGWDiH7rIYS-3DBCaUMcV5t7oS7U2PPO954ylCrsZJdsmuq1zumy-nk07I4VO1CJ2kUoffoz9d4rkxzPa3dUzyKkKgBKxh7YcYxTcIqe3TRbSnf4AbGV_VsTrNgk5BhTGqU/s4096/ECBDCB01-AAC3-42B8-B634-295F99D5BFCA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPu8l5-eMN4Npm6PjSc9ABD37FjZMgPYzbXf-3dviLuThLkLxz53fW-doBVGWDiH7rIYS-3DBCaUMcV5t7oS7U2PPO954ylCrsZJdsmuq1zumy-nk07I4VO1CJ2kUoffoz9d4rkxzPa3dUzyKkKgBKxh7YcYxTcIqe3TRbSnf4AbGV_VsTrNgk5BhTGqU/w300-h400/ECBDCB01-AAC3-42B8-B634-295F99D5BFCA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>On a related topic…somewhat…we came upon two cemeteries in the historic district. <a href="http://www.tolomatocemetery.com/">Tolomato</a> is a very old Catholic burial site. It has a very ornate entrance gate, which was locked when we passed. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Like much of the old quarter of St. Augustine, the cemetery has elements of Spanish, British and even American Civil War history as a number of Confederate soldiers are interred here.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2P27Txuki49lQPNBrEEGl_9W7fzv75S9K2P_6_188J8VIwSh1r2IHGYjIvm8Nd8eLiM_dctJdesgfo_LTd9jF-k08jI0SS1TjZkQLdAU5Vh5S-QD87zjTwCZN495dFeHbdARdHgj8btb6wLTawYRWujNUS8pBvOZdnwMwu8c15fPntSM9-bzf7VM5G7L/s4096/FEFBF642-7399-47EF-B5BC-AF079F62CDD4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2P27Txuki49lQPNBrEEGl_9W7fzv75S9K2P_6_188J8VIwSh1r2IHGYjIvm8Nd8eLiM_dctJdesgfo_LTd9jF-k08jI0SS1TjZkQLdAU5Vh5S-QD87zjTwCZN495dFeHbdARdHgj8btb6wLTawYRWujNUS8pBvOZdnwMwu8c15fPntSM9-bzf7VM5G7L/w300-h400/FEFBF642-7399-47EF-B5BC-AF079F62CDD4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The first bishop of the Catholic diocese of St. Augustine from 1870-1876, <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/verot-jean-pierre-augustin-marcellin">Augustin Verot</a>, is interred in the white chapel seen here. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.visitstaugustine.com/history/person/biassou-jorge">Jorge Biassou</a>, America’s first Black general, is also buried here. See this link for more on his interesting life, including his part in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution">Haiti’s slave revolt</a> that began in 1791.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaCx6MAQ21wfBbTzZoEkdMFHxVKvQUzPI8bLFt4YLizAxlEDXNXlhMGeUl4QWq5awrNO2bq_I2Kcen7osPfBFPYXgXiEAY1NA6o_3cbcXS4ZJ8mz5LN2n3HCB7UXOqR-0nopqf6-u9tTLuK6rdwFLRUHGF3EMpkwnJmu7BxeeKa30U2madYV4izDjTJSH/s4032/B9FB8E0A-9EB3-4D95-9D19-3DCE37B4F633.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaCx6MAQ21wfBbTzZoEkdMFHxVKvQUzPI8bLFt4YLizAxlEDXNXlhMGeUl4QWq5awrNO2bq_I2Kcen7osPfBFPYXgXiEAY1NA6o_3cbcXS4ZJ8mz5LN2n3HCB7UXOqR-0nopqf6-u9tTLuK6rdwFLRUHGF3EMpkwnJmu7BxeeKa30U2madYV4izDjTJSH/w300-h400/B9FB8E0A-9EB3-4D95-9D19-3DCE37B4F633.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>I scratched my head when seeing Huguenot on the name of <a href="https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/directory/huguenot-cemetery/">another downtown cemetery</a>. French Protestants were also in St. Augustine’s mix? </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRQ6iL5J79WECh-rZJgbcD0V0_9J5rc9Uwg8rZgmPndxRCEKgb2LiNwZpXfoTXoB3_DCnUF1RjKeTCze8gqHPr7H3oHAJGH4H_HVQJuYvAoNOCwiJgs6Bni2FYXVBMnZWhh279EDUuqxphPe2I2PP4FnRAo1rggzuzF3-S9hc8q88o4Piwat_9Kom4oIx/s4032/3160556A-1B41-4E28-AF27-BB15EED34E84.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRQ6iL5J79WECh-rZJgbcD0V0_9J5rc9Uwg8rZgmPndxRCEKgb2LiNwZpXfoTXoB3_DCnUF1RjKeTCze8gqHPr7H3oHAJGH4H_HVQJuYvAoNOCwiJgs6Bni2FYXVBMnZWhh279EDUuqxphPe2I2PP4FnRAo1rggzuzF3-S9hc8q88o4Piwat_9Kom4oIx/w300-h400/3160556A-1B41-4E28-AF27-BB15EED34E84.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This sign explains how the grounds were set up in 1821 during a yellow fever epidemic. Until then there was no cemetery in St. Augustine for Protestants and other non-Catholics. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1R4PL8v4Vxz5-81_xnq7sSqN46_HQcHLRGgK5kiCo1wPVqtHf0kCnrZKe1Lh1PXXI7OQbybO0lxIseonKEgiy7W9_uA_F7Fd3fSkGAH694sByor7CXJIDA2HlnBAtb1gGaGeg9oT6MOkIWZ6fumlG6sg4U1uo7RagNXI8IR8XYo70hgQq4IxMaLcjTvK/s4096/9C8FC18F-AAE7-4D93-9785-687F8E98B7EE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1R4PL8v4Vxz5-81_xnq7sSqN46_HQcHLRGgK5kiCo1wPVqtHf0kCnrZKe1Lh1PXXI7OQbybO0lxIseonKEgiy7W9_uA_F7Fd3fSkGAH694sByor7CXJIDA2HlnBAtb1gGaGeg9oT6MOkIWZ6fumlG6sg4U1uo7RagNXI8IR8XYo70hgQq4IxMaLcjTvK/w400-h300/9C8FC18F-AAE7-4D93-9785-687F8E98B7EE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Another appealing attraction to me is that there is a lighthouse in the area, seen here across Matanzas Bay.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_-_AkaRSMNrect_q-JoFvCKkkqVz142T2R7WCE4GrxK87PnkrjE-eG97VhZp01vt8fwywze6HFZ5SffxHCBjKqJx3r3MASMXULvWK11Ng-U1BUzrvA6MgMp60UHV8faplZoquby4IDUhodtJ27E1B9ceC2OYOl1ywkSzpYId-49r5ViGLb5QACQhImTZ/s4096/23DAF6C8-A287-4ED3-A9E1-7A2DF7186AF3.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_-_AkaRSMNrect_q-JoFvCKkkqVz142T2R7WCE4GrxK87PnkrjE-eG97VhZp01vt8fwywze6HFZ5SffxHCBjKqJx3r3MASMXULvWK11Ng-U1BUzrvA6MgMp60UHV8faplZoquby4IDUhodtJ27E1B9ceC2OYOl1ywkSzpYId-49r5ViGLb5QACQhImTZ/w400-h300/23DAF6C8-A287-4ED3-A9E1-7A2DF7186AF3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Are those people at the top? Yes, there are. So a visit to this lighthouse was a must. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHpl9EhirXlUmLfY9tq_-54BVHaZUfGeOJKsja_wroS6DnEuFd9xh3mYYjBtOcjJkAyfuqIdfG6XK2YFF-Edpl5K8gBFpc2pNcCk_G62oBNT3W7Dv8vUSYNlMcPHq8yRGGqAAQNYa_R6367SMINMbfpqMrm_k_36SQrrdNzTcFIp1pshZDZR-TUmhhDv2/s4096/90ED1FD8-9C17-4ECB-AF7F-52212A174542.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHpl9EhirXlUmLfY9tq_-54BVHaZUfGeOJKsja_wroS6DnEuFd9xh3mYYjBtOcjJkAyfuqIdfG6XK2YFF-Edpl5K8gBFpc2pNcCk_G62oBNT3W7Dv8vUSYNlMcPHq8yRGGqAAQNYa_R6367SMINMbfpqMrm_k_36SQrrdNzTcFIp1pshZDZR-TUmhhDv2/w300-h400/90ED1FD8-9C17-4ECB-AF7F-52212A174542.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The <a href="https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/">St. Augustine Lighthouse</a> is in fine condition. The 165-foot structure was first lit in 1874. It is located on <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia">Anastasia Island</a>. There is a tradition of watchtowers and lighthouses on the island that goes all the way back to 1589. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4uUUZi_m2ws5_oMrCG0kZZt6R7-XGkFflFUT6KQE81cDUWNh0VMcGlu5WK-r9jAVcLstNtVmSKqh_5j7CHSmYwRh2rJGp2XwA2ZR5qXbSAb45XtTUDwclFVQ5ooZK2hvKj2NN3Sf6qGSHjw3mVpU5oiqNQ59CMshRvD5w1jdkkzvnrrXYQ2F3ACOuiva/s4096/453C49B1-8A71-496B-9C30-EE2F460BF7D2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4uUUZi_m2ws5_oMrCG0kZZt6R7-XGkFflFUT6KQE81cDUWNh0VMcGlu5WK-r9jAVcLstNtVmSKqh_5j7CHSmYwRh2rJGp2XwA2ZR5qXbSAb45XtTUDwclFVQ5ooZK2hvKj2NN3Sf6qGSHjw3mVpU5oiqNQ59CMshRvD5w1jdkkzvnrrXYQ2F3ACOuiva/w400-h300/453C49B1-8A71-496B-9C30-EE2F460BF7D2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The grounds also include a maritime museum located inside the restored light keeper's house. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvp7i61_gbiBkkZKtqv0wxYZngOmJdQjMB_WjY33viVSTz-54LFhTuXV06JgatAUDmAFfa3Z57e3A2Z3ZeAeoTyBMRDKjQ_ZQeMlRq8BzI-ljWnNWmuqjceLxdxcXvxliT5IJ3NEc4Iu_hU2AN3oKIyE7IS1Bmbh6rcVpVYYmcKuwTURuDO1e4xanFXMD/s4096/381ACE1E-2034-4F49-BD0D-F6C69BD35C69.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvp7i61_gbiBkkZKtqv0wxYZngOmJdQjMB_WjY33viVSTz-54LFhTuXV06JgatAUDmAFfa3Z57e3A2Z3ZeAeoTyBMRDKjQ_ZQeMlRq8BzI-ljWnNWmuqjceLxdxcXvxliT5IJ3NEc4Iu_hU2AN3oKIyE7IS1Bmbh6rcVpVYYmcKuwTURuDO1e4xanFXMD/w400-h300/381ACE1E-2034-4F49-BD0D-F6C69BD35C69.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I was very impressed with the exhibits and the expansive grounds outside that include a boat maker facility and shipwreck conservation lab (not to mention a playground for the youngsters). </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-b_gj8gUBbQ6B5sX0-fimecrHLD9nqwNvx91b0ceHQQkHcEM-byIFjjGABnG0fbkW52VpfHLANbWiT34Gwg8-ZtiGdnLSYx4_LCn7o9ZIVKeIX3Xo_JAmSRSUY8qFkBZidSj2ZaUAhSnk-2KHqAXpcIacEtTTk5lNUUzl7TeBL_cBd17MTHw2xWXqhmD/s5184/ABC100CF-E76B-4ABE-8D2F-CAEBA2CC3DA2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-b_gj8gUBbQ6B5sX0-fimecrHLD9nqwNvx91b0ceHQQkHcEM-byIFjjGABnG0fbkW52VpfHLANbWiT34Gwg8-ZtiGdnLSYx4_LCn7o9ZIVKeIX3Xo_JAmSRSUY8qFkBZidSj2ZaUAhSnk-2KHqAXpcIacEtTTk5lNUUzl7TeBL_cBd17MTHw2xWXqhmD/w300-h400/ABC100CF-E76B-4ABE-8D2F-CAEBA2CC3DA2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is $14.95, including children. For seniors 60 and older it’s $12.95. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w1qYVzU-993U4qJr9MOsQZvMgaPKMt_40-AJLN0FispZu7CD2mchWRvSfgI9NEhloD74RB_bkOSz2F61DfhP3fTs6iU5TEW1vLzEH2iqNZ1bVAUWw1jF6_Q_ZEVXXv3VZbr4q7QIOn681uQDOoY7UX6Y9TLB5z50WIdoWIhk-7kfMqIHOZZO5ot_7WCF/s4096/7890B4C4-9978-4C1C-B955-580B3E81B979.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w1qYVzU-993U4qJr9MOsQZvMgaPKMt_40-AJLN0FispZu7CD2mchWRvSfgI9NEhloD74RB_bkOSz2F61DfhP3fTs6iU5TEW1vLzEH2iqNZ1bVAUWw1jF6_Q_ZEVXXv3VZbr4q7QIOn681uQDOoY7UX6Y9TLB5z50WIdoWIhk-7kfMqIHOZZO5ot_7WCF/w300-h400/7890B4C4-9978-4C1C-B955-580B3E81B979.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>We begin the “219 Steps into History” as the lighthouse handout is titled. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzrCnLKTZs-WiCNRnHWfLfaw0yxeFwP4rLk_o-dMKh0YQQwVc6nVQJCf2QeRlVPyf-yzgZCJDhm-dD9f1bZQWznpxMCLLG1XkfIYNNjh1I-tFQnkoeJk4IOfryDZkGWUQQ0Z2J6w3qHKCWBWHlTGdVA4lkkufJzvK5__PSFFmGH-K3MzPJUZIebW1mXCd/s4096/D771668B-6D17-4A53-9BFF-32972CC7078F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzrCnLKTZs-WiCNRnHWfLfaw0yxeFwP4rLk_o-dMKh0YQQwVc6nVQJCf2QeRlVPyf-yzgZCJDhm-dD9f1bZQWznpxMCLLG1XkfIYNNjh1I-tFQnkoeJk4IOfryDZkGWUQQ0Z2J6w3qHKCWBWHlTGdVA4lkkufJzvK5__PSFFmGH-K3MzPJUZIebW1mXCd/w300-h400/D771668B-6D17-4A53-9BFF-32972CC7078F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Just about every turn has displays like this one that include an odd tale about the light keeper’s son attaching a parachute to his sister’s cat named Smokey and dropping him from the top of the lighthouse. Smokey survived but was understandably scared and went missing for several weeks. 🐱 </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Poor Smokey! 🐈 </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDkjUYp70MYxKKqWHx_tEIedCUrGm0xI6JmQz_RBk_nNGmYAGzwikuStG_1qGMilsHcm3J8HDTip8DN1Ud2lJcb5HNLTGtQTJrex0bZFAWGS5rOt1eyXCOnKi-cuONOyX_5zBOW4n-REiMYNr50VJv6bECzbhFmEnvma1I8khWDDGpCV5fcbDs1fOMH7c/s4077/F589924D-2496-4291-B8B2-42B3511F941C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4077" data-original-width="3058" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDkjUYp70MYxKKqWHx_tEIedCUrGm0xI6JmQz_RBk_nNGmYAGzwikuStG_1qGMilsHcm3J8HDTip8DN1Ud2lJcb5HNLTGtQTJrex0bZFAWGS5rOt1eyXCOnKi-cuONOyX_5zBOW4n-REiMYNr50VJv6bECzbhFmEnvma1I8khWDDGpCV5fcbDs1fOMH7c/w300-h400/F589924D-2496-4291-B8B2-42B3511F941C.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Soon enough the Atlantic Ocean came into view. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtTKGmmh46E5hnTc-lqtn8yu_EsgitBQUIO_VOwHAbiL8u1TM7ync6LOFA0PwCDhim7F0khgr2eOmoPVspy52EvRus7T0g_yI34FSDVSLTfqDvuwv2oHfVkKWRXK4CcppV7iEFNFyrToT6oo3tk_QPOUPtORO055FVU2Oni07LQE9G9eMlPxq0IL45P0x/s3898/2F985DBA-72E1-4779-8F8D-EFE88922D3E8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="3898" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtTKGmmh46E5hnTc-lqtn8yu_EsgitBQUIO_VOwHAbiL8u1TM7ync6LOFA0PwCDhim7F0khgr2eOmoPVspy52EvRus7T0g_yI34FSDVSLTfqDvuwv2oHfVkKWRXK4CcppV7iEFNFyrToT6oo3tk_QPOUPtORO055FVU2Oni07LQE9G9eMlPxq0IL45P0x/w400-h300/2F985DBA-72E1-4779-8F8D-EFE88922D3E8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The view looking down. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8PHfhCMJhHXxP0xHD2csSfMxjO9SYk69yrOsiMc8u_PO6oJnr_8rUkDQwGxaV-p_FU6zNc5RNI6_QWVnPYKT9EY7_AOMceOJQ7eYp0DEKZg2ZLjE-D_3I0LU6iBI2LknmZumMUMjTeVDlbjVj2XYVoN_CnHXzcujHxfO-xYtd72ahzPi3jzbwdP73X3W/s7788/BDA6A37C-BDFE-4572-897F-25CE7D2292F5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1962" data-original-width="7788" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8PHfhCMJhHXxP0xHD2csSfMxjO9SYk69yrOsiMc8u_PO6oJnr_8rUkDQwGxaV-p_FU6zNc5RNI6_QWVnPYKT9EY7_AOMceOJQ7eYp0DEKZg2ZLjE-D_3I0LU6iBI2LknmZumMUMjTeVDlbjVj2XYVoN_CnHXzcujHxfO-xYtd72ahzPi3jzbwdP73X3W/w640-h162/BDA6A37C-BDFE-4572-897F-25CE7D2292F5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Finally to the top, conquering the 219 steps! Here’s the glorious panoramic view.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuB_573YQo-5Ud4uU0YNR61N4ZTPf9UWVL0XMuBCtO8ZAC95n26XEV5tNMrBrmjp0top87joNTNXlIUq1wUbaWC1mFr9wMPcOy2CmLWTwEaFEoVbrNyU-OnWU4PeFu12ZD0ck6Y0T61SjAt0z8DbY5TszhyphenhyphenQItPJB-qRWtxtltc1lhWDX_iB2CUDfqc-b/s4096/E862018F-52C9-4752-9819-80669B3F608F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuB_573YQo-5Ud4uU0YNR61N4ZTPf9UWVL0XMuBCtO8ZAC95n26XEV5tNMrBrmjp0top87joNTNXlIUq1wUbaWC1mFr9wMPcOy2CmLWTwEaFEoVbrNyU-OnWU4PeFu12ZD0ck6Y0T61SjAt0z8DbY5TszhyphenhyphenQItPJB-qRWtxtltc1lhWDX_iB2CUDfqc-b/w400-h300/E862018F-52C9-4752-9819-80669B3F608F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>It was a neat experience to be able to enter and ascend this old lighthouse! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It is some 150 years old but is so well managed and maintained that it almost looks new. <br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtG_sSdb0AzO4DZD7tMHxXCsssDhKC3KwgKY5BphdjSl47zFiSAUTKNRitma148wTe6JE4FC9LBfJOgPdmDZc_RHGbgmmlwXUbemrHA2iwXzLtrhWT7GRpLunKFB9WDvCEr9Fqm5x7TFqAWGRUxVNw_P2Qihe9c-4SprGB3NZJjaa7qLOhbDQevWCzvgga/s3859/AD591E0D-2A32-4A67-A2BA-8AE22741F407.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="3859" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtG_sSdb0AzO4DZD7tMHxXCsssDhKC3KwgKY5BphdjSl47zFiSAUTKNRitma148wTe6JE4FC9LBfJOgPdmDZc_RHGbgmmlwXUbemrHA2iwXzLtrhWT7GRpLunKFB9WDvCEr9Fqm5x7TFqAWGRUxVNw_P2Qihe9c-4SprGB3NZJjaa7qLOhbDQevWCzvgga/w400-h300/AD591E0D-2A32-4A67-A2BA-8AE22741F407.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Back on the ground I admired the <a href="https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/2995/">light keeper’s house</a>. Pretty nice digs! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It was occupied by light keepers and their families until 1955. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefhc60psFYrBV4Ei2pTuG9W-v65odQAn9ZVcxYh9gsp8q929m2JS3Epe-5YPCKT-pGbVXkuT6kMtnddIFio1PwuQcHIRHcy0fXeMZuEPqVLr9Fc-MeO5Qfaou3-GuM1WRH29ZLKsgknGna26pLsCFnh29ncPeZe8JzVYsWkn07R-6pEtM9KH6Hrh4_pAz/s4096/6C7289D1-8D8D-4602-BB37-FC00402C5192.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefhc60psFYrBV4Ei2pTuG9W-v65odQAn9ZVcxYh9gsp8q929m2JS3Epe-5YPCKT-pGbVXkuT6kMtnddIFio1PwuQcHIRHcy0fXeMZuEPqVLr9Fc-MeO5Qfaou3-GuM1WRH29ZLKsgknGna26pLsCFnh29ncPeZe8JzVYsWkn07R-6pEtM9KH6Hrh4_pAz/w400-h300/6C7289D1-8D8D-4602-BB37-FC00402C5192.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This display inside the house caught my and my brother’s attention. <a href="https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/2014/10/06/history-of-the-harn-family-at-the-st-augustine-lighthouse/">William A. Harn</a> was the lighthouse keeper from 1875-1889. He, his wife and children were the first occupants of the fine Victorian Keeper’s House shown above. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Prior to that Harn had an incredible experience as a Union artillery officer in the Civil War. If you click on the photo you get a better read how he was there from the the war's first shots at Fort Sumter, S.C. in 1861 to Confederate </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYFpGxyQKn0CWnTgBkNzv6GePifLnd_05rkqYP1Bgh8rQXUc03c_Gp37cADNfIDxzaG94fdjFiGQIIDo-hfqhYAX7gAw47NzuVDG7sHBMsGElairNgjU-UmcQZZw5PjaGF9UEx15sWlnppJjfA-cFJmRP04YJzWZSrlRuKwy_EuwpqsSzL5_3rqEzgXhF/s5184/C1FAA56C-8050-48F3-B4A2-0B6AFA2BEB61.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYFpGxyQKn0CWnTgBkNzv6GePifLnd_05rkqYP1Bgh8rQXUc03c_Gp37cADNfIDxzaG94fdjFiGQIIDo-hfqhYAX7gAw47NzuVDG7sHBMsGElairNgjU-UmcQZZw5PjaGF9UEx15sWlnppJjfA-cFJmRP04YJzWZSrlRuKwy_EuwpqsSzL5_3rqEzgXhF/w400-h300/C1FAA56C-8050-48F3-B4A2-0B6AFA2BEB61.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Va. in 1865. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Born in Philadelphia, Harn has a connection with Charleston that I plan to research some more, having served at Fort Moultrie as well as Fort Sumter. During his posting at Fort Moultrie, Harn, then a private, would meet his future wife Kate who was the daughter of an ordnance sergeant. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Harn's name is on a plaque at Fort Sumter. I'll have to look for that next visit to the popular Charleston Harbor attraction. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCksYir18sYEDzZS4PLKsf1grGv5JO5b6xzlICH5JhFzUGWdHx-yeBzijziL57FYnKrRNzHMYRCVxhqkiT-BrtENE2dF7wC8o59PR7AnpL-FKA_aDVngBJAMS_VZwTT4IxlyqVvXpk72D20SWCBu7D4S5vSjkjXF6XtI1kRh8Q_-9MmhyphenhyphenlQr_yK-g9ljTf/s4096/C1B38463-1213-4B93-A109-64714CB088E0.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCksYir18sYEDzZS4PLKsf1grGv5JO5b6xzlICH5JhFzUGWdHx-yeBzijziL57FYnKrRNzHMYRCVxhqkiT-BrtENE2dF7wC8o59PR7AnpL-FKA_aDVngBJAMS_VZwTT4IxlyqVvXpk72D20SWCBu7D4S5vSjkjXF6XtI1kRh8Q_-9MmhyphenhyphenlQr_yK-g9ljTf/w400-h300/C1B38463-1213-4B93-A109-64714CB088E0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>ANASTASIA BEACH </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>At the lighthouse, we could see the ocean in the distance but I really wanted to see it up close so we took the short drive to <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia">Anastasia State Park</a>. It was an $8 car fee to enter. On this cool January day there weren't many other people on the beach. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uoo7iqAVCgBGIVWqzcEAC8ibGSQoJ0EjHHB-OVZkyN6tiiInlu-ltI9sVG_s2lf9fx9BOSNtbEKeoJSMVIPk3LCEC5fQ66-uCY60pjKW1IytOkEwvhZj40EP7O709ZmqPsOpKw-J-gL0xh0ZFfo3Bq3TnmwmFJQG3r_uP7vaM09Ler51tf0maqae6fQ3/s4032/92958B53-7212-4A14-9C06-A558AEF6F25D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uoo7iqAVCgBGIVWqzcEAC8ibGSQoJ0EjHHB-OVZkyN6tiiInlu-ltI9sVG_s2lf9fx9BOSNtbEKeoJSMVIPk3LCEC5fQ66-uCY60pjKW1IytOkEwvhZj40EP7O709ZmqPsOpKw-J-gL0xh0ZFfo3Bq3TnmwmFJQG3r_uP7vaM09Ler51tf0maqae6fQ3/w400-h300/92958B53-7212-4A14-9C06-A558AEF6F25D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Alesia and I walked up to the water, collected a handful of small shells, took a selfie and left satisfied to have briefly visited a beach different (the sand here is darker for one thing) from the ones we know so well in the Charleston area.<br /></b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br />I bet this beach gets crowded in the summer!</b></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Mike and Christine watched a surfer up the beach a little ways where the boardwalk took them. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>EATING TIME! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D6mVE3YrLHs9ijVO-fTvUo0pTOzePWqtoSCgV_ZHF8wkrA9ZbvmvQ6uniLLrRwx4cdUhrLrtsk-CJ7c4CJ9a8map1oGYoPw_GXyxQ6Vm-_EMdM24g8co22yFSZYZgHG39lrFL0BEbyCMYhA5w8n2Xi72sC8kzchMM6zvDKZ9yLSQdXlxaun8TShd5WAC/s4032/407C54F1-C3A9-4914-8C0C-291DE3433382.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D6mVE3YrLHs9ijVO-fTvUo0pTOzePWqtoSCgV_ZHF8wkrA9ZbvmvQ6uniLLrRwx4cdUhrLrtsk-CJ7c4CJ9a8map1oGYoPw_GXyxQ6Vm-_EMdM24g8co22yFSZYZgHG39lrFL0BEbyCMYhA5w8n2Xi72sC8kzchMM6zvDKZ9yLSQdXlxaun8TShd5WAC/w300-h400/407C54F1-C3A9-4914-8C0C-291DE3433382.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>We enjoyed some fine dining in St. Augustine, thanks to Alesia’s research and recent visit here with her sister.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>After our lighthouse and beach excursion, we had dinner at <a href="https://www.osteensrestaurant.com/">O’Steen’s Restaurant</a>. This place doesn’t do reservations or accept debit or credit cards. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We came at a good time and had only a 15-20 minute wait to be seated. We took the time to go into an antique store next door that is connected to O’Steen’s with an intercom. So we heard our name called when our table was ready. Cool arrangement! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf8BQSeN63foZ0W0sB2OPPGBsZ3GDUXXIzkChmx4rRHhgai-_gtHYL8-yxLqrX-7oS1Qhhqq4OAS7TmCREW8z1ujXK_Pnfik5L_9aHnCfMcmfzEQtqla2d9u3Gxevb1nF6hafn_c8kzdyQhAeL_q5iSkfYYGIJreSmP2eoEnfWwIElgyYPSRhpNlGNKsZ/s4032/BB96DF11-B39E-4D4F-A00D-AED932618E72.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf8BQSeN63foZ0W0sB2OPPGBsZ3GDUXXIzkChmx4rRHhgai-_gtHYL8-yxLqrX-7oS1Qhhqq4OAS7TmCREW8z1ujXK_Pnfik5L_9aHnCfMcmfzEQtqla2d9u3Gxevb1nF6hafn_c8kzdyQhAeL_q5iSkfYYGIJreSmP2eoEnfWwIElgyYPSRhpNlGNKsZ/w300-h400/BB96DF11-B39E-4D4F-A00D-AED932618E72.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br />The food was delicious and the prices were not too high. We each started with the homemade Minorcan clam chowder, which was very good. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Minorcan, as an aside, is a word seen a lot around St. Augustine. <a href="https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/exhibits/florida-folklife/subjects/?id=minorcans">Click here</a> to learn more about the Minorcan people who were an important part of this area's history. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc04zo7QZqoLZva25FPAOvJYtiV2CPOBeC6fF0YHoTkHMp7dtUw14BUZigdm5ArKeQTqDOPjGO7DizGXoY-IIUGd4WEe3TNSexYon69s53z0IkmqB3bR39ld-tZtxuVoR4ngzIRn1RBNoPGWEeFHrRR03lnO8mFZR_CVBt7P1Wv4TSh8vYJY3jhJH8W2Oh/s4032/A95C9ED9-DFF1-492A-86A7-F05EFBDF462E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc04zo7QZqoLZva25FPAOvJYtiV2CPOBeC6fF0YHoTkHMp7dtUw14BUZigdm5ArKeQTqDOPjGO7DizGXoY-IIUGd4WEe3TNSexYon69s53z0IkmqB3bR39ld-tZtxuVoR4ngzIRn1RBNoPGWEeFHrRR03lnO8mFZR_CVBt7P1Wv4TSh8vYJY3jhJH8W2Oh/w300-h400/A95C9ED9-DFF1-492A-86A7-F05EFBDF462E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Each of us had the much ballyhooed fried shrimp (served butterfly style) as the entree and it did not disappoint. You can order portions of nine or 12 pieces of shrimp and two sides from a list of options. I went with apple sauce and buttery grits. I loved everything on my plate! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRa5UqwYQzJHWTW12V-3TYS7RANN8T8v0RRARjOOUhkhJNHGlXMkBBkUHfXbhwzgc4ML_NHqV_UkDLQBR0YaWjvx6lrbvYQ4Y0X8LynDbYn4oNblC-KsNW0tho7sw2gJvBO3TzT6gj9aqCJ-h7-XLAVXYcBQdUjAWVo8cAZ72fow7edapubT3DhHpwPBS/s4032/806007B5-C7C9-458B-9161-BF310A4D16E7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRa5UqwYQzJHWTW12V-3TYS7RANN8T8v0RRARjOOUhkhJNHGlXMkBBkUHfXbhwzgc4ML_NHqV_UkDLQBR0YaWjvx6lrbvYQ4Y0X8LynDbYn4oNblC-KsNW0tho7sw2gJvBO3TzT6gj9aqCJ-h7-XLAVXYcBQdUjAWVo8cAZ72fow7edapubT3DhHpwPBS/w300-h400/806007B5-C7C9-458B-9161-BF310A4D16E7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOb7USCHZFnU34b2rBVmMa6TIe8O6gDJ0H4SCvzRpgjapKCSXyKDUQ1Y6jduBAeLO2Ovy7SjWken_DXH71_8MF9fYj3JQzMC2oBI-LDKE2dL20IRvoM8xMhrPDebI_3oqFNgmCuat0ox2te7kuqpxbCOivgrALnjB0iL-kHy8ZOJ1JHIUEt7FBXAdPihZ/s4032/633EC81A-BC72-4742-BB26-976B931BC7E9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOb7USCHZFnU34b2rBVmMa6TIe8O6gDJ0H4SCvzRpgjapKCSXyKDUQ1Y6jduBAeLO2Ovy7SjWken_DXH71_8MF9fYj3JQzMC2oBI-LDKE2dL20IRvoM8xMhrPDebI_3oqFNgmCuat0ox2te7kuqpxbCOivgrALnjB0iL-kHy8ZOJ1JHIUEt7FBXAdPihZ/w400-h300/633EC81A-BC72-4742-BB26-976B931BC7E9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Our first night we walked from the hotel to <a href="https://www.columbiarestaurant.com/historic-district-st-augustine">Columbia restaurant</a> on St. George Street in the historic district. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Columbia features Spanish and Cuban food and has several locations in Florida going back to 1905. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I feasted on the Ropa Vieja, a tender, flavorful Cuban beef dish, which I guarantee tasted better than the “old clothes” translation. All this for $18! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXxVxe0IrPuetdHJCHlJk_EHv35f-XR21Q9ediFDpY3PwkKiXUhiMDjiIDMojypinmEKzrfMXqQ5N3GR5rLmu3RevFc9D1gZdGFoQUw2-LJhGvduTbd-6_1zPV6hPXFijvXzV040dPcA4QhGE1TiUB9NtAruuXuTUV1NQVkbPUG-qeUOj9lnFG6y55Ynf/s4032/30449251-049D-4963-837B-9F4EA9DB2E02.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXxVxe0IrPuetdHJCHlJk_EHv35f-XR21Q9ediFDpY3PwkKiXUhiMDjiIDMojypinmEKzrfMXqQ5N3GR5rLmu3RevFc9D1gZdGFoQUw2-LJhGvduTbd-6_1zPV6hPXFijvXzV040dPcA4QhGE1TiUB9NtAruuXuTUV1NQVkbPUG-qeUOj9lnFG6y55Ynf/w300-h400/30449251-049D-4963-837B-9F4EA9DB2E02.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Our final night in St. Augustine we walked a short ways up San Marco Avenue to <a href="https://raintreerestaurant.com/">The Raintree</a> (“Uptown casual dining” it boasts). Another fine dining experience! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tF5hyphenhyphensBcsbo7MQunkA9r8-Mo2_-bSXxbYEsQGtAXL_Itt7JoVN_gXBGozzMaR9YlUVh3CGiMllgQQ0bjRre7zxTqRxLmK-eAVmqIWXgbdGxLU8uDe8p6XdiDSlm5w3RxUdSoalLKWjgN2rGMAYTlBt2OXHBhUN5stjjkQyMoiWKpYS8ZGnxd0v4Q5TGN/s4032/3EEEAE6B-B254-4E85-8E2F-2931060C5BDD.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tF5hyphenhyphensBcsbo7MQunkA9r8-Mo2_-bSXxbYEsQGtAXL_Itt7JoVN_gXBGozzMaR9YlUVh3CGiMllgQQ0bjRre7zxTqRxLmK-eAVmqIWXgbdGxLU8uDe8p6XdiDSlm5w3RxUdSoalLKWjgN2rGMAYTlBt2OXHBhUN5stjjkQyMoiWKpYS8ZGnxd0v4Q5TGN/w300-h400/3EEEAE6B-B254-4E85-8E2F-2931060C5BDD.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The lobster and Sweet Pepper bisque appetizer was excellent.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo0n7HwtMsUe6RELtpC3s1IsSHoCF8erpgeZmSCq5Vx2z0jcngzsNidG3KppjWmqypmVLTZPgNxgJiA2ZgMHFzhYLjFXXYtkdaO_ooYW2pbYLaq6Ja2Ix2-3-rJk-A0aDA9MGE07mk4sHDhmg_UhoZT53ELewxJSkxiy1TVX9DjVfmblMEimuNfWAUwmB/s4032/572ED371-F280-472B-AD51-0594ADE74986.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo0n7HwtMsUe6RELtpC3s1IsSHoCF8erpgeZmSCq5Vx2z0jcngzsNidG3KppjWmqypmVLTZPgNxgJiA2ZgMHFzhYLjFXXYtkdaO_ooYW2pbYLaq6Ja2Ix2-3-rJk-A0aDA9MGE07mk4sHDhmg_UhoZT53ELewxJSkxiy1TVX9DjVfmblMEimuNfWAUwmB/w300-h400/572ED371-F280-472B-AD51-0594ADE74986.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>My pasta entree was sensational as well: Cappellini Pomodoro with added sausage and meatballs. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This may have been my favorite meal in St. Augustine. And the $19 price was a fine value. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5l9K5qLbTbZKJtTC9v3DF5gH_6W-O9oXXGiWM3e19LcnhoeAu8YNRyVdJsXzhLt4H3HFHo1FUxMSbiE_P4nGz3wYXNea6CyCenviuAELEM04aKW1hN-CsogX1krEu1wGePtxNaB-YquW_cveghM2vwlOAcL9u3S8dFFhlVQbQNKA9VVnDoJsKE2tWD92/s4032/3AB01A11-E6E9-4C76-9D5D-CBB54A2A26AE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5l9K5qLbTbZKJtTC9v3DF5gH_6W-O9oXXGiWM3e19LcnhoeAu8YNRyVdJsXzhLt4H3HFHo1FUxMSbiE_P4nGz3wYXNea6CyCenviuAELEM04aKW1hN-CsogX1krEu1wGePtxNaB-YquW_cveghM2vwlOAcL9u3S8dFFhlVQbQNKA9VVnDoJsKE2tWD92/w300-h400/3AB01A11-E6E9-4C76-9D5D-CBB54A2A26AE.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Alesia enjoyed the Beef Wellington ($39). </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n2wMnEFj5PRaiF60KDEP_iGglx6tjBCwufXQu8lZVqXMHy680axC9WT_amJwLEKLT_gp73FKyAyaxnRXmU-M2MtR1GHFiMsEYiTnKTESz3f-BVKlRzbkVagD3d5uyic29g_jVu66z6edmByLPNmxq6xzAyH3wXsAf3I4YZbkpLS11JNV7i3A0i-kNxzw/s4032/C1376A61-1CC2-4298-9568-C201E9CA67F2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n2wMnEFj5PRaiF60KDEP_iGglx6tjBCwufXQu8lZVqXMHy680axC9WT_amJwLEKLT_gp73FKyAyaxnRXmU-M2MtR1GHFiMsEYiTnKTESz3f-BVKlRzbkVagD3d5uyic29g_jVu66z6edmByLPNmxq6xzAyH3wXsAf3I4YZbkpLS11JNV7i3A0i-kNxzw/w300-h400/C1376A61-1CC2-4298-9568-C201E9CA67F2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Walking back to the hotel from The Raintree we caught, from the sidewalk, a few minutes of live music at another establishment. Fun place this St, Augustine! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaAybm1wgOWYQsxr9XDWeNH2tjvajQisWo5v23mlxKdE_-I5LOhAuG8PE2Y1fR2E2f1r2N6JjzXhXdpNUswYIBJN_jxVRqO8SIP4-GoZ4CqwBvMNo8dJ_6idMvXYoGJOptzGLLhNOazLT8opiOKHaYoMa1dNGszhK5N6CA1Fs20AKgaAhVmKw0-ISFyPD/s4032/3F0BD60A-C492-4FDA-A7AB-0B94904C7DEB.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaAybm1wgOWYQsxr9XDWeNH2tjvajQisWo5v23mlxKdE_-I5LOhAuG8PE2Y1fR2E2f1r2N6JjzXhXdpNUswYIBJN_jxVRqO8SIP4-GoZ4CqwBvMNo8dJ_6idMvXYoGJOptzGLLhNOazLT8opiOKHaYoMa1dNGszhK5N6CA1Fs20AKgaAhVmKw0-ISFyPD/w300-h400/3F0BD60A-C492-4FDA-A7AB-0B94904C7DEB.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Finding lunch proved a bit of a challenge as the historic district bustled with fellow New Year’s visitors. Wait times were the norm but we didn’t have to wait too long before <a href="https://meehansirishpub.com/">Meehan’s Irish Pub & Seafood House</a> buzzed us. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36cic1i2Qdxx0w2AianqNZNoX_b-AFEakFPYqILJ8Oz80F7EvxNW-JaWE6op03cD0JCppa7BGUOdgAWOCNUMA1aEPa_y7cs6nhO3H8ABEZrYWRL388hBgptMzoFqnJmyiNzK4p_v4cVADzt4RBnuxPjeEohyF3NLGW6fWcweNa7n8axf8QOsOnr5002ZF/s4032/8BAD082D-A6D3-41FD-BE82-232F71C12E92.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36cic1i2Qdxx0w2AianqNZNoX_b-AFEakFPYqILJ8Oz80F7EvxNW-JaWE6op03cD0JCppa7BGUOdgAWOCNUMA1aEPa_y7cs6nhO3H8ABEZrYWRL388hBgptMzoFqnJmyiNzK4p_v4cVADzt4RBnuxPjeEohyF3NLGW6fWcweNa7n8axf8QOsOnr5002ZF/w300-h400/8BAD082D-A6D3-41FD-BE82-232F71C12E92.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Meehan’s take on onion soup wasn’t French but it sure was good! Small portion size we all agreed. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8Kb64eJb6I0MJAO062h97cPZWhcfS9aKpIjFfkL1Z1bJpyADCZ1TBBAqaTIcqb6OjNzPVdrNoSVeI4AU0sn_vS2YTo1vCdMNV9E0ayn-oxITIZ3V1hQPur_n6RONuqyUHRaWQ4IhScvKaIGNE32FUEdHVurS4O9szAsXLXv6DXVjXlAOZAdEtZbczMZY/s4032/3F5E3CF5-A9A9-42FD-B029-13CB48344BAE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8Kb64eJb6I0MJAO062h97cPZWhcfS9aKpIjFfkL1Z1bJpyADCZ1TBBAqaTIcqb6OjNzPVdrNoSVeI4AU0sn_vS2YTo1vCdMNV9E0ayn-oxITIZ3V1hQPur_n6RONuqyUHRaWQ4IhScvKaIGNE32FUEdHVurS4O9szAsXLXv6DXVjXlAOZAdEtZbczMZY/w300-h400/3F5E3CF5-A9A9-42FD-B029-13CB48344BAE.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The Notre Dame Fighting Irish get some love at the pub! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqQzrq7vUryzC3pZQzV7aVEUBpEHXmxt8oG7VJ16aLCjRKeDNT9Ej6H8OZhwiz3Pp0Nd116eUlH5eyM6F_2NfGhE8AZLn4OZIe1xJOX-_fLbvTcUf7Fto8HzClYGGUHeRr3WkUCv2NPROV0kwXHDrF69fzU7JXHPQpQe_78qLqjbZWeX8az5mVx5Ows8I/s4032/E04C00EB-2B2C-493D-ADF3-F852953CFC1B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqQzrq7vUryzC3pZQzV7aVEUBpEHXmxt8oG7VJ16aLCjRKeDNT9Ej6H8OZhwiz3Pp0Nd116eUlH5eyM6F_2NfGhE8AZLn4OZIe1xJOX-_fLbvTcUf7Fto8HzClYGGUHeRr3WkUCv2NPROV0kwXHDrF69fzU7JXHPQpQe_78qLqjbZWeX8az5mVx5Ows8I/w300-h400/E04C00EB-2B2C-493D-ADF3-F852953CFC1B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Not to be forgotten were the hardy breakfasts at our Renaissance Hotel. Alesia’s Marriott points had them complimentary as well. </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">The restaurant is called <a href="https://castillokitchen.com/">Castillo Craft Bar + Kitchen.</a> </b></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>French toast with bananas on top was a first for me. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoq9LVF0w0_G53cRVYOYOP3xYhBp6yuVrJSsBTHN9KKa7HDNW2jvb57IYpScXb4ttxUictUDxgVtm2INzZoVShLYERYqGXTBUmF5-9NR9Q2Mjy68C3GjjawxzNQDICWcITUaNuazf0A8rzPp4uAVa3ZmL5OmAiwl29NnaGitQ3cjcYNjkFggF4FMDOPkb/s4032/87E4735F-B9F3-4D1D-95AD-C51BE29FE97C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoq9LVF0w0_G53cRVYOYOP3xYhBp6yuVrJSsBTHN9KKa7HDNW2jvb57IYpScXb4ttxUictUDxgVtm2INzZoVShLYERYqGXTBUmF5-9NR9Q2Mjy68C3GjjawxzNQDICWcITUaNuazf0A8rzPp4uAVa3ZmL5OmAiwl29NnaGitQ3cjcYNjkFggF4FMDOPkb/w300-h400/87E4735F-B9F3-4D1D-95AD-C51BE29FE97C.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>So were short ribs served under eggs (over easy our server recommended) with potatoes. I didn’t know you could have ribs for breakfast!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjShgzO9EvAkMxbW0csmCP1MFyQljL-C6smZSDqhdE9Y1jDJAllSlqyf9sPnzOgHVdnWo_LZrLBKH440Npv8fa02mU99ykB40q-m0ykO_JzpUuFUCMygkiNKr3N8M2Y_oBiFW5IUvPhyWCTpLVoQ42cyj6bU6mLc59LOi8TN9xi3JXcOPdYZ1V3Z0F3uw/s4032/AC681749-BC47-4AD0-A4E5-9F4F03634824.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjShgzO9EvAkMxbW0csmCP1MFyQljL-C6smZSDqhdE9Y1jDJAllSlqyf9sPnzOgHVdnWo_LZrLBKH440Npv8fa02mU99ykB40q-m0ykO_JzpUuFUCMygkiNKr3N8M2Y_oBiFW5IUvPhyWCTpLVoQ42cyj6bU6mLc59LOi8TN9xi3JXcOPdYZ1V3Z0F3uw/w300-h400/AC681749-BC47-4AD0-A4E5-9F4F03634824.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We were very impressed also with the hotel staff. Everyone was friendly and upbeat. They enhanced our experience and I for one hope to return to St. Augustine and the Renaissance Hotel.</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZRlQ-XpbDvQF0MonRC0AZVw1uLqUOoJ8QSry9YjzMYPQV79Tu4uDZ-UIJCyw_ByxGuyQr0jQuCENlYFAKijuGNR2uj2Wt9nL6j4115pnbqbTY1HFmlu_rWkFJE-k2uIlU1UQ6h9TBwxeEN7WQ04Y22yMRNBRf44g3l_ISmn8_QsQNa_Y7d9ezPmYX7Qw/s4032/C7FB45B1-00B1-44AC-99FC-3478141106F0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZRlQ-XpbDvQF0MonRC0AZVw1uLqUOoJ8QSry9YjzMYPQV79Tu4uDZ-UIJCyw_ByxGuyQr0jQuCENlYFAKijuGNR2uj2Wt9nL6j4115pnbqbTY1HFmlu_rWkFJE-k2uIlU1UQ6h9TBwxeEN7WQ04Y22yMRNBRf44g3l_ISmn8_QsQNa_Y7d9ezPmYX7Qw/w300-h400/C7FB45B1-00B1-44AC-99FC-3478141106F0.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>And I think Alesia will drink to that too! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fOcZae1UZh9mnMpcJnSAFLnpldkzoItgXUPn2Gp1cPShMSLnepSD5QMuBCo_dhiUaGVTl3KRlQcHMr2DNfwaWqvOamkCp3SvUCjNCfWH_cbgorsNNLHiyKAaEaxTwELEbreilbdpy5ZBX_cyJ2r83X5nnhVg4qIjjMZIfbOjCypkECgnvymaIzmyNWnz/s4032/2D1DCD35-BDC5-49E5-883A-E47E3F20298E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fOcZae1UZh9mnMpcJnSAFLnpldkzoItgXUPn2Gp1cPShMSLnepSD5QMuBCo_dhiUaGVTl3KRlQcHMr2DNfwaWqvOamkCp3SvUCjNCfWH_cbgorsNNLHiyKAaEaxTwELEbreilbdpy5ZBX_cyJ2r83X5nnhVg4qIjjMZIfbOjCypkECgnvymaIzmyNWnz/w300-h400/2D1DCD35-BDC5-49E5-883A-E47E3F20298E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Fun & Festive! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWxOeRM65G0QpWoFK3LFC4K8V967uTshqZOMttOHYnJXQDuN5xxl4j38c9JLEn7_TOQnig9Up4l2EKaNS8QMh9UillYTaufxcLYtt7QJCO2A0PqEp5UtbA6Mpnv-kO9xG86tkibdEpnXJxow32kL-YkivQpwn1Gi7d66vn3-vp_AimXO3pcG_RuXQ71XI/s5184/quirky.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWxOeRM65G0QpWoFK3LFC4K8V967uTshqZOMttOHYnJXQDuN5xxl4j38c9JLEn7_TOQnig9Up4l2EKaNS8QMh9UillYTaufxcLYtt7QJCO2A0PqEp5UtbA6Mpnv-kO9xG86tkibdEpnXJxow32kL-YkivQpwn1Gi7d66vn3-vp_AimXO3pcG_RuXQ71XI/w400-h300/quirky.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Quirky! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>There's so much to like about St. Augustine! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCsh-YFWvlZ4DY41qhwk_1V4pKp-zvCYgdgXPE6sCehWNxhWnaCybTrI65tqt__uFTetR0Wk1yB3jk-LqPowvW2MuzZ1qwNxgP1_OpnVmvuIuv_Ls5RpRtp76vx-NE8o3d69ttLa_s79hBenHCDVKzhUYa4HHGZVE8L8lpAf4ngAYFye2vYOoQIcmZeXf/s3963/IMG_4157.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2972" data-original-width="3963" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCsh-YFWvlZ4DY41qhwk_1V4pKp-zvCYgdgXPE6sCehWNxhWnaCybTrI65tqt__uFTetR0Wk1yB3jk-LqPowvW2MuzZ1qwNxgP1_OpnVmvuIuv_Ls5RpRtp76vx-NE8o3d69ttLa_s79hBenHCDVKzhUYa4HHGZVE8L8lpAf4ngAYFye2vYOoQIcmZeXf/w400-h300/IMG_4157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>My Osprey encounter...I almost forgot to include!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It happened while we were checking out The Great Cross. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>An Osprey flew onto a palm tree right next to where I was standing...</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTOzWmmhYK27vmKUmwdR4NLsSxXCl-0xVBLWOOxdRrv1XKLpNHpHEKHQhV8gc5UC8gm6XpUwwKtSEfrW8HnFW-EYSIZVXCul7pPfj2c4bVZ1wvwSldX5f0UoMKYL9VqBZQHj4oNRjSOMPcj-WFEt-r5qbrr5uScXIa4p58hzed-6gfRrUIRqKaNx6Damg/s4096/Osprey.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTOzWmmhYK27vmKUmwdR4NLsSxXCl-0xVBLWOOxdRrv1XKLpNHpHEKHQhV8gc5UC8gm6XpUwwKtSEfrW8HnFW-EYSIZVXCul7pPfj2c4bVZ1wvwSldX5f0UoMKYL9VqBZQHj4oNRjSOMPcj-WFEt-r5qbrr5uScXIa4p58hzed-6gfRrUIRqKaNx6Damg/w400-h300/Osprey.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Could not believe my luck! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaZ1USZX-p1uXOyDDe9Bnqjf1L0e-_7F7YAtUYz_LazoqAd09bJOthgYBpa7c4Y5jXAfTKOrqm1p-08aGMi8U8yjNr9fSr7KJAjw20qdPcTfIQMPwJP4Rl6ep2v7PBM3wEiIHW6_IsV4pX8JUy7bBIBbsO8CaD_qU9pxNyZTtRXMDbDurXfirmkVgPfCT/s5184/IMG_7517.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaZ1USZX-p1uXOyDDe9Bnqjf1L0e-_7F7YAtUYz_LazoqAd09bJOthgYBpa7c4Y5jXAfTKOrqm1p-08aGMi8U8yjNr9fSr7KJAjw20qdPcTfIQMPwJP4Rl6ep2v7PBM3wEiIHW6_IsV4pX8JUy7bBIBbsO8CaD_qU9pxNyZTtRXMDbDurXfirmkVgPfCT/w400-h300/IMG_7517.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>At first it was obscured some behind branches, but then I moved and/or it moved, and I was able to get this image of its beautiful face. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinLh8tuxkVvEk1lv67jEuCfFo8P6-Oh6walakDhAjK7744lWWZVFYyZM42peHCSgEoEM-zOEHF_z6LczWo-lJLIE6I373OwzNOxfN_BZUaBvCxdVjLXocd1vsfc8vRxgt2EEOzElh0T8aCW-DjOGYcpAMjKQoZu69WCeYHAHq5ODR4deFfV5eWk3meYaA/s5184/IMG_7518.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinLh8tuxkVvEk1lv67jEuCfFo8P6-Oh6walakDhAjK7744lWWZVFYyZM42peHCSgEoEM-zOEHF_z6LczWo-lJLIE6I373OwzNOxfN_BZUaBvCxdVjLXocd1vsfc8vRxgt2EEOzElh0T8aCW-DjOGYcpAMjKQoZu69WCeYHAHq5ODR4deFfV5eWk3meYaA/w400-h300/IMG_7518.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Osprey didn't mind posing for several photographs either. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2NIrPwrUH4QdDGstflWKiuOE_G4qLm1z2pm3nLRNpVaPGlIRNW5IIEIG18NH0WG9BMTgd2RdZb8DBRXTYYjMBL8NiIzWfkBEaAmKfR68FPAX7DUNe3glpiOkw4ZRenPHLy0SWI49O0vHW3fhvEHfyKk-yk6Rj88eTZ5IfcgQRGSR_JAvjNHYs2McDAsO/s5184/IMG_7511.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2NIrPwrUH4QdDGstflWKiuOE_G4qLm1z2pm3nLRNpVaPGlIRNW5IIEIG18NH0WG9BMTgd2RdZb8DBRXTYYjMBL8NiIzWfkBEaAmKfR68FPAX7DUNe3glpiOkw4ZRenPHLy0SWI49O0vHW3fhvEHfyKk-yk6Rj88eTZ5IfcgQRGSR_JAvjNHYs2McDAsO/w400-h300/IMG_7511.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This was the morning before we headed home so what a great way to end our trip. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DKXxuC3jSpDbEy54XjbA1jGBleDgaTGQQ_YXML1zmWCUS06WavOjMdstQ5_fL6w-Tfsmp4wTy4RrR1WDOB_Yv2XU7EFHtO65fh5I8qL4XqaAkUdo8A4HM0g1TpWkOH-77r-Eis4BKpnsE315rIvh1vK-KUoZLIv3xhwhh-GbN-hauIf_KTauOJ5p9TIb/s5184/IMG_7523.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DKXxuC3jSpDbEy54XjbA1jGBleDgaTGQQ_YXML1zmWCUS06WavOjMdstQ5_fL6w-Tfsmp4wTy4RrR1WDOB_Yv2XU7EFHtO65fh5I8qL4XqaAkUdo8A4HM0g1TpWkOH-77r-Eis4BKpnsE315rIvh1vK-KUoZLIv3xhwhh-GbN-hauIf_KTauOJ5p9TIb/w400-h300/IMG_7523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This Snowy Egret was also spotted near The Great Cross. What a lovely smallish wading bird is the Snowy...</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vVGDekMcHvuNrIgFIlzHgsjFkY_nlmuUR4_-Cqt4SroQBHHpKerA12KOj4QH2b09yTOSJRHm71SSufTyrTKrFnDe_YYVZCrAk7s7kh7oxzqjsRcZ4vH1djCHElPksa8tdPshjekUYAMZsYaxCiYW4tFEN6A1JjA-hHL4QoLRdwCIqlpmLZvLZuHegqw4/s5184/IMG_7524.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vVGDekMcHvuNrIgFIlzHgsjFkY_nlmuUR4_-Cqt4SroQBHHpKerA12KOj4QH2b09yTOSJRHm71SSufTyrTKrFnDe_YYVZCrAk7s7kh7oxzqjsRcZ4vH1djCHElPksa8tdPshjekUYAMZsYaxCiYW4tFEN6A1JjA-hHL4QoLRdwCIqlpmLZvLZuHegqw4/w400-h300/IMG_7524.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Snowy Egret is known for its signature yellow "slippers." </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Thank you for reading! </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1WFMjSAtg8kgsTbQ4ROzAqRlda06w5yw49b0r29p-ldYVMNGU80K3JiNQ2fOnzXXO7_-ZylqECIYhaf5gmKaavRq7rlXUXO_NCrObLu4MANEc8dy2yHYoS853gfEwFIjYJLy9y9QX0TE6Iu9MzRnkwqjfhyphenhyphenuECMy_9YrbzMpN16witZnkvLKGa0ZXH-0/s4032/6226471C-3D9D-47DD-8C95-5181E3656FCD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1WFMjSAtg8kgsTbQ4ROzAqRlda06w5yw49b0r29p-ldYVMNGU80K3JiNQ2fOnzXXO7_-ZylqECIYhaf5gmKaavRq7rlXUXO_NCrObLu4MANEc8dy2yHYoS853gfEwFIjYJLy9y9QX0TE6Iu9MzRnkwqjfhyphenhyphenuECMy_9YrbzMpN16witZnkvLKGa0ZXH-0/w400-h300/6226471C-3D9D-47DD-8C95-5181E3656FCD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-86066129481364778042023-12-22T09:20:00.011-05:002024-03-11T18:10:22.164-04:00Christmas Time Bird Surge! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTOjhfjS0Q-ieHseSzAFG9dt52TnbREd9QKPz2-W6GGogEFbgq4Cpjwg5EXj2ZhuPnPNWLRJhpvkbJIq2r-TNZWDevc72rIPFoLRyqST6tM1TGd2_VKwlSyz0LjnXaLaknKnmsvjc6XVfetfgaNllfwc4_lE0rnrnz26oxDkAeCQ2GDYVG4u_xvHU3NCq/s5029/977A8DB5-FB9C-43AB-80E2-D6383DF6BAD2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5029" data-original-width="3772" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTOjhfjS0Q-ieHseSzAFG9dt52TnbREd9QKPz2-W6GGogEFbgq4Cpjwg5EXj2ZhuPnPNWLRJhpvkbJIq2r-TNZWDevc72rIPFoLRyqST6tM1TGd2_VKwlSyz0LjnXaLaknKnmsvjc6XVfetfgaNllfwc4_lE0rnrnz26oxDkAeCQ2GDYVG4u_xvHU3NCq/w300-h400/977A8DB5-FB9C-43AB-80E2-D6383DF6BAD2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Tis the week before Christmas and all through the yard and pond creatures are stirring. Especially birds.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The current spell of colder weather was highlighted by a damaging nor’easter on Sunday, Dec. 17 that wreaked havoc in the Charleston area. Fortunately we had no major problems here in North Charleston. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Since that storm, temperatures have hit freezing overnight. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This is a favorite new photograph of a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Stork/overview">Wood Stork</a> at dusk on the edge of a pond near my backyard. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqQg_IauGk4YfMRF4wiF9_UbW40oLOq8lA5Ilw1SbXDfc0uRsLiUa7eLicdNz8s8TOl7B023c3ICpHAtGN15KUuDbIMUx9MYXq6JLbGWzw3lIqLiXOYnSBDIBb14Dxc9EQ4O9o2YgRxQAa_OLVKS9t-OLZBPItnA6Iq_lhuwtKZY77jThvJpcK2mZwkM/s4096/7AC8532A-F7B8-4C1C-987C-140A726C0C7A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqQg_IauGk4YfMRF4wiF9_UbW40oLOq8lA5Ilw1SbXDfc0uRsLiUa7eLicdNz8s8TOl7B023c3ICpHAtGN15KUuDbIMUx9MYXq6JLbGWzw3lIqLiXOYnSBDIBb14Dxc9EQ4O9o2YgRxQAa_OLVKS9t-OLZBPItnA6Iq_lhuwtKZY77jThvJpcK2mZwkM/w400-h300/7AC8532A-F7B8-4C1C-987C-140A726C0C7A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Bird activity at our backyard feeders has been frenzied as the chill in the air has our feathered friends eager to fill their bills and bellies. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/id">Eastern Bluebirds</a> and <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chipping_Sparrow/overview">Chipping Sparrows</a> have been among at least a dozen species I have spotted. I’ll show some more feeder photos later but first…</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMbkc7OFu4v8atiXKpL97W9GlmVRtFzOWJdz3Xs78wCYC1yzovjGVyAM_jIGgoVgvGhu6NTNDV6xUrzXHJX3a-0acg9rr_QC8uyj3RtgkJVJVXuyoZZuNEQ2VrZmIsE4UFBLvpWyuxqNxEq8cAYJb2VTl7UxlhwevoEHCDXVxmByq8Z0jh6kZ-h5vT-Pc/s4096/38363E51-55BD-4D5D-A518-4F035E71BFFF.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMbkc7OFu4v8atiXKpL97W9GlmVRtFzOWJdz3Xs78wCYC1yzovjGVyAM_jIGgoVgvGhu6NTNDV6xUrzXHJX3a-0acg9rr_QC8uyj3RtgkJVJVXuyoZZuNEQ2VrZmIsE4UFBLvpWyuxqNxEq8cAYJb2VTl7UxlhwevoEHCDXVxmByq8Z0jh6kZ-h5vT-Pc/w400-h300/38363E51-55BD-4D5D-A518-4F035E71BFFF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Wood Storks are not regular guests at the golf course pond near our backyard so it definitely caught my eye to see this one the day of the big nor’easter. Maybe it was blown off direction! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This Stork had a fishing partner in a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/overview">Great Egret</a>. Ahead in this post is video I took of the Wood Stork hunting in the small pond. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7hBXnJmemr9iUIK6WRA6XOs79U4d_PnrtGYySCqMCxwI7bFckdlXSipujGglBMz3C4B36fu4sBf6uWtJ2xcqVKE5xegJT_zXHzmPlgBZ8elDfZROECIMXIc4LhKGLjelQSXeTwzghZl6Wahnnf3lwIY8dr8a2VeiL0yQYyT2FgCzrrTN2djteDwAVUtk/s4096/374DBCED-1394-481C-AB34-35897D003ED1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7hBXnJmemr9iUIK6WRA6XOs79U4d_PnrtGYySCqMCxwI7bFckdlXSipujGglBMz3C4B36fu4sBf6uWtJ2xcqVKE5xegJT_zXHzmPlgBZ8elDfZROECIMXIc4LhKGLjelQSXeTwzghZl6Wahnnf3lwIY8dr8a2VeiL0yQYyT2FgCzrrTN2djteDwAVUtk/w400-h300/374DBCED-1394-481C-AB34-35897D003ED1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Wood Storks have long been one of my favorite birds. Their population has been growing in the S.C. Lowcountry for a number of years now. <a href="https://www.counton2.com/news/south-carolina-news/scdnr-reports-record-number-of-wood-stork-nests-in-2022/">See details in this news article. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5PuvKleDc6F3AvQwwNcj7jqrNEDBjgDCE0Pr3I2mR8nSeosNlcHIlvsPiaCWLW0Ev6comOXRXf7jZV5XtMsuanA4eC8J_I9AJgvpOLZdhzpETy53LclX5S0nAeFEH9DesX7L-hI4_aLvrRFMv7Yp1NvSqzArDMZvzojlynfNfB7gERUUH6jr0AaCRNfY/s4096/1247A628-DA78-4F27-B617-47EECF5FA569.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5PuvKleDc6F3AvQwwNcj7jqrNEDBjgDCE0Pr3I2mR8nSeosNlcHIlvsPiaCWLW0Ev6comOXRXf7jZV5XtMsuanA4eC8J_I9AJgvpOLZdhzpETy53LclX5S0nAeFEH9DesX7L-hI4_aLvrRFMv7Yp1NvSqzArDMZvzojlynfNfB7gERUUH6jr0AaCRNfY/w400-h300/1247A628-DA78-4F27-B617-47EECF5FA569.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I see them on occasion at other nearby ponds, creeks and drainage areas. Often they are by themselves, as this one was on this day. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Next is the video I mentioned…</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxR6dqPIPujmFvMeJn4klSR6D-0llX-fOPrI0_8dPiDM3y3id1y-nUJoVP5yMabvNIDF55PofGZTE6gliLI3Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ8hC-JGs4yTp8AKl2SN9rhmdxEvVUXnO59mYpyT9iY1PHl45qR0IsJ33Qtc4V1n3_j5I3NOPPN3mmWAicASL78kcz0OYZ6ZYPggyvnVfp8eg4lA_0DLPcgXT2pZLzGZY12B8JY0TBEDafUliZVJJ7mtNq5LukCcRNCq_c5sHHzWZV1pRRFQGyYMpZIJx/s4096/7EB6D0B9-75F1-45BD-88F4-D8A10080F7F0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ8hC-JGs4yTp8AKl2SN9rhmdxEvVUXnO59mYpyT9iY1PHl45qR0IsJ33Qtc4V1n3_j5I3NOPPN3mmWAicASL78kcz0OYZ6ZYPggyvnVfp8eg4lA_0DLPcgXT2pZLzGZY12B8JY0TBEDafUliZVJJ7mtNq5LukCcRNCq_c5sHHzWZV1pRRFQGyYMpZIJx/w400-h300/7EB6D0B9-75F1-45BD-88F4-D8A10080F7F0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Another pleasant surprise has been the presence in recent days of another favorite of mine, <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/overview">Hooded Mergansers</a>. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>In past years, around this time of year, cute and cuddly looking “Hoodies” have graced our pond. The male is quite colorful with big patches of white on his head. The female is elegantly subdued in her coloring. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-LlbWMjJBS93djWkFnT0Pe8Q61OrGG_-y-88-LQKXOiAzyDkGnyb4bSQmj4wYH1DiUrCM1QFLiBlljt5TKtgw-aHncR3v6d7gxSQnu90i-0yhb6dPVNvFtjWfcEmlNYZFvkYx8MwDU26RyTM6J8F7NcMgjpUFRuV_GtKHrgZ2g8EZCG8lfzFQHGWH97Q/s3559/13B5E61D-07E9-44A5-A3A5-DCC23A2A6628.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2710" data-original-width="3559" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-LlbWMjJBS93djWkFnT0Pe8Q61OrGG_-y-88-LQKXOiAzyDkGnyb4bSQmj4wYH1DiUrCM1QFLiBlljt5TKtgw-aHncR3v6d7gxSQnu90i-0yhb6dPVNvFtjWfcEmlNYZFvkYx8MwDU26RyTM6J8F7NcMgjpUFRuV_GtKHrgZ2g8EZCG8lfzFQHGWH97Q/w400-h305/13B5E61D-07E9-44A5-A3A5-DCC23A2A6628.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The small diving ducks migrate south for the winter, flying in from as far north as Canada.</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxn-cpYRpc9p11lYL4g93D4CIxjzulwa7vHzN5x0WHOmxaAoQkMLZ0BZuIEoyXC7eJNb-FVp8GfMkc0sWzDnmOralCek_s44g_NAdH_48BQDcOKLwkhP8wc7aurR3dKSDdgrAaMLf7j7UTP9S03vcqh6KlEaQNVm7o2WKuAotfSEZRjv3FVwwytdK8y9m/s3697/1115ACDC-D498-4B67-9A5A-C7CA0FB8921C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="3697" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxn-cpYRpc9p11lYL4g93D4CIxjzulwa7vHzN5x0WHOmxaAoQkMLZ0BZuIEoyXC7eJNb-FVp8GfMkc0sWzDnmOralCek_s44g_NAdH_48BQDcOKLwkhP8wc7aurR3dKSDdgrAaMLf7j7UTP9S03vcqh6KlEaQNVm7o2WKuAotfSEZRjv3FVwwytdK8y9m/w400-h299/1115ACDC-D498-4B67-9A5A-C7CA0FB8921C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6atVXML1Q28oswl-JOIH1ZCH2cdr8F-YUVQGuYGVrsJ3P_CM4q6PaJ5b-5-lPEV8ZAuUAuyWXU8IX9GC52ahhc3el0YRA4SPgwv3iFJPWAiHszm50c7Eohb9eTJHF-zqsuYyX3xrelbHGvsdX6vNnsGcn_YBMmTy3Zh_nUi7lnNzNsMKfHPWhT8UBTL6/s5184/CA21F442-24FC-49D3-8A40-51CF5B67C706.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6atVXML1Q28oswl-JOIH1ZCH2cdr8F-YUVQGuYGVrsJ3P_CM4q6PaJ5b-5-lPEV8ZAuUAuyWXU8IX9GC52ahhc3el0YRA4SPgwv3iFJPWAiHszm50c7Eohb9eTJHF-zqsuYyX3xrelbHGvsdX6vNnsGcn_YBMmTy3Zh_nUi7lnNzNsMKfHPWhT8UBTL6/w400-h300/CA21F442-24FC-49D3-8A40-51CF5B67C706.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The Hoodie population has fluctuated from one or two up to six or seven. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIKu751aS1f3d5UY121WSYFJT8LbFrG0EOPmzeDspwOjqp-I4QV99TGazmVImjb03ptcBT22Bmri2PO_EdmOu1EpHBYctV9WxECAf3d2maabCFwqgePiYvGjh2FJYPFugyTwIIRv4CwcE49BnweoCzSSOsVVi4BGxc6ctTLz8vOfPk9l3EzExIExWgeld/s4096/D9E6556A-30B7-4832-9F00-DAA6614B6C4B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIKu751aS1f3d5UY121WSYFJT8LbFrG0EOPmzeDspwOjqp-I4QV99TGazmVImjb03ptcBT22Bmri2PO_EdmOu1EpHBYctV9WxECAf3d2maabCFwqgePiYvGjh2FJYPFugyTwIIRv4CwcE49BnweoCzSSOsVVi4BGxc6ctTLz8vOfPk9l3EzExIExWgeld/w400-h300/D9E6556A-30B7-4832-9F00-DAA6614B6C4B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuQVGGIfFLt1bDczbZ9ICV_yZbX0bKl3i9FRSrFLgqklsLzG1HnpUwE1yRQLDKpGrUjSjjPjzruu6Rj-2D90CM6ID_DZAzhwUYYyUY10wR6ftq5P-gsEFrOkDWNqTU2KSI6sb_tEFPKGG69JBsy1ZaFqO69nLVlIr_80rqcLWQz3NgVEHM7WVCj0o37Ey/s4096/8B95B5DB-65EF-468F-9398-BF5779CB6414.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuQVGGIfFLt1bDczbZ9ICV_yZbX0bKl3i9FRSrFLgqklsLzG1HnpUwE1yRQLDKpGrUjSjjPjzruu6Rj-2D90CM6ID_DZAzhwUYYyUY10wR6ftq5P-gsEFrOkDWNqTU2KSI6sb_tEFPKGG69JBsy1ZaFqO69nLVlIr_80rqcLWQz3NgVEHM7WVCj0o37Ey/w400-h300/8B95B5DB-65EF-468F-9398-BF5779CB6414.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvsAHir_-PkyR_9HCVunSsOk1UoBNL1jv1cFV5ugZMUU5Pu5MOIE7u8udJ0vUzWYRdPGpuZqFQ5HMQGdzTLLghkYFYrGPWWZ-dq8KFt2bw8aD5mfADuwNn9eJ0ULb8vCEl63I-t2UQ2XKTKHyFTLtZp0qAcfDvhBg5L0GjmE2ODZfq_Ob_HZWYxXaOa8w/s4096/1DA33F75-82B8-407A-8020-DFB3755A8396.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvsAHir_-PkyR_9HCVunSsOk1UoBNL1jv1cFV5ugZMUU5Pu5MOIE7u8udJ0vUzWYRdPGpuZqFQ5HMQGdzTLLghkYFYrGPWWZ-dq8KFt2bw8aD5mfADuwNn9eJ0ULb8vCEl63I-t2UQ2XKTKHyFTLtZp0qAcfDvhBg5L0GjmE2ODZfq_Ob_HZWYxXaOa8w/w400-h300/1DA33F75-82B8-407A-8020-DFB3755A8396.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>I hope Hooded Mergansers will stick around for a while. In previous years they have called this pond home for three or four months. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I’ve seen three here at a time in recent days. In the past up to a dozen have been here at once. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2023/01/winter-bird-count.html">See more Hoodies in this post I did in January. </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaRGBmmSlzRGpuY4S14WBXxEa-IAn2qPAz_Ld3vXMPJTnKKNIyMqaqj4zemQDb0gKjJa1hrRX3mzJa3j9ljQx57zs6w8b3956GoB3DzPpO4V6h4rd1TuhQFYWxw_ZSo0Jh9zDzv38JlSj6rPX-Tgxpb4OPePVXhPXT8VN0Buqu-u9AIuc_ZzTXesmO91m/s4096/9CA8C85F-ACB7-4DF2-B26A-55BED7E36ADD.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaRGBmmSlzRGpuY4S14WBXxEa-IAn2qPAz_Ld3vXMPJTnKKNIyMqaqj4zemQDb0gKjJa1hrRX3mzJa3j9ljQx57zs6w8b3956GoB3DzPpO4V6h4rd1TuhQFYWxw_ZSo0Jh9zDzv38JlSj6rPX-Tgxpb4OPePVXhPXT8VN0Buqu-u9AIuc_ZzTXesmO91m/w400-h300/9CA8C85F-ACB7-4DF2-B26A-55BED7E36ADD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White_Ibis/overview">White Ibis</a>, with their distinctive long curved orange bills, dropped by for a few days this week. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>There must be some good eats in the shallow water and in the soft mud along the bank. A Great Egret is also looking for food, as was the Wood Stork shown previously. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALrVj2HNS_5OHk_YW7qd2VqOei7nSVaMoVa75ifUfCL7Pb0o9pEUytk9Bn6Klrl_LG-1AwNGPGV850bQ1OmdGveNvwOEwMP2Oix-nFQcUmBZ-RhujwwywffOVLZdU4NRwDkImnxP8dIgmNecxc-5xJAcpjGib6xIbs81xRnbOZ9OC3G7ebJSY8LrhmXje/s4096/FA18F2BE-100B-4BF2-95C2-FAF4CC8002F7.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALrVj2HNS_5OHk_YW7qd2VqOei7nSVaMoVa75ifUfCL7Pb0o9pEUytk9Bn6Klrl_LG-1AwNGPGV850bQ1OmdGveNvwOEwMP2Oix-nFQcUmBZ-RhujwwywffOVLZdU4NRwDkImnxP8dIgmNecxc-5xJAcpjGib6xIbs81xRnbOZ9OC3G7ebJSY8LrhmXje/w400-h300/FA18F2BE-100B-4BF2-95C2-FAF4CC8002F7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The Ibis are good about traveling in congregations or wedges (their collective names). Unlike the other large wading birds in this post the Ibis is rarely alone. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm55xFl8_G1vXbNvNgWKIuQmP2fZUOS5EqlBVaehhov0HdnZAQNmqc4hgkxffyws-COpdgVzn8mUNkOXyiBLr-NvmoQH59kb9vKLBSGXPEVIc3sFR1d9EfG4pqOS7B86y2qBffUz6fTYjPTEFU7Af0lz_2gon9uKMAHqlWYxLT7vSfc-az3MRX4VjOcU5U/s4096/E7918060-B790-4F9E-AE00-52F8FC8C73A7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm55xFl8_G1vXbNvNgWKIuQmP2fZUOS5EqlBVaehhov0HdnZAQNmqc4hgkxffyws-COpdgVzn8mUNkOXyiBLr-NvmoQH59kb9vKLBSGXPEVIc3sFR1d9EfG4pqOS7B86y2qBffUz6fTYjPTEFU7Af0lz_2gon9uKMAHqlWYxLT7vSfc-az3MRX4VjOcU5U/w400-h300/E7918060-B790-4F9E-AE00-52F8FC8C73A7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This Great Egret has been “on golden pond” for several consecutive days now. I think it’s the same one! </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItFuXevHFe6vP_ozi5Lxvfq4PKlCux7Gfl8WomZZOuRiBWAPD8fl2X6kHd8QTrE1dKRBW_eq-mW6n5ie6gRDypTAaA-gBEBpJVOh7Muf4m0EzuGShyphenhyphen0Qy36jtL0_mkWe2JV405mxQhogPnq32nBikvVA7OROrMjwDGVHMmqs1ME2R0lek4Cp92X7slr-R/s5184/FF6D7610-07CB-48F7-AEE5-B8438EE08835.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItFuXevHFe6vP_ozi5Lxvfq4PKlCux7Gfl8WomZZOuRiBWAPD8fl2X6kHd8QTrE1dKRBW_eq-mW6n5ie6gRDypTAaA-gBEBpJVOh7Muf4m0EzuGShyphenhyphen0Qy36jtL0_mkWe2JV405mxQhogPnq32nBikvVA7OROrMjwDGVHMmqs1ME2R0lek4Cp92X7slr-R/w400-h300/FF6D7610-07CB-48F7-AEE5-B8438EE08835.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOALQyVZ5wAoMOB-3WyqjqVHt6t4CpUxCC3TdWMNg3G9wVtieVCBv68hxVtjXOdGsffJQVtFLyhOwqd5PydinKjVp2mT8SJu7VBXKE1F62BDvrGQkJ2Hphl-IYe61Mqs4r3G1ia6neMrOr1Q9i06y82iJgUzjV7vuahPLGE2fVHcEFnokUmSciUBkQ2Xp/s4096/238D59F8-DD9A-4427-8809-CC75AB86CE8C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOALQyVZ5wAoMOB-3WyqjqVHt6t4CpUxCC3TdWMNg3G9wVtieVCBv68hxVtjXOdGsffJQVtFLyhOwqd5PydinKjVp2mT8SJu7VBXKE1F62BDvrGQkJ2Hphl-IYe61Mqs4r3G1ia6neMrOr1Q9i06y82iJgUzjV7vuahPLGE2fVHcEFnokUmSciUBkQ2Xp/w400-h300/238D59F8-DD9A-4427-8809-CC75AB86CE8C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Little Blue Heron ("long legged with a daggerlike bill" as described in the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Little_Blue_Heron/id">All About Birds website)</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQlexswi7AEmC8GkY9bJVm5SAk3oHH_zyHId1zbhEZsbTkTu6aNI_HPdwdlNZLMR7pmG6gUEKjp1QIyTH1ZCcd4LSAeAXBfVXSPhYdv3_e9hRAor_5cFHpi46MC0yFJr16_7FoUCCgamWMsRm8aS-DDDP6Mcj_Z9wJbikDrxvqWi661XLP2XKFjEWUqBO/s4096/57B57E76-B764-43C3-AAE8-BFB19AD2F913.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQlexswi7AEmC8GkY9bJVm5SAk3oHH_zyHId1zbhEZsbTkTu6aNI_HPdwdlNZLMR7pmG6gUEKjp1QIyTH1ZCcd4LSAeAXBfVXSPhYdv3_e9hRAor_5cFHpi46MC0yFJr16_7FoUCCgamWMsRm8aS-DDDP6Mcj_Z9wJbikDrxvqWi661XLP2XKFjEWUqBO/w400-h300/57B57E76-B764-43C3-AAE8-BFB19AD2F913.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I came out a few mornings ago to see this gorgeous <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id">Great Blue Heron</a> on the bank.</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJvH4QbNpcnTSsOO0p-q8MDxvCXbD7t1pXazrNbyzTiV47H-_CMmjvOznwHn8fivV0Yr5ZcVPVlIiQypEljmcgHaD-Dh3GR2Lms2fvdsq0SVb0NcvDRETx-OmJHd_w_Q9YRLNEQBbkMAuJyUgqWKH_R32gs-QsY2bgfhrVCD8gfEcsRMTKgZ6NSDKIKn-/s4096/BFCF6664-8B11-4C1C-8483-B6A0FA31E910.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJvH4QbNpcnTSsOO0p-q8MDxvCXbD7t1pXazrNbyzTiV47H-_CMmjvOznwHn8fivV0Yr5ZcVPVlIiQypEljmcgHaD-Dh3GR2Lms2fvdsq0SVb0NcvDRETx-OmJHd_w_Q9YRLNEQBbkMAuJyUgqWKH_R32gs-QsY2bgfhrVCD8gfEcsRMTKgZ6NSDKIKn-/w400-h300/BFCF6664-8B11-4C1C-8483-B6A0FA31E910.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Love the colors of this big bird! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzguNAUwY-A7BjasuumjC_L3Jtz9VSOYIWnaqgQLbjRrYNUNMGv-mFSTgePZWWoNeMp5XOzpvLbukoR68LT9UW756hjHDJ1qGPw1TWpQm0SjHUwqgBTEfpHmHZqcmFpVsjoA_cl1nNDbbtIycZCXbYLtCnZ01cI7x6Ch4Q68TtACskmVdFzrlkA0fCMed/s4096/E3D631DE-5108-4938-BB94-58F79F357752.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzguNAUwY-A7BjasuumjC_L3Jtz9VSOYIWnaqgQLbjRrYNUNMGv-mFSTgePZWWoNeMp5XOzpvLbukoR68LT9UW756hjHDJ1qGPw1TWpQm0SjHUwqgBTEfpHmHZqcmFpVsjoA_cl1nNDbbtIycZCXbYLtCnZ01cI7x6Ch4Q68TtACskmVdFzrlkA0fCMed/w400-h300/E3D631DE-5108-4938-BB94-58F79F357752.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Back to the feeders…</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zkPVuiwDTiY0UPnkjfGzf5WilZCK-1NidQ1nbP7de2CLG-BZ7sj_H7_bmjKN1pM8nlGZaTEmu7BA5QPAFbbnxDSJ1J8LUE6RzRSBPguor_wFqA-snvto2mDHV01J5KlwUAPIqBXHf19P6JRUOKp2b1EnbAuX1KPpPQsuN_XliWr9-6j8EE3-mrsKGlIw/s5184/BDF266EF-A5E6-4984-B7E4-03BDCC7A9A2F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zkPVuiwDTiY0UPnkjfGzf5WilZCK-1NidQ1nbP7de2CLG-BZ7sj_H7_bmjKN1pM8nlGZaTEmu7BA5QPAFbbnxDSJ1J8LUE6RzRSBPguor_wFqA-snvto2mDHV01J5KlwUAPIqBXHf19P6JRUOKp2b1EnbAuX1KPpPQsuN_XliWr9-6j8EE3-mrsKGlIw/w400-h300/BDF266EF-A5E6-4984-B7E4-03BDCC7A9A2F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>From left: Pine Warbler, Eastern Bluebird and Chipping Sparrow</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LXdxeEFgWlcq1QjgfzVPdyZtbgfWJvrmqAppGqBlwRrrHkMCm4MfCXj_1JWStv897i8QoYqe6jzdX5vBC5D7P-tcmPa_6IEj1u0i1Jv3rX6goXivz24F2BgYAS7XNqRoqIcVulzR-44VoaAeODyfkIrrpvNVoAFcUkYtEdM-K9I8jMOkT3CAQ586YrQe/s4096/077A5DAB-9622-4BA6-962B-1ED453F8430A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LXdxeEFgWlcq1QjgfzVPdyZtbgfWJvrmqAppGqBlwRrrHkMCm4MfCXj_1JWStv897i8QoYqe6jzdX5vBC5D7P-tcmPa_6IEj1u0i1Jv3rX6goXivz24F2BgYAS7XNqRoqIcVulzR-44VoaAeODyfkIrrpvNVoAFcUkYtEdM-K9I8jMOkT3CAQ586YrQe/w400-h300/077A5DAB-9622-4BA6-962B-1ED453F8430A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Pretty Pine Warbler <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Warbler/overview">("rarely seen away from pine trees" hence its name)</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGk3cyo6OsxHzOhu5cxC26Zqd4iCGy7YpJHamJD0ycG_L8UR0W6P5Cq8RBpM6OL7_OV01RXbnv1E2kXy2mRdE0S48pT6DHOMbAcRgRhrZCQku2rE4js9xeWNo35zEHyrITuPSCwfrQvaj0P95slHjsu_Lyl7BlQD_K4N3LDC6QHI_A-wNhJoQd7hAdy5Rx/s4096/35B9E156-5F86-449F-BB1C-10867694B81C.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGk3cyo6OsxHzOhu5cxC26Zqd4iCGy7YpJHamJD0ycG_L8UR0W6P5Cq8RBpM6OL7_OV01RXbnv1E2kXy2mRdE0S48pT6DHOMbAcRgRhrZCQku2rE4js9xeWNo35zEHyrITuPSCwfrQvaj0P95slHjsu_Lyl7BlQD_K4N3LDC6QHI_A-wNhJoQd7hAdy5Rx/w400-h300/35B9E156-5F86-449F-BB1C-10867694B81C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Pine Warbler</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj06ZsrwxZJi0CzFypSbT8LW9qLZk_-XI1wNoo8P2rxaiCpCtEaYS5HT0Sp_IYG_skl5A-BAVIGGQtINCg-KKDRlZJieHYMtdFpqwkpZHVMK_olAKiPXrONRnRItnKvDUGJNH_DHx9-ByNTOqaMLMSJ1pir1mH8QXSMlp_hmloz2uXJLKFj-qH8AWXBjgB/s4096/6770443A-4CF0-40B7-BEE5-3DB59040D129.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj06ZsrwxZJi0CzFypSbT8LW9qLZk_-XI1wNoo8P2rxaiCpCtEaYS5HT0Sp_IYG_skl5A-BAVIGGQtINCg-KKDRlZJieHYMtdFpqwkpZHVMK_olAKiPXrONRnRItnKvDUGJNH_DHx9-ByNTOqaMLMSJ1pir1mH8QXSMlp_hmloz2uXJLKFj-qH8AWXBjgB/w400-h300/6770443A-4CF0-40B7-BEE5-3DB59040D129.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee/id">Carolina Chickadee </a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhephlMlAvI7qRiqOTXjky8oPL6aZJZETuOWQqm0lFdT0RjwTNskTpRImHYDzUvi5pJB6qS-nfjtOdf5Z7LnC0MA_yRjYv2eVbENXXK8hlWLhIPye2_PLOqvVJiNpkjGMI3eRxyslmyEeCUUijFL8idudgu2u14l-PscBndGfJ074SAYz8rXVM4NeYEADGU/s4096/033A4C54-1944-438A-B34B-18B827914238.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhephlMlAvI7qRiqOTXjky8oPL6aZJZETuOWQqm0lFdT0RjwTNskTpRImHYDzUvi5pJB6qS-nfjtOdf5Z7LnC0MA_yRjYv2eVbENXXK8hlWLhIPye2_PLOqvVJiNpkjGMI3eRxyslmyEeCUUijFL8idudgu2u14l-PscBndGfJ074SAYz8rXVM4NeYEADGU/w400-h300/033A4C54-1944-438A-B34B-18B827914238.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/overview">Downy Woodpecker (female)</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGy4fT93-lG2q2tUkpO4vXxMmTo7roCX4lwQW73Rz8OjXuJ7ySFn82APuY-I1W__4wrbxMLbOuLqsPRP-igCBdV5r7skh2FG8-hxvVwmOBuVpV0SAwIXcTM6CihR8hRmHwLxdsHLj1OUJNYv57JggXO152wmVOn0Ci-BmNll_AzgcmM4X_J12NnAdpZ4L/s4096/36F8EF49-9514-4ED3-922F-78BD84082E87.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGy4fT93-lG2q2tUkpO4vXxMmTo7roCX4lwQW73Rz8OjXuJ7ySFn82APuY-I1W__4wrbxMLbOuLqsPRP-igCBdV5r7skh2FG8-hxvVwmOBuVpV0SAwIXcTM6CihR8hRmHwLxdsHLj1OUJNYv57JggXO152wmVOn0Ci-BmNll_AzgcmM4X_J12NnAdpZ4L/w400-h300/36F8EF49-9514-4ED3-922F-78BD84082E87.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Chipping Sparrows</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LLg7T-f4QOU6FPzNgK25FM33bh1vQRtueMxtFeWq-pWxy0B9TjZLkOncr6ccdSbs8ypC_HC09_1uiLHFU5ArGLdqm_2XxUBrbFwOBwj8AxGRE1Hi4IgQy2Q_mk3lyUQHZU180QJ9ms_BEAGnSIbhab3dsWPyEitbHufFuzQ0zPbvOvh2vO-4WJIX70sb/s2577/ACA91611-1A8B-4E4E-AE63-BB99DDE3059E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2359" data-original-width="2577" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LLg7T-f4QOU6FPzNgK25FM33bh1vQRtueMxtFeWq-pWxy0B9TjZLkOncr6ccdSbs8ypC_HC09_1uiLHFU5ArGLdqm_2XxUBrbFwOBwj8AxGRE1Hi4IgQy2Q_mk3lyUQHZU180QJ9ms_BEAGnSIbhab3dsWPyEitbHufFuzQ0zPbvOvh2vO-4WJIX70sb/w400-h366/ACA91611-1A8B-4E4E-AE63-BB99DDE3059E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id">Red-bellied Woodpecker (male) </a></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGUR0OTsOBQVUD2HBZSE_7_6znNS3wcBH4xW2YqX5qutmLTScLaj_q1Bh96pIkdL-o61jZAAW16N6jc-oC0enibMNEQHb8Tf1S5KqEK88kPK7yBhv9zpru7ZM_LnFWW1WpIFdYmSrB6iICpv7oUBNIr-GYHdNYKSFFQis3IDItEeI5vbIw7s_P6ERz9EH/s4096/FAA58581-C728-4B7E-B459-D1A9BA4EBF72.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGUR0OTsOBQVUD2HBZSE_7_6znNS3wcBH4xW2YqX5qutmLTScLaj_q1Bh96pIkdL-o61jZAAW16N6jc-oC0enibMNEQHb8Tf1S5KqEK88kPK7yBhv9zpru7ZM_LnFWW1WpIFdYmSrB6iICpv7oUBNIr-GYHdNYKSFFQis3IDItEeI5vbIw7s_P6ERz9EH/w400-h300/FAA58581-C728-4B7E-B459-D1A9BA4EBF72.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBTprCIpKbaUba9LuwXvoJ41WUDtpivJMf74WVAmB2Fjoi2e82ZFDMu-6MMhGvWpCv7z0PHB4EewThWYDJlDAGi6bBthu6FgXlATEzrYqFaGInll2a0PyaMbM5TQoUuUGxGWj67XLMcy-PizCB8IjyWyNU4q6swlFr30s3UAA0QRY4jYw8XhuhoMdq1JV/s4096/4242254A-9C33-4E84-9E90-A0EDDDEF1362.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBTprCIpKbaUba9LuwXvoJ41WUDtpivJMf74WVAmB2Fjoi2e82ZFDMu-6MMhGvWpCv7z0PHB4EewThWYDJlDAGi6bBthu6FgXlATEzrYqFaGInll2a0PyaMbM5TQoUuUGxGWj67XLMcy-PizCB8IjyWyNU4q6swlFr30s3UAA0QRY4jYw8XhuhoMdq1JV/w400-h300/4242254A-9C33-4E84-9E90-A0EDDDEF1362.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjAGBmBHLV4j6TT_pn7_zKxNfQdrhmNUmvNRdKVmnErcz11RBSCeqfGcOLGy4LEgQR1CTS24fR4m8DRdMN8-L1PPTLgjFrOyPybNYp1wNoYWOhTcblEmX5NZL7hKKCSiqXBIAOY-L6ZoH50W2dr_65iMw_rJ5pp0R2OqzEAe7prsYkTBLXw1jhUxotGxd/s4096/07BF577A-14B7-4FC6-BB01-840D0CD3E5FE.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjAGBmBHLV4j6TT_pn7_zKxNfQdrhmNUmvNRdKVmnErcz11RBSCeqfGcOLGy4LEgQR1CTS24fR4m8DRdMN8-L1PPTLgjFrOyPybNYp1wNoYWOhTcblEmX5NZL7hKKCSiqXBIAOY-L6ZoH50W2dr_65iMw_rJ5pp0R2OqzEAe7prsYkTBLXw1jhUxotGxd/w400-h300/07BF577A-14B7-4FC6-BB01-840D0CD3E5FE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/overview">Eastern Bluebird</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5MFA75qSp7TMNrm1a9AexGKIKdKsjzfRyOgn2g_jrBjWuOfu1qspSdUfiym2TXXwf0E3bTBY4Q06M51kWaDx0i8dzdxIBRtL7dmOcj-auawS6f3PFtNiHESpRdxHT4shEY7obLdGqHuzudHNJZZYtJev3WrQCewWBh4xvlPWvGteDSO8FH-a0MtuDXC/s4096/7DE28E3D-AC79-4A9F-8BA4-9C154E84CEE4.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5MFA75qSp7TMNrm1a9AexGKIKdKsjzfRyOgn2g_jrBjWuOfu1qspSdUfiym2TXXwf0E3bTBY4Q06M51kWaDx0i8dzdxIBRtL7dmOcj-auawS6f3PFtNiHESpRdxHT4shEY7obLdGqHuzudHNJZZYtJev3WrQCewWBh4xvlPWvGteDSO8FH-a0MtuDXC/w400-h300/7DE28E3D-AC79-4A9F-8BA4-9C154E84CEE4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Wide shot of our backyard and feeders. There’s a small window in an upstairs bathroom that I can stealthily open and shoot my camera down at the birds. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsn8iB9U0vMINn648XQ_JWgLzFnmlD6Cj_y6k1VO_7t2p8Y1QjRtG_p6g8KumaKTiZ6JbvQGxK9UuU4aOrtumfOhSdrtwghz9XBn1Jk-rvOmaoOKKxxXng5AfCFYDT6ESwNDIF35BXLeKgrPUNtE37PHZUltOjPdOGSnMIj1MRXD_zzSPsglCD1V0-PhD/s4096/D60627F2-5F95-4301-A726-9842E9C5D167.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsn8iB9U0vMINn648XQ_JWgLzFnmlD6Cj_y6k1VO_7t2p8Y1QjRtG_p6g8KumaKTiZ6JbvQGxK9UuU4aOrtumfOhSdrtwghz9XBn1Jk-rvOmaoOKKxxXng5AfCFYDT6ESwNDIF35BXLeKgrPUNtE37PHZUltOjPdOGSnMIj1MRXD_zzSPsglCD1V0-PhD/w400-h300/D60627F2-5F95-4301-A726-9842E9C5D167.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Eastern Bluebird- that shade of blue is gorgeous! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc3RWcJyRzUWe0GaJj4w_WUS3K8brdvC7kAoVjef1ed_kR3yWOT-vIushfQoFRr30aVlcmxRjKWEDSoRWssmCnnLmOGfEv-Hl5plG1h9qcAyMoZlgeerICwZKYJlUO5rwd-GhF0RWToMJgu9y-ofGtBcRLkBShTj-onPm3TDJ4cFV49sAM0735Cu0Nr88/s4096/B7EB5180-2460-4DEA-94D9-834F7D32C02D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc3RWcJyRzUWe0GaJj4w_WUS3K8brdvC7kAoVjef1ed_kR3yWOT-vIushfQoFRr30aVlcmxRjKWEDSoRWssmCnnLmOGfEv-Hl5plG1h9qcAyMoZlgeerICwZKYJlUO5rwd-GhF0RWToMJgu9y-ofGtBcRLkBShTj-onPm3TDJ4cFV49sAM0735Cu0Nr88/w400-h300/B7EB5180-2460-4DEA-94D9-834F7D32C02D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Female Eastern Bluebird </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPsXlL6VsornOgDs7Y57Dpoe_mob3W_ipfuC5rZOZK5cbHZOhTshu4zHnyIv9oRBj1z-_YFC_GVpHaxJfZIaoRitF9L9wsDor0gkSZKs1eaU5YRhoLU7X6hcvyRZSrOyDRUF8Vm0WUt_4pbm0Uabhiyol_zAvxEPN1NxxCq5QSo5vzVS5lSeO4stU4gtr/s4096/D2F30D22-1F03-414D-98C0-2EBA230A7852.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPsXlL6VsornOgDs7Y57Dpoe_mob3W_ipfuC5rZOZK5cbHZOhTshu4zHnyIv9oRBj1z-_YFC_GVpHaxJfZIaoRitF9L9wsDor0gkSZKs1eaU5YRhoLU7X6hcvyRZSrOyDRUF8Vm0WUt_4pbm0Uabhiyol_zAvxEPN1NxxCq5QSo5vzVS5lSeO4stU4gtr/w400-h300/D2F30D22-1F03-414D-98C0-2EBA230A7852.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53NuGBw-hlyVudYRJ7AZg6TuCGsFZjEPm08BIc6b06FrwwgPaF4hWjrYkxnUYuqNFTdBM3d70Xtf2Bg0JKXvVUn4_mn6BvpYCFtiTdov1DlQyb7zuYqIEK5ybZ1e0u3JcWAbiS16Lyyi_Lg7wTuUuwHMKGZSAJR2StD6dtdcN0q800xSzq6ZrZFRGxRsa/s4096/0408810C-DA5C-4A95-A33D-5C73B7E02934.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53NuGBw-hlyVudYRJ7AZg6TuCGsFZjEPm08BIc6b06FrwwgPaF4hWjrYkxnUYuqNFTdBM3d70Xtf2Bg0JKXvVUn4_mn6BvpYCFtiTdov1DlQyb7zuYqIEK5ybZ1e0u3JcWAbiS16Lyyi_Lg7wTuUuwHMKGZSAJR2StD6dtdcN0q800xSzq6ZrZFRGxRsa/w400-h300/0408810C-DA5C-4A95-A33D-5C73B7E02934.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><br /></b><b>This is a new feeder that I recently bought and mounted on the stand to replace a very old wooden feeder that was rotting away. </b><b><br /></b></span><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>That’s a Chipping Sparrow enjoying the big block of seed. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sDc_IvQipA2nk_gl0nWujkfEJsLdNbJCGFcC77XQSAtpQrQVZS9BC4jU_NY4bxqSSo6sDEwFhba_qU_dt7TUN0lHC5qq95I6GVE0CIeqEvmnF3x_tNpjd2LeIvceNcJCaWNfiMQPSoH-iRhicpY9wGdF0zVWeAXjnNQRCHjYcSea3sUvkKBgt5i0xed5/s3990/734521B9-377E-46F6-92F2-FD50E7AE90FA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3990" data-original-width="2992" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sDc_IvQipA2nk_gl0nWujkfEJsLdNbJCGFcC77XQSAtpQrQVZS9BC4jU_NY4bxqSSo6sDEwFhba_qU_dt7TUN0lHC5qq95I6GVE0CIeqEvmnF3x_tNpjd2LeIvceNcJCaWNfiMQPSoH-iRhicpY9wGdF0zVWeAXjnNQRCHjYcSea3sUvkKBgt5i0xed5/w300-h400/734521B9-377E-46F6-92F2-FD50E7AE90FA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br />This is a longtime feeder in one corner of our yard. This year it went months and months not needing a refill. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ9eMSAprpdYOBj7XxLj7RckVJZiHJPAi0uUebU8y5bYwfzZXe0qz81sXfN4cYRb1xubC7vWBG_9b4IQxodsEH15h7dvU1CCM4t2v6v6utz_8AwhI6JO68x58bf-yBVEbifqDkXbHRXRX43HR9JwLXXgzjF_yA-DWGMbRjKCA-8ix7NFbsdt3mtnMy-61/s4096/BAE9031B-7570-46DA-9CBD-8B197ABF625E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ9eMSAprpdYOBj7XxLj7RckVJZiHJPAi0uUebU8y5bYwfzZXe0qz81sXfN4cYRb1xubC7vWBG_9b4IQxodsEH15h7dvU1CCM4t2v6v6utz_8AwhI6JO68x58bf-yBVEbifqDkXbHRXRX43HR9JwLXXgzjF_yA-DWGMbRjKCA-8ix7NFbsdt3mtnMy-61/w300-h400/BAE9031B-7570-46DA-9CBD-8B197ABF625E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>But in recent weeks, again with the cooler weather, this feeder has had lots of business from small birds such ad these three Chipping Sparrows. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Note also the <a href="https://www.southernliving.com/garden/camellias">camellia blooms</a> in the background. Very Christmassy! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_Z3y46Tz-xXHmPdTza8CF75fCeYztKRfqMrKeZ6_gMsvzXUb1LVXQNPF3RSyraKQUHmF38jxFWrexDGze_i8AI2EaJ6j0Ptc9OdHo6dYhsGJyU7qjxRHFty3idQ1Erc0ze_zd1V76i6bYCdu6qNF5nO7t1TxJOcuY7YH3H2bcXLyZrgo6z5LAtxf3C0d/s4096/DBFD34B1-825E-45A4-A199-E32D1A9CFE8B.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_Z3y46Tz-xXHmPdTza8CF75fCeYztKRfqMrKeZ6_gMsvzXUb1LVXQNPF3RSyraKQUHmF38jxFWrexDGze_i8AI2EaJ6j0Ptc9OdHo6dYhsGJyU7qjxRHFty3idQ1Erc0ze_zd1V76i6bYCdu6qNF5nO7t1TxJOcuY7YH3H2bcXLyZrgo6z5LAtxf3C0d/w300-h400/DBFD34B1-825E-45A4-A199-E32D1A9CFE8B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Look closely and you see the single seed in the bill of this Chipping Sparrow. This feeder is a good one with its cover that only allows in the smaller birds.</b></span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVNl0j7UQ8CJIHC_124Dr0PTKZKFwwMaQ-gogcS8zz4ZFmVbHNITJgNK4AeGYRpXuQjhlM43I9az_NoEiR9zds_7txZBd-aZ7cdnxDpgdY5FDCP8-o59-RcTWrSC5McGTFvcyi6KvBolp0pdHB_OLFv4DHozy61Ord9lOcDexnMNp0BgQKSyY_idkbmvY/s4096/04613DEC-5B84-4737-9552-AEDCCC0C39E8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVNl0j7UQ8CJIHC_124Dr0PTKZKFwwMaQ-gogcS8zz4ZFmVbHNITJgNK4AeGYRpXuQjhlM43I9az_NoEiR9zds_7txZBd-aZ7cdnxDpgdY5FDCP8-o59-RcTWrSC5McGTFvcyi6KvBolp0pdHB_OLFv4DHozy61Ord9lOcDexnMNp0BgQKSyY_idkbmvY/w400-h300/04613DEC-5B84-4737-9552-AEDCCC0C39E8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Finally, this is a bird that never comes to my feeders. The food it craves are in the trees it pecks at relentlessly. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have frequented for years some specific trees in the very back of my backyard. I hear the loud pecking and detect where it’s coming from. When I can actually see the Sapsucker I’ll grab my camera, as I did today. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdlvKll3e0E9MzALvd_TXEp8HLifP1sa-6eI5yEi6IwGTXrFtIkhFG34bwgf8Z9rR_pUMy4-Sz1EXBO81pw1wPAmSMvIuFCadbRIRf8BRxyDnoSJZN4sbg7PA-DlSHRWqbEtoSv6tNBw8M0YcPmEZ1N9guXyxNffKeQ2kVeQZkHzc4Q3D69AxMuLOheA5/s4096/ACD9C337-B53D-41C4-B920-EDB3760D10B0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdlvKll3e0E9MzALvd_TXEp8HLifP1sa-6eI5yEi6IwGTXrFtIkhFG34bwgf8Z9rR_pUMy4-Sz1EXBO81pw1wPAmSMvIuFCadbRIRf8BRxyDnoSJZN4sbg7PA-DlSHRWqbEtoSv6tNBw8M0YcPmEZ1N9guXyxNffKeQ2kVeQZkHzc4Q3D69AxMuLOheA5/w400-h300/ACD9C337-B53D-41C4-B920-EDB3760D10B0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This one is a female. The male has red along its throat. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It’s like reconnecting with an old friend when I capture an image or two of this interesting bird with the best name: <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/id">Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIQME1WECvHUHzvrO17W52Q1OeGwGPCXOZ0o-lLICaeU_Bed5ZluxwBX246pPczhn4HGo2DXkG-TgyWyCMmkL0ug970i1qilr2R2yUzIhS0XvfNNQJ8j0zHx-0-m4WQrEvDuOSyalKZvltdv2tQYdBOULlKogZZyqqpAizjBB1rVltZECc3qP98KUWXHR/s4096/DD10D72C-79C6-4CF7-A976-4AAF198FD91E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIQME1WECvHUHzvrO17W52Q1OeGwGPCXOZ0o-lLICaeU_Bed5ZluxwBX246pPczhn4HGo2DXkG-TgyWyCMmkL0ug970i1qilr2R2yUzIhS0XvfNNQJ8j0zHx-0-m4WQrEvDuOSyalKZvltdv2tQYdBOULlKogZZyqqpAizjBB1rVltZECc3qP98KUWXHR/w400-h300/DD10D72C-79C6-4CF7-A976-4AAF198FD91E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>And last but not least: a Carolina Wren. <a href="https://www.sciway.net/facts/sc-state-bird-carolina-wren.html">This is the state bird of South Carolina.</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf45DqDkmL2ARb_KRWSUrEU817wIGojgYxT0B8NILZu3MKUdCUtMGCTl01roDKQrIzKq-e5pVpPQwYrJCW-uIWSXMjLymEoiLkSVWUl4osbFSbFw_FeYeMZNeAndx6By-rQXFhYvayKmVxZ6fm06Gd98LdKfoAz9rwyWsLqVSIrNrjD1mBV7wDKvgu6T3/s5184/IMG_4542.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf45DqDkmL2ARb_KRWSUrEU817wIGojgYxT0B8NILZu3MKUdCUtMGCTl01roDKQrIzKq-e5pVpPQwYrJCW-uIWSXMjLymEoiLkSVWUl4osbFSbFw_FeYeMZNeAndx6By-rQXFhYvayKmVxZ6fm06Gd98LdKfoAz9rwyWsLqVSIrNrjD1mBV7wDKvgu6T3/w400-h300/IMG_4542.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Fast forward to February 2024. Here a few new types to visit the bird buffet recently. This is the striking Yellow-throated Warbler.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61Pr7twhGK09qKgMqg6DAekq-6oJkPE04CMASC2dRZzL5jJhsN_e2ZJs4NmeTBWrpB6X17WO_eEVm0GHuEdFBKBj-uaio7sQBXps55Yl-ViEe_A47AfGmDpdO9orCwbg65p8xYqOPGmJBZ889y7VjpxCyuRAk_IOdLTMk-E_5DtUrzqfg8_4zVFuEs0vi/s5184/IMG_4541.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61Pr7twhGK09qKgMqg6DAekq-6oJkPE04CMASC2dRZzL5jJhsN_e2ZJs4NmeTBWrpB6X17WO_eEVm0GHuEdFBKBj-uaio7sQBXps55Yl-ViEe_A47AfGmDpdO9orCwbg65p8xYqOPGmJBZ889y7VjpxCyuRAk_IOdLTMk-E_5DtUrzqfg8_4zVFuEs0vi/w400-h300/IMG_4541.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>And this tiny songbird is a Brown-headed Nuthatch. </b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-26882971735991194772023-12-04T10:36:00.010-05:002023-12-23T13:14:23.293-05:00Clemson Historic Preservation Program Official Reviews “Stories from the Underground” Book <p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It was a thrill to read the following review of my "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" by Francis Ford, a diector and lecturer at Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, located in downtown Charleston in the Cigar Factory building on East Bay Street. Ms. Ford wrote the review at the request of the Association of Gravestone Studies, a national organization of fellow taphophiles. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9X6uwhcAGYDwf3pXfR-kVQ0qUuwViynmoH92jVYIyH4PNdS_0bFS6CEy6yjjJ5nBeNcdcF1mf-OZRtsWKGweH6pf2Yk0n393Z1K8SMviUCtuFQEZqUM0fkZ4XqzP0hVqmTZb2ruA9vY6zGXiRHLx98XP4JvZsuMKYM8IHHSWs9nQy2om1j6VjgPFWjxA2/s352/Book%20Cover%20Image.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="337" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9X6uwhcAGYDwf3pXfR-kVQ0qUuwViynmoH92jVYIyH4PNdS_0bFS6CEy6yjjJ5nBeNcdcF1mf-OZRtsWKGweH6pf2Yk0n393Z1K8SMviUCtuFQEZqUM0fkZ4XqzP0hVqmTZb2ruA9vY6zGXiRHLx98XP4JvZsuMKYM8IHHSWs9nQy2om1j6VjgPFWjxA2/w383-h400/Book%20Cover%20Image.JPG" width="383" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">The newest publication from Patrick Harwood follows the template of his previous book, </span><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21.6px;">In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">. In this volume, </span><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21.6px;">Stories from the Underground; The Churchyards of Charleston</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">(ISBN#</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">978-0-9847</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">498-4-</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">3) Harwood</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"> turns his photography skills and research to 13 Charleston, SC churches and churchyards as well as one synagogue and cemetery. <br /></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"><br />Published </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">in </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">full color </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">8</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"> ½ x 11 format on gl</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">o</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">ssing p</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">a</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">ges with </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">heavy</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;"> bold print </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px;">this hardcover volume catches one's eye with its bright green cover. </span></b></span><p></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">Harwood's writing style is simple and easy as if he was having a conversation with you directly. </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> I suppose </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">cultivated after many </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">years of teaching college undergraduate students at the </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">College of Charleston</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">.</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">In creating his narrative, he </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">quotes historians, archivists, and online sources such as the church web sites, Wikipedia, blogs, printed church histories, and interviews with those closely connected to the sites</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> among others</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">. </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">He supplies an index in the rear for those looking for </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">specific</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> information. He </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">also supplies </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">his </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">sources</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> and additional notes for readers</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">.</span></b></span></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span></span></b></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"><br />For those unfamiliar with these locations Harwood first supplies a schematic drawing to help those who may use this book as a guide to explore. </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">He a</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">lso </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">groups</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> locations in relation to each other so planning a day of exploring would be made a much easier prospect. The church/synagogue buildings are not overlooked, and Harwood provides a basic history listing the important events and milestones at each site. Photographs of important interior features are supplied and information concerning accessibility. <br /><br /></span></b></span><p></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">Looking more closely at each churchyard he </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">offers </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">a</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">n introduction and </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">basic facts such as the number of internments, common </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">last </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">names of those in the churchyard</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, prominent </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">people, the</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> oldest grave and notes concerning the records kept by the church</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> and how to access them</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">. <br /></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"><br />The "Five</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> to Admire" </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">section comes next and is, as Harwood </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">describes</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> contains</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, "particularly interesting</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">elaborate,</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> or </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">unique</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> gravesites. </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">“</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">How he chose these is not clear but they</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> reflect interesting shapes, iconography</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, inscriptions and stories. <br /><br />H</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">is research was through the use of old city </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">newspapers</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">city directories</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, Ancestry</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, blog posts</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">, Find-a-grave, </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">and historians among others. </span></b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">"The </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">Stories from the Grave"</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">section </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">looks at the interesting stories</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> associated with some of those </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">interred</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">.</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> Those chosen </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">were newsworthy</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> in some way by what they did in life</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> or </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">death. This section is especially interesting as one walking through these cemeteries </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">admiring and reading markers would rarely also have the backstory</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">. Harwood has done this for his readers and supplied </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">in-depth</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">research to make a cemetery visit a much more </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">educated and </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">enjoyable one.<br /><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span style="line-height: 21.6px;">Some of the more interesting in this section for a reader might be the wooden marker for Mary Ann</span><span style="line-height: 21.6px;"> Brewster </span><span style="line-height: 21.6px;">Luyten</span><span style="line-height: 21.6px;"> found in the churchyard of St. Michael's Church. A legend that is not based in fact makes for a good story. Over at First Scots, Harwood points out the ledger stone for the parents of famed architect Robert Mills. Robert grew up in the church although he is buried in Washington D.C. where he designed the Washington Monument. <br /><br />The results of war are highlighted in many churchyards. At KKBE, Harwood tells us of eight grave markers from the Civil War, showcasing Dr. Marx E. Cohen Jr. whose impressive obelisk includes in relief a plugged cannon and the crossed flags of South Carolina and the Confederacy. At Second Presbyterian another Civil War casualty, Lt. Robinson who died on the </span><span style="line-height: 21.6px;">war’s</span><span style="line-height: 21.6px;"> bloodiest day at the Battle of Sharpsburg is honored with a tablet here but buried elsewhere. Many more are offered to suit everyone’s taste for either a good legend, interesting iconography, poignant inscription, or touching story.</span></b></span></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"><br />He </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">finishes</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> with a quick </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">overview</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> of the cemeteries </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">which include many historic black cemeteries </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">established </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">in the </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">city’s </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">Neck area </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">outside of downtown </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">Charleston</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;">which form</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> the Charleston Cemetery Historic District. Maybe this is a preview of his next</span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.6px;"> cemetery publication. </span></b></span></p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC; line-height: 21.6px;"><b> </b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>Frances Henderson Ford</b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>Conservation Lecturer/ Director, Architectural Conservation Labs</b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>Clemson University Graduate Program in Historic Preservation</b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; line-height: 13.2px;">School </span><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; line-height: 13.2px;">of</span><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; line-height: 13.2px;"> Architecture / Charleston Design Center</span></b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>701 East Bay Street, Suite 202</b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>Charleston, SC 29403</b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; line-height: 13.2px;">of</span><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; line-height: 13.2px;">fice (843) 937-9569 cell (843) 224-0149</span></b></span></p><p class="s5" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="color: #201f1e; font-family: times; line-height: 13.2px;"><b>fford@clemson.edu</b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-23162729944086822262023-11-20T09:49:00.009-05:002023-11-20T10:06:00.474-05:00Charleston Mercury Advertisement <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnB2i5236oyLl9IDjB8-ZCwcHSD7bnuXpAicYHKbjtsvTiSAX9p4QP7yHTC0kRAlEY8tgiuJbK8scEGctItMZaST2YI0PZy63QH9kMRh5Mv5DO5MNWnJkDgRCCQ85qUdDNpYXT-1l_1poiNkqMoD5LLjOByq6di8u7JQx_rs08WteawpjNf8RKhfUkZ7k/s1506/Mercury%20Ad%20November%202023%20as%20it%20ran.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1506" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnB2i5236oyLl9IDjB8-ZCwcHSD7bnuXpAicYHKbjtsvTiSAX9p4QP7yHTC0kRAlEY8tgiuJbK8scEGctItMZaST2YI0PZy63QH9kMRh5Mv5DO5MNWnJkDgRCCQ85qUdDNpYXT-1l_1poiNkqMoD5LLjOByq6di8u7JQx_rs08WteawpjNf8RKhfUkZ7k/w400-h243/Mercury%20Ad%20November%202023%20as%20it%20ran.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I took the pricey plunge and decided to pay for an advertisement in the monthly Charleston Mercury newspaper. I have been a subscriber for several years and feel the Mercury's readership includes many folks who might like what I did with <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/stories-from-underground-churchyards-of.html">"Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston."</a></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I paid for a quarter-page ad but I think I got more for my money as the ad seems a little larger. And I received the three Santas at no extra charge! <br /></b></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAubJXliF11BbgY93SE8KoN36w-zvkYeo8pPvBNCU8lkm-99F9IaNJL2DtOuGbHH1tMvfJ9QSBiQZ7gA0AxS5NjuMMVWcNFHURu16va52luSgB-yfnlGnYJazzL3OLDaLPOEY2-Kv_ZbESVjvfdaA43oriBGIvNxLBYMuaxS4tDM_GW20eIgZmjioKL1J/s3533/image_50473217.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3533" data-original-width="2647" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAubJXliF11BbgY93SE8KoN36w-zvkYeo8pPvBNCU8lkm-99F9IaNJL2DtOuGbHH1tMvfJ9QSBiQZ7gA0AxS5NjuMMVWcNFHURu16va52luSgB-yfnlGnYJazzL3OLDaLPOEY2-Kv_ZbESVjvfdaA43oriBGIvNxLBYMuaxS4tDM_GW20eIgZmjioKL1J/w300-h400/image_50473217.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here's the full-page view. I like how I am paired with one of Charleston's premier antiques shops, <a href="https://birlantantiquescharleston.com/">Geo. C. Birlant & Co. </a> located at 191 King St. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs1sMRU1V5Nsri8-S5Y5cceTzOyehhDhTrEdrkYw2Wjl8ZMnfc-vZ2Bn1J7E6iRxfcRDU-QHQdaR5E0teziYc7eNkLjCDQcDwxbKDSx1TepC3Ttp9W0JK2bUTykjay5B9AdzkRAooZHIeNeRIJeQF3Vr2ibn7wwXOespw2fJ9Jeuuf1DcQY6QHruWWOYV/s3755/image_50763521.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3755" data-original-width="2889" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs1sMRU1V5Nsri8-S5Y5cceTzOyehhDhTrEdrkYw2Wjl8ZMnfc-vZ2Bn1J7E6iRxfcRDU-QHQdaR5E0teziYc7eNkLjCDQcDwxbKDSx1TepC3Ttp9W0JK2bUTykjay5B9AdzkRAooZHIeNeRIJeQF3Vr2ibn7wwXOespw2fJ9Jeuuf1DcQY6QHruWWOYV/w308-h400/image_50763521.JPG" width="308" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br />My ad is in the Mercury's glossy holiday insert. According to the Mercury's director of account services, the paper reaches 50,000 household members. </b></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g4yuULeslIB7kNybD4DqDy3WFH8tx-RbsLrXy_bbimsJv7Y5FcqLfr73KAVJpwZaKSWhUtUDp4EypBqQUXpqxkT4eIroxTl-qSHC8roYThvBe7UDARMtRGZbsguu1LfnLhdH3VTk54rRNR_xdYCEFdzEAgq-ykJSK8C_zD5Hh-VqOPuj62c6p6H-1GhS/s3021/Completed%20Ad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="3021" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g4yuULeslIB7kNybD4DqDy3WFH8tx-RbsLrXy_bbimsJv7Y5FcqLfr73KAVJpwZaKSWhUtUDp4EypBqQUXpqxkT4eIroxTl-qSHC8roYThvBe7UDARMtRGZbsguu1LfnLhdH3VTk54rRNR_xdYCEFdzEAgq-ykJSK8C_zD5Hh-VqOPuj62c6p6H-1GhS/w400-h378/Completed%20Ad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I designed the ad myself using <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html">Adobe Indesign.</a> I have also used InDesign to layout all of my books except the first one. </b><br /></span></div><div><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO3BldATxE6C80cB9cV0YOM6d5CS3AY6C6Exa5tr8hCmCaUCvAxnbW-pa_u6QcVMwBjEyRP1V1sVb9VRKl_SHk6UM0jGBj_YSmVGQSTJs6nxsE1s7luL0HnLOMOsagzKAxbc4_9da_7gdO3w5HII1ec0-z7vFv7o191jtD2FASgMeyA4Gr6lHxslK42rU/s2740/image_50743297.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2617" data-original-width="2740" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO3BldATxE6C80cB9cV0YOM6d5CS3AY6C6Exa5tr8hCmCaUCvAxnbW-pa_u6QcVMwBjEyRP1V1sVb9VRKl_SHk6UM0jGBj_YSmVGQSTJs6nxsE1s7luL0HnLOMOsagzKAxbc4_9da_7gdO3w5HII1ec0-z7vFv7o191jtD2FASgMeyA4Gr6lHxslK42rU/w400-h383/image_50743297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b><br />Here's the paper's front page of the November 2023 issue. The Mercury used to be called the "salmon sheet" because the paper had long been a pinkish color. But last year, I think it was, the Mercury made changes and now it's a more traditional color. It is printed by Charleston's daily newspaper, the Post and Courier. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiUQp5rqpacK91YrIxcjbdEuMM6wR2Nj-Iovov0D0_LPTY6EikDLOOXpOnuj2dRSpqQuZGj-tck5c4h7RPU0k7duYV0bVg8Pw-kJJXg956SeCZ7gKrQL8ND8Mx9BEP-scjWCCLpZOEfrBh5itayv2V6ap5-U6xSvKpLWbbmiLY9Vrqn32KMKJIiZ5CYc4/s3961/image_50434817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3961" data-original-width="2373" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiUQp5rqpacK91YrIxcjbdEuMM6wR2Nj-Iovov0D0_LPTY6EikDLOOXpOnuj2dRSpqQuZGj-tck5c4h7RPU0k7duYV0bVg8Pw-kJJXg956SeCZ7gKrQL8ND8Mx9BEP-scjWCCLpZOEfrBh5itayv2V6ap5-U6xSvKpLWbbmiLY9Vrqn32KMKJIiZ5CYc4/w240-h400/image_50434817.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></div><b>I liked this message on the page before my ad. Happy holidays to you and yours! </b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-12364945923188780942023-11-12T07:35:00.003-05:002023-11-12T09:54:05.710-05:00Butterfly Migration <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFG-07qkwk3htfd4MwlCsLKtSICBtIlcacq3Gk25VOdueWQUiWDxB25CxDcSukXQtrtADkXBRIDHnfCGDPSmvVMmo6Q7o9wTX3cafm0lKhrEaw8Sg5rDqMiUHnFoXg4EmxemTTnZuxiP-EdiplwAk7NQGQmErldcA6zsqyUzeNG5v94xO2iCTrYuH_8_I/s4096/530A90F7-4AF9-4B06-A8E0-B39133CC6114.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFG-07qkwk3htfd4MwlCsLKtSICBtIlcacq3Gk25VOdueWQUiWDxB25CxDcSukXQtrtADkXBRIDHnfCGDPSmvVMmo6Q7o9wTX3cafm0lKhrEaw8Sg5rDqMiUHnFoXg4EmxemTTnZuxiP-EdiplwAk7NQGQmErldcA6zsqyUzeNG5v94xO2iCTrYuH_8_I/w400-h300/530A90F7-4AF9-4B06-A8E0-B39133CC6114.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Just two days before Halloween and temperatures in the low 80s, the beach beckoned! And I’m glad we went to witness something I’ve not seen before. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This beautiful butterfly, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_fritillary" target="_blank">Gulf Fritillary</a>, was one of hundreds flying southbound along the beach tree line at <a href="https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/" target="_blank">Sullivan’s Island. </a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This little lovely is also called Passion Butterfly. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGp_YjjpCj-yGZU8Tuy1rysjhAvwRJxAlple4-_YHK_rzcolIzteNzWcM97JalH7qJksgwsBiqItRIwc7Hhmr6RExYrcbG2XanDEN9eWMzfqaIsfuYQCphTSd4IZRIPPCDmkQPz9pErFvAcoLdutmlc90R3yLudUQj5MbvMkE5UvdBGsUISmmtF6sepWj/s4096/71FA96ED-4CED-4461-BA39-AFD645F860C2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGp_YjjpCj-yGZU8Tuy1rysjhAvwRJxAlple4-_YHK_rzcolIzteNzWcM97JalH7qJksgwsBiqItRIwc7Hhmr6RExYrcbG2XanDEN9eWMzfqaIsfuYQCphTSd4IZRIPPCDmkQPz9pErFvAcoLdutmlc90R3yLudUQj5MbvMkE5UvdBGsUISmmtF6sepWj/w400-h300/71FA96ED-4CED-4461-BA39-AFD645F860C2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>It was difficult to photograph the fluttering fritillaries. I did my best as they streamed by one, two, three, or more at a time. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tZnmRVNZ27YQ9anpMkXjnQNisagGSPbQJUxUg5OgOI1H3RvZ_6GSx25lfpVAY7knqDA8PM3JG1scikVAC9H7zSu2plWY8E2RPU9fq7N4XDWIgRaFwYRub4_sPsFk1N5sE448BQyTT7dEb_ku6rdkXU387uRA5sahHsfP7xBi-KABTb4hRo62gOBwru6i/s4096/62F64B70-7794-4C37-BB98-EDB99AE98B52.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tZnmRVNZ27YQ9anpMkXjnQNisagGSPbQJUxUg5OgOI1H3RvZ_6GSx25lfpVAY7knqDA8PM3JG1scikVAC9H7zSu2plWY8E2RPU9fq7N4XDWIgRaFwYRub4_sPsFk1N5sE448BQyTT7dEb_ku6rdkXU387uRA5sahHsfP7xBi-KABTb4hRo62gOBwru6i/w400-h300/62F64B70-7794-4C37-BB98-EDB99AE98B52.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The Gulf Fritillary, it seems, cannot stand cold weather, so south they go. In the U.S. in the winter you may see them in the southern parts of Florida and Texas. Many trek to Central America and beyond. Amazing that such a small fragile critter can cover such distances. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lwbyu0I4FABJbUz55WszVWqLTBBRN2ryyJ6lmjY3ZmgT2ttfcGPMJ3Tag2JmQLd_hLHAei60jr127D_U7rqih-CEXy_M7xgdMJ1_WE2g3XsEbADGsGQolxJmHMrsUieOlEQLq4cZ9A5RZm2iPiBJWQWD06dYTA6F7hLi5ZzqdfDbn1aHxLkO41I1ATtO/s4096/90727ADE-563B-4204-B5A5-1D338C4E6299.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lwbyu0I4FABJbUz55WszVWqLTBBRN2ryyJ6lmjY3ZmgT2ttfcGPMJ3Tag2JmQLd_hLHAei60jr127D_U7rqih-CEXy_M7xgdMJ1_WE2g3XsEbADGsGQolxJmHMrsUieOlEQLq4cZ9A5RZm2iPiBJWQWD06dYTA6F7hLi5ZzqdfDbn1aHxLkO41I1ATtO/w400-h300/90727ADE-563B-4204-B5A5-1D338C4E6299.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This was the pathway of the butterflies, cruising from right to left. I saw a few closer to the ocean but most were spotted over the seagrass ecosystem. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtkL8fT5vUsnhM9D0qg0m2iyrCi4vG82lgQcANX4mIghYeLyIR3oYdIUKdhbKa7MwI0teEnsvzV99W0FRvRsjVQmbBagmLdHqAVEgaz3_wBUGPcUGch3m6N1KsHpdrvRRQUMG2gdpn-6kteqe_xi_F3yZ6Y6yKkebloEOMu074L12hn_WRRSaQ20EspW8/s4887/A9C5A2B8-6897-435A-AB5D-22C44AC44916.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3665" data-original-width="4887" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtkL8fT5vUsnhM9D0qg0m2iyrCi4vG82lgQcANX4mIghYeLyIR3oYdIUKdhbKa7MwI0teEnsvzV99W0FRvRsjVQmbBagmLdHqAVEgaz3_wBUGPcUGch3m6N1KsHpdrvRRQUMG2gdpn-6kteqe_xi_F3yZ6Y6yKkebloEOMu074L12hn_WRRSaQ20EspW8/w400-h300/A9C5A2B8-6897-435A-AB5D-22C44AC44916.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The migrating butterflies made this beach visit special. So did the beautiful sunny late October weather. </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">It’s nice too when the people population is sparse like this.</b></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2QrjcrS3brqoAb6u_QSlDTJcL5TIdgro0-UzfrPjTED0hdl7VOefmJDysxW8YzpTs_DHwUTozTcIV4QlthPsZOXqfNNEa226VniiASafqgK6zwpGR92Wqa0V7233xL62CfAqkVzh-gqE8XRp6roKkA3spG8QVWavhwnGG1DTrD0muTLZVsClBKcYFERS/s4096/7D53DB69-4A6F-4875-9442-70B942551267.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2QrjcrS3brqoAb6u_QSlDTJcL5TIdgro0-UzfrPjTED0hdl7VOefmJDysxW8YzpTs_DHwUTozTcIV4QlthPsZOXqfNNEa226VniiASafqgK6zwpGR92Wqa0V7233xL62CfAqkVzh-gqE8XRp6roKkA3spG8QVWavhwnGG1DTrD0muTLZVsClBKcYFERS/w400-h300/7D53DB69-4A6F-4875-9442-70B942551267.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The Arthur Ravenel Bridge looks elegant in the distance. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Ravenel_Jr._Bridge">According to Wikipedia</a>, the bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet, the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGILl0LMsvizoQdH5K97euQfqkmhiJ8iNK-ZOQfLZ9yg8OUd_PbsqlMflCUpfO_oEpuIkhcnKFOPmIkA6i54wOv_dgyhHCpr8fC7VEnSXcd5YIPjbPCRp_MrNe9Gl3eZ6E4nosI2azxp9qGTEQFZjXcdvANtz_3ciTxn2eMDNlYQWbMc052lf7IlnOUK9/s4096/FDF41699-94A9-469F-B54A-F14065405B3C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGILl0LMsvizoQdH5K97euQfqkmhiJ8iNK-ZOQfLZ9yg8OUd_PbsqlMflCUpfO_oEpuIkhcnKFOPmIkA6i54wOv_dgyhHCpr8fC7VEnSXcd5YIPjbPCRp_MrNe9Gl3eZ6E4nosI2azxp9qGTEQFZjXcdvANtz_3ciTxn2eMDNlYQWbMc052lf7IlnOUK9/w400-h300/FDF41699-94A9-469F-B54A-F14065405B3C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/overview">Brown Pelican</a> squadrons can be seen year-round along the Lowcountry coast. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAya3Z8ZnntEWOBln_skeEEv739MuNOzUHBOAfYSJFlSRzaAxuCWhRseO0M7rGfifdpsMYt1QCe-T7L8FieokjI0IfJXBWsgfj7e5KvsoTV6XkDCXJBxaPpK15U-GP2VTJ3lTh8s1fQKfj67zd4pDfTFqwK-hgQmauiU75PsQpxWm1A4LMtWlLv29rJ14n/s4096/0A1BE194-9541-47A3-B80A-55ED80CDC8A4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="4096" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAya3Z8ZnntEWOBln_skeEEv739MuNOzUHBOAfYSJFlSRzaAxuCWhRseO0M7rGfifdpsMYt1QCe-T7L8FieokjI0IfJXBWsgfj7e5KvsoTV6XkDCXJBxaPpK15U-GP2VTJ3lTh8s1fQKfj67zd4pDfTFqwK-hgQmauiU75PsQpxWm1A4LMtWlLv29rJ14n/w400-h284/0A1BE194-9541-47A3-B80A-55ED80CDC8A4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbNq1geoPJkP6fILkNFU1XXOBvbe91rjL6SX_Bb89IO-R6NX72PqGOa2nqYCcpGhCDdV05F415xGlVkcEG9GLiBdZrIi282_7GULa-874503JAD6P1TDNY91skcac5ZveATN62SuujCf8_XInuAQpuOqwtwWO3ldrv_iHEwp0_cPX_o9vnYgTppclFkn5/s1762/AFC0D429-0034-4A8C-9DF7-D6062D2AFA29.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="1384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbNq1geoPJkP6fILkNFU1XXOBvbe91rjL6SX_Bb89IO-R6NX72PqGOa2nqYCcpGhCDdV05F415xGlVkcEG9GLiBdZrIi282_7GULa-874503JAD6P1TDNY91skcac5ZveATN62SuujCf8_XInuAQpuOqwtwWO3ldrv_iHEwp0_cPX_o9vnYgTppclFkn5/w314-h400/AFC0D429-0034-4A8C-9DF7-D6062D2AFA29.jpeg" width="314" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw30MIoQ9wEc5OTGTjCh9Yy-KaQkt18CciKN9rmzGaUYbdLWkEbQq4N0v6IIAXbn9aJtybMb83whKMYzBSswGj7Fycx2AN0zzfgsmEDfR2KnURQoZyYwgFduWkkPqnUCvprRdFr093MXr-5UWjyhVJ2ZlwsPQKzV3ur6NEb9Hs3LCsOT0W2jui_hoU2fH/s4096/1F0F8D22-8E74-4A4F-A11A-F2D888451CB9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw30MIoQ9wEc5OTGTjCh9Yy-KaQkt18CciKN9rmzGaUYbdLWkEbQq4N0v6IIAXbn9aJtybMb83whKMYzBSswGj7Fycx2AN0zzfgsmEDfR2KnURQoZyYwgFduWkkPqnUCvprRdFr093MXr-5UWjyhVJ2ZlwsPQKzV3ur6NEb9Hs3LCsOT0W2jui_hoU2fH/w400-h300/1F0F8D22-8E74-4A4F-A11A-F2D888451CB9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The guys in this small boat called Irish Rose were returning to the dock after a shrimp outing.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQoctg8ODsYXAK6YSTzj2u4e0tKSAlcUgeAxao9FGskMrgAjgqpPAOGVjwuwGlOu-Pkj2gHsoOSZLhz37K3BSn4ZNI-ZH-wRC_7knhHQ1UXjET5Hqjy4klaNFwI4RHGh3M_WobwbhBtImtw07PY3XMxRKcFxJgcbODw1CffWcQmVBd7dh02uYb0jbIDnl/s4096/923E2A8F-B608-434A-A2CC-1A67BB031DAD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQoctg8ODsYXAK6YSTzj2u4e0tKSAlcUgeAxao9FGskMrgAjgqpPAOGVjwuwGlOu-Pkj2gHsoOSZLhz37K3BSn4ZNI-ZH-wRC_7knhHQ1UXjET5Hqjy4klaNFwI4RHGh3M_WobwbhBtImtw07PY3XMxRKcFxJgcbODw1CffWcQmVBd7dh02uYb0jbIDnl/w400-h300/923E2A8F-B608-434A-A2CC-1A67BB031DAD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1s7ojpNyRuKH8cV2LI5XN-3zE4S3JFQyTymTPoKOL0uueRiADBhhYXDH9vlP3Sm9CCoeUHkEre5n1GhP-StokxzlJWPSWPJmqyiumBRUJJK59rRbBT30HdzJi3CPHuhyphenhyphen0okw-SieIfLW4eeWfl31eooMONEsLMw9GsrJtClsgAooX0ioqj6GlMZ57fOl/s4007/97C2DD0F-F65E-44ED-B3FD-A9D5E59B6E08.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="4007" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1s7ojpNyRuKH8cV2LI5XN-3zE4S3JFQyTymTPoKOL0uueRiADBhhYXDH9vlP3Sm9CCoeUHkEre5n1GhP-StokxzlJWPSWPJmqyiumBRUJJK59rRbBT30HdzJi3CPHuhyphenhyphen0okw-SieIfLW4eeWfl31eooMONEsLMw9GsrJtClsgAooX0ioqj6GlMZ57fOl/w400-h288/97C2DD0F-F65E-44ED-B3FD-A9D5E59B6E08.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This fisher(man) tested the waters for his catches of the day with the <a href="https://savethelight.org/">Morris Island Lighthouse</a> and a sailboat in the horizon. I used some <a href="https://snapseed.online/">Snapseed</a> effects on this image. <br /><br /></b></span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_8guK_RPhQzYjXtMLl8_MzzBgaQ1iIIl4Mqn7tAthU8nvjE6NbFzdaT8JgIFCKN7FHxSvWk2rq4SGgUy63wbrhWLnUb-DcUisMrquDR69RuHI3mwbp8rbqs91Yuq8S4R2dewqP7mPoIGfoJHt-nftLfiW0TmQNV9V6l7fMw9QEDeVXgGa774BiWC2TAR/s4096/2043CDF7-290E-4C45-B02C-3627EC7846AA.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_8guK_RPhQzYjXtMLl8_MzzBgaQ1iIIl4Mqn7tAthU8nvjE6NbFzdaT8JgIFCKN7FHxSvWk2rq4SGgUy63wbrhWLnUb-DcUisMrquDR69RuHI3mwbp8rbqs91Yuq8S4R2dewqP7mPoIGfoJHt-nftLfiW0TmQNV9V6l7fMw9QEDeVXgGa774BiWC2TAR/w400-h300/2043CDF7-290E-4C45-B02C-3627EC7846AA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The Seakay Valor is listed as a chemical/oil products tanker that navigates under the United States flag. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftYLzpa-anx44v0LTrO63s_79WZj2qIZsW3uNu4pX62g4ywLlexL6a5ojEcTIHq6-E3ewYr_HZ0ZXozbWnehqb3xxdknLRgnptUSdPY6IYCxFvb225J2wIOlr5XkBkRKWydKj-9_yploxWEwyVW9XeNRRajHTOwcZLhr9C94c6vhE_Yi1z8NSSlvOFTg0/s3765/8AFAE8B0-4BEC-4434-B639-4E4F4052EF63.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="3765" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftYLzpa-anx44v0LTrO63s_79WZj2qIZsW3uNu4pX62g4ywLlexL6a5ojEcTIHq6-E3ewYr_HZ0ZXozbWnehqb3xxdknLRgnptUSdPY6IYCxFvb225J2wIOlr5XkBkRKWydKj-9_yploxWEwyVW9XeNRRajHTOwcZLhr9C94c6vhE_Yi1z8NSSlvOFTg0/w400-h186/8AFAE8B0-4BEC-4434-B639-4E4F4052EF63.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>On October 29 it was leaving a Charleston port. <a href="http://Myshiptracking.com">Myshiptracking.com</a> shows since then it sailed to Savannah, then Houston, and as of Nov. 10 was back in the Holy City. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3B3v-2UiZwxisnhVKB4dLR_ONPXKae6liHSTZ6ahlqfdVI5GdDbqTq5mqIYezZ62xl_gP851ft-nZ79NPHVOcMqOwxA7670pJAse_nm9Y43SDUdgngUtWYdy3mqnbRhsGfyrnQOYLDveXflRoPzHF1_C8VOmsh2591vnX-ThyliXbV6IiNFGCvjqrjA9Y/s3858/F3678661-38E1-42AF-8C5F-08368EE4E1AF.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2893" data-original-width="3858" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3B3v-2UiZwxisnhVKB4dLR_ONPXKae6liHSTZ6ahlqfdVI5GdDbqTq5mqIYezZ62xl_gP851ft-nZ79NPHVOcMqOwxA7670pJAse_nm9Y43SDUdgngUtWYdy3mqnbRhsGfyrnQOYLDveXflRoPzHF1_C8VOmsh2591vnX-ThyliXbV6IiNFGCvjqrjA9Y/w400-h300/F3678661-38E1-42AF-8C5F-08368EE4E1AF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This vessel is the Fort Ripley. It has in large red print the word Response on its side. Fort Ripley was christened in Charleston in 2014 after being built in Massachusetts. <a href="https://www.marinelog.com/legal/safety-and-security/new-emergency-response-boat/">According to this article</a>, the Fort Ripley is</b></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"> able to perform offshore firefighting, salvage and emergency response, providing coverage between Morehead City, N.C, and St. Augustine, Fla.</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"> </span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">a U.S. Coast Guard-certificated 64-ft. aluminum boat owned by harbor salvage support company Southeast Ocean Response Services Inc.</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"> </span></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_HPAX3xyxxXSlygLKl6AQU7Jw2B6VQXvNiGhoFTIjVcTcP2K9DjBRld-XMlItBFLPI0VbRWkfN8CIaRzakMKoFZX9iwxLsVVpQ6h4e_697R-0TQDrcDd-vakAUNlS_h5p4rzm0Fwsuv0r5HWppznIB0kmvL64O__UKu_KAhZUCrZzSg1j1eSDinHeCrd/s4096/E9C20554-BF11-4F7A-B3B8-EAAFC341A3C1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_HPAX3xyxxXSlygLKl6AQU7Jw2B6VQXvNiGhoFTIjVcTcP2K9DjBRld-XMlItBFLPI0VbRWkfN8CIaRzakMKoFZX9iwxLsVVpQ6h4e_697R-0TQDrcDd-vakAUNlS_h5p4rzm0Fwsuv0r5HWppznIB0kmvL64O__UKu_KAhZUCrZzSg1j1eSDinHeCrd/w400-h300/E9C20554-BF11-4F7A-B3B8-EAAFC341A3C1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><b>The Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse as viewed from the beach using my camera’s HDR (high dynamic range) setting. </b></span></span></div><div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-73159383375202954192023-11-05T14:31:00.003-05:002023-11-09T06:18:52.282-05:00Fun Neighborhood Arts and Crafts Fair! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnLZToItBq5Ro_mz2eFNRb2VhLaYtrGJjhvOxPA6JpHb9pRa585Cec_6GBD0XkE9ys9s_TQhi3D-x-ON6oQlKSnUDWRjv7Iqg4jNVpHTClh2Nz9nWD04iR62b136XKBduQ7juDQiN4qu6I9m_MovrnxoOvwdrupQ0hIIrTMef_nKNBjROOs9Cz0-18-mi/s4032/5470E63A-2E1F-4808-828A-506CCA894391.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnLZToItBq5Ro_mz2eFNRb2VhLaYtrGJjhvOxPA6JpHb9pRa585Cec_6GBD0XkE9ys9s_TQhi3D-x-ON6oQlKSnUDWRjv7Iqg4jNVpHTClh2Nz9nWD04iR62b136XKBduQ7juDQiN4qu6I9m_MovrnxoOvwdrupQ0hIIrTMef_nKNBjROOs9Cz0-18-mi/w300-h400/5470E63A-2E1F-4808-828A-506CCA894391.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My books and I yesterday made the short drive to the <a href="https://www.coosawcreek.com/" target="_blank">Coosaw Creek Country Club</a> clubhouse and pool area to participate in what has become an annual early November arts and crafts fair. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This was my second year to have a table at this popular event. It was very timely this time last year as my new book, <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/stories-from-underground-churchyards-of.html">“Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston”</a> had been released just weeks earlier. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I decided to offer several of my old lightly used (and freshly washed) Coosaw Creek clothing and golf items as free gifts with the purchase of my more expensive books. The sweatshirt you see here on the left did find a new home! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRVYLHoUcm35qtkyULFtVF0rXp7e_U-Hm7kk8YVLPxdqZSfVgDHDCoTVukuIwOBHeWbA-YT1UMSRLX-CiNFjDdZPyriMocBwN2vZy13kDQJcJ9Fy5SDBIXuicRx92BJkHx9kF_gqWxWiS8r-1jCB3OZkwE8o784uV_Sw94pX5RaIEDcFElM0Al5l-HkJo/s4032/20522D37-2F53-4ADC-8E72-44F81D112391.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRVYLHoUcm35qtkyULFtVF0rXp7e_U-Hm7kk8YVLPxdqZSfVgDHDCoTVukuIwOBHeWbA-YT1UMSRLX-CiNFjDdZPyriMocBwN2vZy13kDQJcJ9Fy5SDBIXuicRx92BJkHx9kF_gqWxWiS8r-1jCB3OZkwE8o784uV_Sw94pX5RaIEDcFElM0Al5l-HkJo/w400-h300/20522D37-2F53-4ADC-8E72-44F81D112391.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>We have some “crafty,” creative and artistic residents in our fine neighborhood. Fifteen or so of them had creations to display and sell. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8n6mhw8Ep601F1-WrghiAg8iyLT2mHzYej-vY7GRgpubBNXCJeAlAsQRBz5EkCGUI9PV8cdCKrdWXXV6jpHDnw3-tm7KZMEsPxpex7NB90a1wxl1LRDfE-WTbHquoRGOcUbR7zNlvk5nLvTP7sF4LAC7geMKfLzUE9x7c0Hdjg_zPG8s9AFRQWmwv8etA/s3088/C1887486-251B-400B-AF57-A7A53B34F7DA.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8n6mhw8Ep601F1-WrghiAg8iyLT2mHzYej-vY7GRgpubBNXCJeAlAsQRBz5EkCGUI9PV8cdCKrdWXXV6jpHDnw3-tm7KZMEsPxpex7NB90a1wxl1LRDfE-WTbHquoRGOcUbR7zNlvk5nLvTP7sF4LAC7geMKfLzUE9x7c0Hdjg_zPG8s9AFRQWmwv8etA/w300-h400/C1887486-251B-400B-AF57-A7A53B34F7DA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The four hours went by quickly! I enjoyed many conversations with folks who stopped by my table and whose tables I visited. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I figured I would not sell as many books as I did at last year's event, and I didn’t. But I actually did better than the “guesstimate” figure I had in mind. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS1PSL2gIOnoT4lhljybR3wnxoU1dJEADa9F35csA3YhfpAXtViL1UzjVEnO2xV9CBIkYpAJiwsrwxumvV0MfhBGw7zrEMU9QwYqo57yOwxuozNgV-zuvTGLYjDbdwLbBu1-9wXoSagDTdsDmpAOX-2oVYHLGvr9iVY61uP7g8EESi-425zx4ZvJ6fwi6/s4032/A88FDEA4-1C30-4BA5-918A-D438BE4ACBD8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS1PSL2gIOnoT4lhljybR3wnxoU1dJEADa9F35csA3YhfpAXtViL1UzjVEnO2xV9CBIkYpAJiwsrwxumvV0MfhBGw7zrEMU9QwYqo57yOwxuozNgV-zuvTGLYjDbdwLbBu1-9wXoSagDTdsDmpAOX-2oVYHLGvr9iVY61uP7g8EESi-425zx4ZvJ6fwi6/w400-h300/A88FDEA4-1C30-4BA5-918A-D438BE4ACBD8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vf6vWLxVK9UCywc7GYyn60gS_Ba23FsTpMsuoSnPq7KK7ggWxlhg579HINr2S4_QSAz5qAl8k5T2hZU1WX6xNEaCNs3ARdxulX8nW5HhVzEbTUrOx4oy46NhwpYbdDvRwC56r82aj3fb7xUlQ9Y6aye9upGdlKmMdWEVQruBs6CxggMI8cq92CDIxUDk/s4032/E3BD1320-D612-44EC-A6EC-6D4A6AA24F91.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vf6vWLxVK9UCywc7GYyn60gS_Ba23FsTpMsuoSnPq7KK7ggWxlhg579HINr2S4_QSAz5qAl8k5T2hZU1WX6xNEaCNs3ARdxulX8nW5HhVzEbTUrOx4oy46NhwpYbdDvRwC56r82aj3fb7xUlQ9Y6aye9upGdlKmMdWEVQruBs6CxggMI8cq92CDIxUDk/w300-h400/E3BD1320-D612-44EC-A6EC-6D4A6AA24F91.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div><br /></div><b>I did not leave empty-handed in other ways too. I bought a nice hoodie sold by Jairy Hunter who has his own clothing company called Holy City Brand Apparel. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/holycitybrand/">Check out his Instagram site here. </a><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Thanks Alesia for this nice pix. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy15RSFDHliYtj6OXTBq8wJ19Z_thwv7NshLhFp-LyjIYdCgBe_44C4Mv0z4vIK8-nR3E0svdjht3V3GlN09svHUIQBHOC3MlF4gv38ApPsW80ODeBDKCRQx7fZRbl0xLT0yuZ2YRk-XXkWA8vxWg-xKQWCXT-OmOv2zpPppWTCKoYr3bEJTBe9yjXVgt1/s4032/F82FBC33-9A31-415A-BDF9-EFAF66283D3C.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy15RSFDHliYtj6OXTBq8wJ19Z_thwv7NshLhFp-LyjIYdCgBe_44C4Mv0z4vIK8-nR3E0svdjht3V3GlN09svHUIQBHOC3MlF4gv38ApPsW80ODeBDKCRQx7fZRbl0xLT0yuZ2YRk-XXkWA8vxWg-xKQWCXT-OmOv2zpPppWTCKoYr3bEJTBe9yjXVgt1/w400-h300/F82FBC33-9A31-415A-BDF9-EFAF66283D3C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I am so pleased with this purchase! It fits great and is very comfortable. I am wearing it right now as I write this post while sitting on my back porch. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Jairy has previously purchased a few of my books to give as gifts, I believe, so it is nice to reciprocate. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Plus in my “Churchyards of Charleston” book I go into how the Holy City of Charleston earned this nickname. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfrWreCo-LMFsYBCCWNgetcWKDfIZV_PkevoHP0zZE3LR_aGCOaWZTIn1PtL3PPCA8Tjh7vejUgxWr4ZJAoGyt8secoUG7d-cAh_-C9mBJzqzaGvPVD4HfXMjy01ohv0YAj20F_bTzuRS9QiQe5oXNJZOU95kuCwyP1g7lY3W0qrPigM7ZG7Z6Gtxj_Et/s2895/53B4E907-5C15-4566-9C7E-F5A9EA2D729A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="2895" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfrWreCo-LMFsYBCCWNgetcWKDfIZV_PkevoHP0zZE3LR_aGCOaWZTIn1PtL3PPCA8Tjh7vejUgxWr4ZJAoGyt8secoUG7d-cAh_-C9mBJzqzaGvPVD4HfXMjy01ohv0YAj20F_bTzuRS9QiQe5oXNJZOU95kuCwyP1g7lY3W0qrPigM7ZG7Z6Gtxj_Et/w400-h394/53B4E907-5C15-4566-9C7E-F5A9EA2D729A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here are two other items I purchased from neighbors: a decorative Christmas plate made from clothesline rope and a lovely long and thick scarf sewn by my crafts fair table neighbor named Biddy. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-74781844811605460922023-10-27T09:52:00.007-04:002023-10-28T15:11:38.600-04:00Red-shouldered Hawk Shines on Sign! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_jp9g3SuM0u16qKpjCpP-rnVyQfCRw1CgAfAGso46cz1jrZgIFFfDiaQP4SkHu3wBssWDjo7Jnz1agjrYX12wcHWbuXsnJ2xMX2OxXkGESLx9PcSkkF15ZZPgUvgxfLvRGxHYwLM_IHlDasrtqkECx0b_uP2FQUW9Y0VA_aqf0SxuohBtD4KP1E3h5iP/s4096/C86D0AED-40D5-45B9-8A39-B6840600CF9D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_jp9g3SuM0u16qKpjCpP-rnVyQfCRw1CgAfAGso46cz1jrZgIFFfDiaQP4SkHu3wBssWDjo7Jnz1agjrYX12wcHWbuXsnJ2xMX2OxXkGESLx9PcSkkF15ZZPgUvgxfLvRGxHYwLM_IHlDasrtqkECx0b_uP2FQUW9Y0VA_aqf0SxuohBtD4KP1E3h5iP/w400-h300/C86D0AED-40D5-45B9-8A39-B6840600CF9D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>A relaxing walk in the park can produce some nice surprises and excitement, especially when I have my camera and am looking for birds to photograph. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Such was the case last weekend during a stroll around the old <a href="https://activerain.com/blogsview/352266/kings-grant-to-build-on-abandoned-golf-course-">Kings Grant Golf Course.</a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGeI6yKzERbYiiYC-RmYVLjxAuImyn4NJyKYVtctXQ1IepCwCFGQ5rLLRe5ad9IYnMyR9oWeq-5ZUbVjmGlU8CXpnz6kxXfEzGbds34QM2v2h_FJyGo-QcBnNKwWW4QV1qfIv0N6-baEj4mPwe6oM3ar37lNe9zj9hQeIZRGnyjySPj6Lm7_Sfhel4eeW/s3459/DA0C9299-69F4-4AF7-802E-23F0F3333A43.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3430" data-original-width="3459" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGeI6yKzERbYiiYC-RmYVLjxAuImyn4NJyKYVtctXQ1IepCwCFGQ5rLLRe5ad9IYnMyR9oWeq-5ZUbVjmGlU8CXpnz6kxXfEzGbds34QM2v2h_FJyGo-QcBnNKwWW4QV1qfIv0N6-baEj4mPwe6oM3ar37lNe9zj9hQeIZRGnyjySPj6Lm7_Sfhel4eeW/w400-h396/DA0C9299-69F4-4AF7-802E-23F0F3333A43.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>From a distance, I spotted a large bird perched on a Do Not Enter sign. I quickly surmised it to be <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/overview">a Hawk, a red-shouldered one. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I took some pictures from behind like the one above, then slowly moved in the shade of a tree to see the bird’s face. I’m sure it saw me. These raptors don’t miss much I am sure.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvSE2cZl7BUOTC-2vWL5hDKVJQmhESswdfTy9RLbxOkYmRclHP7T2TtFhPY_juOeSbvXq9YRCDDlitqXyh_2g6i9EI0ZXc8PB8bmV1KJVSiS3leYZIIDyWRd80CdHmNBlD4G88MW6Qh44COLd5OvXXZYJBuZ3u0RJ6U4c3lOtHXofPgr5iAN4ihd30Rl4/s4096/4DAE5459-0FD8-4BFC-8F5C-D0EF9408A76F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvSE2cZl7BUOTC-2vWL5hDKVJQmhESswdfTy9RLbxOkYmRclHP7T2TtFhPY_juOeSbvXq9YRCDDlitqXyh_2g6i9EI0ZXc8PB8bmV1KJVSiS3leYZIIDyWRd80CdHmNBlD4G88MW6Qh44COLd5OvXXZYJBuZ3u0RJ6U4c3lOtHXofPgr5iAN4ihd30Rl4/w400-h300/4DAE5459-0FD8-4BFC-8F5C-D0EF9408A76F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The Hawk proved a good model! It let me take all the photos I wanted and didn’t fly away until I walked away. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We saw a second Red-shouldered fly to a nearby tree. I wasn’t able to photograph that one but am very pleased with the ones I took of this beauty. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /><br /><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO38Ary7Ajx-ideUqZDauOnppXviu1qMUvseEqwbOz5NKQpxlZiZoHtGOk0JYb8nFywLMIuEa86JSFylrbltG3UUHPjKXXZYBnqAP8mut_k1u9967CMtHX38N_8b8CAzjKaxdETSwQ7PFdRoxgio0Ql1SxNw_kg7Zwd2xjpQPARvoe4qroCGhm6JIATGts/s4096/B858ADA3-B450-4C88-9E47-7CEBA4731494.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO38Ary7Ajx-ideUqZDauOnppXviu1qMUvseEqwbOz5NKQpxlZiZoHtGOk0JYb8nFywLMIuEa86JSFylrbltG3UUHPjKXXZYBnqAP8mut_k1u9967CMtHX38N_8b8CAzjKaxdETSwQ7PFdRoxgio0Ql1SxNw_kg7Zwd2xjpQPARvoe4qroCGhm6JIATGts/w400-h300/B858ADA3-B450-4C88-9E47-7CEBA4731494.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljRIkoDnOF2CcCayK2NsymuqIFpw9Ik44YxSL3fctmspMp0K1Lx3C6_-c-O7WZh_GgHtLgOnZ44vOpPDnu_WR0M48sck0jPouMNRzNfndbVSwyi3GV8LiL6951obnRZqrb-ivNpQxF4bYxtBVk_n-6a4f9dITtgHf-Na-POSpeGLCSKb8ZzbxbBWn3vfl/s5184/31483CE4-FBDC-47AD-B263-FD66ABDF0EE8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljRIkoDnOF2CcCayK2NsymuqIFpw9Ik44YxSL3fctmspMp0K1Lx3C6_-c-O7WZh_GgHtLgOnZ44vOpPDnu_WR0M48sck0jPouMNRzNfndbVSwyi3GV8LiL6951obnRZqrb-ivNpQxF4bYxtBVk_n-6a4f9dITtgHf-Na-POSpeGLCSKb8ZzbxbBWn3vfl/w400-h300/31483CE4-FBDC-47AD-B263-FD66ABDF0EE8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/overview">Turkey Vultures</a> wouldn’t make many people’s beautiful bird list. Natures clean up crew I call them. </b></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The All About Birds site describes the Turkey Vulture: "</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-size: 17.3056px;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>These birds ride thermals in the sky and use their keen sense of smell to find fresh carcasses. They are a consummate scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads."</b></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4P-L76Q2MJv4qjPlY6a5Tv1g04kYhXePfWhiHI2xPwen8PlD8qQX-FMxHSYTSp4El89Gmjoff4JbIFzrCsiFqh99tpytuOSPNx2THZ9H5PNMJVSdE-yIHoHyK_SLtqF7_f0yxl5z3Nvd9dCwU_BWWTtl_ZG6vpbrkAjCUPPdCQuEFCnFz7UpcEkT52oZ/s4096/A1A201CB-3862-4D6D-A73B-923C77956B9B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4P-L76Q2MJv4qjPlY6a5Tv1g04kYhXePfWhiHI2xPwen8PlD8qQX-FMxHSYTSp4El89Gmjoff4JbIFzrCsiFqh99tpytuOSPNx2THZ9H5PNMJVSdE-yIHoHyK_SLtqF7_f0yxl5z3Nvd9dCwU_BWWTtl_ZG6vpbrkAjCUPPdCQuEFCnFz7UpcEkT52oZ/w400-h300/A1A201CB-3862-4D6D-A73B-923C77956B9B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMnqs4tnfy9bsVB6tupYFkj2E0jh66cpZ10wd724g-M2CVc1xqa5S_nkcEQWh1DBWzpPv9T_XTMZK3iPUm_51BFfXdYpPGnWZTFEtiJdta373m2oV7ybAgJwpJECZpOAIhi5lxMQ7TFxpztCo6-3w2408RrFJqgHjhJBGyTomJc9zjMH0jmbovpG53IQc/s5184/EF0B42A4-70B6-4735-8A52-DE62D546A763.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMnqs4tnfy9bsVB6tupYFkj2E0jh66cpZ10wd724g-M2CVc1xqa5S_nkcEQWh1DBWzpPv9T_XTMZK3iPUm_51BFfXdYpPGnWZTFEtiJdta373m2oV7ybAgJwpJECZpOAIhi5lxMQ7TFxpztCo6-3w2408RrFJqgHjhJBGyTomJc9zjMH0jmbovpG53IQc/w400-h300/EF0B42A4-70B6-4735-8A52-DE62D546A763.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We spotted a pair of Vultures on the ground doing what they do. They were feeding on something. You can see the prey a little to the left of the bird. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b> ————————>>>></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaXXszbeIpo7W1psguKj9iKXxuzIqbmA4Cb8JJLa5-HczHjvTLmmNQd6cBmMa5lrL7-FZak90R5J9-lXQfCuNj5FGrkj32d9D6ADbFJf97nIKsBkdGbeWWrlzl8hWLbn9ZKxG53Q-HZ0WMd-rp5LNHaEqfjEyN4YAJIj7hXPphbGSWzYRcrdDe_xiAJxp/s4096/E2EBB220-82F8-4899-BE28-85AA70C7DDB7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaXXszbeIpo7W1psguKj9iKXxuzIqbmA4Cb8JJLa5-HczHjvTLmmNQd6cBmMa5lrL7-FZak90R5J9-lXQfCuNj5FGrkj32d9D6ADbFJf97nIKsBkdGbeWWrlzl8hWLbn9ZKxG53Q-HZ0WMd-rp5LNHaEqfjEyN4YAJIj7hXPphbGSWzYRcrdDe_xiAJxp/w400-h300/E2EBB220-82F8-4899-BE28-85AA70C7DDB7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>What were they picking and pecking? </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVBCLlKjq5ToqU7pYk_JqL4Kx9uMCutwwAToUbqEsQvxDvEpWlubzi0BJtthOVrIcTEOo9ZdS0RvOKgRiwFn_3LeinkAvarQtFzdeVgqWvqiNjP1kkdEMHNifk08f4Oz6Uc7cpweFJSd07uNc1ic0EnJe8HHyIqeyaB7nKCkedTbtIEpiTtCiEnU415FS/s4096/3B5A5541-767C-4AE0-8518-2002A47BEE33.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVBCLlKjq5ToqU7pYk_JqL4Kx9uMCutwwAToUbqEsQvxDvEpWlubzi0BJtthOVrIcTEOo9ZdS0RvOKgRiwFn_3LeinkAvarQtFzdeVgqWvqiNjP1kkdEMHNifk08f4Oz6Uc7cpweFJSd07uNc1ic0EnJe8HHyIqeyaB7nKCkedTbtIEpiTtCiEnU415FS/w400-h300/3B5A5541-767C-4AE0-8518-2002A47BEE33.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This is what was left of a snake. It was covered with bugs. Yuck! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1bme7AI9EyM4WG3TJmhfbNGuwxMDCjbxQY5iESgeJ86fjECRj7n4WfketUtTlxfD2a9jVIniRnA7vUc4JzR9nb6j_AotSN8IEXirbHgpTssozcV51O3NW0yOsbAVXJUit8FmNrQ3xsyyUOjqE7YK38_351SkzrB255be2sgNkGDKOYP-ZMTrvVlrfthf/s3301/D5A54D1D-D0A1-4479-B85E-B598B1515D11.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3301" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1bme7AI9EyM4WG3TJmhfbNGuwxMDCjbxQY5iESgeJ86fjECRj7n4WfketUtTlxfD2a9jVIniRnA7vUc4JzR9nb6j_AotSN8IEXirbHgpTssozcV51O3NW0yOsbAVXJUit8FmNrQ3xsyyUOjqE7YK38_351SkzrB255be2sgNkGDKOYP-ZMTrvVlrfthf/w400-h373/D5A54D1D-D0A1-4479-B85E-B598B1515D11.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I decided to bug the big birds to see if I could get a decent in-flight image. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyYwOd6jF9cTn21IQIVW1oupa_Tv3x1uBjpiv9_B_xDYlWkzmMUXxwpyoh_0em7EsfgFEy-9q_lNYGqhvrZcKwmz4dOrpkALNuNvO45GbN2TTjcXO1s1V3wKK9hgGXc1fTRdEgsu77Up03oT71SriJZ5a5Zjfw0MfXQZeVi1-CpZwxkErvh02R4TnYNmY/s4096/3A7643AD-A51A-4BE3-87A7-C24CF2FA2EA0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyYwOd6jF9cTn21IQIVW1oupa_Tv3x1uBjpiv9_B_xDYlWkzmMUXxwpyoh_0em7EsfgFEy-9q_lNYGqhvrZcKwmz4dOrpkALNuNvO45GbN2TTjcXO1s1V3wKK9hgGXc1fTRdEgsu77Up03oT71SriJZ5a5Zjfw0MfXQZeVi1-CpZwxkErvh02R4TnYNmY/w400-h300/3A7643AD-A51A-4BE3-87A7-C24CF2FA2EA0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I’m sure the Turkey Vultures were back to the snake carcass after we walked away. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFfymrUqlaxvC30amPZ8-tCllrvESbLo7_w-sdZSOLP7eXbF9y2ikeW-biTiqufQKfgxk5SYPyy670_CB3hoCECyB_8GdmiFZoil3Re0cp56dwhdzpVSM9XakQ8ZD8mSKCMyVy2SdwgHKCEQM3jPIISi3PrQ_cbZ4DRl3uqTb7lMGkkBa3Ag3IGXMuCZI/s4096/55AAC56D-4595-413B-9953-25A25DA1AECD.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFfymrUqlaxvC30amPZ8-tCllrvESbLo7_w-sdZSOLP7eXbF9y2ikeW-biTiqufQKfgxk5SYPyy670_CB3hoCECyB_8GdmiFZoil3Re0cp56dwhdzpVSM9XakQ8ZD8mSKCMyVy2SdwgHKCEQM3jPIISi3PrQ_cbZ4DRl3uqTb7lMGkkBa3Ag3IGXMuCZI/w400-h300/55AAC56D-4595-413B-9953-25A25DA1AECD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The other good photo op this day was a majestic <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/monarch-butterfly">Monarch Butterfly</a>. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRlCRTCgG815GMXlwPHMA9Xn-O9EBhAxi5OyaP9-eVBa8ZQdKwP6sldiWHJsYIaP6esXuVBuz3Haf9Lc1Nrhfrb1OCUx-gPd3-i7pSCiReuMs1FL9EgvN5xz3i3qGLhAm5GxAq5dNPkrayQGo3WHChTCRPeoXMv9iAc4eECm6BwIK7YTjiIXlfkVRs0i3/s4096/43082C77-E953-424B-AC2C-5D8A7263078F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRlCRTCgG815GMXlwPHMA9Xn-O9EBhAxi5OyaP9-eVBa8ZQdKwP6sldiWHJsYIaP6esXuVBuz3Haf9Lc1Nrhfrb1OCUx-gPd3-i7pSCiReuMs1FL9EgvN5xz3i3qGLhAm5GxAq5dNPkrayQGo3WHChTCRPeoXMv9iAc4eECm6BwIK7YTjiIXlfkVRs0i3/w400-h300/43082C77-E953-424B-AC2C-5D8A7263078F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>It was so involved with these pretty flowers, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=smooth+aster&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS850US850&oq=smooth+aster&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgAECMYJxiKBTIJCAAQIxgnGIoFMgcIARAuGIAEMgoIAhAuGIAEGOUEMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAEMgcICRAAGIAE0gEINDcwMGowajSoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">Smooth Asters</a> I believe, that I was able to observe and take photos from just a few feet away. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Smooth Aster flowers are described <a href="https://www.prairienursery.com/smooth-aster-aster-laevis.html">this way</a>: "</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>a hardy plant that defies frost and keeps on blooming, often into November, with a profusion of lavender-blue, star-like flowers."</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjzgzjH2TzHJEGHB0-KVi-0YjBQaG0lTtsELSdiPZiSepnBbvl8kgNvE9eeVK88xgVKp7KpemaYddQj9jK3wNFjOLJe-ldNuKhE1W66BSq-Uo0_Y3S4kg5JvKYmLBI29JwHZjQfQTYBO-TuHsDtbqJV0Gvd0tRS7memGIcsJc-s0TUhLOGQNcw3D98eet/s5184/420118D1-19E5-444C-8FA4-6164934D1184.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjzgzjH2TzHJEGHB0-KVi-0YjBQaG0lTtsELSdiPZiSepnBbvl8kgNvE9eeVK88xgVKp7KpemaYddQj9jK3wNFjOLJe-ldNuKhE1W66BSq-Uo0_Y3S4kg5JvKYmLBI29JwHZjQfQTYBO-TuHsDtbqJV0Gvd0tRS7memGIcsJc-s0TUhLOGQNcw3D98eet/w400-h300/420118D1-19E5-444C-8FA4-6164934D1184.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkv8E-P-lTmWB_TzdtEj75qe4F9QE9skOosKYVSyL-Qrykb-Z4gGMaP7oBBX_kHYWC-p_TTdUpLxrwIKAX4aaSRFNidW1sVOB-eTwTBF4Yj7WgysurMEze5WCtCmKSZFLy8ARqgOFquAt1IQuRoMmnTyj-FGLq9kO9XcJiABWvIfEndbK85hzteJzM53n/s4096/50717C47-2D63-441F-8475-DD9931327CC1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkv8E-P-lTmWB_TzdtEj75qe4F9QE9skOosKYVSyL-Qrykb-Z4gGMaP7oBBX_kHYWC-p_TTdUpLxrwIKAX4aaSRFNidW1sVOB-eTwTBF4Yj7WgysurMEze5WCtCmKSZFLy8ARqgOFquAt1IQuRoMmnTyj-FGLq9kO9XcJiABWvIfEndbK85hzteJzM53n/w400-h300/50717C47-2D63-441F-8475-DD9931327CC1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApX-2ofs8v8r5Mwlp55Pg9YwQ_x5r4FTx-0T4QXBkXIaIYmTqjzRnNZXP03hSU0TNi_va_pVuj0-RyxSPu9b9JJ-XEDgte7fI3d-omvmWINqSl4NfD_a74MI_FV-v7puHyTsCIauBwgORmOAMNtzR6bSYy0PAWe_Ub3xvOmxFOBN5_WkAnGoZj8nbns2a/s4096/21AB095E-43B1-4003-A524-A573258D475C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApX-2ofs8v8r5Mwlp55Pg9YwQ_x5r4FTx-0T4QXBkXIaIYmTqjzRnNZXP03hSU0TNi_va_pVuj0-RyxSPu9b9JJ-XEDgte7fI3d-omvmWINqSl4NfD_a74MI_FV-v7puHyTsCIauBwgORmOAMNtzR6bSYy0PAWe_Ub3xvOmxFOBN5_WkAnGoZj8nbns2a/w400-h300/21AB095E-43B1-4003-A524-A573258D475C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It was a pretty day to visit this pretty nearby park.</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_TMJBHl005sp3jikYEYp_DS7HYtX3jW4xFCjI1OfwSIPnfcebbFr2OnVyxM40XuUrrBSPeFVFv_I7hbTIW4fh8vO-vaPNpQchb2QQCwB4Zo_j7Xzoy0NOnmpn5PODO_xvhxdUW_n6AWstBsEE21itUJ1KN2vruZoaxaPRhp98AwKFHTKFBN3F65iGI0e/s4096/FE8783EA-6EC5-4356-B9C5-D6F453F3EE34.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_TMJBHl005sp3jikYEYp_DS7HYtX3jW4xFCjI1OfwSIPnfcebbFr2OnVyxM40XuUrrBSPeFVFv_I7hbTIW4fh8vO-vaPNpQchb2QQCwB4Zo_j7Xzoy0NOnmpn5PODO_xvhxdUW_n6AWstBsEE21itUJ1KN2vruZoaxaPRhp98AwKFHTKFBN3F65iGI0e/w300-h400/FE8783EA-6EC5-4356-B9C5-D6F453F3EE34.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Hawks and Vultures encounters made the outing even better! </b></div></span><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-8721624881235873742023-10-16T08:57:00.003-04:002023-10-16T18:16:53.064-04:00Views from the Ravenel Bridge- Spectacular! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW5ZXpFngxUbww5DWKL36ItOW2Ew8hagtwCKbfVXeBop3w72_Pw28DEL7qEjnZstJ383E8HTqExGP_hTh75zzfTj3aC1REt9Dku68p-OBxb8C00vGks8Bz6xtTD34VtuWEL0yTigoaVFZ3nlmD5pKjwBGIrNY3tbBYMsBf7VJdy5VlLDdVV73T6x_oNcv/s4031/16D4BB78-79DC-4CA8-A847-45EEF1FD9C57.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="4031" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW5ZXpFngxUbww5DWKL36ItOW2Ew8hagtwCKbfVXeBop3w72_Pw28DEL7qEjnZstJ383E8HTqExGP_hTh75zzfTj3aC1REt9Dku68p-OBxb8C00vGks8Bz6xtTD34VtuWEL0yTigoaVFZ3nlmD5pKjwBGIrNY3tbBYMsBf7VJdy5VlLDdVV73T6x_oNcv/w400-h300/16D4BB78-79DC-4CA8-A847-45EEF1FD9C57.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>A recent walk across the majestic <a href="https://www.visit-historic-charleston.com/arthur-ravenel-bridge.html">Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge</a> offered a bounty of beautiful photography opportunities for this shutterbug. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Sunday, Oct. 1 was an ideal combination of nice weather, puffy cloud cover, busy boat and ship activity plus an expansive view of Charleston, its harbor and points beyond in Mt. pleasant and Sullivan’s Island. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY9UYEnkB2o3e3tbPWkSXpQyFcamQ633BS-5ON8mCOUpkRVY3LHtBR94AvqLk9sk2wJexkFyNQh4OmyBugE3HGPf-KIrEwnC1eUpep8Irx45ixiVgGsCf50bIxAl2iEo7nStrBP4G88GE-x9y8byU2_YuXw8wSroBfDSgTrJFp5bKKfXB5fwcYSgcr0EI/s4096/BE8634C3-7AF4-413E-97B4-A869FF49C0D9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY9UYEnkB2o3e3tbPWkSXpQyFcamQ633BS-5ON8mCOUpkRVY3LHtBR94AvqLk9sk2wJexkFyNQh4OmyBugE3HGPf-KIrEwnC1eUpep8Irx45ixiVgGsCf50bIxAl2iEo7nStrBP4G88GE-x9y8byU2_YuXw8wSroBfDSgTrJFp5bKKfXB5fwcYSgcr0EI/w300-h400/BE8634C3-7AF4-413E-97B4-A869FF49C0D9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My <a href="https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/powershot-sx70-hs?color=Black&type=New">Canon SX70</a> lens was drawn to pleasure boats and the long wakes they left speeding toward the bridge.</b></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNHAO4XnYutOzMcvhSVDzxXue1TItzcKFhFTQrSIIvMWWUtw_CW4LA_HeNATQe2bOXhbEgu4ifZswSTjYIIPFT5igw1MY5RPOLv_h5_3sFQtMi1XyaDwY4UCuR4QNMkfylt7zuhwqOWxuNptQ-79wzM6CQfCPJkFrz2eMu7f70S7Bh-XccYuViHn1WDVD/s3977/49A07637-977B-495D-A57B-F75494BEA8C6.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2983" data-original-width="3977" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNHAO4XnYutOzMcvhSVDzxXue1TItzcKFhFTQrSIIvMWWUtw_CW4LA_HeNATQe2bOXhbEgu4ifZswSTjYIIPFT5igw1MY5RPOLv_h5_3sFQtMi1XyaDwY4UCuR4QNMkfylt7zuhwqOWxuNptQ-79wzM6CQfCPJkFrz2eMu7f70S7Bh-XccYuViHn1WDVD/w400-h300/49A07637-977B-495D-A57B-F75494BEA8C6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Charleston- the Holy City- glistened in the distance. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>My book, <a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/stories-from-underground-churchyards-of.html">“Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston,”</a> explores the old city’s rich, interesting and diverse history through the prism of its religious burial grounds. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Check out this book (and my previous ones) at the link above or on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00KIPVKP6">my Amazon site</a>. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSW36f_fOQJUOwu7ybBK0iQzY1fqgS-BuM4XW2y-dWISOSmFHKcbSbwIVdXsoKiOAlH5bbjLyTWlxRsNl-LJCkV0XhgKs3nAC9ppzqm9Go4XfN2oZCx9M_i-HgVci0kZd8yQxqD0ZC14v_OVfPXuEFPPB6n_yEtwN0JFG77NFyCCZFO2jrRF2vAPKmAWEB/s4003/1936ACF4-941E-4C9B-9664-1F0A0E9DB873.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="4003" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSW36f_fOQJUOwu7ybBK0iQzY1fqgS-BuM4XW2y-dWISOSmFHKcbSbwIVdXsoKiOAlH5bbjLyTWlxRsNl-LJCkV0XhgKs3nAC9ppzqm9Go4XfN2oZCx9M_i-HgVci0kZd8yQxqD0ZC14v_OVfPXuEFPPB6n_yEtwN0JFG77NFyCCZFO2jrRF2vAPKmAWEB/w400-h300/1936ACF4-941E-4C9B-9664-1F0A0E9DB873.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>These are two of the oldest churches in town. <a href="https://www.stphilipschurchsc.org/">St. Philip’s</a> (left) was built in 1836 and <a href="https://www.stmichaelschurch.net/">St. Michael’s</a> dates to 1751. Both are Anglican churches, reflecting Charleston’s Church of England roots. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>St. Philip’s was founded in 1680, 10 years after Charles Town was first settled by the English. St. Michael’s is the oldest extant church edifice in Charleston. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRe4EnFbKruICrRNEwNdfi6nOnop_k2JAcuGQJNVRadhUQMyrpnZKg3jgsl_tjSp3Wk2JAs__rHVwX6fjBoD6bpOio4kHrUSjlIhF-qJe_XCvIoCkuQPSP35kDTHtVtzTxhS47hRLcI3paXQ96v3fyQ3eKl2rSVZ8GicYCeEWHofW3a3cgRKLwXQSuxAn/s4096/BE230802-3266-4EE0-A28C-DB9827C80046.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRe4EnFbKruICrRNEwNdfi6nOnop_k2JAcuGQJNVRadhUQMyrpnZKg3jgsl_tjSp3Wk2JAs__rHVwX6fjBoD6bpOio4kHrUSjlIhF-qJe_XCvIoCkuQPSP35kDTHtVtzTxhS47hRLcI3paXQ96v3fyQ3eKl2rSVZ8GicYCeEWHofW3a3cgRKLwXQSuxAn/w400-h300/BE230802-3266-4EE0-A28C-DB9827C80046.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>High on the bridge provided other interesting perspectives. I’ve photographed the <a href="https://www.sullivansisland.com/sullivans-island-lighthouse.html">Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse</a> numerous times from the beach. It was cool to capture an image from this distant vantage point. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu0yfN3KpjWi8dDvkfrikwUb_NPzKYN-0Wqdr0Jz9QuNIO4PaBzIqg648dkLgoCfOQdafDROAFCKiWzwshKgcr-cNAriqTC_mWVowhX0NOGnWwjBpdn2-A06dRaH4WCKhuDFTY8-bJtvBfF8UvyFk4ZmyCtKl7U8d1UgdLdxeJ1xAvpSCm0sS40G8yitV/s4049/241E1C89-FCD3-4ABA-9E59-76023011047E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3037" data-original-width="4049" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu0yfN3KpjWi8dDvkfrikwUb_NPzKYN-0Wqdr0Jz9QuNIO4PaBzIqg648dkLgoCfOQdafDROAFCKiWzwshKgcr-cNAriqTC_mWVowhX0NOGnWwjBpdn2-A06dRaH4WCKhuDFTY8-bJtvBfF8UvyFk4ZmyCtKl7U8d1UgdLdxeJ1xAvpSCm0sS40G8yitV/w400-h300/241E1C89-FCD3-4ABA-9E59-76023011047E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>From the sand at Sullivan’s Island I’ve also documented many ships going in and out of the harbor. So the Ravenel Bridge offered a fresh look at the area’s waterways and vessels large and small. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMUKSkDCccKTcUOLF-G9KmRhkiyvbS0lrLBP9SuGMQSDr3iYcDv1Z4f1fTH9QJ0fIN8tenYcGG8oJHdK_Q1j_FabPaE9jmw_Ao9cME9F5rYdyfCYdezu1HJdVT5Y6ZaRwebhJmxLxd8SCFc37H3xCgWAKAkUdqykvnnqszODIFsJqOwsymQi5rwcao7Yq/s4096/4521535D-5C8E-42E3-A9A2-5C000111B596.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMUKSkDCccKTcUOLF-G9KmRhkiyvbS0lrLBP9SuGMQSDr3iYcDv1Z4f1fTH9QJ0fIN8tenYcGG8oJHdK_Q1j_FabPaE9jmw_Ao9cME9F5rYdyfCYdezu1HJdVT5Y6ZaRwebhJmxLxd8SCFc37H3xCgWAKAkUdqykvnnqszODIFsJqOwsymQi5rwcao7Yq/w400-h300/4521535D-5C8E-42E3-A9A2-5C000111B596.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>The <a href="https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:464946/mmsi:373398000/imo:9620683/vessel:MORNING_CLAIRE">Morning Claire</a>, registered in Panama, is part of the South Korean company <a href="https://www.eukor.com/">Eukor</a> and its fleet of “Ro/Ro” (roll on, roll off) car-carrying ships.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyIY-MyFSk973R8avTvGU1aWS4YuVIDDVfWZjKblJPAKjEheGxv3ebns1Nk_5ntDW5fCVqODnHh2rJyjq-jxSmy2lu7n4on1TKyPR8HxyHNcDKgHX5-QQAXqC7y6UZ3BgpntX2kw2Fbc97h3xy7A-AZM8fnypz7XoUBkCYiw2C2OYfZAiXJN_yKrfXHhW/s4096/04D9F077-500F-41C1-BF55-E8830B78A400.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyIY-MyFSk973R8avTvGU1aWS4YuVIDDVfWZjKblJPAKjEheGxv3ebns1Nk_5ntDW5fCVqODnHh2rJyjq-jxSmy2lu7n4on1TKyPR8HxyHNcDKgHX5-QQAXqC7y6UZ3BgpntX2kw2Fbc97h3xy7A-AZM8fnypz7XoUBkCYiw2C2OYfZAiXJN_yKrfXHhW/w400-h300/04D9F077-500F-41C1-BF55-E8830B78A400.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Being loaded on this day are newly assembled vehicles from the Mercedes Van facility in North Charleston. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>According to the above linked tracking site, Morning Claire was heading to Bremerhaven, Germany, a journey that took two weeks covering more than 4,000 miles. <br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEQhJFpQvsORb_QPZ2d79Zd8zVC_PxoxqS4Ny5VTYam_5sXd0VIaiHnS1crFRUXdwt5ePjzd6C5yPXpcBnWZ9rihjKP4NNJbVQRolMAovFtkxRN3gVSdeempV6eUwlVXADfNKoF93LtdG89cUN1znGSGVojk-j5648LYBkR5kQbcRxE1UoJtlVbaMtYcT/s4096/E2D13BB2-4EC1-4285-A65D-BF92DED352D1.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEQhJFpQvsORb_QPZ2d79Zd8zVC_PxoxqS4Ny5VTYam_5sXd0VIaiHnS1crFRUXdwt5ePjzd6C5yPXpcBnWZ9rihjKP4NNJbVQRolMAovFtkxRN3gVSdeempV6eUwlVXADfNKoF93LtdG89cUN1znGSGVojk-j5648LYBkR5kQbcRxE1UoJtlVbaMtYcT/w400-h300/E2D13BB2-4EC1-4285-A65D-BF92DED352D1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The <a href="https://scspa.com/facilities/columbus-street-terminal/">Columbus Street Terminal</a> in Charleston is a hub for cars transport, not just Mercedes Vans but also the expensive autos and SUVs built at South Carolina’s BMW and Volvo plants. Note the sea of vehicles in the background of this photo. They are awaiting transport to destinations around the world. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB6FFIiB1VV2K3Qw74nLXwXdBH6BCU3GoiEazRG79s-YowsHdBNKl_gLlqtjVvLVLDJg2s7PTzE-XJ9BQQSxUEdwqko8pukz62Znnm7zKwWQcWL9SPdEDgP0rcdux0a0coZQK-6B88xzr2ZVHMm_8b_9AXO8tOJx5GJIHdHOAov2wUmcIdPUFWv4JBs_L/s4953/CD4BB6FB-32A0-444A-99FD-572CC2A1D8D2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3608" data-original-width="4953" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB6FFIiB1VV2K3Qw74nLXwXdBH6BCU3GoiEazRG79s-YowsHdBNKl_gLlqtjVvLVLDJg2s7PTzE-XJ9BQQSxUEdwqko8pukz62Znnm7zKwWQcWL9SPdEDgP0rcdux0a0coZQK-6B88xzr2ZVHMm_8b_9AXO8tOJx5GJIHdHOAov2wUmcIdPUFWv4JBs_L/w400-h291/CD4BB6FB-32A0-444A-99FD-572CC2A1D8D2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Looking on the other side of the bridge reveals another port. This is Mt. Pleasant’s Wando Welch Terminal. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv3DSKfL_RorGiZ2a9z6WumnJuDY0XayIhaTAW2_hskNlcezUOqT4fc4gxKyaWgVUYic9U_l5yvDQ8ixKzoQ9TIRgRPOreKdpmIiAplKnqu308vAiDjt0sKZJ_2LFpEyG9XSFSwLLcdkGarBG_RUyZdrjhaKxWpTHh06yve3qNoGY-AQ8YL987uGEazHf/s4096/8F2EF418-0B31-4A07-9DF1-996285DD5D8D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv3DSKfL_RorGiZ2a9z6WumnJuDY0XayIhaTAW2_hskNlcezUOqT4fc4gxKyaWgVUYic9U_l5yvDQ8ixKzoQ9TIRgRPOreKdpmIiAplKnqu308vAiDjt0sKZJ_2LFpEyG9XSFSwLLcdkGarBG_RUyZdrjhaKxWpTHh06yve3qNoGY-AQ8YL987uGEazHf/w400-h300/8F2EF418-0B31-4A07-9DF1-996285DD5D8D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Back on Charleston’s waterfront is a large boat storage facility. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXf8LkBBUTOjqp5rD7K0MhFl4MKDIHE3YbwXd5HrTNqUTMqpuYEZs2MkwC2nc9V2zJ1G6GrWrEHqtz3CaqVGBybnAoaVaJDdlp447JQgnM-95QGaXAu7dLLpwoL212FOnuW7mqt0mN_f5nwUdOcXCZJUq1SEoxJDya4GwovWRCkiApvhhy1yNT6exPC7O/s3994/6DA6D794-2F89-450C-9D1C-EEA55164C2BF.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="3994" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXf8LkBBUTOjqp5rD7K0MhFl4MKDIHE3YbwXd5HrTNqUTMqpuYEZs2MkwC2nc9V2zJ1G6GrWrEHqtz3CaqVGBybnAoaVaJDdlp447JQgnM-95QGaXAu7dLLpwoL212FOnuW7mqt0mN_f5nwUdOcXCZJUq1SEoxJDya4GwovWRCkiApvhhy1yNT6exPC7O/w400-h300/6DA6D794-2F89-450C-9D1C-EEA55164C2BF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>So much activity on the harbor! Along with the many sailboats are two tugboats nudging a ship to dock. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW3mrVigVR0TjeCgJMEsECIXXfY3pj_3EReViByLJINIiJX9kKpUj4iOpZ1W-M9wuGJLDv345w5_C0JW3pFYNCbaIci13smu-sMcSabTiXxj0lnJ6uoBGzd1ezVrxoa2Z7PwRYiOCqyDlqBMf6g6pz8T5VVW5Ky8-5SdyZ6iJIp_zEzh0WAjCSL-ACcij/s3853/35BDEDBA-3B26-4EE0-8EE4-FDD50F76DD08.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3034" data-original-width="3853" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW3mrVigVR0TjeCgJMEsECIXXfY3pj_3EReViByLJINIiJX9kKpUj4iOpZ1W-M9wuGJLDv345w5_C0JW3pFYNCbaIci13smu-sMcSabTiXxj0lnJ6uoBGzd1ezVrxoa2Z7PwRYiOCqyDlqBMf6g6pz8T5VVW5Ky8-5SdyZ6iJIp_zEzh0WAjCSL-ACcij/w400-h315/35BDEDBA-3B26-4EE0-8EE4-FDD50F76DD08.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This rusty bucket (I know not nice) is called the <a href="https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9741126">ZEA Servant</a>. A ship tracking site says its next port of call is South Africa. Built in 2018 and registered in Hong Kong, ZEA Servant is considered a general cargo ship. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr0rHiaSF_NfKYM0oQSqmP1ftpcPjQJz7z1SjiB-JRTB-SBMEg9wPDAvci3p6Je1_MHlOlyOvLxQrFWtskV_nB-4P_w-BWyESgMpHm3PFcczQOYsHM8JRkDYoBgdL2g8tJUgS3bYAM3DsDCtBXEvtpPREQBm2DqruUa6ewrp1GCkRc88Ivdi0ZE_oATlR/s4096/55592CA5-0AD2-4E88-A40D-C59E836BB2E7.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr0rHiaSF_NfKYM0oQSqmP1ftpcPjQJz7z1SjiB-JRTB-SBMEg9wPDAvci3p6Je1_MHlOlyOvLxQrFWtskV_nB-4P_w-BWyESgMpHm3PFcczQOYsHM8JRkDYoBgdL2g8tJUgS3bYAM3DsDCtBXEvtpPREQBm2DqruUa6ewrp1GCkRc88Ivdi0ZE_oATlR/w400-h300/55592CA5-0AD2-4E88-A40D-C59E836BB2E7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I found <a href="https://www.imca-int.com/safety-events/fall-of-a-suspended-load-on-general-cargo-vessel-zea-servant-injuring-two-crew/">a report online</a> about an accident aboard this ship in 2019 while at a port in Scotland. A suspended load fell and struck two crew members. The report had no information about the severity of the injuries. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX_E5VX1IfoPPKhSpFlv_LLMYkT5TIFiOoKlo9-i_dIEqn-xvBB1eGKWf_oKBDVJRYOYmWejRhfZRY4VFcOO6POfDdY8csWEsNmACt7WOtQUXFOxP8tptzTlHYCpAVIvt8_bvaL6AWgUG7Nu2u7OQ_SE237vR07o7UWQhvj0nXSiT0VLd3viPN1Kjr4Br/s4096/1FD84D83-64C1-4B33-826C-66A23280222C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX_E5VX1IfoPPKhSpFlv_LLMYkT5TIFiOoKlo9-i_dIEqn-xvBB1eGKWf_oKBDVJRYOYmWejRhfZRY4VFcOO6POfDdY8csWEsNmACt7WOtQUXFOxP8tptzTlHYCpAVIvt8_bvaL6AWgUG7Nu2u7OQ_SE237vR07o7UWQhvj0nXSiT0VLd3viPN1Kjr4Br/w400-h300/1FD84D83-64C1-4B33-826C-66A23280222C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYixsjx_8f-jLzc-ijFaRMaWxEYUUbMW2vNd5GjyS77aLc8WTB4M9yAvmNGsWOGt9Igu1k6-61p8UU2oAGGRKqbdenqI_ka8Z_TaYTpXf_J6ScF39MCDX4hh4_Lt9jMTMFUje97ili9o1Y_IeEfv_KO1rz7HrAlOhwAxsr53DdiQbWnlHzgPdBocDQRlrs/s4096/06B26D07-8CC9-4920-AD01-2D0FF04D968B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYixsjx_8f-jLzc-ijFaRMaWxEYUUbMW2vNd5GjyS77aLc8WTB4M9yAvmNGsWOGt9Igu1k6-61p8UU2oAGGRKqbdenqI_ka8Z_TaYTpXf_J6ScF39MCDX4hh4_Lt9jMTMFUje97ili9o1Y_IeEfv_KO1rz7HrAlOhwAxsr53DdiQbWnlHzgPdBocDQRlrs/w400-h300/06B26D07-8CC9-4920-AD01-2D0FF04D968B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>This is the World War II-era <a href="https://www.patriotspoint.org/explore/uss-yorktown/">USS Yorktown</a> aircraft carrier that has been a popular tourist destination for decades. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It is located in Mt. Pleasant at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxwQJXT7Gp-muy-Lohi7sMVi2peawwgdMm_t2sY5OssQtNTXQITvmxtfHth8l5Hff0BBx7Yu9i_iLi36Fi64PxLE99ez6pTXm1jaLyla7_V2beBCzOcdD_BjAAyVCWMOfBfwr1lNIm2XibEJ940TH7C1-soFhW9O7JQ2AzGwB8yO42t4VA_I2OGyjsXIf/s4096/B2B7FDF3-2C89-465E-8021-35902AB5B595.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxwQJXT7Gp-muy-Lohi7sMVi2peawwgdMm_t2sY5OssQtNTXQITvmxtfHth8l5Hff0BBx7Yu9i_iLi36Fi64PxLE99ez6pTXm1jaLyla7_V2beBCzOcdD_BjAAyVCWMOfBfwr1lNIm2XibEJ940TH7C1-soFhW9O7JQ2AzGwB8yO42t4VA_I2OGyjsXIf/w400-h300/B2B7FDF3-2C89-465E-8021-35902AB5B595.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Hours of fun and learning can be spent aboard the Yorktown with its many decks and compartments. Numerous military aircraft are displayed on the flight deck. </b><br /><b><br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgca67C4bWThG2jtJlQcoGmTgp15Y7otd8xJEK7JHuhyrDFxcLttLtdYdu2z9CvN_NfB78STInaS1quKRA_WyUVpcTobTiqOVxarE1TLqH-e86wtR5D75gc_Z5JNcrVrLqL71imosf0pPmT42QTyR273mDy0HkSOJ0fZuz5Ogd9a6sixz3cCWLNydphCgdY/s4032/BEBD9B64-FD66-4CEE-BD9C-B6834C2DB091.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgca67C4bWThG2jtJlQcoGmTgp15Y7otd8xJEK7JHuhyrDFxcLttLtdYdu2z9CvN_NfB78STInaS1quKRA_WyUVpcTobTiqOVxarE1TLqH-e86wtR5D75gc_Z5JNcrVrLqL71imosf0pPmT42QTyR273mDy0HkSOJ0fZuz5Ogd9a6sixz3cCWLNydphCgdY/w400-h300/BEBD9B64-FD66-4CEE-BD9C-B6834C2DB091.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSRSevp1lzm9R_4Lc-gG5-QPJVKuwrn3fyFRCMg1VX6JhRSYrLsOY5jTnujFRnixTvxo-xlV6tTy_o5WFWKTuX_JtCaU82_qYsRyxG8mpFSWchwZXmFqTmDWHcKNWdWyXgqXqr2v0rCLZrzciyat4k3m2b2LpcZIVBmxEwblQsakuDM_FhmyQqfZHbDHi/s4096/68D7CE17-680D-4FD4-BEF5-A732F6076B79.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSRSevp1lzm9R_4Lc-gG5-QPJVKuwrn3fyFRCMg1VX6JhRSYrLsOY5jTnujFRnixTvxo-xlV6tTy_o5WFWKTuX_JtCaU82_qYsRyxG8mpFSWchwZXmFqTmDWHcKNWdWyXgqXqr2v0rCLZrzciyat4k3m2b2LpcZIVBmxEwblQsakuDM_FhmyQqfZHbDHi/w300-h400/68D7CE17-680D-4FD4-BEF5-A732F6076B79.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge has six lanes, three in each direction connecting Charleston and Mt. Pleasant. It opened to traffic in 2005.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUxMdmdqu7q0ca19heV-RHQAMm07-EM96d6XCIUh8Tr0SDFAzAbrPazwyFv9uSN-St5hHzgBQTWxo5QHu3ezne1aCky4kK_jt5AdWqfcRsU1uUTUXSXU5CtoCZduKRQvzH5Ry0jQKqUMexCmi-hkUL6hscc07FE91K6RV4vPV7L0g523kL1AxPJZjM49Q/s4096/248B505F-52C9-42DA-9437-DF3C73946B50.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="4096" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUxMdmdqu7q0ca19heV-RHQAMm07-EM96d6XCIUh8Tr0SDFAzAbrPazwyFv9uSN-St5hHzgBQTWxo5QHu3ezne1aCky4kK_jt5AdWqfcRsU1uUTUXSXU5CtoCZduKRQvzH5Ry0jQKqUMexCmi-hkUL6hscc07FE91K6RV4vPV7L0g523kL1AxPJZjM49Q/w400-h235/248B505F-52C9-42DA-9437-DF3C73946B50.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>It is also open 24/7 to walkers and bicyclists, and is well utilized by both. In my view, the Ravenel Bridge is one of the Lowcountry’s top attributes because of how it replaced two old rickety bridges and offers exercise-minded people such a unique, invigorating and aesthetically pleasing experience. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHhw3hlf0f5CLAU4ACeSExrPIS06nfAqL2tr35MuQGuQuEsHuDUnzZyrEu33c6MjznXANEvkwIOSFozbf0WlUJyTggMUJ8wYwCuLf6qTO1g2z0hvVZTn1Y8QMKuL5qG6QJtEdoho8drPj7__mnMBXLq5QEEh5KVAtifaqKwe6Ic73SEbjVz8sFxqjeEtu/s4096/FA96DF99-4F2B-4298-AEE5-EB1379369BB9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHhw3hlf0f5CLAU4ACeSExrPIS06nfAqL2tr35MuQGuQuEsHuDUnzZyrEu33c6MjznXANEvkwIOSFozbf0WlUJyTggMUJ8wYwCuLf6qTO1g2z0hvVZTn1Y8QMKuL5qG6QJtEdoho8drPj7__mnMBXLq5QEEh5KVAtifaqKwe6Ic73SEbjVz8sFxqjeEtu/w300-h400/FA96DF99-4F2B-4298-AEE5-EB1379369BB9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>An architectural gem is this bridge. When completed 18 years ago it was the longest cable-stayed span in North America and the tallest structure in South Carolina. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Walkers and cyclists can get in a five mile trek round trip from one end to the other. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIKEg2JDEw7Zo0BxjsdVBu5_ad_zVzXJBmqbio_ALUYBIm-dRY9fn6vBRIYKu8LBcleKto33RaY1EEyb3E52Gus8PUm4s1VM4oxmmXrsAVvxoWsg5IDrulnjUBWM5niCPTZQ878-i2yRb44AuK6diRmXrQit-wVt7jcftj2mZKpUO5srBq3hSJp_iA_kb/s4096/E18EDC59-0986-4253-9583-224C1DFE4532.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIKEg2JDEw7Zo0BxjsdVBu5_ad_zVzXJBmqbio_ALUYBIm-dRY9fn6vBRIYKu8LBcleKto33RaY1EEyb3E52Gus8PUm4s1VM4oxmmXrsAVvxoWsg5IDrulnjUBWM5niCPTZQ878-i2yRb44AuK6diRmXrQit-wVt7jcftj2mZKpUO5srBq3hSJp_iA_kb/w400-h300/E18EDC59-0986-4253-9583-224C1DFE4532.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The view from above of the tourist ferry <a href="https://charlestonharbortours.com/tours-cruises/daily-harbor-tours/">Carolina Belle</a>. This is a great way to see the Harbor and learn some local history. The ferries take visitors to and from <a href="https://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm">Fort Sumter</a>, where the Civil War’s first shot were fired. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsb8HuIUn_sYmr7GJVq3SE5OePqnCsPi0SLVagqBMhrV67UveIrWxrEd33aJYffUGHFGS6BIUZIaLtZkMbUKReL6g9TBJsg2vQUP1T1wVAk08MzRQVr-6CymugziJzf-Z_wTABhR55QkDJx6yMy8DN-vzpBLNNsBO2r8cQCmNfw9SfmoCXt6C-M4qtVrcp/s4096/BB39B406-0D9A-48D9-A3AC-B1B5ACC8AA33.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsb8HuIUn_sYmr7GJVq3SE5OePqnCsPi0SLVagqBMhrV67UveIrWxrEd33aJYffUGHFGS6BIUZIaLtZkMbUKReL6g9TBJsg2vQUP1T1wVAk08MzRQVr-6CymugziJzf-Z_wTABhR55QkDJx6yMy8DN-vzpBLNNsBO2r8cQCmNfw9SfmoCXt6C-M4qtVrcp/w400-h300/BB39B406-0D9A-48D9-A3AC-B1B5ACC8AA33.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I felt a little like a Peeping Tom looking down into small boats like this. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZyDSGtuzGqkvX6uSRl_0Oq9gWa0cVVfrOZN1UzjHSE71EAwWz_bTUBwH5JHnoZR4GcFm_WbCqi7ihT1MQJCrPLstKw-8tIXLKoEfVjYPtDL7x3VjaCUcxC1UZISqrV3phsaCXUBPwLHQi_jlyAGdMwvj-QAr-4QpGeD88U5SEA3KuX0FWAbRfgmwZGIT/s4096/6272AA2A-753E-4E85-83FD-E985449E3F9D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZyDSGtuzGqkvX6uSRl_0Oq9gWa0cVVfrOZN1UzjHSE71EAwWz_bTUBwH5JHnoZR4GcFm_WbCqi7ihT1MQJCrPLstKw-8tIXLKoEfVjYPtDL7x3VjaCUcxC1UZISqrV3phsaCXUBPwLHQi_jlyAGdMwvj-QAr-4QpGeD88U5SEA3KuX0FWAbRfgmwZGIT/w400-h300/6272AA2A-753E-4E85-83FD-E985449E3F9D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Seeing all the pleasure craft zipping through the harbor almost makes me want a boat! Almost…</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFMdEFsM05ij7ps6KQpPIbfIyKqItNji-6uE2qz1Q2TMHGsWYH43Av-ducQ5ljtU15XVbh46VXaXwt5qKkJXE_4ujZo96mX0hAJT0cz9GPI4wEe7_7XKraft2EwvITqjiud-r_eSfx0zYjCqrPtwK7NNrQv8NpO7i2GpYhTvv_JheCA5aMQ3CyGnc9k_b/s4096/CC52985B-0CA0-4223-A6A5-541A66524889.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFMdEFsM05ij7ps6KQpPIbfIyKqItNji-6uE2qz1Q2TMHGsWYH43Av-ducQ5ljtU15XVbh46VXaXwt5qKkJXE_4ujZo96mX0hAJT0cz9GPI4wEe7_7XKraft2EwvITqjiud-r_eSfx0zYjCqrPtwK7NNrQv8NpO7i2GpYhTvv_JheCA5aMQ3CyGnc9k_b/w400-h300/CC52985B-0CA0-4223-A6A5-541A66524889.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Rubbing elbows with the working boats and ships would be pretty cool! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS978d0NdifvDH1ohhkPGGXXDiXkm-Pss8x7HGUzrY3caNEd3bbfL0CaCGKQ8_XTniJ8npXedGckHtuD3D5WMhDDWYHWTmdSr0yCMMcMF4mLA8N4peQ9nOnwwg0_9-3JckMUJqFhk4ENldMVTAqEC_oSRWgrjkjjOaDNI2qFo34obRyWSlR70eTNdDHX4l/s4032/46ED4355-4DB1-465B-9F72-CFCE3611FF2A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS978d0NdifvDH1ohhkPGGXXDiXkm-Pss8x7HGUzrY3caNEd3bbfL0CaCGKQ8_XTniJ8npXedGckHtuD3D5WMhDDWYHWTmdSr0yCMMcMF4mLA8N4peQ9nOnwwg0_9-3JckMUJqFhk4ENldMVTAqEC_oSRWgrjkjjOaDNI2qFo34obRyWSlR70eTNdDHX4l/w400-h300/46ED4355-4DB1-465B-9F72-CFCE3611FF2A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br />For free exercise and some entertainment, the Ravenel Bridge walk can’t be beat. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I’ve run it twice (years ago) during the annual <a href="https://bridgerun.com/">Cooper River Bridge Run</a>. Those were positive, great experiences too. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-11608370545098958372023-10-07T18:08:00.009-04:002023-10-08T18:50:55.844-04:00Beach Boats Abound (And a One-Legged Bird) <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmEdBl9g36JKKC1h0rRllXA9Rl6b8Ua00udj_890MIFOLbQVHuJeoFFLGH57yT8cNcTD5O72238vB7FYT-N3qH48J0SFotl2UyJYIPaJKnTmFxR_tGa4G6Ym1Vu3UtON0kK_WJh4-PF5IKdWGrzXq2FXXMu7c3OCUT2-sk_9DEwkdJBNPODaOsQhopaoJ/s5011/086FE434-F4A8-4866-9B25-81BD15015947.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3758" data-original-width="5011" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmEdBl9g36JKKC1h0rRllXA9Rl6b8Ua00udj_890MIFOLbQVHuJeoFFLGH57yT8cNcTD5O72238vB7FYT-N3qH48J0SFotl2UyJYIPaJKnTmFxR_tGa4G6Ym1Vu3UtON0kK_WJh4-PF5IKdWGrzXq2FXXMu7c3OCUT2-sk_9DEwkdJBNPODaOsQhopaoJ/w400-h300/086FE434-F4A8-4866-9B25-81BD15015947.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Going to the beach, soaking in the sun and atmosphere in late September! Not a bad place to live and way to live, in my opinion.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijinChM3YYGDzjHVz5R-RcWLJxDRipwbRpzqbOSJAova-w_O6CM0A4RBLB6yykPQzKzg_wCEh8rEN22zGEJTTRcb_J_6cP9AQC4_VrdYl310p0ETz7hAyB9fCLq8FLvkSiaX5_5VhQft97R4WwtR4q91ND9Wm1N1ghwc9ubv6faFpldym2Pt8obFf7wA5m/s3712/6C1D52C5-860D-4A2C-BE08-83DDBB6FE594.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="3712" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijinChM3YYGDzjHVz5R-RcWLJxDRipwbRpzqbOSJAova-w_O6CM0A4RBLB6yykPQzKzg_wCEh8rEN22zGEJTTRcb_J_6cP9AQC4_VrdYl310p0ETz7hAyB9fCLq8FLvkSiaX5_5VhQft97R4WwtR4q91ND9Wm1N1ghwc9ubv6faFpldym2Pt8obFf7wA5m/w400-h300/6C1D52C5-860D-4A2C-BE08-83DDBB6FE594.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I do apply the sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat, so I’m well aware of the sun’s hazards. Believe me, I’m aware. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5FL08smt0oS2tTP1m_e1pMXUvFbxTtIIF1HFezIf5jxqkE0vijzjEoZtzVaU65cTFon6tOOYqtdXKWpVLrWtxD8lvmGucVQswmwgU7vcPfElNuQfGltMpc_voxl7Er3BXRwlkC0WpxIcss5wLnhfpaMZeK3nD304kGeGcYmPJTQ8BjppnV4v8F88EmS0/s4096/1C6269DD-B49D-49F0-9742-C3B5180FAA4D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5FL08smt0oS2tTP1m_e1pMXUvFbxTtIIF1HFezIf5jxqkE0vijzjEoZtzVaU65cTFon6tOOYqtdXKWpVLrWtxD8lvmGucVQswmwgU7vcPfElNuQfGltMpc_voxl7Er3BXRwlkC0WpxIcss5wLnhfpaMZeK3nD304kGeGcYmPJTQ8BjppnV4v8F88EmS0/w400-h300/1C6269DD-B49D-49F0-9742-C3B5180FAA4D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>It is always fun and interesting to see the huge ships. Charleston has one of the nation’s biggest and busiest <a href="https://scspa.com/">ports</a>.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It is unusual on a Sunday three hours or so at <a href="https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/">Sullivan’s Island</a> to NOT see one of these container ships entering or leaving the harbor. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzGRK_GpGJVCzdL1i-nVPN2tfShRWV92lLYY6_Siyqq7UKNhFnQaxxDypYS_ro71Gmk09a4AOawgrLyoUPzwVhOcqXwHezGiPzBPHFLGtb1v9hJYYFSXpaQ4WGtQfQDJpm2ZEPoV2p5MLk7IsGi_16sk9-KLrBlJrF7C0XOyCZai_zbh7yrkclLCqZEXd/s4096/2DFFDA8A-87B7-4F17-9B45-0713B3E92605.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzGRK_GpGJVCzdL1i-nVPN2tfShRWV92lLYY6_Siyqq7UKNhFnQaxxDypYS_ro71Gmk09a4AOawgrLyoUPzwVhOcqXwHezGiPzBPHFLGtb1v9hJYYFSXpaQ4WGtQfQDJpm2ZEPoV2p5MLk7IsGi_16sk9-KLrBlJrF7C0XOyCZai_zbh7yrkclLCqZEXd/w300-h400/2DFFDA8A-87B7-4F17-9B45-0713B3E92605.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>It was a treat on this day to see two gigantic container vessels pass each other.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The deadly currents warning sign has been here forever it seems. I wonder if that $1,040 fine has ever been given a reckless swimmer! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is seen on the right side of this photo. Click on the photo to get a better view of it. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMHzDGEtE8KMaNJU_B6xJk5rCDXRZ9F9mI0w9Ie0b3WlRg3fHZwHY4LFEE9EjtFxhP5D_NKnWaf9H_Llu69QAZcej_woBs-csAgwqlYk0ZFfzzJSf7P6ZuXTPi46NmL0ZOXWSIjqz2J0TEXop9Horvg0pvSuCL2THIPY2q77alAzwhCwb5EJE0EqJM3K-/s3935/54664C7C-0CB7-434B-A09A-D5EE0C139CCC.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3935" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMHzDGEtE8KMaNJU_B6xJk5rCDXRZ9F9mI0w9Ie0b3WlRg3fHZwHY4LFEE9EjtFxhP5D_NKnWaf9H_Llu69QAZcej_woBs-csAgwqlYk0ZFfzzJSf7P6ZuXTPi46NmL0ZOXWSIjqz2J0TEXop9Horvg0pvSuCL2THIPY2q77alAzwhCwb5EJE0EqJM3K-/w400-h300/54664C7C-0CB7-434B-A09A-D5EE0C139CCC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This image I like because of its two big ships and two much smaller ones. Entering the harbor (right) is the Panama, part of the <a href="https://www.cma-cgm.com/local/panama-agencies">CMA CGB fleet</a>. Its registry location is <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/131/">Valletta</a>, the capital of Malta. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Leaving Charleston (left) is the Zim Bangkok. We also see in the middle the Fort Sumter visitor ferry, Carolina Belle. On the right is a shrimp trawler, Miss Paula. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybnMWGN82VT0C9sgJ06z1XBjIz2hnekr958BwM7CKobKGneRWGTd04UerXR3q2mvuhQoghxRI2Rny8FaBZcrE3e7ezRxIWtHCsdsG8_U1HxaGbqI7VFGNLf-vvdXFd7Jl7xv-6Fx5MnVaQKFdZdtiSUo2RPXjjlQByShAyctRsVEhIkpqo7o-mo1MgWMd/s4096/E734A3DD-7964-404D-9896-43D96C91D643.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybnMWGN82VT0C9sgJ06z1XBjIz2hnekr958BwM7CKobKGneRWGTd04UerXR3q2mvuhQoghxRI2Rny8FaBZcrE3e7ezRxIWtHCsdsG8_U1HxaGbqI7VFGNLf-vvdXFd7Jl7xv-6Fx5MnVaQKFdZdtiSUo2RPXjjlQByShAyctRsVEhIkpqo7o-mo1MgWMd/w400-h300/E734A3DD-7964-404D-9896-43D96C91D643.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QNrYdlWv6U5mdm7vei-5Ejt4YQ08PEiuC1DuYAAIBNecvqPpqzNgtBDUwMuIZW1WNmf0X_b8dBSEeMgEJj_P21RzBiAAXHu2zpa9rosvTVmrRx4XEFZz8MrB3ahHTx5l4gmBL7Wx97OSH75QOFC_gH04eP_wKwllFPrpRWpWxmOwk79snM2-q642p5-V/s4978/8E109B39-55DC-4EE0-ADDE-D995A27343DD.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3733" data-original-width="4978" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QNrYdlWv6U5mdm7vei-5Ejt4YQ08PEiuC1DuYAAIBNecvqPpqzNgtBDUwMuIZW1WNmf0X_b8dBSEeMgEJj_P21RzBiAAXHu2zpa9rosvTVmrRx4XEFZz8MrB3ahHTx5l4gmBL7Wx97OSH75QOFC_gH04eP_wKwllFPrpRWpWxmOwk79snM2-q642p5-V/w400-h300/8E109B39-55DC-4EE0-ADDE-D995A27343DD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div><br /></div><b>No they didn’t collide! The Panama’s name may come from its frequent travels through the Panama Canal. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>After spending a day or two in Charleston, <a href="https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9839923">a tracking site</a> indicates the Panama is bound for another canal, the Suez in Egypt with an expected arrival on Oct. 14. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkoGSzkrP_SE5-B_X8euDb9lhnTJbB98rv0jI9eqr8lRr37OGALfe23Z0jqCXdeO2wX_6JeoDt7zJbZGIFnZeLlHr-RReLXft2yJDK91gKeHyWmEWAyj8gi84I87lNqWQU7cjLSrbJgV0qOSk7_NbaXlPW0Q5lOoEn6EfMwucMn5i6usRJbVKW965-Z08/s4086/5298E191-F615-490C-89FF-4ACD9BAC0204.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="4086" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkoGSzkrP_SE5-B_X8euDb9lhnTJbB98rv0jI9eqr8lRr37OGALfe23Z0jqCXdeO2wX_6JeoDt7zJbZGIFnZeLlHr-RReLXft2yJDK91gKeHyWmEWAyj8gi84I87lNqWQU7cjLSrbJgV0qOSk7_NbaXlPW0Q5lOoEn6EfMwucMn5i6usRJbVKW965-Z08/w400-h300/5298E191-F615-490C-89FF-4ACD9BAC0204.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The <a href="https://www.myshiptracking.com/vessels/zim-bangkok-mmsi-567614000-imo-9936525">Zim Bangkok</a>, registered in Thailand, is expected to arrive today (Oct. 7) in Kingston, Jamaica. This ship is a new one, completed in 2023. The Panama launched in 2019. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KGfh7jinDPSnFvcj918gXpxAHvEViMZyZndfz8gdizZVhOn0q6KgN6pElyx8AAdEkKniz3ImUwq_0a9dgeYnJQqkwZMSau0giHoq7uI-c7UMnsVND6CveCgTeMwMuUSFYmfTC60xlUWJ8mto1FAB1G8oAhiMZKfsb9AMMHCbfkxlgPAVjSaAH1uwQxyw/s4096/4A2A10EC-C3FF-4B55-8A7E-A34C424749CA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KGfh7jinDPSnFvcj918gXpxAHvEViMZyZndfz8gdizZVhOn0q6KgN6pElyx8AAdEkKniz3ImUwq_0a9dgeYnJQqkwZMSau0giHoq7uI-c7UMnsVND6CveCgTeMwMuUSFYmfTC60xlUWJ8mto1FAB1G8oAhiMZKfsb9AMMHCbfkxlgPAVjSaAH1uwQxyw/w400-h300/4A2A10EC-C3FF-4B55-8A7E-A34C424749CA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>As the container ships passed, a cruise ship is revealed (follow a line between the two fishers, you know fishermen), docked in Charleston. </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">This is a Carnival cruise ship. Pleasure cruises like this won’t be happening in Charleston much longer. According to reports, </b><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(71, 71, 71); font-family: Patrick Hand SC; font-size: 16px;"><b>Carnival is ending a 14-year partnership with the Charleston port. The decision will provide more space for the redevelopment of Union Pier Terminal and “unlock a transformational opportunity for the city.”</b></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KYMun-FfTHvfZYo-GML6Fe9-lDQY9XCVksCKYICdZCpMF64kaD0B4e72XpA8MnLAKcdnbFBP1db5xNn-AK2hbrr2Z5NGRZ1ZLFropYjqimA1eOHw8aJQR9pA5JXoelulQoorTTapifpGxY9oViukyVv2PxY4B89HFnDmNvCk49C9dOOOmF4uTZsg7vWi/s4096/3899D7EB-461E-45CF-90BE-817BAA8E808B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KYMun-FfTHvfZYo-GML6Fe9-lDQY9XCVksCKYICdZCpMF64kaD0B4e72XpA8MnLAKcdnbFBP1db5xNn-AK2hbrr2Z5NGRZ1ZLFropYjqimA1eOHw8aJQR9pA5JXoelulQoorTTapifpGxY9oViukyVv2PxY4B89HFnDmNvCk49C9dOOOmF4uTZsg7vWi/w400-h300/3899D7EB-461E-45CF-90BE-817BAA8E808B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Miss Paula, loaded with shrimp hopefully, returns home, probably to Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant. She is escorted by dozens of birds seeking some handouts and scraps from today’s catch. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.misspaulashrimp.com/">Check this website</a> to find out more about the Miss Paula and where her shrimp can be purchased. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0aZMpJO0MsoMpkWtGKEz0eMaj1l-be5C240uh3AZNDMswnYwj9PGZBzmqOcZJxcGNf_U4HVV2t_5AF9uNfOruyNLRkAFzOthQrEQupb3Odf2Pbtqf1GN331c-osbEjhugzunA6rIB1qY4rNMzVU4YCKP1uX7YEUtC66DFhElOCyfyoSXnmZPZjBXaC1r/s5184/6B14A454-1685-4439-AAF2-0CEFCD361FB8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0aZMpJO0MsoMpkWtGKEz0eMaj1l-be5C240uh3AZNDMswnYwj9PGZBzmqOcZJxcGNf_U4HVV2t_5AF9uNfOruyNLRkAFzOthQrEQupb3Odf2Pbtqf1GN331c-osbEjhugzunA6rIB1qY4rNMzVU4YCKP1uX7YEUtC66DFhElOCyfyoSXnmZPZjBXaC1r/w400-h300/6B14A454-1685-4439-AAF2-0CEFCD361FB8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Passengers aboard the Ft. Sumter ferry Carolina Belle had an extra treat today, going so close to the two big container ships. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://www.fortsumtertours.com/">Check this site</a> for more on how to board the Belle for a visit to Ft. Sumter and the beautiful Charleston Harbor. <br /></b></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilAxICwdLo_xb40l5itoFsWUZoSrOZWnJW8a5Bs9IrJOC7Hp0MoutuaOAypPGVbyDClq8nlTMGYFd5B6RdTIBRnKALC2CoK52t2c_p85KWkiiL9Y2XKqjBTURRRWoSRznDXsnHnLqKP_VhkrfPB_-WrJe-CWNsNdiROHnQwTAfPxVPnflMkLDKabqZXb8/s4096/F9DBD99F-5042-42D8-B29B-9F013E5345D6.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilAxICwdLo_xb40l5itoFsWUZoSrOZWnJW8a5Bs9IrJOC7Hp0MoutuaOAypPGVbyDClq8nlTMGYFd5B6RdTIBRnKALC2CoK52t2c_p85KWkiiL9Y2XKqjBTURRRWoSRznDXsnHnLqKP_VhkrfPB_-WrJe-CWNsNdiROHnQwTAfPxVPnflMkLDKabqZXb8/w400-h300/F9DBD99F-5042-42D8-B29B-9F013E5345D6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Seeing this <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sanderling/overview">Sanderling</a> on the…sand made me sad because the poor thing only had one leg to stand on. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I also got a inside look at its mouth. Click on the photo to see what I mean. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b-ku0uosWZRmOJCRz99mGps2IEOPNrRZvNcop7elprM6c6JUvGK5yK6ftbvZLypGvey3vcbdugkynw0JWFjdtsoJfmqUW0A2Gejbn3o4bBPNzJLfuplrrZFYzj6m8yNRu23JypNE1j56-3d7OCVTSgw10huXjOzZAtY9z8T4gSQNlxOnO219eLu7J1uN/s4096/EB17A3A6-CC93-4C6C-B0F1-D42A11661247.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b-ku0uosWZRmOJCRz99mGps2IEOPNrRZvNcop7elprM6c6JUvGK5yK6ftbvZLypGvey3vcbdugkynw0JWFjdtsoJfmqUW0A2Gejbn3o4bBPNzJLfuplrrZFYzj6m8yNRu23JypNE1j56-3d7OCVTSgw10huXjOzZAtY9z8T4gSQNlxOnO219eLu7J1uN/w400-h300/EB17A3A6-CC93-4C6C-B0F1-D42A11661247.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Even on one leg the small shore bird seem to get along, hopping around swiftly and smoothly. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Well, upon a little research it seems the Sanderling probably has both legs.<br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>“When birds stand with one leg to their chest, the warm blood in the arteries in their legs warms the cool blood in the veins close to their heart. It’s an adaptation that all birds have,” writes Taylor Bennett in <a href="https://www.gcbo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sanderling_dec_2019.pdf">this online article.</a></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwTnDm82gdDUz2ZuSTxdwdoiGZbRQ8lw5IkJRf2Dn6WQ7v1cRvbeOFs8wxS7NunN31iUaJJVFj1c1zB4nEY422iUwDXDHuKkEbWn3-wCqlhogx5MEDFDVCMo8I0iYPhJgaU8Qg3PnJMmQanitzd93rXUgsJPC1vvCDuRlL8KsUv5Dd0bpuGhIpeksf0PP/s4096/84D2D6B5-FDDB-450E-B49C-AE5816497B17.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwTnDm82gdDUz2ZuSTxdwdoiGZbRQ8lw5IkJRf2Dn6WQ7v1cRvbeOFs8wxS7NunN31iUaJJVFj1c1zB4nEY422iUwDXDHuKkEbWn3-wCqlhogx5MEDFDVCMo8I0iYPhJgaU8Qg3PnJMmQanitzd93rXUgsJPC1vvCDuRlL8KsUv5Dd0bpuGhIpeksf0PP/w400-h300/84D2D6B5-FDDB-450E-B49C-AE5816497B17.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>So that makes for a happy ending to this post! Right Sandy the Sanderling? </b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-51006871736111641152023-10-04T06:30:00.002-04:002023-10-04T08:47:11.054-04:00Bald Eagle Highlights Fall Nature Excursion<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ouE-kG_juJwIgvQJF7iqie7bFEgFk5i8eLUcXauXoDn4_Pit-RXkKSK60iN2I-SMY0fnLOdxa6OOuOirojfcOz36X_3f9fema4vnYuIGPzQIbd-ywKaIlkRg75qqoAaf_iGpBiavu8sdJIFxHleT0uTt29NDUGIiCGwFskAijs7OvO1EU7HJKQHKgmeU/s4096/961E171B-6DB2-4378-B67E-DB91F76B0D53.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ouE-kG_juJwIgvQJF7iqie7bFEgFk5i8eLUcXauXoDn4_Pit-RXkKSK60iN2I-SMY0fnLOdxa6OOuOirojfcOz36X_3f9fema4vnYuIGPzQIbd-ywKaIlkRg75qqoAaf_iGpBiavu8sdJIFxHleT0uTt29NDUGIiCGwFskAijs7OvO1EU7HJKQHKgmeU/w400-h300/961E171B-6DB2-4378-B67E-DB91F76B0D53.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I didn’t see too many birds in a trek Sept. 23 to the <a href="https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/ManagedLands/ManagedLand/ManagedLand/61" target="_blank">Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area</a>, located north of McClellanville.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>However, encountering a <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bald-eagle" target="_blank">Bald Eagle</a> early in the visit made the outing a huge success. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1YAePhkgZ3ekX85ySr8NkFvFRRA08jiq7oXwotDTsWURwCy2PcFC-Jxo2v5yH4-xxZaxdpYZF0VndEG_cRvhD73MU6UofkUVPVo3ZxejtDi7dfxGYbOZWQykE-wl59BCKptCtlWzfoG6Xi1g-ToSHs5vVjaLcvUdh7MqqZ3_3rxVGTKTuLWpE_jbPfHX/s5184/8BFD6F74-13A2-46AB-9930-2742DC7462B3.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1YAePhkgZ3ekX85ySr8NkFvFRRA08jiq7oXwotDTsWURwCy2PcFC-Jxo2v5yH4-xxZaxdpYZF0VndEG_cRvhD73MU6UofkUVPVo3ZxejtDi7dfxGYbOZWQykE-wl59BCKptCtlWzfoG6Xi1g-ToSHs5vVjaLcvUdh7MqqZ3_3rxVGTKTuLWpE_jbPfHX/w400-h300/8BFD6F74-13A2-46AB-9930-2742DC7462B3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>We parked near the visitor center (old hunt club) and walked to the fishing pier. I had just spotted an <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/osprey" target="_blank">Osprey</a> and took the photos you’ll see if you keep reading. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>To the left of the trail in what looked like a dead or dying tree I saw America’s national bird. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Can you see it? </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KPMKbv7oUA5ZGgvvtkraOm6jnMHdZx7sPf2LH6ZyZ00XbgqW5b23YSerlEKqYeN0YjhFetlkZXlWnDvwjJrc0_9yZ7JrXO3va0-3AoxMXFUShgs_XXifIzGC3drPfgrbgGPnBp5wHKLDoJkfdCh59eZz4vTMzF3VIaKW7umkmZ_kE_4xl1OudQnw55Mi/s4096/4A6D3BC0-2EAD-49E8-8F91-2123C97D2AE4.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KPMKbv7oUA5ZGgvvtkraOm6jnMHdZx7sPf2LH6ZyZ00XbgqW5b23YSerlEKqYeN0YjhFetlkZXlWnDvwjJrc0_9yZ7JrXO3va0-3AoxMXFUShgs_XXifIzGC3drPfgrbgGPnBp5wHKLDoJkfdCh59eZz4vTMzF3VIaKW7umkmZ_kE_4xl1OudQnw55Mi/w300-h400/4A6D3BC0-2EAD-49E8-8F91-2123C97D2AE4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Bet you can now. On my Canon SX70 I switched to the HDR (high dynamic range) setting figuring the setting would pop. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I was pleased the Eagle didn’t fly away. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI9p-sGhThOj3rZCySqSPqibZbSjjxYFomkxJ40nyrmKReCqRrIIUOhzIreCSrAN3olt8bfRhv-uz9BHGp4vDEwIZvMW-7Vn2bEOZDVwYUUUAiE_DWBBkWFtJsEXdoA3Hv8u5RJAMsfqA4t6MGHVRfGhLL0HCVyNn8ZSmtXJ88iMbFFmGRa65nTp-lLY0/s4096/7F16897D-AF36-4A66-BCEE-870B8C8889E7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI9p-sGhThOj3rZCySqSPqibZbSjjxYFomkxJ40nyrmKReCqRrIIUOhzIreCSrAN3olt8bfRhv-uz9BHGp4vDEwIZvMW-7Vn2bEOZDVwYUUUAiE_DWBBkWFtJsEXdoA3Hv8u5RJAMsfqA4t6MGHVRfGhLL0HCVyNn8ZSmtXJ88iMbFFmGRa65nTp-lLY0/w300-h400/7F16897D-AF36-4A66-BCEE-870B8C8889E7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I took a bunch of photos as I moved along the curving path to try to get closer. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WsPBF0LSNQfJCo6sEgmvm9vMNidySR-TejwKpO8WC5jmBV-xf6ZkVUMp8oVOtXfmGHOJA0eJ_kNPRlW77cZ7x4KQdVsP2CRmC1xCp2bzkDQDVleaB5Bujddpu814NO9M1DQxjqIg-f_YIOU68r5HLCm7v7zwIvQQas2MK2NDDtswz1A-Bfo7eCX0xIb-/s4096/9C61FEA0-AABF-436D-8EFC-CA89192A19B7.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WsPBF0LSNQfJCo6sEgmvm9vMNidySR-TejwKpO8WC5jmBV-xf6ZkVUMp8oVOtXfmGHOJA0eJ_kNPRlW77cZ7x4KQdVsP2CRmC1xCp2bzkDQDVleaB5Bujddpu814NO9M1DQxjqIg-f_YIOU68r5HLCm7v7zwIvQQas2MK2NDDtswz1A-Bfo7eCX0xIb-/w400-h300/9C61FEA0-AABF-436D-8EFC-CA89192A19B7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The Bald Eagle seemed to be lord of the manor, looking very dignified and distinguished! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdX6cVg6MzUkFcuF5MD__ZV8NZ7RQLuJzbZRsMkov_8oQeBYiN3CnzU8YHoZ9jWZm5FNtXqKPJFtUkUrGMm-tTUAkWohapOC5TNa6vqAV4KQm0ow1GpMFI2MUyedAnHC3NXL2id085IMn44kw-FL86u5qA4Tl5lvtrykSXel5xw9F-DRucWKXoxzzlbY2/s4096/B0285C23-89C2-46AF-B3E4-72CE9270C1D9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdX6cVg6MzUkFcuF5MD__ZV8NZ7RQLuJzbZRsMkov_8oQeBYiN3CnzU8YHoZ9jWZm5FNtXqKPJFtUkUrGMm-tTUAkWohapOC5TNa6vqAV4KQm0ow1GpMFI2MUyedAnHC3NXL2id085IMn44kw-FL86u5qA4Tl5lvtrykSXel5xw9F-DRucWKXoxzzlbY2/w400-h300/B0285C23-89C2-46AF-B3E4-72CE9270C1D9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here’s the Osprey I mentioned. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Talk about being out on a limb! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaexjLeKsrsFHO4FhH52zYlEp6TGH7-TqUsp_uizPez2LebQP6Qd2G-yyqX9KMl6Xg-lr9L8eP5RPhh752MK-JUyeNuuUgekg8cOzxPIlyoTxRAP8k8QEVD1Rw7Xaksg7mJd5MiMr9E_zNn7Ehnd8KmGqJj3IDr9wFvV46tI-HkB_u44hkHBOaQFmy9MA/s4096/6F2FC3FA-3C03-4394-A258-0632A9AB4CDE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaexjLeKsrsFHO4FhH52zYlEp6TGH7-TqUsp_uizPez2LebQP6Qd2G-yyqX9KMl6Xg-lr9L8eP5RPhh752MK-JUyeNuuUgekg8cOzxPIlyoTxRAP8k8QEVD1Rw7Xaksg7mJd5MiMr9E_zNn7Ehnd8KmGqJj3IDr9wFvV46tI-HkB_u44hkHBOaQFmy9MA/w400-h300/6F2FC3FA-3C03-4394-A258-0632A9AB4CDE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The big picture setting of the regal Osprey. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwySEMpSd1DF3SnF2_fYGEniiy8x5-alblBrKscDz9DRNR9QpPU9ivl9WX-r8JbTa2GIAAQux6mg-n9TF_-mgwwzNAfrckCSIygscMVXFUlsAdY4wG-0d2Ked8WJHilDLi8KcsFkFw3NW_VtyBGt-MhXBO3B1z6aeZhG0KKlB5tk_sNa-FYDx7pXan2PTQ/s4096/3F6FA98F-A606-4704-82D3-AA4B04633010.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwySEMpSd1DF3SnF2_fYGEniiy8x5-alblBrKscDz9DRNR9QpPU9ivl9WX-r8JbTa2GIAAQux6mg-n9TF_-mgwwzNAfrckCSIygscMVXFUlsAdY4wG-0d2Ked8WJHilDLi8KcsFkFw3NW_VtyBGt-MhXBO3B1z6aeZhG0KKlB5tk_sNa-FYDx7pXan2PTQ/w400-h300/3F6FA98F-A606-4704-82D3-AA4B04633010.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I would not want to be on the business end of that bill! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34plNi5h7MA-QU-WROIIWT0-PgPjq43-QrqrjQ3Y_Rrdf-nX6yuIjqBeeV6us9Bl5zu5VOa3igebWvvQPcsVW-QaWOhEbBj-2I5W4ssQIkKJ9OwF6Qo3weilpAMei8ZTBjCBfm7NuQMAD65VSWOmKn7dGwgHZY3WSCOTX0apvSzdbqqoPg3Ok_RLxPhBe/s4096/1F31F611-A9FB-46CB-8C13-0E22EE281D16.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34plNi5h7MA-QU-WROIIWT0-PgPjq43-QrqrjQ3Y_Rrdf-nX6yuIjqBeeV6us9Bl5zu5VOa3igebWvvQPcsVW-QaWOhEbBj-2I5W4ssQIkKJ9OwF6Qo3weilpAMei8ZTBjCBfm7NuQMAD65VSWOmKn7dGwgHZY3WSCOTX0apvSzdbqqoPg3Ok_RLxPhBe/w400-h300/1F31F611-A9FB-46CB-8C13-0E22EE281D16.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I guess this outing had pretty good birding after all! A flashy <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/belted-kingfisher" target="_blank">Belted Kingfisher</a> was also hanging out along the trail. In this image, one was perched on a rice trunk. More on those important wooden structures later in this post. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3nQSI-96Y_NmABauRzU9pUY_J9VIygGiO_dUxuXI-eXtGS4XP58RoURjT-r_PAl63gNtgAscfgoVr93LnO7vOviJRHscnpuSmjxtVP8li87HGELi0zHMCrj66pQWKmGn9JKfzDsMcdt9GlFUc9HI39pzcTN3iH4caZYqZP3WHxn6ZB-pa6i_71c9WDZ8/s4096/AFEC2E44-2399-49B0-9AB7-9EAA6A942E46.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3nQSI-96Y_NmABauRzU9pUY_J9VIygGiO_dUxuXI-eXtGS4XP58RoURjT-r_PAl63gNtgAscfgoVr93LnO7vOviJRHscnpuSmjxtVP8li87HGELi0zHMCrj66pQWKmGn9JKfzDsMcdt9GlFUc9HI39pzcTN3iH4caZYqZP3WHxn6ZB-pa6i_71c9WDZ8/w400-h300/AFEC2E44-2399-49B0-9AB7-9EAA6A942E46.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>These birds don’t usually stay in one place too long. This gal flitted all over the place. Alesia spotted it on a power line. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Yes, I said gal. The female of the species has a colorful orange-brown belly band. This is unusual in the bird world in that the males are usually more colorful.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fL7AyJ3kaZ5dOSTZKaZwFscL3DWWupJi05VTE6y-sLU_f2ZksKnSPpdslT7tfSVbgj2Rp-bpjMGsGfJaWMGPBrAMqPnMo95YiGGHsip22vsrl7bueLE259_otuNIvkNFzEYY9nT4NoonRyZycgwiHn4K4mh3k5Aae1fySJpBc2Pd074iZkYqNUZb4nnh/s4096/52BD5C22-BAF0-4860-8000-FE8DAED814DD.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fL7AyJ3kaZ5dOSTZKaZwFscL3DWWupJi05VTE6y-sLU_f2ZksKnSPpdslT7tfSVbgj2Rp-bpjMGsGfJaWMGPBrAMqPnMo95YiGGHsip22vsrl7bueLE259_otuNIvkNFzEYY9nT4NoonRyZycgwiHn4K4mh3k5Aae1fySJpBc2Pd074iZkYqNUZb4nnh/w400-h300/52BD5C22-BAF0-4860-8000-FE8DAED814DD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I chuckled at the All About Birds website description of a Belted Kingfisher as a “large, big-headed bird with a hefty bill.”</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Not the most flattering wording! This is a favorite bird of mine that I would describe as chatty, energetic, gregarious and gorgeous. </b></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF8Si9GYRAGEJLLc-vrbxVyaDnC_QcETxhiYSl3jx3iYietTItJj2Ql7gzrxgj7Qr8_oQOziHv1D5Jy0NMz1D6-gMnmBjfaPksFRq5LP3w3jX45Po1G-6uWN1Ukxgywy4yjJBga7tf125gFZy0zrcLxFu37gihYoN3u6-8P1x3_HbAnFVSZCzgeg3BVZm/s5184/C03BBACD-63CF-4F85-BB78-A3708FC090C8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF8Si9GYRAGEJLLc-vrbxVyaDnC_QcETxhiYSl3jx3iYietTItJj2Ql7gzrxgj7Qr8_oQOziHv1D5Jy0NMz1D6-gMnmBjfaPksFRq5LP3w3jX45Po1G-6uWN1Ukxgywy4yjJBga7tf125gFZy0zrcLxFu37gihYoN3u6-8P1x3_HbAnFVSZCzgeg3BVZm/w400-h300/C03BBACD-63CF-4F85-BB78-A3708FC090C8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>A few more birds seen on this day: a pair of <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/anhinga" target="_blank">Anhinga</a>. Not a “fun” fact but the name Anhinga comes from Brazil meaning “devil bird” or “evil spirit of the woods.”</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mh0sQmkyI7UC15SrChlMPf-Vv4IcQ79FKf5O_r8VXzE4GH5ifCWJ7OI0oBMILb4hIH01XjPqnBxfNOYpcbK632pzXyXIKMkRR6P1yiMH6vWk1w2I_AnCEDtq8XvMdYX4UGw-jEnYxbx7RkDUscMg25rTFIj-eIPAoAnZ2QUjPyVHAh_5fYKs_FJR7bPe/s4096/CB8E3AAE-DAD5-498C-B2C2-331A3A9B26BA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mh0sQmkyI7UC15SrChlMPf-Vv4IcQ79FKf5O_r8VXzE4GH5ifCWJ7OI0oBMILb4hIH01XjPqnBxfNOYpcbK632pzXyXIKMkRR6P1yiMH6vWk1w2I_AnCEDtq8XvMdYX4UGw-jEnYxbx7RkDUscMg25rTFIj-eIPAoAnZ2QUjPyVHAh_5fYKs_FJR7bPe/w400-h300/CB8E3AAE-DAD5-498C-B2C2-331A3A9B26BA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>“Water Turkey” and “Snake Bird” are other nicknames for this rather odd-looking bird that I would not describe as gorgeous. </b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ6TglqFiMkHNc6wQM26VAuWMNegqsL0-WE8e719Co5YpvhTA772HRUfaWvz_N-buvSPXtWrGJwr7IGqf3KWbfTcsjtdee2t8049PdxN2waSgwLB1ti2vVKI3Dkp7ObbyEG0UU5IMjMgsze1h2lVW1OnwMvuB_W0f4h7_owf82FoxHP_aIbb2osy83jd0/s4096/E5E48674-DCA5-4388-8870-E185E6A60464.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ6TglqFiMkHNc6wQM26VAuWMNegqsL0-WE8e719Co5YpvhTA772HRUfaWvz_N-buvSPXtWrGJwr7IGqf3KWbfTcsjtdee2t8049PdxN2waSgwLB1ti2vVKI3Dkp7ObbyEG0UU5IMjMgsze1h2lVW1OnwMvuB_W0f4h7_owf82FoxHP_aIbb2osy83jd0/w400-h300/E5E48674-DCA5-4388-8870-E185E6A60464.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>These are <a href="https://abcbirds.org/bird/great-egret/">Great Egrets</a>. They were preening and hanging not far from the Bald Eagle. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRlKBPC5FNFUNZzPPp8RPNlhF96d99OBCZDtlI6_msNV4fc7st5InjjzOtR9be4mSeVc2IqnnWr8bgbSyXIVXOEY194Fx4CUtKFTpw7Nyh9x-yF-Ngy-IxlpgDUwuNo0l6psEPo6PCl9PL0yYGx09G55KJt-VCi0ZdectdZZV_RZdeoKiqIaR72dWEzB6/s4096/0F523BD3-2788-4ABD-AFEF-21DC9B183B40.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRlKBPC5FNFUNZzPPp8RPNlhF96d99OBCZDtlI6_msNV4fc7st5InjjzOtR9be4mSeVc2IqnnWr8bgbSyXIVXOEY194Fx4CUtKFTpw7Nyh9x-yF-Ngy-IxlpgDUwuNo0l6psEPo6PCl9PL0yYGx09G55KJt-VCi0ZdectdZZV_RZdeoKiqIaR72dWEzB6/w400-h300/0F523BD3-2788-4ABD-AFEF-21DC9B183B40.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-winged-blackbird">Red-winged Blackbird</a> on a rice trunk. Not too much red on this male's wing, however.</b><br /><b><br /></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt8zOLJ-dQGIyguFgSzPS0Iu8pbMy9cmTNEmgEzNvGkrrRYpolwWJ3Lvx0KRiDtdRCdM1SyasWeAB4v654iH1QSvFR7PPz8zIiIERQytZQXPUotWAOGEEv1MX_BkS8JdPnuTz6j-T3RqSv04aJ1Hm3-8dqiT2o06xJ-sCSjVHe8DTwCjn_cWMRejgJMSV/s4096/CE586AD7-E472-403C-BDE8-C335F910A5F2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt8zOLJ-dQGIyguFgSzPS0Iu8pbMy9cmTNEmgEzNvGkrrRYpolwWJ3Lvx0KRiDtdRCdM1SyasWeAB4v654iH1QSvFR7PPz8zIiIERQytZQXPUotWAOGEEv1MX_BkS8JdPnuTz6j-T3RqSv04aJ1Hm3-8dqiT2o06xJ-sCSjVHe8DTwCjn_cWMRejgJMSV/w400-h300/CE586AD7-E472-403C-BDE8-C335F910A5F2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We arrived at the fishing pier just as this man was reeling in a catch.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgrhHc0Pncip9nUkR4lg_2oN_SY70aixc9_WHJg9focSFzn_wi59BHWqaQ9giBopsbOu_V9Z7AlJ1m06b6v_YFhAihILXMqIxPxscTXMNGSdwO6EL8F64djpv3x4GxongksiSNUTLtmisvYek0l8fd0zeQCYnBfQIPADN1iE1tGRStIL6s5pQ3jzk0hlF/s4096/6FA78155-3C61-47A7-8C6A-38D2F5621253.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgrhHc0Pncip9nUkR4lg_2oN_SY70aixc9_WHJg9focSFzn_wi59BHWqaQ9giBopsbOu_V9Z7AlJ1m06b6v_YFhAihILXMqIxPxscTXMNGSdwO6EL8F64djpv3x4GxongksiSNUTLtmisvYek0l8fd0zeQCYnBfQIPADN1iE1tGRStIL6s5pQ3jzk0hlF/w400-h300/6FA78155-3C61-47A7-8C6A-38D2F5621253.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>On his line were two Blue Crabs. Too small to keep he said. He told us he had also caught Red Drum and Flounder but they were also under the length limits. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Hope his luck improved! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpv3F3mesLWctAWu3pdtS6CH2VlU5g44P3I0ZE7OvPujAE1iirgESJe8bdG5kfwtWHaaXmtfv576Cff7oHeI5vRKjYRMUaJAEH1hftRcTJFI_27gIZMS2LsEIQml6GtGTRTREKYI0M9CVGodMTgSi98JNKani69YPlXPwhrdXx640__y24efPvAc8rmhN/s4096/0AFA9CFD-0385-431A-9F06-2D88DD984891.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpv3F3mesLWctAWu3pdtS6CH2VlU5g44P3I0ZE7OvPujAE1iirgESJe8bdG5kfwtWHaaXmtfv576Cff7oHeI5vRKjYRMUaJAEH1hftRcTJFI_27gIZMS2LsEIQml6GtGTRTREKYI0M9CVGodMTgSi98JNKani69YPlXPwhrdXx640__y24efPvAc8rmhN/w400-h300/0AFA9CFD-0385-431A-9F06-2D88DD984891.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The pier offers a sweeping view of the South Santee River. This spot is not too far from the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. </b></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK0WeVwueFKAe8OOzs2jKfDVKgp_qytZTbISdcuwWteZy4JQv9RrFGpCQPaEMnnTvw-AEyR9PUZABpY_evGM19MGbEzZInf-rtRs6hvpEeRT2uRyU7dzqddiZ22rQkkYNyplCU472iXNK3mJ6vIjF5BK1K9n0YuNDaKfSmHFC52QkxBOZ-0vfUy6x33Bf/s4096/6EC40AA8-858A-42F8-9717-A02BD9A0F4C4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK0WeVwueFKAe8OOzs2jKfDVKgp_qytZTbISdcuwWteZy4JQv9RrFGpCQPaEMnnTvw-AEyR9PUZABpY_evGM19MGbEzZInf-rtRs6hvpEeRT2uRyU7dzqddiZ22rQkkYNyplCU472iXNK3mJ6vIjF5BK1K9n0YuNDaKfSmHFC52QkxBOZ-0vfUy6x33Bf/w400-h300/6EC40AA8-858A-42F8-9717-A02BD9A0F4C4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>The <a href="https://coastalstructures.com/markets/santee-gun-club/">Santee Gun Club</a> building is in very good shape for dating to 1898. Wealthy Northerners would come to the remote area for the bounty of hunting and fishing. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The building was closed on this day, Saturday. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K7rkytePXsyd-ELQOBahvoC2-T-1eyjrCG9ORW9nJSqCfXrSiRzGwELUMnnwvOiN4LQtSLFGjyKUYCuXQKndpzeafDhXgmu4jYdLV_6t6XQk_3TihS30F4kOzm1KOAUqukZB6d1T3tapffbdrRDnzIjOY_5QUSdEqM67UjOldEbnOKQvZcFWOo_Sa7Eq/s4096/7F59A5D2-B638-4C36-B5A1-7A0BD070DE78.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K7rkytePXsyd-ELQOBahvoC2-T-1eyjrCG9ORW9nJSqCfXrSiRzGwELUMnnwvOiN4LQtSLFGjyKUYCuXQKndpzeafDhXgmu4jYdLV_6t6XQk_3TihS30F4kOzm1KOAUqukZB6d1T3tapffbdrRDnzIjOY_5QUSdEqM67UjOldEbnOKQvZcFWOo_Sa7Eq/w400-h300/7F59A5D2-B638-4C36-B5A1-7A0BD070DE78.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>A peek through the door revealed a large comfortable-looking living room with reminders of critters that reside in the rugged region. The old gun club is a big place at 7,800 square feet. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLBcu2Ds1llHXIVrbKpKx7MhNJhMQ4410z9GKwDl44ho3OAOVD5bBOHVN9wRvj9qWh45U9a8hdCLmXLYqwfZLl_F7fG8BYzDXJrzd5YhBXhyIpZ6SFSIUlaOrOOTItu_wM6llvCku-efnLg1eZEIwPLmpwdCN5_g7pJHwAnae_1UrcOT3h-jnY1ggUzOB/s4096/31D1FA7A-2DB2-46F9-9FE5-FFC5C5EDE3C8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLBcu2Ds1llHXIVrbKpKx7MhNJhMQ4410z9GKwDl44ho3OAOVD5bBOHVN9wRvj9qWh45U9a8hdCLmXLYqwfZLl_F7fG8BYzDXJrzd5YhBXhyIpZ6SFSIUlaOrOOTItu_wM6llvCku-efnLg1eZEIwPLmpwdCN5_g7pJHwAnae_1UrcOT3h-jnY1ggUzOB/w400-h300/31D1FA7A-2DB2-46F9-9FE5-FFC5C5EDE3C8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The vast property, 24,000 acres, includes signs of long ago previous dwellings. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oSmrnMiEdInnby5qx1O8wQdLWIvAm1lYgZaJYnR2gpPA-Jyzanj4BOx1AWdJc3AgQ8xeqRIKD6v003L6NcDeupfOHpf3fZ7hG3-XfLUu_3zbshME7lisot6FMnWjeIAYcfME3W4dfz52PgC2AEMgM_dwipTXsEsIyI7-GJHgeR8jNZKxDZUO2ukSBuzn/s4096/E9CFE6EE-4D87-4248-8A40-BEB54C02410C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oSmrnMiEdInnby5qx1O8wQdLWIvAm1lYgZaJYnR2gpPA-Jyzanj4BOx1AWdJc3AgQ8xeqRIKD6v003L6NcDeupfOHpf3fZ7hG3-XfLUu_3zbshME7lisot6FMnWjeIAYcfME3W4dfz52PgC2AEMgM_dwipTXsEsIyI7-GJHgeR8jNZKxDZUO2ukSBuzn/w400-h300/E9CFE6EE-4D87-4248-8A40-BEB54C02410C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>A neat feature at the Santee Coastal Reserve is this example of the large wooden <a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/rice-trunks/" target="_blank">trunk structures</a> that were used to control the flow of water into and out of the rice fields. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86uQYtZGs1kp-pDJYbTz72S92Faudwb8kUetGcqmJOMneGYvuaYFjP6Nc6sEO24_FI4iN1aprQ4CVOcKLDj9s4YCj5KjvJUoamj0907KDcnrPYN9BeliD6wtv-NYJ9hLXBb5rsx87e346t-iG-WosakTJIIDIgd0wV-fF3h7APBfw1lOKIPw2NF_-FPtM/s4096/58B87CC8-8899-4F34-8EA2-FAD8D1C7F15B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86uQYtZGs1kp-pDJYbTz72S92Faudwb8kUetGcqmJOMneGYvuaYFjP6Nc6sEO24_FI4iN1aprQ4CVOcKLDj9s4YCj5KjvJUoamj0907KDcnrPYN9BeliD6wtv-NYJ9hLXBb5rsx87e346t-iG-WosakTJIIDIgd0wV-fF3h7APBfw1lOKIPw2NF_-FPtM/w400-h300/58B87CC8-8899-4F34-8EA2-FAD8D1C7F15B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>It’s a simplistic design but one that worked in the 18th century…</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNay9SGGnS7WlfW4JwcBPF7HpVAKc_5n-mLiTeCLhdd5v_J8gcwo2EeHYBYwQpjk4EJI_RGOBCzA-8iKH8Q42pwT783Za4IQSJ0UhQnklWJsTMbgyL0xwlOEDS34GjFnkw5K8p81At0orEHHaXp0i2maaeHE2jDY-02D6oecB6XPUHsjoGh4k88oPbyok/s4096/2E427289-1AC1-4CFB-9582-4F8A32894F1F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNay9SGGnS7WlfW4JwcBPF7HpVAKc_5n-mLiTeCLhdd5v_J8gcwo2EeHYBYwQpjk4EJI_RGOBCzA-8iKH8Q42pwT783Za4IQSJ0UhQnklWJsTMbgyL0xwlOEDS34GjFnkw5K8p81At0orEHHaXp0i2maaeHE2jDY-02D6oecB6XPUHsjoGh4k88oPbyok/w400-h300/2E427289-1AC1-4CFB-9582-4F8A32894F1F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>…and continues to do the job in the 21st century. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPrlcxATtAv_hPGwXJ79zN4N3aB8bMETDqZ3LAYVzgyQML4y9pFWLyYii1-wES4hxLUYFbjiRd6h6UQ3Y7cy0hoj6557zrsjIU0jeFk0ax4oW8TOA43p3HYW_e7cUpza6gNFo-50uRw_Mz8o9STT581hEwgGdmOdJnnb6hcfekMrBlwvB9UUpjSS0LT-g/s4096/D252AC7A-6731-430E-84F2-DE39BAEBC726.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPrlcxATtAv_hPGwXJ79zN4N3aB8bMETDqZ3LAYVzgyQML4y9pFWLyYii1-wES4hxLUYFbjiRd6h6UQ3Y7cy0hoj6557zrsjIU0jeFk0ax4oW8TOA43p3HYW_e7cUpza6gNFo-50uRw_Mz8o9STT581hEwgGdmOdJnnb6hcfekMrBlwvB9UUpjSS0LT-g/w400-h300/D252AC7A-6731-430E-84F2-DE39BAEBC726.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5-Nv2y3BFe-XjlEnm8mnC02qRk0lZzKZCYF8z0SRQAbKJSjcbMNA01ay9A-XsmAb0hPphYBv8tzy9eR5LCRyp2RFSMk-o4OR__CYi9nkRJPFZhAFpK4lC2jKlZy0hVRSEvTvUtD8sH4TQ8FBeZLv9sXXemYLqEhJnrmgYB3nTBmH8_Hw8ZijhtXZ1n0a/s4096/1563EB9F-D827-4ACA-BD68-1883C0296DEB.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5-Nv2y3BFe-XjlEnm8mnC02qRk0lZzKZCYF8z0SRQAbKJSjcbMNA01ay9A-XsmAb0hPphYBv8tzy9eR5LCRyp2RFSMk-o4OR__CYi9nkRJPFZhAFpK4lC2jKlZy0hVRSEvTvUtD8sH4TQ8FBeZLv9sXXemYLqEhJnrmgYB3nTBmH8_Hw8ZijhtXZ1n0a/w400-h300/1563EB9F-D827-4ACA-BD68-1883C0296DEB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The trunks sometimes need to be repaired or replaced. These are in a storage and fuel area.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuC2VTTGFnQ6Or7juifEOmEXJnK9ZmvyA8mZTbNG4oCDVQn2-zRTSJIqSpJ4BjNVO4EgTTqOPmZfm69yGFdk6sTIMdIHeMPMfW6oK1xaor-KAwhb9ftw23L6I_RdW1V5iRucILHPXKovw1FyInmmi4R2eQT-i1uhTe0nQUYNXGi3Ht6jflgkZmSlqPDJw5/s4032/08EE3246-EB1D-49B3-BC01-11792269BE61.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuC2VTTGFnQ6Or7juifEOmEXJnK9ZmvyA8mZTbNG4oCDVQn2-zRTSJIqSpJ4BjNVO4EgTTqOPmZfm69yGFdk6sTIMdIHeMPMfW6oK1xaor-KAwhb9ftw23L6I_RdW1V5iRucILHPXKovw1FyInmmi4R2eQT-i1uhTe0nQUYNXGi3Ht6jflgkZmSlqPDJw5/w400-h300/08EE3246-EB1D-49B3-BC01-11792269BE61.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The entrance to the reserve is lined with beautiful live oak trees. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV0HbKWo3IA9sjeQj8qdS5L3-0g1OBX9Mgx9MM72_1g_esHYgzHXnm8FqLE5t85ahES_WWHUgag0ylfhNmpqkFVJ65i6Jo8pu9BCXgK6rdv0Cyc-ADpZeGRPvvuDS6RHzxLtrJJe_jRmMvvy2ZJZ79_jYuTkTYGeDElCgdiOt1K-P61qZ_Jn-Fx648ujD/s2016/8AB29B06-DFFD-4EE7-85BF-171044AB6E9E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV0HbKWo3IA9sjeQj8qdS5L3-0g1OBX9Mgx9MM72_1g_esHYgzHXnm8FqLE5t85ahES_WWHUgag0ylfhNmpqkFVJ65i6Jo8pu9BCXgK6rdv0Cyc-ADpZeGRPvvuDS6RHzxLtrJJe_jRmMvvy2ZJZ79_jYuTkTYGeDElCgdiOt1K-P61qZ_Jn-Fx648ujD/w300-h400/8AB29B06-DFFD-4EE7-85BF-171044AB6E9E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>There is definitely lots to photograph here! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs6hyphenhyphenkpQYgdWNz-eOETl8hb9b1DRiORuAM9M1wGU1zKZ8BcJ6ZiJRlFJMT3Xe5X_FkI8I88kDPi2ad5GXTJrICSWppnj8SotdbO4UTTaqTW_S_9UR-tGDo_ARkngclqlaW_MuQnfXAPkmJxsYEz3r_M_6UsAHfQO3G8yy8tNZiOR7RQ58deoYSPFoNp8Q/s4096/EB79AA1F-C9E3-43E2-B40D-D6826667DD66.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs6hyphenhyphenkpQYgdWNz-eOETl8hb9b1DRiORuAM9M1wGU1zKZ8BcJ6ZiJRlFJMT3Xe5X_FkI8I88kDPi2ad5GXTJrICSWppnj8SotdbO4UTTaqTW_S_9UR-tGDo_ARkngclqlaW_MuQnfXAPkmJxsYEz3r_M_6UsAHfQO3G8yy8tNZiOR7RQ58deoYSPFoNp8Q/w400-h300/EB79AA1F-C9E3-43E2-B40D-D6826667DD66.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Not sure what kind of berries these are but the little brown bug got a belly full I bet. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhvXJCqBWmv_Xav9jnxoqT4x06EDD8LpuOkr4dATMjR7YheOc45ZXcYPxYz1nUPw8KKCA3-aCczVjrsVHLUGApQ15R1HHCpYxbz9IGvHqgSlkZPAXoSEDenWLIdGsup4WNIyhio1j9cMmIwE25XgXtqXuNQdEAxXc31LY6JTKBeYBSq200hKgCfh0Ueqq/s4096/06D9220C-CCF0-4BEE-99DC-0C50EB0ACC71.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhvXJCqBWmv_Xav9jnxoqT4x06EDD8LpuOkr4dATMjR7YheOc45ZXcYPxYz1nUPw8KKCA3-aCczVjrsVHLUGApQ15R1HHCpYxbz9IGvHqgSlkZPAXoSEDenWLIdGsup4WNIyhio1j9cMmIwE25XgXtqXuNQdEAxXc31LY6JTKBeYBSq200hKgCfh0Ueqq/w300-h400/06D9220C-CCF0-4BEE-99DC-0C50EB0ACC71.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The Spanish Moss is rich and thick here. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVL0Ib3uD1iasZI_7aom2Hqhi8wCHO_kzITlrHC-BOFwNUqhypehyheKak1Zj4v9uGIvWifgrszmWZnioM15U7Y-9NlNEdoeOLV_AVFqgPfIp9GSIYwkCjji_zgr1daHMcS2bYtD0z-ihXNFcd07muVBwhHcHUhBnKXrometxUlgaYGCF3ao22zY5NqTJ/s4096/6B7ED520-3097-45CB-AA0C-AA0309BEF04A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVL0Ib3uD1iasZI_7aom2Hqhi8wCHO_kzITlrHC-BOFwNUqhypehyheKak1Zj4v9uGIvWifgrszmWZnioM15U7Y-9NlNEdoeOLV_AVFqgPfIp9GSIYwkCjji_zgr1daHMcS2bYtD0z-ihXNFcd07muVBwhHcHUhBnKXrometxUlgaYGCF3ao22zY5NqTJ/w400-h300/6B7ED520-3097-45CB-AA0C-AA0309BEF04A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>But I was careful not to touch it or let it touch me because the moss can have lots of little bugs such as chiggers. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYrv1MnZsPjnODJ05M3FO7oW2UMj-WcgMUYlmUPq1B67X03-KSyjM_1PUB9vehUTlC81PynheizZn4waUgDDnlEB51LvsJqD_8ATgH0LXaBXwGIgUqN2DVKBq4tcjNT4z0YxdDEts5B1Yq0tY4zO1KG0ClnrFfcJIZu_6hAM_FswNdg2s_NkkZnFeJx5R/s4032/FEDBC452-F8A7-45D7-A037-1035846B7430.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYrv1MnZsPjnODJ05M3FO7oW2UMj-WcgMUYlmUPq1B67X03-KSyjM_1PUB9vehUTlC81PynheizZn4waUgDDnlEB51LvsJqD_8ATgH0LXaBXwGIgUqN2DVKBq4tcjNT4z0YxdDEts5B1Yq0tY4zO1KG0ClnrFfcJIZu_6hAM_FswNdg2s_NkkZnFeJx5R/w400-h300/FEDBC452-F8A7-45D7-A037-1035846B7430.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>At 24,000 acres, Santee Coastal Reserve WMA is vast and there were parts we did not see. That may be a reason to return later in the year. Next time with bicycles perhaps. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq2ylLT_z8UQfaCJDDPKuoOVEtoKd4osekys-trJv9Ut3g2gs-lOFdik1qSGGYchl6RWhkgHU4cy-QikzNNRO-t6OVBbI3X0awXXU-nMaexELBGMhAiPhtYxB4uyydWWUlcqZVaudMz39W19Q1PwHNSctqJVDQLSw96D7qeO-lDqo9pTiHQTbWhm_FLJV/s4032/C068F059-EB6C-4FA5-9781-31D8E5EFD152.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq2ylLT_z8UQfaCJDDPKuoOVEtoKd4osekys-trJv9Ut3g2gs-lOFdik1qSGGYchl6RWhkgHU4cy-QikzNNRO-t6OVBbI3X0awXXU-nMaexELBGMhAiPhtYxB4uyydWWUlcqZVaudMz39W19Q1PwHNSctqJVDQLSw96D7qeO-lDqo9pTiHQTbWhm_FLJV/w300-h400/C068F059-EB6C-4FA5-9781-31D8E5EFD152.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b>Fun visit and how about that Bald Eagle encounter! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAm4zMmdxW-apXzGZZzKS4pJoPnz-mx9OLG9YA7i-vf5pElyXthhBkEeuf8nYsmSNH5ZCkHMt0k3H4IUsMdVRWB6YgkD1i_tiwkoDRmiCtgMD6er4H26evKtrOL3mi9cmxCaJu496tfTBJqG163VPms7074r817ePQgGce0Z8FyyW3EEyqsdUsHGZpM6ej/s4032/04C05C50-B2D1-4529-90FB-E4DBAEB4E66E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAm4zMmdxW-apXzGZZzKS4pJoPnz-mx9OLG9YA7i-vf5pElyXthhBkEeuf8nYsmSNH5ZCkHMt0k3H4IUsMdVRWB6YgkD1i_tiwkoDRmiCtgMD6er4H26evKtrOL3mi9cmxCaJu496tfTBJqG163VPms7074r817ePQgGce0Z8FyyW3EEyqsdUsHGZpM6ej/w300-h400/04C05C50-B2D1-4529-90FB-E4DBAEB4E66E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b><br /><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-5571018501615342572023-09-18T09:30:00.002-04:002023-09-19T10:05:26.071-04:00Rainy Visit to Magnolia Cemetery<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxgmecPxpQh9y--pC005Lyvoi1zUcbH7FTtJBgkuNpuABtqMQL7xSbsYP7oHQnPG7jq58-uJI12Sj8tuRsrGxbirjpNzflAtA67WNt-qOJX2e-cQvWfpd6FZ92cl-oK5bvJiXrwcwYMwToVONZdb8aCH9TaJ0zKh2vVCaCMPgvmE9SR_mo1zuu_XGh9Uw/s4096/2CED5C90-A5D3-4932-B8E3-00716C398E74.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxgmecPxpQh9y--pC005Lyvoi1zUcbH7FTtJBgkuNpuABtqMQL7xSbsYP7oHQnPG7jq58-uJI12Sj8tuRsrGxbirjpNzflAtA67WNt-qOJX2e-cQvWfpd6FZ92cl-oK5bvJiXrwcwYMwToVONZdb8aCH9TaJ0zKh2vVCaCMPgvmE9SR_mo1zuu_XGh9Uw/w400-h300/2CED5C90-A5D3-4932-B8E3-00716C398E74.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>It had been a while since I’d been to Charleston’s<a href="http://www.magnoliacemetery.net/"> Magnolia Cemetery.</a> I had the itch to go after seeing recent bird photos posted on the Facebook site, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2575068532781339">“Magnolia Cemetery Photographers Group.”</a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The forecast looked wet but we decided to go anyway. When it began to pour I took several pictures through the open car window. This is the iconic Smith Pyramid, an ancient Egyptian-influenced mausoleum erected for wealthy banker William Burrough Smith after his death in 1894. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUGOoteqtFB4CaGDgLKdkoxUw_1fMNhg9PdixkJSXbGzVjkeqtQhgmIcOVp03rDONvwxUtf50RNIh3VTJXQyE0KgM1wDma_VI3_y-tMV1NY0khYVmBGeTqq59zL72daefVlqWKe9XVDOjhFYe6JV8csuapNzbN3DuBA1kb5WkrH4xx5CWtxB9NtF_vSyt/s3916/B45CD18A-03FC-4811-A12C-9FB4383ACBAC.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3916" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUGOoteqtFB4CaGDgLKdkoxUw_1fMNhg9PdixkJSXbGzVjkeqtQhgmIcOVp03rDONvwxUtf50RNIh3VTJXQyE0KgM1wDma_VI3_y-tMV1NY0khYVmBGeTqq59zL72daefVlqWKe9XVDOjhFYe6JV8csuapNzbN3DuBA1kb5WkrH4xx5CWtxB9NtF_vSyt/w400-h300/B45CD18A-03FC-4811-A12C-9FB4383ACBAC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Another favorite site here is that of Annie Kerr Aiken (1853-1856). Her ornate box tomb is among more than two dozen graves in the large partially fenced Aiken-Martin plot near the back pond. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0QsvxpVZxU4gQUQgdsRhyFxj81FuespMHFQ6JJYekLQ-kE_5BHE7PQKJdL-3sf9XBH2_hOvf7P5heR3FM3GdRFrN_rPqb7f94HuGby0eYIyg1UUYO1BEmoWMpT32UD6aiVU_CbpaOJoBkuMkKGwQJ1H_Fy0a7dWUJuigz8rrw_TeJfDIzr-5IVuuRfUX/s4096/B156ED0A-F58C-4B4C-BF61-5E3AB70B94C5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0QsvxpVZxU4gQUQgdsRhyFxj81FuespMHFQ6JJYekLQ-kE_5BHE7PQKJdL-3sf9XBH2_hOvf7P5heR3FM3GdRFrN_rPqb7f94HuGby0eYIyg1UUYO1BEmoWMpT32UD6aiVU_CbpaOJoBkuMkKGwQJ1H_Fy0a7dWUJuigz8rrw_TeJfDIzr-5IVuuRfUX/w400-h300/B156ED0A-F58C-4B4C-BF61-5E3AB70B94C5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>“Little Annie” was a month shy of 3 when she passed in 1856 of the throat disease diphtheria. The child depicted in the sculpture isn’t necessarily a likeness of her, though it could be. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Ever since I’ve been coming to Magnolia Cemetery (15 years now) there have been small items placed here by her fans, people like me who also admire this beautiful and poignant bit of artistry commissioned no doubt by her loving parents. </b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xwy4-YRqTmozwxzpDuOR-lOvg8JGVhbwCgaZz6DXBZUN41y8-SJNSfOVpKFgBCGWcFIjJCF6Hl789iegNM-PLCa39EaRHNd-yNjOmPbDkWNDI4wPrA6Z-LxEO9DW_Fkn-7VHGYcQra5gAPIS9KqsMgYK1gwkNfSUVXI5sFtRBG7cuQk9N-_jaV_QS43V/s4096/C715A3AA-8940-4E8F-8AE2-32F2BA5BB338.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xwy4-YRqTmozwxzpDuOR-lOvg8JGVhbwCgaZz6DXBZUN41y8-SJNSfOVpKFgBCGWcFIjJCF6Hl789iegNM-PLCa39EaRHNd-yNjOmPbDkWNDI4wPrA6Z-LxEO9DW_Fkn-7VHGYcQra5gAPIS9KqsMgYK1gwkNfSUVXI5sFtRBG7cuQk9N-_jaV_QS43V/w400-h300/C715A3AA-8940-4E8F-8AE2-32F2BA5BB338.jpeg" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Note the yellow ducks at her feet. </b><b>Someone even put a tiara on Annie’s head. What a thoughtful gesture! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>In this rain, she could use a blanket, but Little Annie has slept through worse, including countless hurricanes and tropical storms. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Her parents, Joseph and Ellen Aiken, are buried in this plot near their precious daughter. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt_OHQEzUe-wKvLq8jYCgaS3Zcb2Q-7soZociLmtzpJVkMnzK9442_m-AEx3n1OGBAjvaKTgfHsT9Kr88fUoRKqWGoBrJPPt2rP62eyHRHrmTBnjCiPhDBPBb70y-IJiGPqjozyoETVrrURpy0B4F2us1_ZKWd-37NO7oS00vnaA0wc4xvm0HbRQmK_kx/s3399/C62DFE35-02D6-4705-9031-CAC84CBF59D9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="3399" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt_OHQEzUe-wKvLq8jYCgaS3Zcb2Q-7soZociLmtzpJVkMnzK9442_m-AEx3n1OGBAjvaKTgfHsT9Kr88fUoRKqWGoBrJPPt2rP62eyHRHrmTBnjCiPhDBPBb70y-IJiGPqjozyoETVrrURpy0B4F2us1_ZKWd-37NO7oS00vnaA0wc4xvm0HbRQmK_kx/w400-h341/C62DFE35-02D6-4705-9031-CAC84CBF59D9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Even older at Magnolia Cemetery is this low box tomb belonging to a young man who lost his life during the Mexican War. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Before he volunteered to join the U.S. Army in that conflict Christopher Gadsden Carsten told his parents that should he not survive the war, they should try to bury him beneath the grand live oak tree seen here. The parents at that time were caretakers of this property before it became a cemetery in 1850. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Christopher, 26, died in 1848 in Mexico of unknown causes. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ilblpMCPz92I1nL00pSCCU6SFRBWvkIEzv6P0DEPp1ePAQaqPY_wY4jj5YlIwRL7uY0uHDsJ6rjwsM57hLNO-1_didbCHmkJqYBZFyc_UX8mGkfU3HFP6tvadi82ikR9vPVSvhXCo9pym3ixAKVUHKNSnrwHnqRCADQ4fFRP7WENEj_v1QbDZbANSskY/s4096/22497721-B25A-416F-95FC-63C0D38FCF07.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ilblpMCPz92I1nL00pSCCU6SFRBWvkIEzv6P0DEPp1ePAQaqPY_wY4jj5YlIwRL7uY0uHDsJ6rjwsM57hLNO-1_didbCHmkJqYBZFyc_UX8mGkfU3HFP6tvadi82ikR9vPVSvhXCo9pym3ixAKVUHKNSnrwHnqRCADQ4fFRP7WENEj_v1QbDZbANSskY/w400-h300/22497721-B25A-416F-95FC-63C0D38FCF07.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>These stories and many, many more are in my 2014 book, “In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry.” <a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/in-arms-of-angels-magnolia-cemetery.html">Click here for more information on my book. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfA6pokNkNObg61FqS2n6CoFVbbCrLdLy_4G_yaBQ4ePqqSTB2wvmPUjSVC4TUn619r1D9g6ED8g9mdvZSHRv1_NtqykQUqSnn2Lxu_9SBQbnxTA9e2QVcsUrIoQUAYPuWpTdvU8oidj2nsM1v8O7NwEVPqFC5keVgfRn5HeaSMLDdSUniHda0Upv0aL4/s4096/94E82997-0B4B-4129-ABBF-E5AF9A06C14F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfA6pokNkNObg61FqS2n6CoFVbbCrLdLy_4G_yaBQ4ePqqSTB2wvmPUjSVC4TUn619r1D9g6ED8g9mdvZSHRv1_NtqykQUqSnn2Lxu_9SBQbnxTA9e2QVcsUrIoQUAYPuWpTdvU8oidj2nsM1v8O7NwEVPqFC5keVgfRn5HeaSMLDdSUniHda0Upv0aL4/w300-h400/94E82997-0B4B-4129-ABBF-E5AF9A06C14F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>In my book, I write about the Isaac and Martha Bardin plot with its large Celtic cross. This site has extra special meaning to me after meeting Angela Williams. She is a great-granddaughter of the Bardins and is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Now-Baby-Angela-Williams/dp/1680030345">“Hush Now, Baby: The Help Becomes Family” </a>about her close relationship with her Black nanny while growing up in Berkeley County. <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2023/08/author-to-author.html">I posted recently about meeting Angela and reading her wonderful book. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-MJ1hB_OL4N-vvUqkIuopgALnA1qIuhV1GZuu_mHkc-BkNRdRaO3vw_bi-eF2VLy7iw9-dBqBswa7Gfh6OD6zCRjbzluhWdRDT9GB9ccYnuaL8x50KC8hjKnyohonzIkwW6W4pgFSqCtJ9KFwtudg6lWpu2ICPTf9pKkz37pPsDMjBRNU09cQZJ2zRdg/s4096/14F92DDC-099C-4CF1-BB0C-4BDD6F64F6DC.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-MJ1hB_OL4N-vvUqkIuopgALnA1qIuhV1GZuu_mHkc-BkNRdRaO3vw_bi-eF2VLy7iw9-dBqBswa7Gfh6OD6zCRjbzluhWdRDT9GB9ccYnuaL8x50KC8hjKnyohonzIkwW6W4pgFSqCtJ9KFwtudg6lWpu2ICPTf9pKkz37pPsDMjBRNU09cQZJ2zRdg/w300-h400/14F92DDC-099C-4CF1-BB0C-4BDD6F64F6DC.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Before the heavy rain commenced I did take a few bird photographs. From the recently repaired bridge over the front pond I spotted two big birds. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Can you see them? At the bottom of the frame is a Wood Stork. And at the very top is an Osprey.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Check out<a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/birding-hot-day-hotspot.html"> my post from way back in 2010</a> about how Magnolia Cemetery can be a hot spot for bird activity. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsrt1rNExJpqtPQs5cRENBeFtA1eAjrlNj2hTcgQ7WyUNww-iHDlD7d6MSL4coBO46ZhOGRfmXr7SXgE2X-rXN_mKiBQgDh05ZJfcof8YfqWdEtKTb9KJcIe3BatObvPj0pIUkUQeaFw-ghlywiA5MxyjXRwvqO_u2GXGLI-uI8OiyXvSe4HwA76fQe5l/s3650/A122212C-3794-4959-9459-0EB321C71A1C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2796" data-original-width="3650" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsrt1rNExJpqtPQs5cRENBeFtA1eAjrlNj2hTcgQ7WyUNww-iHDlD7d6MSL4coBO46ZhOGRfmXr7SXgE2X-rXN_mKiBQgDh05ZJfcof8YfqWdEtKTb9KJcIe3BatObvPj0pIUkUQeaFw-ghlywiA5MxyjXRwvqO_u2GXGLI-uI8OiyXvSe4HwA76fQe5l/w400-h306/A122212C-3794-4959-9459-0EB321C71A1C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I suspect this Wood Stork is a fairly young one due to the fluffy grayish feathers on its neck and head and its pale bill. </b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOkNtGVl52nWhquSWbKXLkDFPnEzR4-mUAqkB-WQEiG63FA2yV3qn0PcN3FEgoc193ASFPUVg2fyfnd5ZeVt6l54jFRCb32HJmcGypJsG8zlPvqnZXfwMvtLvQPT29HgHeRjNCzjMSv4F7h2lBpfwEDQxO6CldWutdzLBIX5kfLQBCJsk-zUjvCb0KRuX/s4096/48C4F0DB-CD55-41A7-BA97-F12866289BB0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOkNtGVl52nWhquSWbKXLkDFPnEzR4-mUAqkB-WQEiG63FA2yV3qn0PcN3FEgoc193ASFPUVg2fyfnd5ZeVt6l54jFRCb32HJmcGypJsG8zlPvqnZXfwMvtLvQPT29HgHeRjNCzjMSv4F7h2lBpfwEDQxO6CldWutdzLBIX5kfLQBCJsk-zUjvCb0KRuX/w400-h300/48C4F0DB-CD55-41A7-BA97-F12866289BB0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hvK-vtMIT5y_dMCE7iKkdGi2o1E_G1z33kZjdJ_UgIgrxuWzYWpEKyi-YFr03rn4gTR0owfymsGICRIvQvPXKPGNGk2v0ey_e4JQ3BR6FLK69TOtQfMFweATGmi76YZKLbQE2rcvNpy-H8glldsJxKYz282sYLy5X-dDtBVJVHHa16Ddq63E0qzbn0b2/s4096/34EF3F6C-54FF-4456-82E3-EF29FD0E077C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hvK-vtMIT5y_dMCE7iKkdGi2o1E_G1z33kZjdJ_UgIgrxuWzYWpEKyi-YFr03rn4gTR0owfymsGICRIvQvPXKPGNGk2v0ey_e4JQ3BR6FLK69TOtQfMFweATGmi76YZKLbQE2rcvNpy-H8glldsJxKYz282sYLy5X-dDtBVJVHHa16Ddq63E0qzbn0b2/w400-h300/34EF3F6C-54FF-4456-82E3-EF29FD0E077C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Wood Storks and Osprey both like to hang out by the pond for the fish, shrimp, frogs and other aquatic critters they crave. Here's another post from 2010 about <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/osprey.html">Ospreys at Magnolia Cemetery. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblECeit_lotwh7_c48qgvk0oyroARq68gMTjmXTLOFajk5lrcyoYEaxWiBaazRfOgbi6TuU9unl-E_ZProtlTg5eHPnAqyg1yr-9iTq0sjIypg2MKmyyHPNW-u62U5DJApVujXT3sBfvrJ3x0BSIG_j91BgG3BEWrA7MfMEiTHLHP68mGBn9r1-GVMJT2/s5184/47C4B4DF-9CE8-4885-B2CE-85C2E2FA7A4A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblECeit_lotwh7_c48qgvk0oyroARq68gMTjmXTLOFajk5lrcyoYEaxWiBaazRfOgbi6TuU9unl-E_ZProtlTg5eHPnAqyg1yr-9iTq0sjIypg2MKmyyHPNW-u62U5DJApVujXT3sBfvrJ3x0BSIG_j91BgG3BEWrA7MfMEiTHLHP68mGBn9r1-GVMJT2/w400-h300/47C4B4DF-9CE8-4885-B2CE-85C2E2FA7A4A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Osprey and Wood Storks are among the nearly 50 types of birds I photographed here for my first book, published in 2011, titled <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/the-birds-of-magnolia-cemetery-book.html">“The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary.”</a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I also feature birds in another of my books, <a href="https://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/p/new-hardcover-bird-and-nature.html">“Nature-ly Fun- Bird Photography from A to Z.”</a> Contact me at birdseyeviewspublications@gmail.com for more information on my books or check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patrick-Harwood/author/B00KIPVKP6?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true">my Amazon author site. </a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYL-R_DAKSWm55wb8od6MsJFEX2OdpMOLsXlhUxsHw8Lm7DzBfDftmTjPbZHJ8QhkIbugw4LY42lFR2p72uF08nJLmDJXvE-mgJQRXvzertEgnozNiIZGl1-1rD6X16Z7snSpf2wh8cEC9MUzotbJLi_aQ20H8vaxe425TbEKEIEVr0Fiiu2euAAXZhuK/s4096/2BCA3C65-D419-4794-87A2-C3D1E8F286A6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYL-R_DAKSWm55wb8od6MsJFEX2OdpMOLsXlhUxsHw8Lm7DzBfDftmTjPbZHJ8QhkIbugw4LY42lFR2p72uF08nJLmDJXvE-mgJQRXvzertEgnozNiIZGl1-1rD6X16Z7snSpf2wh8cEC9MUzotbJLi_aQ20H8vaxe425TbEKEIEVr0Fiiu2euAAXZhuK/w400-h300/2BCA3C65-D419-4794-87A2-C3D1E8F286A6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifG3LuNHuexxJyHIIsu2zdG5E2O57f6XZYInNFtRNFPIptUoERCr6io8m4FHoUaJh97uw750rztd8gyCp6uOGM5SW7CSGruCiiZtlK953oSfTSvmTyZe9XqrBOzuAxtxV-Y9kzSt67X6-OeupWwhVQ_xib3UC-BBBb-cCmyYDlpWqS481_hUd6ZPP7Ql1B/s4096/9277B2F2-10D7-4BE0-B1CE-7FFFB27FC257.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifG3LuNHuexxJyHIIsu2zdG5E2O57f6XZYInNFtRNFPIptUoERCr6io8m4FHoUaJh97uw750rztd8gyCp6uOGM5SW7CSGruCiiZtlK953oSfTSvmTyZe9XqrBOzuAxtxV-Y9kzSt67X6-OeupWwhVQ_xib3UC-BBBb-cCmyYDlpWqS481_hUd6ZPP7Ql1B/w400-h300/9277B2F2-10D7-4BE0-B1CE-7FFFB27FC257.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>It was nice to briefly visit before the rain drove us off. It’s a place I always enjoy seeing and photographing rain or shine! </b><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-41483029094185714142023-09-05T10:30:00.003-04:002023-09-05T10:30:52.054-04:00Back at the Beach for Labor Day! <p> <span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We got off easy from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Idalia">Hurricane Idalia</a> which at its worst on Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 30-31 wasn't bad in our neighborhood. It was a tropical storm by the time it ripped through Florida and Georgia on into South Carolina. Some beautiful weather ensued in the following days so back to the beach we went. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I ventured into the Atlantic with my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/GoPro-HERO8-Black-Waterproof-Stabilization/dp/B08C7FBW4N?th=1">GoPro Hero 8</a> and made a nice video and also took several photos. <br /><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w6HTcceHmUY" width="320" youtube-src-id="w6HTcceHmUY"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs1Y_yxJZwIoG6e-_bfMhjHZbFcSQv9pR4kNedMw329sFVSb7_eTgTWEfpJtan0Tu-lJQZNavA5_pB9EiuWu_yq2DosJOOTgJ-3h5saTb1pVUDBtlpwvIa9fDJ1VuKEoo6LJBCimte-uXa0VnBXZX7RcJKtaNT5gkeXy1AvDmU1SI_u9_pE-aeY47ocW9/s4000/G0080665.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs1Y_yxJZwIoG6e-_bfMhjHZbFcSQv9pR4kNedMw329sFVSb7_eTgTWEfpJtan0Tu-lJQZNavA5_pB9EiuWu_yq2DosJOOTgJ-3h5saTb1pVUDBtlpwvIa9fDJ1VuKEoo6LJBCimte-uXa0VnBXZX7RcJKtaNT5gkeXy1AvDmU1SI_u9_pE-aeY47ocW9/s320/G0080665.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIPotXz6zdC6ui3ZT8NiVSaNm_aZA9tvd7Q3xha05z7YAGp3wCx0GjU0LKUOHnUeN4AA0KddrQ6YNWSVDhSXuB87RhXjkSU-RBOU3W2HiJCoc2aSplthuvh7r9Fbk9jizNTz8xJglW5vroDNYplFLbpJZ50F9gu1jNNfbZXCutAM-J1wwn2vDLoD95Ulm/s4000/GOPR0661.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIPotXz6zdC6ui3ZT8NiVSaNm_aZA9tvd7Q3xha05z7YAGp3wCx0GjU0LKUOHnUeN4AA0KddrQ6YNWSVDhSXuB87RhXjkSU-RBOU3W2HiJCoc2aSplthuvh7r9Fbk9jizNTz8xJglW5vroDNYplFLbpJZ50F9gu1jNNfbZXCutAM-J1wwn2vDLoD95Ulm/s320/GOPR0661.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNKO4zcgHs3qbT2s_O73fMTIt9MFJpScB6JC5ULV_NyrMs80SIlkWdv-A-sdyvLOwZgNTiER8pfbYNVpxdLLyF_1rxWIDLjcel0sAbMrdvb6lRBYXPo7ry3PXAyVI8GmS3NYyleM9Z5ITo2lhNNMMN5Hv8kc3YQyHffNbAFLAaHau3-5YwmUdHENePskU/s4000/G0050656.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNKO4zcgHs3qbT2s_O73fMTIt9MFJpScB6JC5ULV_NyrMs80SIlkWdv-A-sdyvLOwZgNTiER8pfbYNVpxdLLyF_1rxWIDLjcel0sAbMrdvb6lRBYXPo7ry3PXAyVI8GmS3NYyleM9Z5ITo2lhNNMMN5Hv8kc3YQyHffNbAFLAaHau3-5YwmUdHENePskU/s320/G0050656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>And here are some pix taken with my Canon DSLR…</b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJDgmexpPtRUUNBvesq39tbcnaI3h2yT50tpQ23pSUB7iuF6mbNemEs-sHwXDoYoEgld5SZtx_ZEVdIwaz3BVeeiI65wEvOdNuDYLnT-GqupEpIw5QqFOIbCAzizEIKm66ZMVbZhcVUkwqpIzsghNOdvQqFam8JJvYH_ThcXZWBqQX4wgQghuGBbm0VMS/s5016/224DCBA7-CD60-445C-B5B8-848066122FC1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5016" data-original-width="3572" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJDgmexpPtRUUNBvesq39tbcnaI3h2yT50tpQ23pSUB7iuF6mbNemEs-sHwXDoYoEgld5SZtx_ZEVdIwaz3BVeeiI65wEvOdNuDYLnT-GqupEpIw5QqFOIbCAzizEIKm66ZMVbZhcVUkwqpIzsghNOdvQqFam8JJvYH_ThcXZWBqQX4wgQghuGBbm0VMS/w285-h400/224DCBA7-CD60-445C-B5B8-848066122FC1.jpeg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>It was high tide when we arrived at around noon. The beach had a different look with people bunched up by the sand dunes.</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPawJeNIAl23L9SLJb7_CCf7y24taOiEc4w0FCYSxrptaWXHlJRdrEC4dKD17ymymMWPWFWgLadNERvZoWv8LZIIceWtlzcE2IvqrF8JyvPPsRocJ7_wfmgYQXgzNLzM1C1FwFECDRBwlQsenpewlN0p7ou3uD_JZExz0wia0D3ZlS0uU0tlAtjdCncEl/s4096/AB5B094D-7116-4721-9B93-ADC2385169D2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPawJeNIAl23L9SLJb7_CCf7y24taOiEc4w0FCYSxrptaWXHlJRdrEC4dKD17ymymMWPWFWgLadNERvZoWv8LZIIceWtlzcE2IvqrF8JyvPPsRocJ7_wfmgYQXgzNLzM1C1FwFECDRBwlQsenpewlN0p7ou3uD_JZExz0wia0D3ZlS0uU0tlAtjdCncEl/w400-h300/AB5B094D-7116-4721-9B93-ADC2385169D2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGYtIqVrzVxDYEzNNiJ8-JKNuYg0K8n8aN_-w744sTWRlhwPr0oNVpUxoVXX2cff1zCZliq3c5jdxlh34lhKngykJeplQtFPV8tdlcgxeF3ZYNVGuZJgWTSqPlCa0PiIeiRgSq9qMMj-zlJJMV6z_vU3syKkFn4wxzNWhD5rXbnunWghrzWXPJB3ZKjYR/s4096/9CF82E74-D5CB-434C-94CA-BF73338DE26D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGYtIqVrzVxDYEzNNiJ8-JKNuYg0K8n8aN_-w744sTWRlhwPr0oNVpUxoVXX2cff1zCZliq3c5jdxlh34lhKngykJeplQtFPV8tdlcgxeF3ZYNVGuZJgWTSqPlCa0PiIeiRgSq9qMMj-zlJJMV6z_vU3syKkFn4wxzNWhD5rXbnunWghrzWXPJB3ZKjYR/w400-h300/9CF82E74-D5CB-434C-94CA-BF73338DE26D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Coyotes have been seen for years in and around the barrier forest. I read in the newspaper about a dog being carried away by two coyotes. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94XXmbFUMRh_MxamEW_vi3jFw__3LfaYvTRM0vsCvFTeVJPxGrZs00MaHh5alLcngng_O_PTASx3g6hXqxSrjV333Inluh7He6T6TGyVY2U4CDPj4kGEgy-bkCFgaXaT-5kCr7k8cPrXt9Po4jVXlp2h-foscfq8GyGXrdTqd5-3pW8KbyZDAyJxBV09v/s4096/B6D8D2BC-5E3C-4055-9C11-24D43F3F8DA7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94XXmbFUMRh_MxamEW_vi3jFw__3LfaYvTRM0vsCvFTeVJPxGrZs00MaHh5alLcngng_O_PTASx3g6hXqxSrjV333Inluh7He6T6TGyVY2U4CDPj4kGEgy-bkCFgaXaT-5kCr7k8cPrXt9Po4jVXlp2h-foscfq8GyGXrdTqd5-3pW8KbyZDAyJxBV09v/w400-h300/B6D8D2BC-5E3C-4055-9C11-24D43F3F8DA7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-50638988031663911282023-09-01T09:21:00.008-04:002023-09-02T12:33:41.747-04:00Ships and Shorebirds at Sullivan’s Island <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaR1Hm2Gy9hLKkvZsuVTZ6z5u7AlDGFKURiMNTx4MOvUDdcs0Oh8qVBHtCSUAXwOYjKTOXZmqwASOpe5DueJtyubj9S6dwCID_46WiPWKdnVqQ_W_39zrKS5UWZNTKvW1y6R-N_598XgBzh9p4jRj6_ZVn7sg7vFATnl1NraLDZfZ_6nRFuLZHvGA9Xz-j/s4360/B713BD99-0877-48B3-9AEC-61A7D7298F21.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4360" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaR1Hm2Gy9hLKkvZsuVTZ6z5u7AlDGFKURiMNTx4MOvUDdcs0Oh8qVBHtCSUAXwOYjKTOXZmqwASOpe5DueJtyubj9S6dwCID_46WiPWKdnVqQ_W_39zrKS5UWZNTKvW1y6R-N_598XgBzh9p4jRj6_ZVn7sg7vFATnl1NraLDZfZ_6nRFuLZHvGA9Xz-j/w356-h400/B713BD99-0877-48B3-9AEC-61A7D7298F21.jpeg" width="356" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2023/08/folly-beach-lifer-bird.html">I posted a few weeks ago</a> about photographing Sandwich Terns for the first time. That was at Folly Beach. Well, Sunday at <a href="https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/">Sullivan’s Island</a> I saw some more. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzEbAH8y674WNZYGMnW9wp4t5ITfhsbCWqTDOv10_lFp0IxXUU3W9i00Z-Druo2S8EXEuQ6EiU5iqRJPTrhREyigTmZcdITe_CrBy00o73rEbBP0-qq4VbUWLlTC0af7nnSXUzjVnxiyc7cUNRcuUQmwty1yO1sAwOvG5A4Rt1rv9Z7oHPRLXaEjFNd-B/s4096/18947D53-B9F6-4598-994E-23EB74C28FA9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzEbAH8y674WNZYGMnW9wp4t5ITfhsbCWqTDOv10_lFp0IxXUU3W9i00Z-Druo2S8EXEuQ6EiU5iqRJPTrhREyigTmZcdITe_CrBy00o73rEbBP0-qq4VbUWLlTC0af7nnSXUzjVnxiyc7cUNRcuUQmwty1yO1sAwOvG5A4Rt1rv9Z7oHPRLXaEjFNd-B/w400-h300/18947D53-B9F6-4598-994E-23EB74C28FA9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This type of Tern certainly has two distinctive traits. The partially black head reminds me of a balding man. And the yellow tip on the bill is the mustard on the sandwich. That’s a memorable line I read in a guide somewhere. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7zKb1EaVfjwxsMeKw-av6qEHUYo5kwe8maxu-wIaiERG3-baWIIYzi9yGyti5rzXDiaTwWy1uoluJJonrgkx6Y1XKdq20m391Ab5KPdHg3HlgNKc58ahB9WURAyUyaUzmJ9rT46t57HKG90XSMFciCUmwBor7KxNroduPd9YZsvmHrJuEcKFYATD97Ed/s4096/73E967CB-44C8-4F79-98D3-E7FE13B38BD6.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7zKb1EaVfjwxsMeKw-av6qEHUYo5kwe8maxu-wIaiERG3-baWIIYzi9yGyti5rzXDiaTwWy1uoluJJonrgkx6Y1XKdq20m391Ab5KPdHg3HlgNKc58ahB9WURAyUyaUzmJ9rT46t57HKG90XSMFciCUmwBor7KxNroduPd9YZsvmHrJuEcKFYATD97Ed/w400-h300/73E967CB-44C8-4F79-98D3-E7FE13B38BD6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This smaller beach bird is a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sanderling/overview">Sanderling</a>,<br /></b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">a species of Sandpiper. </b><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntE0pnlKV3gwetHft1Y4BhRlelTAL2gIidYzSOmPwWMbi3lm-QsiNKW9vPH2Pln7S1gxEwpG-ozyxXXHxPrcf7kY9V9G5_Bm7O9dzLhIIRgum4J3xBl8t_IuTy5ra4zqa4eWsdHBYQAw0ZFnwgejNykAHV71c9oXqvNq127_ynkRZ0eMR46hcQL1YE2rT/s3908/5B2CAD6C-ABCC-44CD-B046-9D950AB6D6E3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2931" data-original-width="3908" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntE0pnlKV3gwetHft1Y4BhRlelTAL2gIidYzSOmPwWMbi3lm-QsiNKW9vPH2Pln7S1gxEwpG-ozyxXXHxPrcf7kY9V9G5_Bm7O9dzLhIIRgum4J3xBl8t_IuTy5ra4zqa4eWsdHBYQAw0ZFnwgejNykAHV71c9oXqvNq127_ynkRZ0eMR46hcQL1YE2rT/w400-h300/5B2CAD6C-ABCC-44CD-B046-9D950AB6D6E3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">We’ve been enjoying our new sunshade. It’s the <a href="https://shibumishade.com/">Shibumi</a> Mini model. It’s very lightweight and easy to put up. And it’s the right size for one to three people. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXZDJu5YDtrD9fYBh-LxgMZkuWXpb1AgGj26KkvaHA4lxEpjFPiLlljZz6Olc-P-G8x3GJwPNgPrCGVDRCV5ll4ZXQvQKuvG65SLNVHx3R-2hTs_nTIIR7nQ0_5bLBVlK4u20Co2H3bauybPw-OMfls46huhRfhcZTMQ8H49mNaLqtm8lq9y85PQinPI_/s4096/C1765314-A37D-45D5-B780-E61800694485.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXZDJu5YDtrD9fYBh-LxgMZkuWXpb1AgGj26KkvaHA4lxEpjFPiLlljZz6Olc-P-G8x3GJwPNgPrCGVDRCV5ll4ZXQvQKuvG65SLNVHx3R-2hTs_nTIIR7nQ0_5bLBVlK4u20Co2H3bauybPw-OMfls46huhRfhcZTMQ8H49mNaLqtm8lq9y85PQinPI_/w400-h300/C1765314-A37D-45D5-B780-E61800694485.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">It's pretty clear that Shibumi sales have exploded the past few years. I’ve shown them in other beach posts and I’m so happy to have received one from Alesia on my recent birthday 😘. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIzvPPh0w8NsO5ae8vo4eUpY4GgsSx8t9IFnV1wYCnkHEEkjdV--xOaFCYXV4e7Rs53v5K6flUyXsXV5wVHUaCz7_DxJ9ISwNIIzJkiPOjbpTFu07XXk5bmLtEnhrkr-LGl_M2GnFWzS92tGR7NQLqX4DUccnbmgMmGB6Q6pjMETq70IX2vS7pQ174XXf/s3753/BC8BE436-3C93-43ED-8CBF-52DA8796761B.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="3753" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIzvPPh0w8NsO5ae8vo4eUpY4GgsSx8t9IFnV1wYCnkHEEkjdV--xOaFCYXV4e7Rs53v5K6flUyXsXV5wVHUaCz7_DxJ9ISwNIIzJkiPOjbpTFu07XXk5bmLtEnhrkr-LGl_M2GnFWzS92tGR7NQLqX4DUccnbmgMmGB6Q6pjMETq70IX2vS7pQ174XXf/w400-h300/BC8BE436-3C93-43ED-8CBF-52DA8796761B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Not too long after we arrived at Sullivan’s Island, this huge container ship cruised out of the harbor into the Atlantic Ocean. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87_ORoD7BzhFbuyjdbhJRtU4SHtIgkbRwgDMesqpxgTDPBdc02pI5s6B-Utine278gyR8h36J9Znx48_mDJ9POntR8Xr8-JHDH_4DWSEk1ziP0HhEBY8HPc8U-GbHYSd5iKqNlgI2meaRBcM5bPn5g4gOo1lVKbr2gbVntvSxEJHCu5_PmB8qm3Sj8ngH/s4956/6A50113B-C89D-4981-B235-4B6B2E03B611.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3717" data-original-width="4956" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87_ORoD7BzhFbuyjdbhJRtU4SHtIgkbRwgDMesqpxgTDPBdc02pI5s6B-Utine278gyR8h36J9Znx48_mDJ9POntR8Xr8-JHDH_4DWSEk1ziP0HhEBY8HPc8U-GbHYSd5iKqNlgI2meaRBcM5bPn5g4gOo1lVKbr2gbVntvSxEJHCu5_PmB8qm3Sj8ngH/w400-h300/6A50113B-C89D-4981-B235-4B6B2E03B611.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">The Columbine Maersk, at this time, is heading south to the port in Savannah. I learned this from one of the <a href="https://www.marinevesseltraffic.com/vessels/COLUMBINE-MAERSK/CURRENT-POSITION/9245768/220129000">ship tracking sites online. </a></b><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I wonder how it dealt with Hurricane Idalia, which just stormed through South Carolina on Aug. 30. It was "only" a tropical storm when it hit our area but still caused lots of mayhem with flooding, tree and home damage and power outages. <br /></b></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQr4cGr4bVHQIaPKQnVW86-v57fbLC32f3nwEttu8yIQZERO3gu2GojsuiwLHZA_FMM5fdICrzAAPvqhImwDNHyuz6Dp7mzaPsW3M6geVAmq1_z_hab_sTQ9dSjYVCbKDxwyCwXi65_ldDBxsPYtT559ypswiSt1l5AwgbfgUv2BfLYcUHn8tzEN9HgRz/s4096/3E7A4E3A-975E-4743-9F5E-0AB98F782F26.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQr4cGr4bVHQIaPKQnVW86-v57fbLC32f3nwEttu8yIQZERO3gu2GojsuiwLHZA_FMM5fdICrzAAPvqhImwDNHyuz6Dp7mzaPsW3M6geVAmq1_z_hab_sTQ9dSjYVCbKDxwyCwXi65_ldDBxsPYtT559ypswiSt1l5AwgbfgUv2BfLYcUHn8tzEN9HgRz/w400-h300/3E7A4E3A-975E-4743-9F5E-0AB98F782F26.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">The ship looked pretty full of containers but maybe there is room to add more containers, hence the stop in Savannah. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgZmfBe_YmPUHLSJa6UnT0MFciqJX4bMtfXR9Fwd_Qi9vNH3S7m8KfFTp1yUtCl98uE3HcHnQqsud2N_XQcWE8NLiDBbBAAZxeQL14tkQZA__GBhzkiECeifGpp4opwa11IMop3P-0BylMC7ajVbZ8xpyqX3DnvTKc6mRIDwgwvQc21Lg2Xk4QxfeguA6/s4096/4BB05DCA-28E0-4523-9A33-F56F93BCDAD5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgZmfBe_YmPUHLSJa6UnT0MFciqJX4bMtfXR9Fwd_Qi9vNH3S7m8KfFTp1yUtCl98uE3HcHnQqsud2N_XQcWE8NLiDBbBAAZxeQL14tkQZA__GBhzkiECeifGpp4opwa11IMop3P-0BylMC7ajVbZ8xpyqX3DnvTKc6mRIDwgwvQc21Lg2Xk4QxfeguA6/w400-h300/4BB05DCA-28E0-4523-9A33-F56F93BCDAD5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">A view of the Columbine’s stern. The container ship was built in 2002. It is 347 meters (almost 380 yards) long. It flies under the flag of Denmark, meaning that is where the ship is registered. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5pCVKht_UwWQOtKXzGS01ChApTcKiu1D5E_6J4KEIVBPDHn_7Gin8dwuLELOdof8yWXrvcMIcfZkc6gJFtaTvKBX7AWVlQhXGi3-xNUgg7ox6TIHtlQHkq59MtDfN0TtYQYo2-8_sB1bvZ7KLbAOCYxuSvAbv8NMVXbZzhGNCNxPxokQaWaNPzhoAE40/s3939/905F3CE2-42B1-4C8C-BA89-7CAF521449F3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="3939" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5pCVKht_UwWQOtKXzGS01ChApTcKiu1D5E_6J4KEIVBPDHn_7Gin8dwuLELOdof8yWXrvcMIcfZkc6gJFtaTvKBX7AWVlQhXGi3-xNUgg7ox6TIHtlQHkq59MtDfN0TtYQYo2-8_sB1bvZ7KLbAOCYxuSvAbv8NMVXbZzhGNCNxPxokQaWaNPzhoAE40/w400-h300/905F3CE2-42B1-4C8C-BA89-7CAF521449F3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">These ships when leaving and entering the harbor…it’s as if you could swim out and touch them they seem so close! </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">In August the Columbine has also visited ports in Egypt and Singapore. </b></div><div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tFSHy9R4dNpNQpBnmOB4drR0nUvGTqpGtzJ8ZYhiRdt5Y5iNlomzFXBi8Y3co8wAK_8rrXZ_a4Q14V-UpZgZszfcPg1TSadkY9KyDCZvBKkxqLVBkim-_YLQ_5mS_qSkVBvQoSs_6c7ML8MCw1ApGI9aeQgw8-qfQ1-7rzuZ6NbP-GbxoiNqhu28lAHo/s5184/96FA01EF-0583-46C2-8CAD-55FE417AE242.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tFSHy9R4dNpNQpBnmOB4drR0nUvGTqpGtzJ8ZYhiRdt5Y5iNlomzFXBi8Y3co8wAK_8rrXZ_a4Q14V-UpZgZszfcPg1TSadkY9KyDCZvBKkxqLVBkim-_YLQ_5mS_qSkVBvQoSs_6c7ML8MCw1ApGI9aeQgw8-qfQ1-7rzuZ6NbP-GbxoiNqhu28lAHo/w400-h300/96FA01EF-0583-46C2-8CAD-55FE417AE242.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Photographing such ships and learning about them are among the many things I like about going to the beach on Sullivan’s Island. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWd306siRDBnED7sexZwFsnirPHCLd1E1tVeQTF35qGyQdLq1TrSVw5MqRBsvhn07rIyoG2UkG-68x-LwHcsuXniqYUVH2dowK8Ng0Mw_pOQt9M0JM83j1oSy73WCIEuVl9hwOmzsnRI3_L6asw6oCelGG5oNZi8WUxHZHRrpBbNvfwk-5bf7t0TWXSF9/s3713/24357289-AA8D-450F-B8D7-95DA20DD2987.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="3713" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWd306siRDBnED7sexZwFsnirPHCLd1E1tVeQTF35qGyQdLq1TrSVw5MqRBsvhn07rIyoG2UkG-68x-LwHcsuXniqYUVH2dowK8Ng0Mw_pOQt9M0JM83j1oSy73WCIEuVl9hwOmzsnRI3_L6asw6oCelGG5oNZi8WUxHZHRrpBbNvfwk-5bf7t0TWXSF9/w400-h294/24357289-AA8D-450F-B8D7-95DA20DD2987.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">We also saw <a href="https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/District-7/District-Cutters/USCGC-Willow/">this Charleston-based U.S. Coast Guard ship</a> heading out to sea. That’s the iconic <a href="https://follybeach.com/lighthouse/">Morris Island Lighthouse</a> by the boat’s bow. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">This vessel is called Willow and it is a buoy tender. Its job is to service 257 aids to navigation in a vast district that stretches from South Carolina to the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Haiti, according to Wikipedia. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF8KaWC_nxwS0yszZZJCWhXCa2aylBTLM9xBBI-tHmdxDHf0lNbVXPcw7D7U2mqK0cUrb58VHv133mrAybH5s99daq33pqWRFvQWvaPl0HPxJNbYpaE8D5a0b94ZQIm8Q_RJo-kScwnqTJoRZvXEtiT-Se6b8JfE5aH6SJNCBmXkYg4jLe1u-4Lt0pSPG/s3994/40EB4914-F875-49F7-88AB-28D1F7E9479E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="3994" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF8KaWC_nxwS0yszZZJCWhXCa2aylBTLM9xBBI-tHmdxDHf0lNbVXPcw7D7U2mqK0cUrb58VHv133mrAybH5s99daq33pqWRFvQWvaPl0HPxJNbYpaE8D5a0b94ZQIm8Q_RJo-kScwnqTJoRZvXEtiT-Se6b8JfE5aH6SJNCBmXkYg4jLe1u-4Lt0pSPG/w400-h300/40EB4914-F875-49F7-88AB-28D1F7E9479E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Willow, built in Wisconsin in 1996, is 225 feet long. The crew consists of eight officers and 34 enlisted men and women. </b><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsEobC4yuLEgI9Qx9JtXHBIe8vtMYtuWhl6XTOb159KpZADYXx93hwzzhDv9HIrF9buW-3Dnumz5lVZKWFl_A3I87Vvj-K21iqKy-94I7bkh8TseYEhe4BwxFqyG074gu-zGceVuF4lnLKmBJS7nfQr3Ss7RjhntSEaffDS9e0CaDdCpiZxk0zYGDv8JK/s4096/4D461E33-FF9F-433D-B50A-48EE57DA9DEB.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsEobC4yuLEgI9Qx9JtXHBIe8vtMYtuWhl6XTOb159KpZADYXx93hwzzhDv9HIrF9buW-3Dnumz5lVZKWFl_A3I87Vvj-K21iqKy-94I7bkh8TseYEhe4BwxFqyG074gu-zGceVuF4lnLKmBJS7nfQr3Ss7RjhntSEaffDS9e0CaDdCpiZxk0zYGDv8JK/w400-h300/4D461E33-FF9F-433D-B50A-48EE57DA9DEB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Willow and crew played a key role in re-opening New York Harbor in 2012 by repairing and replacing buoys damaged by Hurricane Sandy. These repairs enabled ships carrying needed gasoline and heating oil to safely enter the harbor. </b><p></p></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJDqsSiwp_YFyFwy0c9asvjWoXeo48gDzaPE2J5epUUMvVex_DW-HhghsAo5QcX8PXct4uWn1R63pkV3KCoqFY4d9QY-sTJYCGwRAVAMjj6PxGOIHOUYbrLXcqqupUc_7pSr83I4f_p-S0rTM8-gvCT0vPQKGS-x_BnaivhanEHbaToDXqPRoox1lGO4H/s4096/BCFCFBE4-2FFA-4FD6-AAC7-C0652A8CE250.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJDqsSiwp_YFyFwy0c9asvjWoXeo48gDzaPE2J5epUUMvVex_DW-HhghsAo5QcX8PXct4uWn1R63pkV3KCoqFY4d9QY-sTJYCGwRAVAMjj6PxGOIHOUYbrLXcqqupUc_7pSr83I4f_p-S0rTM8-gvCT0vPQKGS-x_BnaivhanEHbaToDXqPRoox1lGO4H/w400-h300/BCFCFBE4-2FFA-4FD6-AAC7-C0652A8CE250.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">These two boats were not as close as it may appear. That’s a shrimp boat on the left, I’m not sure the other vessel is a yacht or something else. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><a href="https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/marshall-islands/rm-lgflag/">The flag on its stern</a> appears to be that of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Islands">Marshall Islands</a>, a far-flung island in the Pacific Ocean. I can’t quite make out the boat’s name.<br /><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">The flag is also the symbol of a company called International Registries. <a href="https://www.register-iri.com/">More on that here. </a></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKEevfc7I_ttEDEmjZuzKGitIVbe5MtnuDtxOnfv6SC198KXdR3xM3k6ISJ42A5j1mZ3eMfaOfa4urYX7UcH-R9-ZpICYsMbR5gov35N03_6Uq8wEDhJl6zd53RxhCRRo3MiXocdKu2dgKPW1Q9los2HqAoPZMwG5HZMAAQ6IILf0k9--A5Mh7IlwXxNW/s4096/3C78E21B-0911-498A-8328-6B4EBCA2118C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKEevfc7I_ttEDEmjZuzKGitIVbe5MtnuDtxOnfv6SC198KXdR3xM3k6ISJ42A5j1mZ3eMfaOfa4urYX7UcH-R9-ZpICYsMbR5gov35N03_6Uq8wEDhJl6zd53RxhCRRo3MiXocdKu2dgKPW1Q9los2HqAoPZMwG5HZMAAQ6IILf0k9--A5Mh7IlwXxNW/w400-h300/3C78E21B-0911-498A-8328-6B4EBCA2118C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">I also came across online information that says how many yachts have Marshall Islands registry as a “flag of convenience for its favorable tax environment and operational freedom.” </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">It’s all about the money- no surprise there! </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23tftrMYkqjyfYG2Oirwe7meK1Zs_-Of_uUsX8iqmPhxKwkh6YQLp1XNBpOxvaDfO_uF7OC_BiiuKl7WnRIxFH-moDIOoj2kCWmC51CVfM4cng6nTPHsX5XIzFKBPLqtSQzO_6NObOpUkkMsnjxLwBUx2Qm6cfRnSw1e5o7BZuKabYpr89B5lzUnbV3Qr/s4096/08FC56C3-8572-433C-B21D-7698EF595EF7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23tftrMYkqjyfYG2Oirwe7meK1Zs_-Of_uUsX8iqmPhxKwkh6YQLp1XNBpOxvaDfO_uF7OC_BiiuKl7WnRIxFH-moDIOoj2kCWmC51CVfM4cng6nTPHsX5XIzFKBPLqtSQzO_6NObOpUkkMsnjxLwBUx2Qm6cfRnSw1e5o7BZuKabYpr89B5lzUnbV3Qr/w400-h300/08FC56C3-8572-433C-B21D-7698EF595EF7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Here’s a closeup of the shrimp boat coming home with the usual escort of birds. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">The United States flag flies atop this boat. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsBu9xe7-bCCzuGaSDEw1TLD7vVHv7s4oRU4thWubn6E0vzZSMWbCZGLguz_or74q0KYwOzrjuo9CeY7QgU9ydSODxAWYSBqSVHr8Mo3UluMenUlv-nFm08BcbGBXd056EI-vHKFGXtb90LedSSXf6cs4GCzCe-YRCI5aHwiF5nthlElvNtiLq45BSF0i/s4096/D666E831-E482-40C0-A50D-00EB0CD46E0E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsBu9xe7-bCCzuGaSDEw1TLD7vVHv7s4oRU4thWubn6E0vzZSMWbCZGLguz_or74q0KYwOzrjuo9CeY7QgU9ydSODxAWYSBqSVHr8Mo3UluMenUlv-nFm08BcbGBXd056EI-vHKFGXtb90LedSSXf6cs4GCzCe-YRCI5aHwiF5nthlElvNtiLq45BSF0i/w400-h300/D666E831-E482-40C0-A50D-00EB0CD46E0E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">One last craft spotted on what proved to be a busy Sunday afternoon at the harbor entrance and exit was this <a href="https://www.freightcourse.com/what-are-pilot-boats/">Pilot boat</a>. These are described as small boats that take maritime pilots to vessels that are arriving at a port, one of Charleston’s ports in this case. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKl-gM2mVt7dkuzqZrU28KgX4z-gDEm_ITfpQfkblLB0Q6R5tpCh9fOGRQGwHXcb-coYLdytH5p8cvKzz_jrwXwRzENxN6nrzr5EvJUIatiTKn-JHcA8F90zQOiZiOQDXvVlHpeBbz8K1szhskRiHUBCR0wKz12Vtm9G1T5QbotvhUF6jJDSE3DhgMLk0/s3854/4F5A449A-C2C5-4FAD-BA07-58AE27F1AC0E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3854" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKl-gM2mVt7dkuzqZrU28KgX4z-gDEm_ITfpQfkblLB0Q6R5tpCh9fOGRQGwHXcb-coYLdytH5p8cvKzz_jrwXwRzENxN6nrzr5EvJUIatiTKn-JHcA8F90zQOiZiOQDXvVlHpeBbz8K1szhskRiHUBCR0wKz12Vtm9G1T5QbotvhUF6jJDSE3DhgMLk0/w400-h239/4F5A449A-C2C5-4FAD-BA07-58AE27F1AC0E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We looked to the sky for this final item of interest. These two helicopters were flying north along the coastline. My friend Michael, an airline pilot, helped me identify these as CH-53 Super Stallion military aircraft. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheP6V3NWOQygquUj3vw6tnKNs4NLbfNF3oFm4_ZE-mur8LjeUOejg3BzCoP1FDFGmmVE7Vb8fAuxTXJhZAKbTNpTmGWgNy-wKiS09xzv9esM6RK-gRNVHD4Ko-IYJmRpAssAQRegySlJuKl02bRjiqp2e_Tqno2xiri613zf23_rHVx3a7D6-MdkNYlApt/s4096/09C2E8D8-032C-4CE6-AD36-7D63590A4AA5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheP6V3NWOQygquUj3vw6tnKNs4NLbfNF3oFm4_ZE-mur8LjeUOejg3BzCoP1FDFGmmVE7Vb8fAuxTXJhZAKbTNpTmGWgNy-wKiS09xzv9esM6RK-gRNVHD4Ko-IYJmRpAssAQRegySlJuKl02bRjiqp2e_Tqno2xiri613zf23_rHVx3a7D6-MdkNYlApt/w400-h300/09C2E8D8-032C-4CE6-AD36-7D63590A4AA5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">This photo shows what a refueling device attached to the right of the cockpit. Built by Sikorsky the Sea Stallion is a heavy lift helicopter. The military work horse has been in service since the early 1980s. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpNdhlaEPzVX2PQPrNRCUIS8zLPTemaL7UNIgym3q1HOJGf4YmgZxDbD4DblD1f-FOXuQ4cpjKi3QYjUlZhrfRo6hyOuwWUrVvt-OCyaRYi19EgEBWG-e3EP_sE18QHjCa5U8uQpw4rvQxam2Js8ee99N6De6Bhg540C4f3i5sTgH5f84Vh92S24iOmYq/s4096/584AD563-8BE5-4A95-B95E-556EFFC2D137.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpNdhlaEPzVX2PQPrNRCUIS8zLPTemaL7UNIgym3q1HOJGf4YmgZxDbD4DblD1f-FOXuQ4cpjKi3QYjUlZhrfRo6hyOuwWUrVvt-OCyaRYi19EgEBWG-e3EP_sE18QHjCa5U8uQpw4rvQxam2Js8ee99N6De6Bhg540C4f3i5sTgH5f84Vh92S24iOmYq/w300-h400/584AD563-8BE5-4A95-B95E-556EFFC2D137.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Relaxing, blue skies, and perfect water temperature made for another nice weekend visit to the beach. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">And some photo-worthy subjects made the day even better! Certainly more educational for me. </b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8O4LeJ4z4mx_8SfTHmgdx6ats_ycTJMh9YkGJaY-Li64A8OB9n_DtKXleMHNhoPUClG-h9_v5I-KGY5W3eYmQuKRKDtMPHXLWdGydKE3WWgQwGRcvkd6NoP6ghEjfVKAfZpvNNLy_agSsX6X0wXa1OiGq3lPCx9R6V-STCcSQzGS06vwOdm6Gvye8lho/s5071/E7B31710-758F-41EC-A231-9AD01FEA90B3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3803" data-original-width="5071" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8O4LeJ4z4mx_8SfTHmgdx6ats_ycTJMh9YkGJaY-Li64A8OB9n_DtKXleMHNhoPUClG-h9_v5I-KGY5W3eYmQuKRKDtMPHXLWdGydKE3WWgQwGRcvkd6NoP6ghEjfVKAfZpvNNLy_agSsX6X0wXa1OiGq3lPCx9R6V-STCcSQzGS06vwOdm6Gvye8lho/w400-h300/E7B31710-758F-41EC-A231-9AD01FEA90B3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><span><!--more--></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-52549234703408250282023-08-25T18:03:00.003-04:002023-08-27T10:27:55.626-04:00Author to Author<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAL18JC_33EW9YUVcY1epJZNpJwO6ZGDqV-YYNFPwdfVOGmy66VcjozjQTscDqanrhGSB_NxrUBi4Mxl14gb-sQzhj5Fl5BKT0dyrYZXpSS1Aryn4l7NCju9o2IYzMiFCLytV98Z1wdpRmqNfFpCuBhY_d-E--_ZLc_G-eahxdI-zMJf8YOnCDsKamGk8/s3588/3D150538-4D4B-437E-8728-CEE758DBFBB9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2796" data-original-width="3588" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAL18JC_33EW9YUVcY1epJZNpJwO6ZGDqV-YYNFPwdfVOGmy66VcjozjQTscDqanrhGSB_NxrUBi4Mxl14gb-sQzhj5Fl5BKT0dyrYZXpSS1Aryn4l7NCju9o2IYzMiFCLytV98Z1wdpRmqNfFpCuBhY_d-E--_ZLc_G-eahxdI-zMJf8YOnCDsKamGk8/w400-h311/3D150538-4D4B-437E-8728-CEE758DBFBB9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>What a pleasure to recently meet fellow author (and tennis enthusiast!) Angela Williams, who in 2014 published her excellent and enlightening memoir “Hush Now, Baby.” <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Now-Baby-Angela-Williams/dp/1680030345">(Amazon sale site here)</a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We connected during the summer and decided to meet in person. At a Mt. Pleasant Starbucks, we had a long chat and exchanged and signed our books for each other. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Underground-Churchyards-Charleston/dp/0984749845">(link here to my latest)</a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Angela is a longtime educator and retired English professor and writing lab director at The Citadel. She grew up in Berkeley County where three generations of her family founded and owned<a href="https://www.berkeleyobserver.com/2020/01/26/williams-farm-supply-nearly-century-old-store-no-more/"> Williams Farm Supply</a> in Moncks Corner. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhsSJS9YWuvNeg_4qFcpt7WEYpeHCChO3hbNp9qqRfl6VziarMWjnO-CXFZZYoOUzJsAMbAligo_vk6xx9pzbpAo5AtpX42MTRmWsuGJ48ZNgMhyQv0PuUapy7vO6jOkwVJ67A_fnuonGwxGzjDLMzJ4B3VCEGGVw8EIqt-jfYueyzj18Y4d3u_Pd2NQK/s3739/2F15473D-56A5-4B14-B072-B6704F0C25C9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3739" data-original-width="2365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhsSJS9YWuvNeg_4qFcpt7WEYpeHCChO3hbNp9qqRfl6VziarMWjnO-CXFZZYoOUzJsAMbAligo_vk6xx9pzbpAo5AtpX42MTRmWsuGJ48ZNgMhyQv0PuUapy7vO6jOkwVJ67A_fnuonGwxGzjDLMzJ4B3VCEGGVw8EIqt-jfYueyzj18Y4d3u_Pd2NQK/w253-h400/2F15473D-56A5-4B14-B072-B6704F0C25C9.jpeg" width="253" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>From her birth to her wedding day, Angela had a very close, supportive and loving relationship with her family’s live-in nanny/housekeeper/cook Eva Aiken. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>When we met I told Angela her book reminded me of the popular 2011 film, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Underground-Churchyards-Charleston/dp/0984749845">“The Help”</a> which depicts the lives of Black women working at White family homes in Mississippi in the 1950s-1960s. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Angela told me that the movie triggered her to write “Hush Now, Baby” because the film was nothing like her own experience. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I recently completed this fine book. Angela provides such interesting details about her life in the Lowcountry from the early 1940s to the mid-1960s. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>In my book, her book is a five star read! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ </b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-55818379632551594442023-08-13T18:28:00.002-04:002023-08-14T09:33:44.310-04:00Folly Beach “Lifer” Bird! <p> <span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I wasn’t expecting to add a “lifer” bird during Sunday’s <a href="https://visitfolly.com/">Folly Beach</a> outing. But that’s a neat part of the birding hobby- expect the unexpected! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bO_5ZORnQTvO5G94kilzrj4vd0Bk622kMQFzlexkUpji0EB64Cw5CW8-3umWRPo7QRcqWFx1CQM7mVi1kApVG_-fmq-rtY7dbiGUaPFjcOL6zgYBwQGmt1lm824VMdbNnsmapcojdsyoCjDLgiKjunWUwMlSG75dyCkvPgU3p4PlMd15-ySPk-BtRQ97/s2931/B511B75C-82C5-4AB3-84F4-5E8A04C0FEDC.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="2931" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bO_5ZORnQTvO5G94kilzrj4vd0Bk622kMQFzlexkUpji0EB64Cw5CW8-3umWRPo7QRcqWFx1CQM7mVi1kApVG_-fmq-rtY7dbiGUaPFjcOL6zgYBwQGmt1lm824VMdbNnsmapcojdsyoCjDLgiKjunWUwMlSG75dyCkvPgU3p4PlMd15-ySPk-BtRQ97/w400-h293/B511B75C-82C5-4AB3-84F4-5E8A04C0FEDC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Meet the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandwich_Tern/overview">Sandwich Tern</a>. What’s with the sandwich you ask? This shore bird was “discovered” and documented in Sandwich, England in 1787 by ornithologist John Latham. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTqXwzZ7mnXM2Mfau_m9Cby-noVKfKslYbPARQJbawZTBE2SOIvJYue1wkZFT6DhINLSVc7XAuI1RRGFATBt450_d89HHI3PSpQbXP47kxZpbmeP3R2PRQMKZh2MkoZe6r_VpEpYy0ViRwpph6zR69oou3TsoNpD8sDVVRSDTUQErTWbloHM9EhQ75zsO/s5184/22B351EF-FFB9-4C4E-80D9-E06B0EAED98B.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTqXwzZ7mnXM2Mfau_m9Cby-noVKfKslYbPARQJbawZTBE2SOIvJYue1wkZFT6DhINLSVc7XAuI1RRGFATBt450_d89HHI3PSpQbXP47kxZpbmeP3R2PRQMKZh2MkoZe6r_VpEpYy0ViRwpph6zR69oou3TsoNpD8sDVVRSDTUQErTWbloHM9EhQ75zsO/w400-h300/22B351EF-FFB9-4C4E-80D9-E06B0EAED98B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br />The species has a distinctive yellow tip on its bill. That’s the mustard on the sandwich (I read somewhere). <br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhIyLkDxg4ymyygw_zcAKdcS85GO04xUWPAhbplF6pST9UWxfjY4KPno66Sizg2luPtjhNEkZDqDohqjxLxeUqcbbGzX9lkO6L0nl6olxJjKvD8ElewjTMFp1odObzctVSP0ERiMbjFg4M6L4aA0XdC7yQMEQCBt8E0e4zlCQ8LfFU-iBwuxbZvGcC9lU/s3559/04EE59A7-1859-4889-8383-4EB53DD00B63.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="3559" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhIyLkDxg4ymyygw_zcAKdcS85GO04xUWPAhbplF6pST9UWxfjY4KPno66Sizg2luPtjhNEkZDqDohqjxLxeUqcbbGzX9lkO6L0nl6olxJjKvD8ElewjTMFp1odObzctVSP0ERiMbjFg4M6L4aA0XdC7yQMEQCBt8E0e4zlCQ8LfFU-iBwuxbZvGcC9lU/w400-h305/04EE59A7-1859-4889-8383-4EB53DD00B63.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This tern type is a lifer bird for me, an unexpected bonus to our first visit to Folly Beach since <a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2021/06/folly-beach-fishing-pier-update.html">August 2021. </a></b><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Folly Beach Fishing Pier re-do is featured in my two years ago post. It has been completed but we were not close enough to see it in this August's visit. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HMZMe06fK9ubkc17vXTfktWTxaZz4cxh2Eau_ffa-_Iwxfee-VJbrLFwjSQ3iuxQmv7piay04AhOpV1gZo8XNgrfrTOzXUd4-KiycNUBGJJa50Au-ojT_lyq90h5rNL7ytYahDyN6NC0eao7ptJaPp78vOgyrhyWjbgV-gVSmOH09dgYlWGThjYbHsj7/s4096/465468B8-D7A4-43C3-9570-802EF95BAE45.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HMZMe06fK9ubkc17vXTfktWTxaZz4cxh2Eau_ffa-_Iwxfee-VJbrLFwjSQ3iuxQmv7piay04AhOpV1gZo8XNgrfrTOzXUd4-KiycNUBGJJa50Au-ojT_lyq90h5rNL7ytYahDyN6NC0eao7ptJaPp78vOgyrhyWjbgV-gVSmOH09dgYlWGThjYbHsj7/w400-h300/465468B8-D7A4-43C3-9570-802EF95BAE45.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXxYs1flwBoUbOUU3ebTpT-YZEffOhvHzZ_Fd4fl3Y9q7GD6VD-PqjzJoM_8E_RuCRLicdcjngcDvHJPKrMt5at7mK0k1VRLStOBMLuUUHycsOSFxMEr7r15g80329buYG8_hmPOgkEw8rJPu2tmAaakmv-B_pw8JZk7kcVaDEFGdEv72K1kcwY45eNKa/s4096/7601DC10-B6B9-4EBF-8880-A2B40A47B1E1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXxYs1flwBoUbOUU3ebTpT-YZEffOhvHzZ_Fd4fl3Y9q7GD6VD-PqjzJoM_8E_RuCRLicdcjngcDvHJPKrMt5at7mK0k1VRLStOBMLuUUHycsOSFxMEr7r15g80329buYG8_hmPOgkEw8rJPu2tmAaakmv-B_pw8JZk7kcVaDEFGdEv72K1kcwY45eNKa/w400-h300/7601DC10-B6B9-4EBF-8880-A2B40A47B1E1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>I saw this mixed group of shorebirds as we walked toward the inlet so we could see the venerable Morris Island Lighthouse. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I’m a longtime member of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SavetheLightInc/">“Save the Light” organization</a> that has helped repair and preserve the tall brick light that dates to 1876. <br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMJd1_LMhC25a0cYNMwAZprRpVDxYOv_yOSAaanvPZu4igyOpCYJiiz0ccOL2xQua4HWMKq6toI0rf5FC-HA0j_GH_JxXu0u-EGKunHW_PuMkUb8_WHvYnb7RRYxILZHiPSgwdzBjpW1SxlyAVHwPGr1cDqMGCicKTQqKLoZrAz-Ls4kfJY5xFqp5v0WO/s4096/17D1C4AF-0949-4E54-BC76-8660CF38D3DB.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMJd1_LMhC25a0cYNMwAZprRpVDxYOv_yOSAaanvPZu4igyOpCYJiiz0ccOL2xQua4HWMKq6toI0rf5FC-HA0j_GH_JxXu0u-EGKunHW_PuMkUb8_WHvYnb7RRYxILZHiPSgwdzBjpW1SxlyAVHwPGr1cDqMGCicKTQqKLoZrAz-Ls4kfJY5xFqp5v0WO/w400-h300/17D1C4AF-0949-4E54-BC76-8660CF38D3DB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This is a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/id">Ring-billed Gull</a> that may have been also feeling the hot, humid temperatures. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oqCl6_Toif9X6cAhNG6ZHq0lqKInHI2cNvcH3lr00J1RFNPUDUedw2V4SRVBuf0x_aAfKHr-siaWoquRMNNj6rh9fxnIztka4KPIHQJ7AZO45FtTYAUIvGGP1zpznngAwrjMtE-MT2-H92Ahf3yXKrjMzFcOhoL5bj3d_d2lCWsFryyKNoU0GpKdbSKJ/s4096/BAD9959D-E39B-453A-AC91-5DBBE3C386FA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oqCl6_Toif9X6cAhNG6ZHq0lqKInHI2cNvcH3lr00J1RFNPUDUedw2V4SRVBuf0x_aAfKHr-siaWoquRMNNj6rh9fxnIztka4KPIHQJ7AZO45FtTYAUIvGGP1zpznngAwrjMtE-MT2-H92Ahf3yXKrjMzFcOhoL5bj3d_d2lCWsFryyKNoU0GpKdbSKJ/w400-h300/BAD9959D-E39B-453A-AC91-5DBBE3C386FA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Long-legged <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Willet/id">Willets</a> are common sights on our area beaches. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>To follow are other Folly Beach scenes.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2Ct-ZMe0kTqMvsa0WQtlW0vi4aHmEyxb0NgkrQekiD4HvM4wM6UZCnlCoMYNV7HiHxkaQJTbZmtFyduM4mNF4Ov8LdOwbvFMirlP46wkSG599Ze37MOSF-mEti0lIt-ycSl5YMdHm-j-_9ETDIov8uzoDwthfAlpnPH-EwJvsbR5G_tSqdAS3P62wjMm/s4096/E2AC7635-4C32-4661-9519-37D7E76480C9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2Ct-ZMe0kTqMvsa0WQtlW0vi4aHmEyxb0NgkrQekiD4HvM4wM6UZCnlCoMYNV7HiHxkaQJTbZmtFyduM4mNF4Ov8LdOwbvFMirlP46wkSG599Ze37MOSF-mEti0lIt-ycSl5YMdHm-j-_9ETDIov8uzoDwthfAlpnPH-EwJvsbR5G_tSqdAS3P62wjMm/w400-h300/E2AC7635-4C32-4661-9519-37D7E76480C9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Here's a closeup of the Morris Island Lighthouse. <a href="https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=333">Read about its interesting history here. </a></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB_ASUEczPoWuu25zOilSlugnJT5zlvoTffooe6kDmP2Ah0uzZQ1iakFfXF6cUY1p-6JPnUOeVi98iwol8v_gKJhwiaDGDOqRLOj6hgc3SGnbtMfhAtA4ETXXRfbGyVCAwwdC488fArHYtb-zSLXKLHAV0b_FVN4DzPKRJ8-B6HsAWQDruBDBgb6wSwsY/s4096/9D5F1835-6921-444E-BD27-1DFB4D86BCF3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB_ASUEczPoWuu25zOilSlugnJT5zlvoTffooe6kDmP2Ah0uzZQ1iakFfXF6cUY1p-6JPnUOeVi98iwol8v_gKJhwiaDGDOqRLOj6hgc3SGnbtMfhAtA4ETXXRfbGyVCAwwdC488fArHYtb-zSLXKLHAV0b_FVN4DzPKRJ8-B6HsAWQDruBDBgb6wSwsY/w400-h300/9D5F1835-6921-444E-BD27-1DFB4D86BCF3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>That’s the <a href="https://www.sullivansisland.com/sullivans-island-lighthouse.html">Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse</a> across Charleston’s Harbor. The black and white tower, completed in 1962, is also called the Charleston Light. <a href="https://www.sullivansisland.com/sullivans-island-lighthouse.html">More on that here. </a></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OBBGqvAXbZD89J9AlefdaZ88mxAQzquIdy3cbsayoRMaKqtxemyz3asJbcmy9T9idOx_1IqvNjXyXA1C8zZeGAv4JxNczFVcd6Akswou4J2nFPOxsxYk__9qL2LU6akPFIWmBzNEzL9ti_vU4s9CwNKYvqQdH1yEXscv7K1rUnhwjMPpKkPGzDiEVP2T/s4096/2994BD7C-BD73-4EA8-8913-F64FF73FA733.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OBBGqvAXbZD89J9AlefdaZ88mxAQzquIdy3cbsayoRMaKqtxemyz3asJbcmy9T9idOx_1IqvNjXyXA1C8zZeGAv4JxNczFVcd6Akswou4J2nFPOxsxYk__9qL2LU6akPFIWmBzNEzL9ti_vU4s9CwNKYvqQdH1yEXscv7K1rUnhwjMPpKkPGzDiEVP2T/w400-h300/2994BD7C-BD73-4EA8-8913-F64FF73FA733.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Huge container ships go in and out of the harbor 24-7. Charleston has one of the busiest ports in America. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQq97BgnNIvFH7NV7DUjtbQR93_eAXRCNl41fwGigLt-EFZtpE7qyjH1ssOTh6mtqMqldWEBPtyM-Ft0fQP8ZB3v3pTat05Bh0OfiTwd8eylTVNiqlRKe0R50t2yoH8Wf4AD6sXPzUkhGzYZccT3yNRcL19YlglW0w9WTJ6ldDJpaJ_IGN0g0SlFarbSd/s4096/AE08E05D-740D-47BF-AAA3-267A96954C01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQq97BgnNIvFH7NV7DUjtbQR93_eAXRCNl41fwGigLt-EFZtpE7qyjH1ssOTh6mtqMqldWEBPtyM-Ft0fQP8ZB3v3pTat05Bh0OfiTwd8eylTVNiqlRKe0R50t2yoH8Wf4AD6sXPzUkhGzYZccT3yNRcL19YlglW0w9WTJ6ldDJpaJ_IGN0g0SlFarbSd/w400-h300/AE08E05D-740D-47BF-AAA3-267A96954C01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzOPlOrnOC9nozuD4k6m7swE83jWBdtirJm_9bpsyMGBWJK-yLW6uLOzvPSC-rIi6ZTKqXSab1lcOdqkGY6sLU5IeHTQO6WlSmy1UJshR6_6sDK_0UIFNm4B5nWEbmoR8TVMlDFNIhHC1aU_bRcEbF1WvtTptDUi7dI-walJsqkeKDCRO1ncJp649Ua--/s4096/34C26444-9BF2-4A6C-A753-0AE549EFC137.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzOPlOrnOC9nozuD4k6m7swE83jWBdtirJm_9bpsyMGBWJK-yLW6uLOzvPSC-rIi6ZTKqXSab1lcOdqkGY6sLU5IeHTQO6WlSmy1UJshR6_6sDK_0UIFNm4B5nWEbmoR8TVMlDFNIhHC1aU_bRcEbF1WvtTptDUi7dI-walJsqkeKDCRO1ncJp649Ua--/w400-h300/34C26444-9BF2-4A6C-A753-0AE549EFC137.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdmaXafh-d5tlS4PA4zZr_PngfDjPYV6fCOEFBKqRw4uBdNd9uOHM4s2yqHmvCN88_C81fTmQwU8DFXkI3I50HL0_BYXgs-_oD2qfuwfAmbrDO9Z7wWLuN3QMIUoJnUE9d1GHIP24mn7oCzUgsyaqV_j1TYerO2vBqzDyWNpfPtgLjZw1wGDmHkXgEKLN/s4032/56A75A0E-FA22-4DD1-AC66-4EDD2495D510.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdmaXafh-d5tlS4PA4zZr_PngfDjPYV6fCOEFBKqRw4uBdNd9uOHM4s2yqHmvCN88_C81fTmQwU8DFXkI3I50HL0_BYXgs-_oD2qfuwfAmbrDO9Z7wWLuN3QMIUoJnUE9d1GHIP24mn7oCzUgsyaqV_j1TYerO2vBqzDyWNpfPtgLjZw1wGDmHkXgEKLN/w400-h300/56A75A0E-FA22-4DD1-AC66-4EDD2495D510.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>These blue and lavender <a href="https://shibumishade.com/pages/shade?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=ws_brand_exact&utm_content=canopy&utm_term=shibumi%20canopy&utm_id=19691119890&nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A19691119890%3A145564322105%3A665739437192&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=shibumi%20canopy&nb_ti=kwd-929502764075&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=e&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoeemBhCfARIsADR2QCv1RQpfUh4yVf3JhEz7bzpMH_V38lehZiLGCFcEL5gUqVZe11d_ZSIaAq0HEALw_wcB">Shibumi sun shades</a> are common on area beaches today. Little did I know when I took this photograph that I would soon have one! See my upcoming post on that. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j4gUtwGgXyy5N5yYkDQT8ZSGkB4AdvpYD2l6RyCV3kqbVfxDK_oD4C8vGmCJm0x7tM-gEVDzXIMULhQlJXqs-8l8HYSdwJFrn0vkHp-pP424ya1_vVAQ4eAAgWva3v05MQ0J5dMT-7DG48R-dMGl0pdbhF2WHWakeo0SP5kHzrVd_Trd2JWTDKq870sU/s4096/877A0862-CAFE-45B7-B0A8-1D51E2B812DD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j4gUtwGgXyy5N5yYkDQT8ZSGkB4AdvpYD2l6RyCV3kqbVfxDK_oD4C8vGmCJm0x7tM-gEVDzXIMULhQlJXqs-8l8HYSdwJFrn0vkHp-pP424ya1_vVAQ4eAAgWva3v05MQ0J5dMT-7DG48R-dMGl0pdbhF2WHWakeo0SP5kHzrVd_Trd2JWTDKq870sU/w400-h300/877A0862-CAFE-45B7-B0A8-1D51E2B812DD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>It’s amazing the new watercraft that comes out every few years! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGV7rsW-vppllLgn1f9v8TLSWxK803m-8yGjcgoeVRcSIjXRpbdCmkHanIy8yhW5GLEY8xiBKj_yib9miS81RpLpc8MW1DfuppI25DUfuiqDfeHnpDWI1Gkj4hAO51utYrt4fFUljbhTi8JPhGO2iOHB6Jsmo4JA94YUC25BwH1Ck5Qrro18aKYlwsTGM/s4096/301B2246-CD71-405B-B576-9C1706443133.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGV7rsW-vppllLgn1f9v8TLSWxK803m-8yGjcgoeVRcSIjXRpbdCmkHanIy8yhW5GLEY8xiBKj_yib9miS81RpLpc8MW1DfuppI25DUfuiqDfeHnpDWI1Gkj4hAO51utYrt4fFUljbhTi8JPhGO2iOHB6Jsmo4JA94YUC25BwH1Ck5Qrro18aKYlwsTGM/w400-h300/301B2246-CD71-405B-B576-9C1706443133.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvfx9-wQgPSgrUeRvWloMdZElAU4g3cXLoFxX0qqybWFBoguZbZoeBnS7zzslQ1zJPCgYHFU584M__aVE3wNNf07Rl__118eBbqprO0FiFSXWfxTA5pxRWSHj_Uv40fKdFUrh0SfifRrVWp39XzYM_6ahlV6P3zU6TWQ7KOavAtBaPgXjXcrLsfHdX3Nt/s4032/E1C93FD1-7A16-49FD-91C2-5EDFAFE2E71E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvfx9-wQgPSgrUeRvWloMdZElAU4g3cXLoFxX0qqybWFBoguZbZoeBnS7zzslQ1zJPCgYHFU584M__aVE3wNNf07Rl__118eBbqprO0FiFSXWfxTA5pxRWSHj_Uv40fKdFUrh0SfifRrVWp39XzYM_6ahlV6P3zU6TWQ7KOavAtBaPgXjXcrLsfHdX3Nt/w300-h400/E1C93FD1-7A16-49FD-91C2-5EDFAFE2E71E.jpeg" width="300" /></a><br /><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>It was a fun outing at Folly Beach, made even better with Joseph joining us from New York! </b></div></b><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-26760989006445963712023-08-01T17:41:00.006-04:002023-08-08T10:57:36.414-04:00Nature Being Nature Sequence <p> <span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I was not expecting to see what I saw recently when I walked in my backyard to photograph a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id">Great Blue Heron</a> that I spotted through a window. Here is the sequence I captured (Hint: poor bullfrog). </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2XYArkf7ft-prAEFi-Z9NzHYlkTaJE3gRjHKT_aNgKxRPZw6zRAikh55yAupp1kSvKNVCpIFhOIVZ8CCaM81saFFhOFZo_d7cwsaC4ND5q_ACBXwWphQuPoTZ_BbDJWl2WnU1ij1Nzh7kF8oL4yzSmSSKii6X15N6RtyJ8ceXqJvVCVoq3UXR2JzutJ2/s4096/0679FF51-D5F6-46AD-8315-B3CA1CA2C698.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2XYArkf7ft-prAEFi-Z9NzHYlkTaJE3gRjHKT_aNgKxRPZw6zRAikh55yAupp1kSvKNVCpIFhOIVZ8CCaM81saFFhOFZo_d7cwsaC4ND5q_ACBXwWphQuPoTZ_BbDJWl2WnU1ij1Nzh7kF8oL4yzSmSSKii6X15N6RtyJ8ceXqJvVCVoq3UXR2JzutJ2/w400-h300/0679FF51-D5F6-46AD-8315-B3CA1CA2C698.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRyTZaSRwGUhrdAHNdH4gnRMMUgh_BdhHe-ZJvwFJ6J92pXRIMkQ4xVn7HWtD80N4NxPWWMXxGt5h8N9UiFiA2oqgTR6-V0wDgJEEHXbfJbejxrCc2l5XbOhXkPC0qamk5lT_H0iuRDNEtYTcLwuM2DmfXP70wvzKQTd6hxn6sMe-BSc9UqygOSmXL4tv/s5184/F329B083-97A1-429D-9E7D-CE0B7042EBA5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRyTZaSRwGUhrdAHNdH4gnRMMUgh_BdhHe-ZJvwFJ6J92pXRIMkQ4xVn7HWtD80N4NxPWWMXxGt5h8N9UiFiA2oqgTR6-V0wDgJEEHXbfJbejxrCc2l5XbOhXkPC0qamk5lT_H0iuRDNEtYTcLwuM2DmfXP70wvzKQTd6hxn6sMe-BSc9UqygOSmXL4tv/w300-h400/F329B083-97A1-429D-9E7D-CE0B7042EBA5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WuGds9yPWhFeMI-kZAK2yi0sTnq8HnRCWqKgdZ1nrMv5fwTb2C9ZEKLhGmLgPVpo_boc_FK8d2apIS1K5s6iYDXXj5Gudza_xRYnB7vI5HH9HyUvRNIhmDpVC3f8pzDOWmxEiI9EZOrsqcJ-N-jCnzDW4Mf1Qc4NfSLd9ShAvzk6IQJyEAcKzWpymTtV/s4096/C63482E5-2797-4CF4-887A-FE2E55592BE7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WuGds9yPWhFeMI-kZAK2yi0sTnq8HnRCWqKgdZ1nrMv5fwTb2C9ZEKLhGmLgPVpo_boc_FK8d2apIS1K5s6iYDXXj5Gudza_xRYnB7vI5HH9HyUvRNIhmDpVC3f8pzDOWmxEiI9EZOrsqcJ-N-jCnzDW4Mf1Qc4NfSLd9ShAvzk6IQJyEAcKzWpymTtV/w400-h300/C63482E5-2797-4CF4-887A-FE2E55592BE7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nn4a9li-K1DCE0UEg38GutQHdY8wFq_5Z2DUnvsh_RfXGC7itjbytT2TmR_DBAAx3-ToddB__zFKhr2v_hE7icjHCuSLJfIOM_llg7vZrKsjiRngIdVIAeZSyxKgti54_INTL8n_iXCGTtf8McU1gbdsX9-i7vHA9CL-FRppUFPhQjFRb-QZ1b5wtW7f/s4096/3C2CD2EE-D50B-4316-BD7A-3997B8C39FB5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nn4a9li-K1DCE0UEg38GutQHdY8wFq_5Z2DUnvsh_RfXGC7itjbytT2TmR_DBAAx3-ToddB__zFKhr2v_hE7icjHCuSLJfIOM_llg7vZrKsjiRngIdVIAeZSyxKgti54_INTL8n_iXCGTtf8McU1gbdsX9-i7vHA9CL-FRppUFPhQjFRb-QZ1b5wtW7f/w400-h300/3C2CD2EE-D50B-4316-BD7A-3997B8C39FB5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2629" data-original-width="3364" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhz_j82Ds8NmKj5RexjrEyNEDr1qPwbYzCz3qH7iR1a_jfSRW4zkJN1T_6KpHr-lh7aWKKjd2wBHubI-wV-DuqoJdH5Ug0-b9jAzSRAYtLOCMuj_3li9DQRr5um3ONUKHycm69FctErig3JRhV04cE05XYM9R8RQtsLKEzbAcX789YCPyJ3xkaboZ_-mGr/w400-h313/44122F8B-B7CF-4F6F-87C9-67060BCF9C63.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBkbE3r4X3g1fbCHbak1WLS3qN-JNlgDbp9i-lnur39jLgrmCH-rWumxZySZJXGvlS2yGXJZBEsw-zrox3zHnbfARY0h1PCYDMPtjnGRy2cJQmc-Cncqu_EMM5WGZKIVzzyejHcsxwv93zn4fQzuuRPN7sgN-xh9aEk9repT20SOg2c9UCdgBK-teWoR4/s4096/912FB613-7AF7-4132-8AB5-D1065E50F488.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBkbE3r4X3g1fbCHbak1WLS3qN-JNlgDbp9i-lnur39jLgrmCH-rWumxZySZJXGvlS2yGXJZBEsw-zrox3zHnbfARY0h1PCYDMPtjnGRy2cJQmc-Cncqu_EMM5WGZKIVzzyejHcsxwv93zn4fQzuuRPN7sgN-xh9aEk9repT20SOg2c9UCdgBK-teWoR4/w400-h300/912FB613-7AF7-4132-8AB5-D1065E50F488.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC5mxHuOfg0j_m4I5ps6viQPk8tMtBzIWZZbYXKdx_QekufeeNAgV1rLw3XOfpqukNyhOGsYJlAs8FyCtfWoGb8hv9MYr1ihzVQtyRcPNsEaHUjnZubSCFSRSVzTWXkVxkBol-vROc7wd93RNA-VIQlOcjASjDBv2H7T9k0taGdMkZjgAFdInCBJlvMKE/s4096/BF4334A0-2ECF-4B37-B145-48D9EC351CE0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC5mxHuOfg0j_m4I5ps6viQPk8tMtBzIWZZbYXKdx_QekufeeNAgV1rLw3XOfpqukNyhOGsYJlAs8FyCtfWoGb8hv9MYr1ihzVQtyRcPNsEaHUjnZubSCFSRSVzTWXkVxkBol-vROc7wd93RNA-VIQlOcjASjDBv2H7T9k0taGdMkZjgAFdInCBJlvMKE/w400-h300/BF4334A0-2ECF-4B37-B145-48D9EC351CE0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3HtCvYZxKyWaTX98yG_191Mj4_IxMLExgXvfhSeKAfk-ktjNsFT7MtT7pIdc5IHWIgHZ3d2H67aZNXRktAGs39vhTO_prHwSRMdCEV_S5GmsvZWIjDosOQACehlG6LQk4nBk-dhGVapyz_Lt4LcFkWTtzdKZdR9OQBk5meKrE12TX2-BxVPT45HdgMCU/s4096/B629135D-1A70-4992-A227-BD0B296045C4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3HtCvYZxKyWaTX98yG_191Mj4_IxMLExgXvfhSeKAfk-ktjNsFT7MtT7pIdc5IHWIgHZ3d2H67aZNXRktAGs39vhTO_prHwSRMdCEV_S5GmsvZWIjDosOQACehlG6LQk4nBk-dhGVapyz_Lt4LcFkWTtzdKZdR9OQBk5meKrE12TX2-BxVPT45HdgMCU/w400-h300/B629135D-1A70-4992-A227-BD0B296045C4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Fortunately for me, the Great Blue flew away across the pond with the frog still in its bill.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I really didn’t want to see it somehow swallow the large critter. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>An alligator also watched. It may be jealous that the heron snagged such a nice meal. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fUNQLHOmMq5XBvZO_f-RENXGJ6OuD1wdy6-MdokLyiU1pqalZkc6TZA8VYl6nR6JXqsAa-INbbden8TsE7Hergph-mjS172k_WE9X51hT0CT3ko2_-BJ50LF1igWPhJJY-R8aXkRQ8Rm8Wn3G3cw3CTCVtYkbcaffq0y3mvaz9ESLL3xrvZJRdvAimv8/s4096/441EEB22-8CC7-47DF-83AD-BD324FAD9723.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fUNQLHOmMq5XBvZO_f-RENXGJ6OuD1wdy6-MdokLyiU1pqalZkc6TZA8VYl6nR6JXqsAa-INbbden8TsE7Hergph-mjS172k_WE9X51hT0CT3ko2_-BJ50LF1igWPhJJY-R8aXkRQ8Rm8Wn3G3cw3CTCVtYkbcaffq0y3mvaz9ESLL3xrvZJRdvAimv8/w400-h300/441EEB22-8CC7-47DF-83AD-BD324FAD9723.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-89246079383530502192023-07-26T18:11:00.002-04:002023-07-26T18:11:46.591-04:00Summer Beach Scenes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzd_yXGRYcq6SLJPAn9jVYaLHvwCVvX4emBXKtufEm7UglxAU2plA5Iqtcw0ANK70S7evDzKzvt1dJwsYjgx3pywycOm0L9f7KbRzGZ9tsl2iuswJPtyziM7TMkOHzzkMB5OdpjovaGEe-mhteo4vPySfKxvhapyUHAMRDBQs-QH-Kd9u3gk6Q0hjqNlX/s3907/63049B6D-4A65-41A9-BA3E-C762933DDF7F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3907" data-original-width="2930" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzd_yXGRYcq6SLJPAn9jVYaLHvwCVvX4emBXKtufEm7UglxAU2plA5Iqtcw0ANK70S7evDzKzvt1dJwsYjgx3pywycOm0L9f7KbRzGZ9tsl2iuswJPtyziM7TMkOHzzkMB5OdpjovaGEe-mhteo4vPySfKxvhapyUHAMRDBQs-QH-Kd9u3gk6Q0hjqNlX/w300-h400/63049B6D-4A65-41A9-BA3E-C762933DDF7F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>‘Tis the season- beach season that is! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This post is dedicated to our recent visits to Sullivan’s Island. On Sunday, deep in the dog days of summer, the beach here was surprisingly sparse. But it was a good surprise, especially when we found a primo parking spot near the Station 17 path to the sand. </b></span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The photo below I took as we were leaving the beach. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><span></span><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz64KBcj2qjAw0BSi1FA34omyZ5b5h88lfGWIBJaceJG8Ckcinhz9PFXQaQ1Z5lyUonfu406PkosW_5u56pf4DhebIN-t5mdr0C9sF9KU-Q63qLaQoUwrIu5SAF-ZOdEPNad7snQ_Tle33zNe6r0QQ-_lVWVtqi7H1b5K2CRS7X5ZAW25kNyLotquIU9f/s4032/B9A2A46F-6441-4418-AEC2-87CB7D31ECC3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz64KBcj2qjAw0BSi1FA34omyZ5b5h88lfGWIBJaceJG8Ckcinhz9PFXQaQ1Z5lyUonfu406PkosW_5u56pf4DhebIN-t5mdr0C9sF9KU-Q63qLaQoUwrIu5SAF-ZOdEPNad7snQ_Tle33zNe6r0QQ-_lVWVtqi7H1b5K2CRS7X5ZAW25kNyLotquIU9f/w300-h400/B9A2A46F-6441-4418-AEC2-87CB7D31ECC3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rCesleZk9Ya3KT5NeXxQ3A8kmfhkOA3gQOaQCGW2JeW1JYgAKb9DAEIgEjK69aUqcOmTkQazbyCF4cV4RyKj2ivy1Wq0tvPEvTiHxY58y8-0buvsv7S6b7wj3IDRJIJgC1QpgLorTrVCIyudJNYd-y3XfmEWl5f-ZN7EcYaMvPiTTF3cbEjIZNNzWLhR/s4032/E537129C-363A-4AFE-A659-A8C95D56DFE7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rCesleZk9Ya3KT5NeXxQ3A8kmfhkOA3gQOaQCGW2JeW1JYgAKb9DAEIgEjK69aUqcOmTkQazbyCF4cV4RyKj2ivy1Wq0tvPEvTiHxY58y8-0buvsv7S6b7wj3IDRJIJgC1QpgLorTrVCIyudJNYd-y3XfmEWl5f-ZN7EcYaMvPiTTF3cbEjIZNNzWLhR/w400-h300/E537129C-363A-4AFE-A659-A8C95D56DFE7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg1PiAlQRurrmLElIGEq2o-8ptumbtWKCAY787Zl8c-noZw28lr2TAOtOj-pD_nCjXQFcIbGqx_y4XyK0h-RzOfQ4h1hDDbuhKPIdPBrD33leoA2eHbQ2r49g5L1jWRIKuxunUV2hN4_dwMxG6Jj0EONAHUWubfISqmFum_tiwacqlKHQQrcmoZDMQNax/s3591/61FD6FF6-6CE9-4FA7-B646-2710FFC7FD85.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3591" data-original-width="2693" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg1PiAlQRurrmLElIGEq2o-8ptumbtWKCAY787Zl8c-noZw28lr2TAOtOj-pD_nCjXQFcIbGqx_y4XyK0h-RzOfQ4h1hDDbuhKPIdPBrD33leoA2eHbQ2r49g5L1jWRIKuxunUV2hN4_dwMxG6Jj0EONAHUWubfISqmFum_tiwacqlKHQQrcmoZDMQNax/w300-h400/61FD6FF6-6CE9-4FA7-B646-2710FFC7FD85.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqs0dOVlP8UTBpj2lBDL05U_w0GMi0fsg58ZWvT7LfG1fXszNNs95GHSRCNwHpitM7YWVO6J4o1EhjYhTwUmHlZWS659kLWfuYuds1E0I7SD4HpKPyZEkrEhrquJeg6LgTQg0ed0VxaPwXfTqF3JvKvaEcxsjkz_CXylyhchfhNVLy7mM6eTUc9BzzAKA/s3806/B41A0FF0-7F75-44C3-9F11-B40A62220F93.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3806" data-original-width="2855" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqs0dOVlP8UTBpj2lBDL05U_w0GMi0fsg58ZWvT7LfG1fXszNNs95GHSRCNwHpitM7YWVO6J4o1EhjYhTwUmHlZWS659kLWfuYuds1E0I7SD4HpKPyZEkrEhrquJeg6LgTQg0ed0VxaPwXfTqF3JvKvaEcxsjkz_CXylyhchfhNVLy7mM6eTUc9BzzAKA/w300-h400/B41A0FF0-7F75-44C3-9F11-B40A62220F93.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE0OijXL__5Y1sVFNxIllAol999MUl4e9LGutDyqGa-wOF5IXA4judJ8PjXkAvBlUHQSAq9cPeMldlKuQLzK-TcNteNZ9CV2aNyBjxVdeyLAdLj2SBjrltA5DNU3sYWSYwVhdyaJlRzmL-1qj9fyeaXF2kSNyTfSnF3ZQF8N_jaqweFR7V9_zAW0YOIrK/s4096/60E3413F-8DA7-4884-9588-B6C5ECAC49FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE0OijXL__5Y1sVFNxIllAol999MUl4e9LGutDyqGa-wOF5IXA4judJ8PjXkAvBlUHQSAq9cPeMldlKuQLzK-TcNteNZ9CV2aNyBjxVdeyLAdLj2SBjrltA5DNU3sYWSYwVhdyaJlRzmL-1qj9fyeaXF2kSNyTfSnF3ZQF8N_jaqweFR7V9_zAW0YOIrK/w400-h300/60E3413F-8DA7-4884-9588-B6C5ECAC49FE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIIYbWjcYRe1AMLe4lSnw-zjO8_TDWQ9zYzZmxr7G6PLhNvzTEuKBWJKnFCEs-NoTzQqKFGGJQMbE1VGGLSF64w4nKnnAlixhs49O1G9jibZsTrAOOQkV9qzt1L8y3Sz-zsKREtuh3A-JOQoILovFKE7zp0H_xd2oVCKjHBJC3y4KkOKpOScyxkW7xvyG/s3501/A5105BAD-C044-4B6A-9B8F-91A64CAC2ECE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2821" data-original-width="3501" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIIYbWjcYRe1AMLe4lSnw-zjO8_TDWQ9zYzZmxr7G6PLhNvzTEuKBWJKnFCEs-NoTzQqKFGGJQMbE1VGGLSF64w4nKnnAlixhs49O1G9jibZsTrAOOQkV9qzt1L8y3Sz-zsKREtuh3A-JOQoILovFKE7zp0H_xd2oVCKjHBJC3y4KkOKpOScyxkW7xvyG/w400-h323/A5105BAD-C044-4B6A-9B8F-91A64CAC2ECE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZF0BeS5v6OwdNt6rThXWtJsmE0fFeSI5KaRFETRowdj12HMSSjrMGNoysN2S8VAiTimA4Utz7BJeK0YSc4Z3q6JS1AS3qRTCGgWiNxXMg1NM5dvYDC7qMvqazhEXaNaSYYHcXIzIyQLDEbrOS7gMNi2odQ9FOR5xo_ISyVBNAvKrDoME4w0tGiafXKxL/s4096/11386E28-8C40-4C01-95EE-F657BE2546DF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZF0BeS5v6OwdNt6rThXWtJsmE0fFeSI5KaRFETRowdj12HMSSjrMGNoysN2S8VAiTimA4Utz7BJeK0YSc4Z3q6JS1AS3qRTCGgWiNxXMg1NM5dvYDC7qMvqazhEXaNaSYYHcXIzIyQLDEbrOS7gMNi2odQ9FOR5xo_ISyVBNAvKrDoME4w0tGiafXKxL/w400-h300/11386E28-8C40-4C01-95EE-F657BE2546DF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuS332syadeb7q1-yZ3dLUqYqBf7HJuenZmAfodK7w-6YAFmeTYUY04bKNLBgiqV5hlPmd_1scg5HMSBG5_wVFSldamCM71nRejrMDg1uIYr8ju2_QWJBemb9cevfZ8pxIxTcHUraNpUIBshlNK3_Ot0sTqE8QujhRzW9tUpzjyk3v4xka3XX53OChbRL/s4096/FF7FF87C-1A39-4CB3-98F9-D0F4D69309F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuS332syadeb7q1-yZ3dLUqYqBf7HJuenZmAfodK7w-6YAFmeTYUY04bKNLBgiqV5hlPmd_1scg5HMSBG5_wVFSldamCM71nRejrMDg1uIYr8ju2_QWJBemb9cevfZ8pxIxTcHUraNpUIBshlNK3_Ot0sTqE8QujhRzW9tUpzjyk3v4xka3XX53OChbRL/w400-h300/FF7FF87C-1A39-4CB3-98F9-D0F4D69309F0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNWSwXbxc3GRMWCfsf42ykFrvYO4vSTcqMcgTFrv0YpMXuxJ0SwY76KcZJ-KR3vB2VURmC8b7x9ozD5q8kvZIVNZfCXfHAyDo-SD6gB3BuMLf2N11G_RcZdn8FU93CSl6TeZz_Qhy1hLQjfIbCHs8RVWXDQRsvYynvPCv5_5TwLDr5rUF4VlhEmjNpNWm/s4096/C9DE98FF-3252-4332-AB18-3C93478D2D09.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNWSwXbxc3GRMWCfsf42ykFrvYO4vSTcqMcgTFrv0YpMXuxJ0SwY76KcZJ-KR3vB2VURmC8b7x9ozD5q8kvZIVNZfCXfHAyDo-SD6gB3BuMLf2N11G_RcZdn8FU93CSl6TeZz_Qhy1hLQjfIbCHs8RVWXDQRsvYynvPCv5_5TwLDr5rUF4VlhEmjNpNWm/w400-h300/C9DE98FF-3252-4332-AB18-3C93478D2D09.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWLhe9Niewf9GJI3ITYg78Iq4Ho7H6MsG7GMYkmsvl7-XcyoQK4mCm3vH1PXIcwvt3GLa2NyorZ4tcvV4qB5uJ62rsWKfnRpAReQyWqP8fM_WIVNk_4qoj_0cqcWatLAhZl9LsC35QMXUJkvHdWHJctzGB8XSb65W7_n1ArPGfNkCUeagrcdgmbRwb7jm/s3950/7C07AB8D-369D-4422-BA89-C45FAAD6A889.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3950" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWLhe9Niewf9GJI3ITYg78Iq4Ho7H6MsG7GMYkmsvl7-XcyoQK4mCm3vH1PXIcwvt3GLa2NyorZ4tcvV4qB5uJ62rsWKfnRpAReQyWqP8fM_WIVNk_4qoj_0cqcWatLAhZl9LsC35QMXUJkvHdWHJctzGB8XSb65W7_n1ArPGfNkCUeagrcdgmbRwb7jm/w400-h300/7C07AB8D-369D-4422-BA89-C45FAAD6A889.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Happy place…happy face! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzujAdISSGXvYTBEPL2DY_AnNW4nsHVBatlhlRCdHFZ-gPZGPbWrAIDIyj-76BxQdXOKmr1q6NVjWC5OSGSQ8Xbdc7oTzDyV9UsDDT51yrbaNXyAYrQK7_KKwpxLia8CUiLLLGgKn530HlFqroqvayLppTeje6evxw-MQZH_mcK7WqrneEa-1IkKEQaMXe/s3088/77E3F21D-09A1-4A8C-ABA8-1C4C07B0A2FF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzujAdISSGXvYTBEPL2DY_AnNW4nsHVBatlhlRCdHFZ-gPZGPbWrAIDIyj-76BxQdXOKmr1q6NVjWC5OSGSQ8Xbdc7oTzDyV9UsDDT51yrbaNXyAYrQK7_KKwpxLia8CUiLLLGgKn530HlFqroqvayLppTeje6evxw-MQZH_mcK7WqrneEa-1IkKEQaMXe/w300-h400/77E3F21D-09A1-4A8C-ABA8-1C4C07B0A2FF.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Around 2:30 we began to hear thunder in the distance. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rtW9Ll7DSIDXpUyjpFU7loArCeGbuXqYfDmJnTMpSmAEGRGvMwbPVc-s9lAFADONNjgbTv8xAoxFMcypgIQpGNBrbVS-t6T4IPVLoVpzhiP3_kiHEdr6HybN72f-uVW4S9fuWeg3kdAYjwIGJr8C2ZCiACzEjqlIScT9PgSckIQCzyiYt-HbWuoIaeER/s3643/C1A03A94-066E-4EC3-9E27-58EADED219E5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3643" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rtW9Ll7DSIDXpUyjpFU7loArCeGbuXqYfDmJnTMpSmAEGRGvMwbPVc-s9lAFADONNjgbTv8xAoxFMcypgIQpGNBrbVS-t6T4IPVLoVpzhiP3_kiHEdr6HybN72f-uVW4S9fuWeg3kdAYjwIGJr8C2ZCiACzEjqlIScT9PgSckIQCzyiYt-HbWuoIaeER/w333-h400/C1A03A94-066E-4EC3-9E27-58EADED219E5.jpeg" width="333" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Soon enough on I-26 we drove into a heavy rain storm. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz1Jyjvps2jEwyOQsoD5PabRwMmia1TJbsKZk8sa1u8gkG6YDNfT8DtInoST1wjyV3PHgO-JbAhbmrvN_TsYYaC-y4ZY8_5amMuyG4-GCatlsAyoCXQsxtxNghDR_bCRMsDdo7BuIM1zpAmvvtd2IkgUeLwZnaZAcz82ZhI5G2tyj0kgO87CERIHFu6Dg/s4032/904D315A-4F9A-45A2-A4BC-8E2AF1932B93.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz1Jyjvps2jEwyOQsoD5PabRwMmia1TJbsKZk8sa1u8gkG6YDNfT8DtInoST1wjyV3PHgO-JbAhbmrvN_TsYYaC-y4ZY8_5amMuyG4-GCatlsAyoCXQsxtxNghDR_bCRMsDdo7BuIM1zpAmvvtd2IkgUeLwZnaZAcz82ZhI5G2tyj0kgO87CERIHFu6Dg/w400-h300/904D315A-4F9A-45A2-A4BC-8E2AF1932B93.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAfOsKs1Uu8YXRv61Fs1wX00TpfyVLRm25yPJ9J7BF0c3qQ9RkFOSR44KigTL8ITFW58Ai9Y2I-grPWkvMoh_uDqovZjrdY8COsFiyFnq-fM3DSzWYRHnJjnhbYmh23xwrMzMeOzoxgzxA0IeoX9Ep39UcOznokh6M_a3uJmzV7j_T90qtrWx2v32N8Tx/s4096/228B9D80-874F-4EED-B3AD-31FDA8779E4C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAfOsKs1Uu8YXRv61Fs1wX00TpfyVLRm25yPJ9J7BF0c3qQ9RkFOSR44KigTL8ITFW58Ai9Y2I-grPWkvMoh_uDqovZjrdY8COsFiyFnq-fM3DSzWYRHnJjnhbYmh23xwrMzMeOzoxgzxA0IeoX9Ep39UcOznokh6M_a3uJmzV7j_T90qtrWx2v32N8Tx/w400-h300/228B9D80-874F-4EED-B3AD-31FDA8779E4C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>To follow are photos from a Sullivan’s Island visit earlier in July. This sign warning of “deadly currents” has been on the beach for years warning people not go in these waters close to the harbor inlet. We usually are on the beach well north of this potentially dangerous area. </b></span><span></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM9vSmZNzX1DEnt1oQfmRS4NxccW8fw-XHl7xZ4hyTSXtwpiG4LXmnOGQbuYOS514JcNPpXl6YZFcjnJYyjpRXVzGy3ejSm0C__o65gMxg02dIW2OGaO4Kww_5ythJ5pCV3vBmQneds0jrAlGPxwOGUcbMeDzIUrWbCWoOId_DUYHDBh_xO0vn_LFQck-/s5184/0BB3DA97-14BA-41FB-9F5B-3A9C826CD591.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM9vSmZNzX1DEnt1oQfmRS4NxccW8fw-XHl7xZ4hyTSXtwpiG4LXmnOGQbuYOS514JcNPpXl6YZFcjnJYyjpRXVzGy3ejSm0C__o65gMxg02dIW2OGaO4Kww_5ythJ5pCV3vBmQneds0jrAlGPxwOGUcbMeDzIUrWbCWoOId_DUYHDBh_xO0vn_LFQck-/w400-h300/0BB3DA97-14BA-41FB-9F5B-3A9C826CD591.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>A highlight on this day was seeing this U.S. Coast Guard ship coming into the harbor, likely headed to its station on the Cooper River at the old Charleston Naval Shipyard. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKQVIloxY7mAktQqR96sD6Z_7kLKjeXKKbozcy8_KWXxMLPyMB_o8eG749XTghYcpAZ8gYWylQsLCHiLqwLa0uPaH-ZKa23V4mv2s4pdbRR-rxUb3iFA8rB8xDCJ7d_DAxEkTjpjiv_nQuBIhzaIFeITjyTOcfEijPltNvJJ5uwJ7kXJHtVoGq9dNGflk/s4096/83DFD38B-821A-4411-9482-20AB91A8592F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKQVIloxY7mAktQqR96sD6Z_7kLKjeXKKbozcy8_KWXxMLPyMB_o8eG749XTghYcpAZ8gYWylQsLCHiLqwLa0uPaH-ZKa23V4mv2s4pdbRR-rxUb3iFA8rB8xDCJ7d_DAxEkTjpjiv_nQuBIhzaIFeITjyTOcfEijPltNvJJ5uwJ7kXJHtVoGq9dNGflk/w400-h300/83DFD38B-821A-4411-9482-20AB91A8592F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The number 754 on the vessel’s bow indicates that this is the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James. The James is 418 feet in length, that’s just about one and a half football fields long. It can carry up to 150 personnel depending on the mission, according to online sources.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoG3j0Pt9qkgDSQnXh4g9rNh7JObdMsc6opS4OahhbZvqKjrCpWzA4O-DpxkdGqNKmec9ivSJrJTOIcOV4Aucg5eyQBdNJD8uro0mxlW3kiuiiE0VpicqAyWCkYHFYObPQpMvu92a6PaYq-D-DGJNsIXqfdyRe37W1Ovb-y-s2l3p3KMgXfVb3eBMgSy3D/s4096/8503A9EB-E6BC-4B68-9003-6353C7731C20.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoG3j0Pt9qkgDSQnXh4g9rNh7JObdMsc6opS4OahhbZvqKjrCpWzA4O-DpxkdGqNKmec9ivSJrJTOIcOV4Aucg5eyQBdNJD8uro0mxlW3kiuiiE0VpicqAyWCkYHFYObPQpMvu92a6PaYq-D-DGJNsIXqfdyRe37W1Ovb-y-s2l3p3KMgXfVb3eBMgSy3D/w400-h300/8503A9EB-E6BC-4B68-9003-6353C7731C20.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Launched in 2014 the James is the Coast Guard’s fifth National Security Cutter, the largest and most technically advanced class of cutter in service today. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6plSdLWSW0Bj6WQvlomVFdBKl4XgoU2ahAmWecRP9K4Zoc05zXGlzHvDSWx52Oo4dtTZ5WdLJzwYfSZOeOP0bVnzlRtC5aB0FB_TqXK8vFxK2yfRroclXhPsvsDPbHWBlrg_PavWK2Qdi-t3yeEG7lZg6udTybeomQIsFmjI-9Q9qpMw8ajxUXs4fJAt/s4096/1B06D622-6C0E-4587-8093-4145750A07F0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6plSdLWSW0Bj6WQvlomVFdBKl4XgoU2ahAmWecRP9K4Zoc05zXGlzHvDSWx52Oo4dtTZ5WdLJzwYfSZOeOP0bVnzlRtC5aB0FB_TqXK8vFxK2yfRroclXhPsvsDPbHWBlrg_PavWK2Qdi-t3yeEG7lZg6udTybeomQIsFmjI-9Q9qpMw8ajxUXs4fJAt/w400-h300/1B06D622-6C0E-4587-8093-4145750A07F0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The cutter becomes a mirage somewhat from this great distance. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyDimlfQnDSr5kZzMy9Iaq5B7cSG5jHUYYbk3uwgYiZh1AjYZvCEJItbZTvNOG5a6EEWS2O1SBCsklL3eQRy1qfqPKRAjZgwaujHwg-qXJ0jOCJfTLfqcIGm55R6fv5asCJjFQoJKsiOjn6TYHdgGPDP7KNUkk1fHrbLfZaU8NNCEMv7e7eBzemLx1pWM/s4096/F69062C4-7308-4E1D-AAC6-14FCCF89F954.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyDimlfQnDSr5kZzMy9Iaq5B7cSG5jHUYYbk3uwgYiZh1AjYZvCEJItbZTvNOG5a6EEWS2O1SBCsklL3eQRy1qfqPKRAjZgwaujHwg-qXJ0jOCJfTLfqcIGm55R6fv5asCJjFQoJKsiOjn6TYHdgGPDP7KNUkk1fHrbLfZaU8NNCEMv7e7eBzemLx1pWM/w400-h300/F69062C4-7308-4E1D-AAC6-14FCCF89F954.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89t09qjK1WKdtjBMw3awAeVGnwiNVNOUQl6H0To4qNpH2YlfIoX-0H1fMuMWGO3BttSx3zDJRDqGWBNjYYEZ-YhCk2BiZ_bXhVNkwlRMDDDqjCLqD5be_p0bpf9Lg0XoxbINEEUnAPcdJpIK2fD31jDbvF0Li7TCevqvMmEBa9bjOwltZt6mP-3D6Ib3R/s4096/566C2429-ED1D-4C36-B8B6-6157621F43F8.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89t09qjK1WKdtjBMw3awAeVGnwiNVNOUQl6H0To4qNpH2YlfIoX-0H1fMuMWGO3BttSx3zDJRDqGWBNjYYEZ-YhCk2BiZ_bXhVNkwlRMDDDqjCLqD5be_p0bpf9Lg0XoxbINEEUnAPcdJpIK2fD31jDbvF0Li7TCevqvMmEBa9bjOwltZt6mP-3D6Ib3R/w400-h300/566C2429-ED1D-4C36-B8B6-6157621F43F8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>I like the beach at Sullivan’s because you can often see boats of all shapes and sizes going in and out of the Charleston Harbor. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Heading out here is a tugboat called Wyatt Moran. This tug looks kind of new because it is only three years old. It was built in Maine for the Moran Towing Corp. of North Charleston. The company, like the Coast Guard station just mentioned, is located on the old Naval Shipyard. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTqgw-lDkDK5GideMEZt2xNKf8v9TtqwNSZbGCpemEuUF3XVQE46e6TiVF-FVj_W28rHPgn88xkwUfXqKypYa7Q65TjpRgBpmAWIyS0oj3brNaEDeUVs96O7UvIvG0GQHospoVfH_yqJgd5-sJGQo44ldeuGWszHUwER7YZcTKGpqvpzrU4ZLfhzkG5ao/s3611/8EA6FED4-FA90-4492-908C-0D076D98C82B.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2561" data-original-width="3611" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTqgw-lDkDK5GideMEZt2xNKf8v9TtqwNSZbGCpemEuUF3XVQE46e6TiVF-FVj_W28rHPgn88xkwUfXqKypYa7Q65TjpRgBpmAWIyS0oj3brNaEDeUVs96O7UvIvG0GQHospoVfH_yqJgd5-sJGQo44ldeuGWszHUwER7YZcTKGpqvpzrU4ZLfhzkG5ao/w400-h284/8EA6FED4-FA90-4492-908C-0D076D98C82B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Fort Sumter stays busy year round. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mIQkIJ1MnbBBZpHWA1EjpcZvVBbKttjhjKKM-u1yaWALCBkePYIXKGr1DDCO8Gqu8wjRv1nDpOtRYncO2YKq1c-gA87m137-YlxgqAxK4-k0LQNHrl-nb2ZwtmDfcadRqnxqNptVjZbKp_0Nn99pnBGUU_e-BuE_6GgtWsQzFLTQcaeY0bLtT4K51Jxr/s4096/1D58B1A7-3F4A-43EE-ADED-27DC2824915A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mIQkIJ1MnbBBZpHWA1EjpcZvVBbKttjhjKKM-u1yaWALCBkePYIXKGr1DDCO8Gqu8wjRv1nDpOtRYncO2YKq1c-gA87m137-YlxgqAxK4-k0LQNHrl-nb2ZwtmDfcadRqnxqNptVjZbKp_0Nn99pnBGUU_e-BuE_6GgtWsQzFLTQcaeY0bLtT4K51Jxr/w400-h300/1D58B1A7-3F4A-43EE-ADED-27DC2824915A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Shimbubi Shade “Beach Canopies” are becoming more and more popular. Dick’s Sporting Goods sells them for $270. I can see us getting one some day. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0QbfEYSpEf_N4Ljw68DGWytbLmX5m01EARQxcj-qKC0lgdSLkx2PwknTyMJXsVUPUCaFjCJIwrC9GzgyGmIeXRA2TaAFaOzevY93JfMMRfLhNIyQtOMIrO9iDMG853aLV5v0fPmv4nkpdnun9-CXdE7sehwiW9JO9I2ptVSfZOxQIyT-2RUJ8etXqrkL/s4096/CD7332C4-61B1-4671-B155-9A73AD74EB44.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0QbfEYSpEf_N4Ljw68DGWytbLmX5m01EARQxcj-qKC0lgdSLkx2PwknTyMJXsVUPUCaFjCJIwrC9GzgyGmIeXRA2TaAFaOzevY93JfMMRfLhNIyQtOMIrO9iDMG853aLV5v0fPmv4nkpdnun9-CXdE7sehwiW9JO9I2ptVSfZOxQIyT-2RUJ8etXqrkL/w400-h300/CD7332C4-61B1-4671-B155-9A73AD74EB44.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>With the beach not too crowded I worked on my bird photography trying to get good images of Brown Pelicans as they dive into the water pursuing fish and crabs. Just getting a sharp shot in focus is always a challenge. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-xC7_tFfHYaLOyAS_7XCk5jAHX9OvDvaFU-KPSTIpjVabLYSo4lHYIYTjZVm9Oi7j7wT3H5dqfp4jMlEQcx19nO5YUCGuL_Ld0boKsBH3lfHGSqWM6VMKBNtnL7zcELfnkcdOlohFvpVNOGd7hlHsimYrKbmK0Y-ddbJ24iFeqQv9wQ5KJaphdT5DQ7B/s3098/11CD20AF-42BE-40F9-A598-2FC89576187B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="3098" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-xC7_tFfHYaLOyAS_7XCk5jAHX9OvDvaFU-KPSTIpjVabLYSo4lHYIYTjZVm9Oi7j7wT3H5dqfp4jMlEQcx19nO5YUCGuL_Ld0boKsBH3lfHGSqWM6VMKBNtnL7zcELfnkcdOlohFvpVNOGd7hlHsimYrKbmK0Y-ddbJ24iFeqQv9wQ5KJaphdT5DQ7B/w400-h345/11CD20AF-42BE-40F9-A598-2FC89576187B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziww4VI2G8vstQgOjxkeG-hXThm7m_wZQga0ZFvUQL-zMMobqVZsJNGAAeCPnxZ0z3HR_TIQDVMEHvayty1FSnJN1Y7tXw5Xv5QeMQ6D0kA5h30K2J8WmoxpnS8mIBZg36C4cftBMe4RSs14E_cZBUiJ7K_a469YjXKUwsEvg9gXHJzfsQMIhKRsck0XL/s4060/02472958-F992-41AF-8FAF-3FBECDEC8D96.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3045" data-original-width="4060" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziww4VI2G8vstQgOjxkeG-hXThm7m_wZQga0ZFvUQL-zMMobqVZsJNGAAeCPnxZ0z3HR_TIQDVMEHvayty1FSnJN1Y7tXw5Xv5QeMQ6D0kA5h30K2J8WmoxpnS8mIBZg36C4cftBMe4RSs14E_cZBUiJ7K_a469YjXKUwsEvg9gXHJzfsQMIhKRsck0XL/w400-h300/02472958-F992-41AF-8FAF-3FBECDEC8D96.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERB0USGYaE4b2FlWzcF7mF_CGOGaZ2eibSEEkbzA2VjHS17DQP3-oLV-0URvsAOCerfVbFZUM86MT_68J5INGxXBY4WLklpBnz540tu4J7kmsXzg-By6sQYVuf3xPEEDgKY05U4EiLHGiUvRydmAS96kN2VGyn5WprnLFWuIBQx-6QBrpHnXwI9mr1e0W/s4096/937F0914-7E4C-470C-85BF-260DE96B28AC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERB0USGYaE4b2FlWzcF7mF_CGOGaZ2eibSEEkbzA2VjHS17DQP3-oLV-0URvsAOCerfVbFZUM86MT_68J5INGxXBY4WLklpBnz540tu4J7kmsXzg-By6sQYVuf3xPEEDgKY05U4EiLHGiUvRydmAS96kN2VGyn5WprnLFWuIBQx-6QBrpHnXwI9mr1e0W/w400-h300/937F0914-7E4C-470C-85BF-260DE96B28AC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>The water temperature was perfect by the way for swimming. We will be back soon to the beach but maybe one or two of the other ones n the area. <br /><br /></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-50131560825303244092023-07-22T14:19:00.012-04:002023-07-26T13:58:36.147-04:00Bring on the Heat: Thriving Summer Plants <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi6srq06oYE15GuW08-1BE7f6Jro7ttkb79VLbENV3a8gKolhroYhRHGO8aOgJTecaIOhzD0MXmM4gOWJ_GBrlgCl03KMm_F-oJH1rhgU6t94ofo36_j94N4SCNOk79rKlbOKnnz2tReX23VQmRA0Po0gg4j7AQ57wxSI6OLKAlNNjFdgnvKcmQxJK4ymZ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="2514" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi6srq06oYE15GuW08-1BE7f6Jro7ttkb79VLbENV3a8gKolhroYhRHGO8aOgJTecaIOhzD0MXmM4gOWJ_GBrlgCl03KMm_F-oJH1rhgU6t94ofo36_j94N4SCNOk79rKlbOKnnz2tReX23VQmRA0Po0gg4j7AQ57wxSI6OLKAlNNjFdgnvKcmQxJK4ymZ=w287-h400" width="287" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Watering porch plants the other day created a rainbow! That’s a Carolina Wren on the flag. It is the state bird of South Carolina. This wren is small, feisty and loud- just like South Carolina. </b></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_Q1k8Z5xtAu4yJoVTZwA-WeeDFYfHPWdTHah4xHxIp6o0KK8ve5jDlG1lJ9NF7Fs5o2IUdULDYrkPeJ-KBZCjAG3vKmo-w_sBYmR4yN1Gif7en9_orYOfGdo3-sy_99y5_etyanHGYakbM6wyajtmlZdl9zlp2izRXk96hqTQV1ouKTTJmgB4A5NY88t/s4032/8169933D-47A9-484A-B307-BE205D0FCACF.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_Q1k8Z5xtAu4yJoVTZwA-WeeDFYfHPWdTHah4xHxIp6o0KK8ve5jDlG1lJ9NF7Fs5o2IUdULDYrkPeJ-KBZCjAG3vKmo-w_sBYmR4yN1Gif7en9_orYOfGdo3-sy_99y5_etyanHGYakbM6wyajtmlZdl9zlp2izRXk96hqTQV1ouKTTJmgB4A5NY88t/w300-h400/8169933D-47A9-484A-B307-BE205D0FCACF.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We have been going through a heat wave with temperatures in the mid-90s that are pushed into triple digits when factoring in the heat index.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>While many people, including myself, may only go outside in small doses, I have sought plants for the yard, porch and patio that seem to flourish in this kind of weather. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This post features the different types I have acquired in recent weeks at places such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhvJ9-B8yl2NByYThAJmilWtdWv0ZGk8fyJTu2QiLB5_IKjqaTWnYTr5xen2pN_nYOTVhas0s0AosNoGIIAA6eMrcvxGXAJPTjvAYs37HJtCD6TdYyBy_E7jCNy04fqd01CMYkqSm3iZEamvQLC0skpJy6QPGp77GlToXcRQ1icG2DeSHfRuBywQTo0Tq/s4032/F7EDEC85-FCDE-4755-A4E9-1138CAB0E90A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhvJ9-B8yl2NByYThAJmilWtdWv0ZGk8fyJTu2QiLB5_IKjqaTWnYTr5xen2pN_nYOTVhas0s0AosNoGIIAA6eMrcvxGXAJPTjvAYs37HJtCD6TdYyBy_E7jCNy04fqd01CMYkqSm3iZEamvQLC0skpJy6QPGp77GlToXcRQ1icG2DeSHfRuBywQTo0Tq/w300-h400/F7EDEC85-FCDE-4755-A4E9-1138CAB0E90A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>My favorite summer plant is the <a href="https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/caladiums/">caladium</a>. These thrive in the heat as long as they have at least a few hours of sunshine to soak into their broad leaves. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Hl_xXIQfANrXyUEajtaDYZyCXATLvGu6GzpDhWf00vODpXlLfFcySR0o3a3JAi-qOwo1Nh1Vfe7ZEeio_G8UTw67yn-rXO8PQkXB6E1V9adTNI39fdAATiLv8RYaXDtrRa9EmxU-N1UrB-yVJ0QxoZ-nRxE2zkILOPouIKb1RGvVdbQT-qSeU2DnBjq/s4032/52B0FB22-BBB5-4054-8404-AE8F82DEF742.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Hl_xXIQfANrXyUEajtaDYZyCXATLvGu6GzpDhWf00vODpXlLfFcySR0o3a3JAi-qOwo1Nh1Vfe7ZEeio_G8UTw67yn-rXO8PQkXB6E1V9adTNI39fdAATiLv8RYaXDtrRa9EmxU-N1UrB-yVJ0QxoZ-nRxE2zkILOPouIKb1RGvVdbQT-qSeU2DnBjq/w300-h400/52B0FB22-BBB5-4054-8404-AE8F82DEF742.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Caladium comes in a few different colors so that offers a variety of looks. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDp6QPZ9zjFJpEZsEHlhLWQiSA0mAxWn4rV1cc8HStzeDJeDC9-untXrewBiegpKTafiS4xdOAWorsn_m7Ys9y_b6cw8SJAyMWPMz9HcTy-uvqfd1s-mAUE_ov60yZepRIpnioR-mRSknajXDbC5cgA5rsvsIEYa67yiWcqkJzKWflVjt1s_VlzywqZEb/s4032/83990748-E5E5-445C-94B2-13745B9957E5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDp6QPZ9zjFJpEZsEHlhLWQiSA0mAxWn4rV1cc8HStzeDJeDC9-untXrewBiegpKTafiS4xdOAWorsn_m7Ys9y_b6cw8SJAyMWPMz9HcTy-uvqfd1s-mAUE_ov60yZepRIpnioR-mRSknajXDbC5cgA5rsvsIEYa67yiWcqkJzKWflVjt1s_VlzywqZEb/w300-h400/83990748-E5E5-445C-94B2-13745B9957E5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>They seem to reach for the sun while I may wilt in it. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1Vn2VHPGRhMrQDKFmMDJ2YGFUujOEx-2IoEm-sd-whSUnnKbCEKeF7THFMpXx0u9i_-g9VS0x6ldBf4UtohiCoRi03wskeSmjZifDYj2rOxMLfmfLnUJjCIRuRtKaO53qz0QQv8gUhyvncLpkRhQw9bxg0hmLvfx6JcfNM7tqu32-ZOtWBNWHhtytMG4/s4032/828DFC43-D6FE-4760-9E95-D8D448243C94.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1Vn2VHPGRhMrQDKFmMDJ2YGFUujOEx-2IoEm-sd-whSUnnKbCEKeF7THFMpXx0u9i_-g9VS0x6ldBf4UtohiCoRi03wskeSmjZifDYj2rOxMLfmfLnUJjCIRuRtKaO53qz0QQv8gUhyvncLpkRhQw9bxg0hmLvfx6JcfNM7tqu32-ZOtWBNWHhtytMG4/w300-h400/828DFC43-D6FE-4760-9E95-D8D448243C94.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This pair of hanging <a href="https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/houseplant/boston-fern/">Boston ferns</a> have weathered all the seasons for two-to-three years in this backyard spot. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8jyiZGYxE49YSyku7Yebvsn3KwqRwkbQmrkUCFfYkVZPXm37cO7j_8OY-SRcy8PYrnv8bN5fVk6MNtkw95qOi-2V2H45eyJsB4BNN6GQI-iN9tpY2n_hbA-vQvC8U5Kt4gt4nOT6hgRKLelfa6GeJzPM4-r3YeyMbwO3WhVb9xC-tQjYQjsZCS0anJ5A/s4032/6ACBDDF9-CF61-4FCC-B095-A30D00128FE6.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8jyiZGYxE49YSyku7Yebvsn3KwqRwkbQmrkUCFfYkVZPXm37cO7j_8OY-SRcy8PYrnv8bN5fVk6MNtkw95qOi-2V2H45eyJsB4BNN6GQI-iN9tpY2n_hbA-vQvC8U5Kt4gt4nOT6hgRKLelfa6GeJzPM4-r3YeyMbwO3WhVb9xC-tQjYQjsZCS0anJ5A/w300-h400/6ACBDDF9-CF61-4FCC-B095-A30D00128FE6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>As you see, pine straw, not grass, covers the backyard. Years ago I gave up on growing and keeping grass here. There used to be grass but over time the many trees and the sandy soil composition made it hard for grass to grow and survive. Years ago I resodded a time or two but it just didn’t keep. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4daq96MynCrBiwHjpBWt3ci_6wpfSvse6iflnEXAy8lv-XmUdE2BpdbkWqmJuFtLMyiOR3GsR3j-MOCMU8F8_Zo2EwG-YQxb93N4a0bUFXIbr4_DvhC44MBK1RsCoWwKivAX2icXV7haXhjX6RxFqrlwjlTR4iFVxRwhR8auflQVXl4Lo0r5gf-uO_4Rv/s4032/DA7C04F4-AFBF-4220-97CB-805FAAA5A645.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4daq96MynCrBiwHjpBWt3ci_6wpfSvse6iflnEXAy8lv-XmUdE2BpdbkWqmJuFtLMyiOR3GsR3j-MOCMU8F8_Zo2EwG-YQxb93N4a0bUFXIbr4_DvhC44MBK1RsCoWwKivAX2icXV7haXhjX6RxFqrlwjlTR4iFVxRwhR8auflQVXl4Lo0r5gf-uO_4Rv/w400-h300/DA7C04F4-AFBF-4220-97CB-805FAAA5A645.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>So to adorn the space we have lots of plants, decorative birds, cats, and other critters, not to mention bird feeders and baths. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I enjoy photographing the birds that come to the feeders and baths. <a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/search?q=backyard+birds">Here's one of my backyard bird posts. </a> There are many on my blog, birder that I am! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgR_chZru9E94vEstFhC_EulEKTUSBDMX41VcacS53vSWYNiG98YC-e-3KFEHObAsDlF56K1o0y4SSX3EIWdR2BFsE0tsw76B91WviV2uFBgeHdlDzKg4eRcetL7-kpHlhN5H_AVaVSoejOC3u74o5iCeqXgPhv5QiZg0l15zlOw_RfDB5VMynVnp6QWX/s4032/E3C04658-D9F2-4D4F-B583-12FD32923A64.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgR_chZru9E94vEstFhC_EulEKTUSBDMX41VcacS53vSWYNiG98YC-e-3KFEHObAsDlF56K1o0y4SSX3EIWdR2BFsE0tsw76B91WviV2uFBgeHdlDzKg4eRcetL7-kpHlhN5H_AVaVSoejOC3u74o5iCeqXgPhv5QiZg0l15zlOw_RfDB5VMynVnp6QWX/w300-h400/E3C04658-D9F2-4D4F-B583-12FD32923A64.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>A new addition this summer is the <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/grow-hypoestes-phyllostachya-indoors-1902650">polka dot plant.</a> The nearby Lowe’s has had a bunch of these. I bought two and they are doing great on the back porch. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA7keVI2sOKtjCXrKtt39HCxHhGATey6bwXbIq0YweEmUW_0b_aJZPwG6wmVNHbi-yi6aXv2lQU32mDsDtD1BR_YGxIyxcPV2HD8sJZNxx8aOVYpsGdyvfMXiZdQDF-yQS4F7VfQpIMUksgChXIAOp8eXxsXsr5sZpS8Pdn9vBUa8snH3v25V7mO503Wf/s4032/08B4633F-DC05-4670-AF24-23140A28508A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA7keVI2sOKtjCXrKtt39HCxHhGATey6bwXbIq0YweEmUW_0b_aJZPwG6wmVNHbi-yi6aXv2lQU32mDsDtD1BR_YGxIyxcPV2HD8sJZNxx8aOVYpsGdyvfMXiZdQDF-yQS4F7VfQpIMUksgChXIAOp8eXxsXsr5sZpS8Pdn9vBUa8snH3v25V7mO503Wf/w300-h400/08B4633F-DC05-4670-AF24-23140A28508A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Sometimes called freckle face plants, according to the previous link, they seem to be hardy for humid conditions. And the three-quart pot size makes them small enough to look good on smaller tables. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Below is a larger polka dot plant. We will see how these do as the dog days of summer continue. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21Wd_DvyAwF7goUIW0ga1iT1zPTSpg_QIUwdVEwhdyi4Nba6ttPVVRJJMnYIXBTBso4aT-__CzGy_DjLKkIAfOblBa-3TAdw2wNlD0Qnpac15Xb8GyDyQfW0v6Q_VNEF9nAoLkzg3Ygdyq-WZom_jJGdpBsGKAw7zocFUg-Ex35Rt0kKjwxxQSlA1rdlI/s4032/9C4295C2-B184-43EE-B529-A157A16FA227.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21Wd_DvyAwF7goUIW0ga1iT1zPTSpg_QIUwdVEwhdyi4Nba6ttPVVRJJMnYIXBTBso4aT-__CzGy_DjLKkIAfOblBa-3TAdw2wNlD0Qnpac15Xb8GyDyQfW0v6Q_VNEF9nAoLkzg3Ygdyq-WZom_jJGdpBsGKAw7zocFUg-Ex35Rt0kKjwxxQSlA1rdlI/w300-h400/9C4295C2-B184-43EE-B529-A157A16FA227.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LK2nrd8QZprRl8cAJOMhLqwh-IGMzvdgSx9WXHCmxBUQPIj6p0AmHrKqPkbGZ6CINpiIc0TAfjbq2pcr_CiEU3QOij2qtpENFQ2WoZJQ868WdwdqFO1cEqTwq6w2N4bE6rq2rphbBCVQ-oBnfNkX0PLWX0Ig6MOSS5cOPz2l_KOBlrmLoimBXnUSwwVk/s4032/C512B008-E3C4-48E8-A437-7C8101E1580D.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LK2nrd8QZprRl8cAJOMhLqwh-IGMzvdgSx9WXHCmxBUQPIj6p0AmHrKqPkbGZ6CINpiIc0TAfjbq2pcr_CiEU3QOij2qtpENFQ2WoZJQ868WdwdqFO1cEqTwq6w2N4bE6rq2rphbBCVQ-oBnfNkX0PLWX0Ig6MOSS5cOPz2l_KOBlrmLoimBXnUSwwVk/w400-h300/C512B008-E3C4-48E8-A437-7C8101E1580D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>(Above) Two of these tropical-looking plants fit comfortably in this rectangular planter. These are called flax Lillies. </b></div></span><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTN80faAe6dsxSsd5VGV2VFE1SiNiwmfUgi37oDnpcEeQnihOjh53SqlJOEb-Qd5bZyepEjh5CQ-x_SwdFNHSNH15marb7eg_xGr7KlFcDNLlDUV0Tar7xWcrm-vpSijUqyIia4FCnroAs4bgH01OypExkr-411GhPDMhL-WG-3MIi-aMpd8HRBIiYuE2/s4032/72D951A7-DDEC-4C3B-9F36-3BBC06A61872.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTN80faAe6dsxSsd5VGV2VFE1SiNiwmfUgi37oDnpcEeQnihOjh53SqlJOEb-Qd5bZyepEjh5CQ-x_SwdFNHSNH15marb7eg_xGr7KlFcDNLlDUV0Tar7xWcrm-vpSijUqyIia4FCnroAs4bgH01OypExkr-411GhPDMhL-WG-3MIi-aMpd8HRBIiYuE2/w300-h400/72D951A7-DDEC-4C3B-9F36-3BBC06A61872.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This spiky plant is also well-suited to the heat and humidity. It is an <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/agave-tips-for-growing-this-easy-succulent-1402874">agave</a> purchased at Stacks Nursery on Dorchester Road in Summerville. Agave juice is used as an alternative to honey, in many medicines and some tequilas as well. </b></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HpHU4AW7nxJY4M4Dp3TedaWp190rMSX-EsiwSH4ePTFr_-Fw6Pn7b7QeKZyAHuPRqMyxTAhbfYcKql_Bdtbegtui4d1ja6ASUggYWZPfG0f2NrGYLBfhbXK-9GvonnBn6dmPwhAGkbz497fycXgyTCinSVaERAtk58lphrW7HOMqoSbeWGcu3VlxiVkU/s4032/90B91595-B3D1-41B3-A34F-35B410EC5B8F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HpHU4AW7nxJY4M4Dp3TedaWp190rMSX-EsiwSH4ePTFr_-Fw6Pn7b7QeKZyAHuPRqMyxTAhbfYcKql_Bdtbegtui4d1ja6ASUggYWZPfG0f2NrGYLBfhbXK-9GvonnBn6dmPwhAGkbz497fycXgyTCinSVaERAtk58lphrW7HOMqoSbeWGcu3VlxiVkU/w300-h400/90B91595-B3D1-41B3-A34F-35B410EC5B8F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>This<a href="https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/begonia/"> begonia</a> red flowered plant requires a little more attention with watering. Another one hangs on the front porch. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwyBkGBLlZecUs0rLYDtjqTSaNkcUs2bU3SaQtvyfecCSp86INt1u2AfdcfvBpnNpPYlRj2ertEHKeYa7r5zyB8fSyVmfGiOO3I5n_VDfc2MIBoRtRCTi3gsGNkpJsVNUWtguK7zroJmXZdVQbUshw0dfupclLGJ0B4XPMjN-GseYjMvY5nN3eQTlWhZI/s4032/7DB4772C-970D-4DE9-9060-7E851B5516C6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwyBkGBLlZecUs0rLYDtjqTSaNkcUs2bU3SaQtvyfecCSp86INt1u2AfdcfvBpnNpPYlRj2ertEHKeYa7r5zyB8fSyVmfGiOO3I5n_VDfc2MIBoRtRCTi3gsGNkpJsVNUWtguK7zroJmXZdVQbUshw0dfupclLGJ0B4XPMjN-GseYjMvY5nN3eQTlWhZI/w300-h400/7DB4772C-970D-4DE9-9060-7E851B5516C6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The front yard, along the sidewalk, is anchored by several large <a href="https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/shrub/sago-palm/">sago palms</a>., which seem to love the hot, humid conditions. It was just a few months ago that the new fronds started to emerge soon after I cut off the previous growth cycles' fronds. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSodVuLfmma7GnDY9cwFMGQ9LgoIbv_P4PARkTyoeQTOjYNwf5ReGZ4g0IzZjFOjgDVTOvF7ygfVY8nJzj7a36XTGaBpEe5ljRswsBT7u6CXhUFYMPsqHkoQDC6sS7I9z1rT6A4o3wgEm7VezUer5QonEIo49qiWJY1QfPwo0oN8fSaZtr3kmIAliXJp7l/s4032/CF5114C7-C3CF-4E38-96EE-71EAAF96B5B7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSodVuLfmma7GnDY9cwFMGQ9LgoIbv_P4PARkTyoeQTOjYNwf5ReGZ4g0IzZjFOjgDVTOvF7ygfVY8nJzj7a36XTGaBpEe5ljRswsBT7u6CXhUFYMPsqHkoQDC6sS7I9z1rT6A4o3wgEm7VezUer5QonEIo49qiWJY1QfPwo0oN8fSaZtr3kmIAliXJp7l/w300-h400/CF5114C7-C3CF-4E38-96EE-71EAAF96B5B7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Now the new ones are big and getting bigger by the week as they soak up the sun.</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfD8hZgUdZzMlFpYr5WURg3eNdLFhlXy6cRLuG2zxGO7djOq4vsvET2s3b3h_JyAy5MT6I3BYSDBYODYLiclSbIE5fGZWcW6yJDk5PySYCIbguJ628nBEoHxFdSi5dcTg5soTjaB4P8aKENxOvNEglH2BZmixNH9QBW6wLnR2yRiQZWIjgtSw1HAeMRWjk/s4032/AE74041A-680A-40B9-A19D-BAE8F713E0BD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfD8hZgUdZzMlFpYr5WURg3eNdLFhlXy6cRLuG2zxGO7djOq4vsvET2s3b3h_JyAy5MT6I3BYSDBYODYLiclSbIE5fGZWcW6yJDk5PySYCIbguJ628nBEoHxFdSi5dcTg5soTjaB4P8aKENxOvNEglH2BZmixNH9QBW6wLnR2yRiQZWIjgtSw1HAeMRWjk/w400-h300/AE74041A-680A-40B9-A19D-BAE8F713E0BD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Female Sago Palms take longer to reproduce. They grow a cone that eventually can be cut away. In the photo below you see the quickly growing new fronds of the female sago palm. I broke off the long yellowish cone about one week ago. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQnPlwNH3iSTgBT2lrd8iSppY4j7PT42qcAlJmM3lWJc2O0PI6fw2rJy5HlThrYlhaZ8105-7jVsYA1qmCcBuzrpC0T-AMbjRyHQsGnk2UQl6130fXdNa48QNIrJlIsoHUkIkbOpkXhky2hXiCgWmIr33FMvqVJDyVZukkOHtxX2iPeDYF0QIPYX8oInT/s4032/83BE2AAF-A05D-4591-BF26-EB740A86E317.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQnPlwNH3iSTgBT2lrd8iSppY4j7PT42qcAlJmM3lWJc2O0PI6fw2rJy5HlThrYlhaZ8105-7jVsYA1qmCcBuzrpC0T-AMbjRyHQsGnk2UQl6130fXdNa48QNIrJlIsoHUkIkbOpkXhky2hXiCgWmIr33FMvqVJDyVZukkOHtxX2iPeDYF0QIPYX8oInT/w300-h400/83BE2AAF-A05D-4591-BF26-EB740A86E317.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Here are a few pictures of the cone I’ve mentioned. These sago palms are in another part of my neighborhood. This cone just naturally gave way to new growth.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxFxOuyQJGGEHtkzuhYc7Bp8du9UUOWgGrfebrKVbOFmmR7vfJdsJQBI5GKFm-g_ZYkAtLVovEnMVHvdAjVQ16AwBtdgrRcznDwUGuh4IXyeEQHGTW_Wa1gFIv-b4kK9NuNQX-Jtfe_f-lihXlgYEH7FN0VqiGcG9yY6ru0YnzOe_pOVo8vziH1Fg36Wg/s3000/E726212D-D64A-4DFD-8D19-DBCB7196758A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxFxOuyQJGGEHtkzuhYc7Bp8du9UUOWgGrfebrKVbOFmmR7vfJdsJQBI5GKFm-g_ZYkAtLVovEnMVHvdAjVQ16AwBtdgrRcznDwUGuh4IXyeEQHGTW_Wa1gFIv-b4kK9NuNQX-Jtfe_f-lihXlgYEH7FN0VqiGcG9yY6ru0YnzOe_pOVo8vziH1Fg36Wg/w300-h400/E726212D-D64A-4DFD-8D19-DBCB7196758A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktP_8R9Cy8Q1ZKMmdx9b7WDU5WS5_Mo9TvlhKDZgMHdqMgxxrGOFtF1yDqen6_YMnyqiggyfxgx2jF0A-Kw2IsC6YKKzoNBTOOuDMIY-P76t-cDLV8YSb__9GiypiS9PuOxpSzNZuh_q5c4Mtdu4DxVJtzExIeFqd-IweLIfTAQO7CXPizy9VQ_oZy6s3/s4032/EEB01606-674C-4504-A642-75193A869B1A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktP_8R9Cy8Q1ZKMmdx9b7WDU5WS5_Mo9TvlhKDZgMHdqMgxxrGOFtF1yDqen6_YMnyqiggyfxgx2jF0A-Kw2IsC6YKKzoNBTOOuDMIY-P76t-cDLV8YSb__9GiypiS9PuOxpSzNZuh_q5c4Mtdu4DxVJtzExIeFqd-IweLIfTAQO7CXPizy9VQ_oZy6s3/w300-h400/EEB01606-674C-4504-A642-75193A869B1A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlkJbOTq6u1lQBcJCDVnfjiJYdTdrZ4JulFBlg2-RFe4_j6IHJEHIoBgfuGWyCKWqPvgnOvAmxbQmH4cJ-9FDbNWgUBQB7SgE0SGwL7mZ4NhSZkh1wXdSggHWkxmUqPLNaGBe6WZjpiX8MQzxzm6sCGRtu1vtlGsi4fR4RTxeSSeAG0LzyAuuoO2Pkgg4/s4032/25EBCA36-7CBF-4EF8-8FFB-2F8B2E331043.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlkJbOTq6u1lQBcJCDVnfjiJYdTdrZ4JulFBlg2-RFe4_j6IHJEHIoBgfuGWyCKWqPvgnOvAmxbQmH4cJ-9FDbNWgUBQB7SgE0SGwL7mZ4NhSZkh1wXdSggHWkxmUqPLNaGBe6WZjpiX8MQzxzm6sCGRtu1vtlGsi4fR4RTxeSSeAG0LzyAuuoO2Pkgg4/w300-h400/25EBCA36-7CBF-4EF8-8FFB-2F8B2E331043.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbv-3s_BY9M0Beo2WVfYb5B_KZfTWpX3uzV5VQFauWP_v4GF9jdohjZPkoy2i36Y3eVLTfUZm3kbcGjJoWPese9t5B57BBEAJoH6JjPszTHiM0ZqkJflfDIvHz7ZXu7VeAF8Px9sLCmBf8eKy5QJKQzUxEVSYlD7_CRUurXpQ8NNjjXLo33AR6lewCWYh/s4032/784E9839-02AC-4C8B-B7D9-6D36B131DED2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbv-3s_BY9M0Beo2WVfYb5B_KZfTWpX3uzV5VQFauWP_v4GF9jdohjZPkoy2i36Y3eVLTfUZm3kbcGjJoWPese9t5B57BBEAJoH6JjPszTHiM0ZqkJflfDIvHz7ZXu7VeAF8Px9sLCmBf8eKy5QJKQzUxEVSYlD7_CRUurXpQ8NNjjXLo33AR6lewCWYh/w300-h400/784E9839-02AC-4C8B-B7D9-6D36B131DED2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Finally, this small hanging fern is thriving on our front porch. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>So bring on the heat! At least my plants love it! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkrqFiBa6Mr4tOOCll3SW2yqNJxh5VJpyBXGaz5JB89vmuWnx0SN8UW6-fx2rlO7quLYTr5JsmWDsJ08XX54nSNe8INBXtFykGiQwK2coVP1Yle-rckeXu71n6SZHsSj3N-kAXNxWZUr3cyhMTb0Mm2fSUlV6TNhxKSHM_HnFy_Ly2b7ESzHM2YkLknW5/s4032/C61EE73C-69FD-46C5-9ECF-A66D9734D4C1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkrqFiBa6Mr4tOOCll3SW2yqNJxh5VJpyBXGaz5JB89vmuWnx0SN8UW6-fx2rlO7quLYTr5JsmWDsJ08XX54nSNe8INBXtFykGiQwK2coVP1Yle-rckeXu71n6SZHsSj3N-kAXNxWZUr3cyhMTb0Mm2fSUlV6TNhxKSHM_HnFy_Ly2b7ESzHM2YkLknW5/w300-h400/C61EE73C-69FD-46C5-9ECF-A66D9734D4C1.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891471528461620124.post-64881219633113421432023-07-13T11:07:00.008-04:002023-07-14T10:57:45.484-04:004th of July Fun in Chicago! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8pTxZTHVYiv051aCmbErcLFXfdZ4toOVXC6KLcSSmHx5jhMWMbv3PrPhhftYC1hRzkXKs7XJiHv36CsHqmyt6ik2irYo9K67Wn3p22b0SVB-_z7td9eGbBsrSjGJmC4KefyJrrr3TgPjaZ4fqLEVa_JCusv5noIsGCPT38AEE8a4bXnwVeYvjyEFNhfD/s4032/59D0B126-B896-4CC9-B0CD-79D8AB9DE5EF.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8pTxZTHVYiv051aCmbErcLFXfdZ4toOVXC6KLcSSmHx5jhMWMbv3PrPhhftYC1hRzkXKs7XJiHv36CsHqmyt6ik2irYo9K67Wn3p22b0SVB-_z7td9eGbBsrSjGJmC4KefyJrrr3TgPjaZ4fqLEVa_JCusv5noIsGCPT38AEE8a4bXnwVeYvjyEFNhfD/w300-h400/59D0B126-B896-4CC9-B0CD-79D8AB9DE5EF.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We traveled to the Windy City to visit our son during the Independence Day holiday. The River North area downtown was where we stayed and the atmosphere was vibrant and festive. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Chicago’s many skyscrapers are always neat to see and photograph. The iconic Wrigley Building was adorned with a huge American flag. <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160702/downtown/5-interesting-facts-about-giant-flag-on-wrigley-building/">As this site reveals</a>, the huge flag cost $6,200 and has been flown during the 4th of July period since 2002 as a way to commemorate the 9/11 attacks. <br /><br />To the left of the Wrigley Building is the 100-story <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_International_Hotel_and_Tower_(Chicago)">Trump International Hotel & Tower</a>, the city’s second tallest building. The hotel cost a whopping $847 million to build and was completed in 2009.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFodRne3bb_UnVYKjuX1R8tSLPkuCtUMfHSdw35zJoHYOoPhdzuo2LqngQ-o_XHVqDTPTEIyFcwtF1HYcBzxw2del32m6MRHmdtxtmDDIjKXYC0G9CnJ-9BdeiRuWJnWz1RlHB6hNOHaXYllplVG-rdNQ9NkUtuNKRiL7T770dSc5D5mZUM8rnvaHfdg9/s3867/0F2C75B0-24E8-4BFB-B02D-4A37EF25BCD2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3867" data-original-width="2925" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFodRne3bb_UnVYKjuX1R8tSLPkuCtUMfHSdw35zJoHYOoPhdzuo2LqngQ-o_XHVqDTPTEIyFcwtF1HYcBzxw2del32m6MRHmdtxtmDDIjKXYC0G9CnJ-9BdeiRuWJnWz1RlHB6hNOHaXYllplVG-rdNQ9NkUtuNKRiL7T770dSc5D5mZUM8rnvaHfdg9/w303-h400/0F2C75B0-24E8-4BFB-B02D-4A37EF25BCD2.jpeg" width="303" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We had a wonderful view from room 1526 in the <a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/chino-the-westin-chicago-river-north/overview/">Westin Chicago River North Hote</a>l on N. Dearborn St. </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUclRHeIUSCfXnEn-DPVWi5O3GjLrb7QkAMkvLQKb24p60Ax-dnlNDxgfpCpctNJa8PQOLZYuvorIJT0l3ghnKpo1EjVNN33pLaHlo9XZIGIoQwb--rxP7SvY0RK5IztdYHf6lkx9wdI2yA1M1WeddBYa3IPkuTyNhWF4FLOBLH97Sc-HCGJ36Oij2V-m/s3720/166DE6F5-0187-4F44-9F42-EB5C0BA6CC5E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3720" data-original-width="2790" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUclRHeIUSCfXnEn-DPVWi5O3GjLrb7QkAMkvLQKb24p60Ax-dnlNDxgfpCpctNJa8PQOLZYuvorIJT0l3ghnKpo1EjVNN33pLaHlo9XZIGIoQwb--rxP7SvY0RK5IztdYHf6lkx9wdI2yA1M1WeddBYa3IPkuTyNhWF4FLOBLH97Sc-HCGJ36Oij2V-m/w300-h400/166DE6F5-0187-4F44-9F42-EB5C0BA6CC5E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Sunday afternoon when we checked into our room, this was the view.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLtcY_mPNs60YXtm7h21iuOOR143s8oqlSmBDtAinZxsPkmPGcWg1Z-mSpj1-CiirQ41V4xNwnnWv7VhfPdNwA4Yb8SJG7XFQ5BspwcfygAorB39r4-hZqUZbN2qvA8DIisPutZ9_eBAzFuwtlxxP2LdMpz8ZiPSlYrHrzD0l3CSOpZPysJlmCiY28ZE6/s4032/2D0D4A22-BC64-48C6-90D4-59237EA8DE3E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLtcY_mPNs60YXtm7h21iuOOR143s8oqlSmBDtAinZxsPkmPGcWg1Z-mSpj1-CiirQ41V4xNwnnWv7VhfPdNwA4Yb8SJG7XFQ5BspwcfygAorB39r4-hZqUZbN2qvA8DIisPutZ9_eBAzFuwtlxxP2LdMpz8ZiPSlYrHrzD0l3CSOpZPysJlmCiY28ZE6/w300-h400/2D0D4A22-BC64-48C6-90D4-59237EA8DE3E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Fortunately, the rain ended within a few hours…</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYgb7u7zpKO3rjQFy5fd0kzwwHNycxmwZ_HqUcDjOEld6OGZWiCjCNb52RW7QQ6Rzs9uqqB4aErZlW2FbGav5k7fOAt05sz0ozxS8Hl2IDkRPLuthWMpvKzthIv8qmYJJe3G1EtUTB-i8-iL5qIIh_M-qi07LZjZIJ41qsSEuJRBr1dwmtklC8LlF2i8m/s3830/630A0EA6-A82B-4D3B-BE7A-5F861D299B7A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3830" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYgb7u7zpKO3rjQFy5fd0kzwwHNycxmwZ_HqUcDjOEld6OGZWiCjCNb52RW7QQ6Rzs9uqqB4aErZlW2FbGav5k7fOAt05sz0ozxS8Hl2IDkRPLuthWMpvKzthIv8qmYJJe3G1EtUTB-i8-iL5qIIh_M-qi07LZjZIJ41qsSEuJRBr1dwmtklC8LlF2i8m/w400-h321/630A0EA6-A82B-4D3B-BE7A-5F861D299B7A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>...and the weather was very comfortable for walking, boating and kayaking. The Chicago River was bustling with vessels large and small. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkou7mb48GsXSZia7wfPGKtGy-D1u3ZTYchYZHjr4ZTE_aLNhhzQiw64G6qt9SC9eNIzxi9VxTluEl_1zy8bLTvEPSuRNXyTOQd8CEGU-tpK2n9gH_E15Zmcpn949q0X0WdBadBaONDYF2Z375zKROzQlvadiTHL9JYCww1FMv_PVYZwd8C6KZwUFVHq2/s4032/509A2540-FCAF-4362-B8E1-11E721DE533D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkou7mb48GsXSZia7wfPGKtGy-D1u3ZTYchYZHjr4ZTE_aLNhhzQiw64G6qt9SC9eNIzxi9VxTluEl_1zy8bLTvEPSuRNXyTOQd8CEGU-tpK2n9gH_E15Zmcpn949q0X0WdBadBaONDYF2Z375zKROzQlvadiTHL9JYCww1FMv_PVYZwd8C6KZwUFVHq2/w300-h400/509A2540-FCAF-4362-B8E1-11E721DE533D.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd1lWBf3bOkjkW68pk88GTZaoa6YiYRHALqZ0sKLkJkxz2mUUI0dCSrER7vnebfA0t7lisS1dSvWrNw3jk2tRZgcGN4_2c64_jBFI6sX12TZx2-R5Qzu4qirSzFoUbISBsboJE-PuWbzZr5F6UDEm8yA99cDowcxH479_8sTw5nyJPkB2h8kaur12X4X4/s4096/8AFB4FE9-DF42-4155-B9A6-20BE2195307D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd1lWBf3bOkjkW68pk88GTZaoa6YiYRHALqZ0sKLkJkxz2mUUI0dCSrER7vnebfA0t7lisS1dSvWrNw3jk2tRZgcGN4_2c64_jBFI6sX12TZx2-R5Qzu4qirSzFoUbISBsboJE-PuWbzZr5F6UDEm8yA99cDowcxH479_8sTw5nyJPkB2h8kaur12X4X4/w400-h300/8AFB4FE9-DF42-4155-B9A6-20BE2195307D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-nBRSN3IhegzBsmvDq_FX2E_7BFohBeBuHHmx349vlUQ6NVahXt9sSLcdGMzoG0TcrWzIfheo28PquhcLsFfKHjhekloElnHoRg2fFORWx__f6AZUK5yjaXyOXCzNI4-zMoUvZJUC-pC7ZADAHGG0iWNx7qXbNJ_qkNhviuYKot5gr6718laF0O1GroN/s5184/2AE4CD79-3432-4401-BCD6-717896B44F31.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-nBRSN3IhegzBsmvDq_FX2E_7BFohBeBuHHmx349vlUQ6NVahXt9sSLcdGMzoG0TcrWzIfheo28PquhcLsFfKHjhekloElnHoRg2fFORWx__f6AZUK5yjaXyOXCzNI4-zMoUvZJUC-pC7ZADAHGG0iWNx7qXbNJ_qkNhviuYKot5gr6718laF0O1GroN/w400-h300/2AE4CD79-3432-4401-BCD6-717896B44F31.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>We got out on the water ourselves on July 4th. At the <a href="https://navypier.org/">Navy Pier</a>, we boarded a <a href="https://tallshipwindy.com/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwb6lBhBJEiwAbuVUSlvhFZwxqD51eATlF8YXsk8ESjfEx5qLzlpv8XB6JEr466QxIhT6qRoC1DQQAvD_BwE">tall sailing ship called Windy. </a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxf69j9ruoA_FZ3F7rYak4CCBDx-ZMPggMBwgyoD-D2JAtjmJ6_0yvjYnZ_sbLk7WVHBz_1cgxN8Cv1Tq_enjLTXMFT-NU7CpZ71O6U1FqUyJ8z0Ro7ZQKA1Fj7gcE9DUS_c2gWR6toHmHRLnfOa7xHlUqBYHl0kfXyrWRGI5qrqLUN5RqYPzs47C5x9d/s4096/BDC8B834-BD98-4909-8C81-EAC99FB01896.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxf69j9ruoA_FZ3F7rYak4CCBDx-ZMPggMBwgyoD-D2JAtjmJ6_0yvjYnZ_sbLk7WVHBz_1cgxN8Cv1Tq_enjLTXMFT-NU7CpZ71O6U1FqUyJ8z0Ro7ZQKA1Fj7gcE9DUS_c2gWR6toHmHRLnfOa7xHlUqBYHl0kfXyrWRGI5qrqLUN5RqYPzs47C5x9d/w400-h300/BDC8B834-BD98-4909-8C81-EAC99FB01896.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The weather turned hot and humid but on Lake Michigan it was very pleasant. The guide had fun facts and funny stories, even doing a good Donald Trump imitation when talking about his big hotel. </b><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnh_gEkiiOFK79kuu9btZ3CeQ_VnlBDpWWab7FnoI9zL1xVm6DBaWdMK2vGo9pbhmWRTbSCCpSUgVm0kq5mjh493URoVgTwMVPmfRU3VmcxYShZreR73WZVtBykmfGQBq8INzfEycA07dTAJ4KdBa7ncy2zk_hJDW1snIPILrCZU0BRRJGhvwaYv7TnZc/s4096/0B0627A4-6E76-40AB-9F64-AC5ED264E184.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnh_gEkiiOFK79kuu9btZ3CeQ_VnlBDpWWab7FnoI9zL1xVm6DBaWdMK2vGo9pbhmWRTbSCCpSUgVm0kq5mjh493URoVgTwMVPmfRU3VmcxYShZreR73WZVtBykmfGQBq8INzfEycA07dTAJ4KdBa7ncy2zk_hJDW1snIPILrCZU0BRRJGhvwaYv7TnZc/w400-h300/0B0627A4-6E76-40AB-9F64-AC5ED264E184.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>my interest in old lighthouses was satisfied with the <a href="https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=234">Chicago Harbor Light</a> that has been here since 1919. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I'm not sure if the lighthouse is still active but there is an effort to restore it and maybe turn it into a museum. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-harbor-lighthouse/">More here. </a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepDEt8Zd6neCnghfvQLIumtKRVN2wzNprzb7RAyhhLjJ91NiaBcpS-tO9TAf-GjJv_tu63xf41vQ176b_gHtE0gVGF85dtB1LQ17AJ00VlBvZ9iZwP7AchY3iJjiMiaird60ztFkJpJbzAiHOuDOSZPGUdJP6qaTUUTwMhZoum8g1g6DUJMfJkzd3jOov/s4032/0B770FAF-CC4F-40C4-B544-B91ED98265F5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepDEt8Zd6neCnghfvQLIumtKRVN2wzNprzb7RAyhhLjJ91NiaBcpS-tO9TAf-GjJv_tu63xf41vQ176b_gHtE0gVGF85dtB1LQ17AJ00VlBvZ9iZwP7AchY3iJjiMiaird60ztFkJpJbzAiHOuDOSZPGUdJP6qaTUUTwMhZoum8g1g6DUJMfJkzd3jOov/w400-h300/0B770FAF-CC4F-40C4-B544-B91ED98265F5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Joseph joined us from New York and it was great seeing him so soon after our birthday/Memorial Day weekend visit with him in the Big Apple. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2023/06/new-yorks-finest-my-photographs-anyway.html">See my blog post from that trip here. </a><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtujkNdZYysbmd_8FzXvALJNRQJJf_5CDX2R2G7Vii_yyJfJ5czlDVemkGN_zLWVgkDlUzGVkr_DUlpPBmo7B69l9db-KX6vka6YLMO-fIWyxi67LuQjm_QjsPYzxEmItpP9QOUjtS26wx0k8FVe1nrup_lBAUpu2KZPAW2i6V_ors_5_X6cr6BJpNseZW/s4096/3F3610DB-CF6D-4AB0-9F9F-79ABC1C90F68.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtujkNdZYysbmd_8FzXvALJNRQJJf_5CDX2R2G7Vii_yyJfJ5czlDVemkGN_zLWVgkDlUzGVkr_DUlpPBmo7B69l9db-KX6vka6YLMO-fIWyxi67LuQjm_QjsPYzxEmItpP9QOUjtS26wx0k8FVe1nrup_lBAUpu2KZPAW2i6V_ors_5_X6cr6BJpNseZW/w400-h300/3F3610DB-CF6D-4AB0-9F9F-79ABC1C90F68.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Ahoy matey! </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOp0s4LecNpnAGIHgEtu2De2GPtRB6TsMnI5KIrC7cqi3hDZiDB0okRODW3weCStb06ATEfE41oMG_iBmJOX2z407CKfyyCu-YRyZC7x2gLsHvzRWXSzjCwRwL_Ztpm99rkIC-vqqMpGbAEXLJe6q0t24rJY7QgutFB9TJ5E-Mbu2NaSlp4GSsUTL0-rB/s4096/E91E2B6A-B53D-4BE2-8530-2FB5B1CBAC0C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOp0s4LecNpnAGIHgEtu2De2GPtRB6TsMnI5KIrC7cqi3hDZiDB0okRODW3weCStb06ATEfE41oMG_iBmJOX2z407CKfyyCu-YRyZC7x2gLsHvzRWXSzjCwRwL_Ztpm99rkIC-vqqMpGbAEXLJe6q0t24rJY7QgutFB9TJ5E-Mbu2NaSlp4GSsUTL0-rB/w400-h300/E91E2B6A-B53D-4BE2-8530-2FB5B1CBAC0C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Chicago skyline as seen from the Windy on Lake Michigan. The guide said the heavy boom pole at the top of my photo is called that because if a sailor got hit by the quickly moving pole that boom would really hurt. Sounds reasonable to me!</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZht5kcYkiz-1fgAkjMSZaYWjM5pGiiJKsyq-o66MxvHdgF7HrkH0uHNxUiwEanp3fd6Y-QowGGDf64ycQqVzPxZl3IxMtwnIH2Z4kh9__SEs--EYkhjlu-GOWCMn1QzCKWyIqzQrde2J9RD_3JUudG3QABHMGm7sxxBQiXIbChKjsgmorKnHoVPJjZzOM/s2885/5ACC6661-4A69-4416-B819-2E43C8DA027B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2259" data-original-width="2885" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZht5kcYkiz-1fgAkjMSZaYWjM5pGiiJKsyq-o66MxvHdgF7HrkH0uHNxUiwEanp3fd6Y-QowGGDf64ycQqVzPxZl3IxMtwnIH2Z4kh9__SEs--EYkhjlu-GOWCMn1QzCKWyIqzQrde2J9RD_3JUudG3QABHMGm7sxxBQiXIbChKjsgmorKnHoVPJjZzOM/w400-h314/5ACC6661-4A69-4416-B819-2E43C8DA027B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Justin was under the weather so unfortunately didn’t join us for this outing. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbqf92Ki2dVsh5JvEPaCfPMKoqThxizjgNEwzejMVF_JNWYclTn8L8TqjzJUU9xquE7NrOMfQpJEXXGN3iZQb6TjhVrJHAUpceURAG3KZPx0blYfe2ddvseUAeK_DMR4VItSCj38tNcL7qROoNwDzIzZvWluCOr5VLiCNA-I5bnuRS5FStkdG8wm32Teo/s6298/80675B6D-1B3C-46F8-B1C2-5F899075F446.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="6298" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbqf92Ki2dVsh5JvEPaCfPMKoqThxizjgNEwzejMVF_JNWYclTn8L8TqjzJUU9xquE7NrOMfQpJEXXGN3iZQb6TjhVrJHAUpceURAG3KZPx0blYfe2ddvseUAeK_DMR4VItSCj38tNcL7qROoNwDzIzZvWluCOr5VLiCNA-I5bnuRS5FStkdG8wm32Teo/w400-h111/80675B6D-1B3C-46F8-B1C2-5F899075F446.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Panorama image with my iPhone 12 taken aboard the Misty.</b></div></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdVFvOY3zwgNwbIcVkSaO1T5GSysbjbArpEiLpip94pUGYmnevVLvNGH1HSRglCSAxiUi3_3LhTRZ7lc3pcNyLbaqotcB237s-XpxAWokvJFJ6xEjBv5yt8pnYmhNDF8ACcevyUmT59eh0OGXetioO6729cCX4DPw0i2Kx7HHLU3URJlcicQN3aMQd4VI/s4032/7EF1D852-A26C-4D18-8B17-D41231F900F3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdVFvOY3zwgNwbIcVkSaO1T5GSysbjbArpEiLpip94pUGYmnevVLvNGH1HSRglCSAxiUi3_3LhTRZ7lc3pcNyLbaqotcB237s-XpxAWokvJFJ6xEjBv5yt8pnYmhNDF8ACcevyUmT59eh0OGXetioO6729cCX4DPw0i2Kx7HHLU3URJlcicQN3aMQd4VI/w400-h300/7EF1D852-A26C-4D18-8B17-D41231F900F3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>We did see Justin every evening for dinner, plus we met his girlfriend Zoe for the first time! </b><p></p><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj24Ul1I-Lholfs9DSY5IRx1MTMjkpRMjJKIK3SUqPf9XAa79my7j_qMwEnZoaTA_E4Axvc0rskAq-UvvidPAE8jv0ag8_UTVKEbRLw9nStRt0Iw6BtYQO3zT8aHbU1tJMQ__Npb7nQj-Nf4aKX-sD7hc4brvUwgMizY_fNRkOTzwfzknqwywj-4t_r8Y/s4032/0C9725EF-E1BD-48C1-A4E9-EC70D6431360.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj24Ul1I-Lholfs9DSY5IRx1MTMjkpRMjJKIK3SUqPf9XAa79my7j_qMwEnZoaTA_E4Axvc0rskAq-UvvidPAE8jv0ag8_UTVKEbRLw9nStRt0Iw6BtYQO3zT8aHbU1tJMQ__Npb7nQj-Nf4aKX-sD7hc4brvUwgMizY_fNRkOTzwfzknqwywj-4t_r8Y/w300-h400/0C9725EF-E1BD-48C1-A4E9-EC70D6431360.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>July 4th dinner was a fine meal at S.K.Y. restaurant in the Lower West Side <a href="https://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods/pilsen/">Pilsen neighborhood</a> where Justin lives. We finished our meal just as fireworks shows erupted. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Streets were blocked off and residents lit off an amazing amount of professional-grade fireworks. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO7d_rYJGr21GBr3P-w9eBGoL3vpIfiz7NtNZArfcXMua3ZHJSBzRlz3NBB8iZcS8ysSFrBAPO_Je26COivNP6onn5YqfgsPXOI0mPdX2WqQpv6PxqWar-f2lkjj8lLBgyu6Sx2PQ1hIMZ1YJhiRnflwKF8DJS35kP1tgD_hLHESB2nsFM7OKLV6-R8yS/s4032/C181CF36-9C6E-4ACA-8ABF-7D4EC04FC464.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO7d_rYJGr21GBr3P-w9eBGoL3vpIfiz7NtNZArfcXMua3ZHJSBzRlz3NBB8iZcS8ysSFrBAPO_Je26COivNP6onn5YqfgsPXOI0mPdX2WqQpv6PxqWar-f2lkjj8lLBgyu6Sx2PQ1hIMZ1YJhiRnflwKF8DJS35kP1tgD_hLHESB2nsFM7OKLV6-R8yS/w300-h400/C181CF36-9C6E-4ACA-8ABF-7D4EC04FC464.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlFkAM9Xyhth7YI3Vzy_zMjF9Xe_2fqzyTJsBIs1BOh9wmgN96172pK-ZF3ksuVHCkyrcSLK3vTrpjWjGqvFUneQnA9G7TRZ2Ungf-66PSx2SiMwQtkRBZl-tnUljdAEe9mefDvLyp5k-Tf_APifBaz_Ht8RTImi2qV1KFYhZbY56Q9jIp7Ci3NKephd4/s4032/77111EF2-5A88-4C99-B82E-F4D0A1012396.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlFkAM9Xyhth7YI3Vzy_zMjF9Xe_2fqzyTJsBIs1BOh9wmgN96172pK-ZF3ksuVHCkyrcSLK3vTrpjWjGqvFUneQnA9G7TRZ2Ungf-66PSx2SiMwQtkRBZl-tnUljdAEe9mefDvLyp5k-Tf_APifBaz_Ht8RTImi2qV1KFYhZbY56Q9jIp7Ci3NKephd4/w300-h400/77111EF2-5A88-4C99-B82E-F4D0A1012396.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>It was a fitting end to our three-night stay in Chicago! </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrirbpDKLoUDOrPlqLcOjTGu6tObHXFpbgKYwlcE4XsCqN0XfSdn3QZunUc44Xf1sVMdFzlGDHUYhxwhsTreBSu8YEwF4TW8vMmjPeYpN8rVmvqOd4qc7K-FxY3-_zjUl9GPSXw2c8PGivQjZ5aRNtagG-vWnTknCoa1RBlYdt0zk1RDc4O2vI7-9zEyS/s4032/42241651-3B0C-4375-867F-D22EAE8CA93F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrirbpDKLoUDOrPlqLcOjTGu6tObHXFpbgKYwlcE4XsCqN0XfSdn3QZunUc44Xf1sVMdFzlGDHUYhxwhsTreBSu8YEwF4TW8vMmjPeYpN8rVmvqOd4qc7K-FxY3-_zjUl9GPSXw2c8PGivQjZ5aRNtagG-vWnTknCoa1RBlYdt0zk1RDc4O2vI7-9zEyS/w300-h400/42241651-3B0C-4375-867F-D22EAE8CA93F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgX6nvXhlrajfsGNjifjjnZj3gWi1Ugh4zLYqf5B9YELOc-3bXrzTsmLAyGf2AaZVLRB4VZQmfGUASm6lKswTrnAPDoDr9NCzI4uRgHm8cC4_6qky0WR2jq_8uEL9gg9c7OUhK9Cs0wD-NVEOQCFTHPdpjop038Y3aGxtTDnlDxWRz1gRCG8ruu9NSxLdb/s5184/08177D22-33D9-4FE9-8F26-8DB79DC6FCA4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgX6nvXhlrajfsGNjifjjnZj3gWi1Ugh4zLYqf5B9YELOc-3bXrzTsmLAyGf2AaZVLRB4VZQmfGUASm6lKswTrnAPDoDr9NCzI4uRgHm8cC4_6qky0WR2jq_8uEL9gg9c7OUhK9Cs0wD-NVEOQCFTHPdpjop038Y3aGxtTDnlDxWRz1gRCG8ruu9NSxLdb/w400-h300/08177D22-33D9-4FE9-8F26-8DB79DC6FCA4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>ARTISTRY</b></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>To follow are some of my photography by theme. This interesting piece called <a href="https://www.themagnificentmile.com/explore/listing/the-gentlemen-statues">The Gentlemen Statues</a> may have had even more people under umbrellas Sunday when it rained much of the day.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaMyB1p-mCGU9sYTYakK9UQ1Tj50JHFhVMHkA5aVrZIVSZAkN7f69R-li_uFq0G7_O8DUHpAHv7fzcJRbcthxcCL-Wha2-Yq1JJAwK6440ViGuUMAcEeala7T7eSIkLaDe8K2uYGyLWWBTc-hQFB9F1dLXPdfiypTj_2_Vv8WzD_42g0A5geWD1Q_aFSN/s4032/F2B5927D-DAFF-48BC-93AC-3C5AF4A32933.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaMyB1p-mCGU9sYTYakK9UQ1Tj50JHFhVMHkA5aVrZIVSZAkN7f69R-li_uFq0G7_O8DUHpAHv7fzcJRbcthxcCL-Wha2-Yq1JJAwK6440ViGuUMAcEeala7T7eSIkLaDe8K2uYGyLWWBTc-hQFB9F1dLXPdfiypTj_2_Vv8WzD_42g0A5geWD1Q_aFSN/s320/F2B5927D-DAFF-48BC-93AC-3C5AF4A32933.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The installation has been on this plaza near the Trump Hotel since 2015. Ju Ming’s work is described on one online site as “blocky and minimalist, Ming’s signature style, reducing the figures to their basic forms.” </b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2S7D7j3bhQQNZ7PfI3foMncOZ8wMwv3zkHu2oND7NaOjYSur11u_M415PbBATtQQhlzo0U6hRXvl3gLeTywuMtSjhx3mRl-QkY5lYFTeJ7VD2TLemHaW2Y7g8VHIXlZyKz6Ikmkrm32vgoduWcMzNfZgSsxdySnmGrWxwzfA7Qs2p7VurvOYKHu0TDBL/s3833/82E4FA2E-1464-4FBA-A52F-FD9C1F8FCDA7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3833" data-original-width="2874" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2S7D7j3bhQQNZ7PfI3foMncOZ8wMwv3zkHu2oND7NaOjYSur11u_M415PbBATtQQhlzo0U6hRXvl3gLeTywuMtSjhx3mRl-QkY5lYFTeJ7VD2TLemHaW2Y7g8VHIXlZyKz6Ikmkrm32vgoduWcMzNfZgSsxdySnmGrWxwzfA7Qs2p7VurvOYKHu0TDBL/w300-h400/82E4FA2E-1464-4FBA-A52F-FD9C1F8FCDA7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>There is some impressive bas-relief art on the Chicago River bridges downtown. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This large structure, which dates to 1920, is called a bridge house. It is where workers would raise the bridge for passing ships. At the time of its completion more than 100 years ago the bridge was considered an engineering marvel, and is still admired today for its mechanical prowess, <a href="https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/michigan-avenue-bridge-dusable-bridge/">per this site. </a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RCilV3NfkMJa4Qh9RJs1T4TJdHTJIIZ6ChwXyJ2in3mVlvmbTawgUwOl3Cy1kL7DDWhDsu3sxjkOsS1fy8EsmzDfC2bI4VDJLhtVFt7k6U9_qvoueH2KJnbUrKzt04e6MoyL4ze6WDkP0tzIrJK0TXmcYe6335gJLdThMqkKC7ZdDtqFkN1fS3wRd-4q/s2772/8FE4BAB1-454B-436A-A11E-B6A061C3BD42.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="2471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RCilV3NfkMJa4Qh9RJs1T4TJdHTJIIZ6ChwXyJ2in3mVlvmbTawgUwOl3Cy1kL7DDWhDsu3sxjkOsS1fy8EsmzDfC2bI4VDJLhtVFt7k6U9_qvoueH2KJnbUrKzt04e6MoyL4ze6WDkP0tzIrJK0TXmcYe6335gJLdThMqkKC7ZdDtqFkN1fS3wRd-4q/w356-h400/8FE4BAB1-454B-436A-A11E-B6A061C3BD42.jpeg" width="356" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>This Michigan Avenue work is one example. It has a lot going on: an angel (?) floating or being carried by soldiers, a mother tightly holding her baby while riding a horse. There is also a cow, a hatchet and many guns. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>OK, upon research, the "floating" figure is the man credited as being Chicago’s first European settler, <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/who-was-jean-baptiste-pointe-dusable">Jean Baptiste Point DuSable</a>. The woman must be his wife holding their child. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This bridge is named in his honor and has four of these bridge houses each featuring a dramatic <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bas-relief">bas-relief</a> sculpture depicting an important event in this great city’s history. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9a2pPm9AlxiC6i5cXRr8DMDhvSU7yqCPcgol2L5a8itX4FlKKBS2AFiBs_6-buQznNrsRqBlsvWT7zQhkukeT9Semy0jmVh3pCWye9OVwcCs7qdpes5yZZaDwsJLnP2qf_KVSt1LuQ9BUTiRTQpocuAV-oXXg3ETnmk2PRiRraFpsz2aOwzBcH9FRGFx/s4096/5F3401E9-B18A-4499-B7F8-E2104CA10A2B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9a2pPm9AlxiC6i5cXRr8DMDhvSU7yqCPcgol2L5a8itX4FlKKBS2AFiBs_6-buQznNrsRqBlsvWT7zQhkukeT9Semy0jmVh3pCWye9OVwcCs7qdpes5yZZaDwsJLnP2qf_KVSt1LuQ9BUTiRTQpocuAV-oXXg3ETnmk2PRiRraFpsz2aOwzBcH9FRGFx/w300-h400/5F3401E9-B18A-4499-B7F8-E2104CA10A2B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Wow, a little research determined that the large metal art piece outside the <a href="https://thedaleycenter.com/">Richard J. Daley Center </a>at 50 W. Washington St. was created by none other than Pablo Picasso himself! </b></span><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The Daley Center, completed in 1965, was originally called the Chicago Civic Center. It continues to be used for civic, cultural and private events. It also has the distinction of being the city’s first public building constructed in a modern rather than classical style. <br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_gsZDftuyfjtv5FHsqBzH0D-1zu6ToJoUaS18krBP6yy7mA76SS6NCJhPTJu2E_atJsf8ohy8YEQ5XTozB77oWUUkZkki0Yy94eOTe9LZAm6I_fT_fZ5zQ3z-hLP6jNoZ_IKkZCMaHk4Z4OhbVCSqRvXgxY4EEM73QrwUdH1SnJ59b8khuswU6gPNSyS/s4096/84F27F01-BB3E-4031-A01A-F8A69CF75333.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_gsZDftuyfjtv5FHsqBzH0D-1zu6ToJoUaS18krBP6yy7mA76SS6NCJhPTJu2E_atJsf8ohy8YEQ5XTozB77oWUUkZkki0Yy94eOTe9LZAm6I_fT_fZ5zQ3z-hLP6jNoZ_IKkZCMaHk4Z4OhbVCSqRvXgxY4EEM73QrwUdH1SnJ59b8khuswU6gPNSyS/w300-h400/84F27F01-BB3E-4031-A01A-F8A69CF75333.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>The City of Chicago in 1963 commissioned the great Spanish artist to create a large public art piece to “anchor” the Daley civic center. And did Pablo come through! In 1967 his <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartthepicassountitledsculpture.html">unnamed creation</a> was unveiled amid great fanfare. It stands 50 feet tall and weighs 160 tons. </b></span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Made by U.S. Steel in neighboring Gary, Ind., the steel is the same type used to construct the Daley Center. Picasso apparently did not personally attend the dedication. Instead, in a dedication letter, he said he gave the sculpture to the people of Chicago, without ever saying what the artist wanted it to represent. </b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">Hey, check the box. I’ve seen in person a Picasso! </b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";"><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxayQpQDXn90qBErBtSQswZgmYEQ9dRm5SPQaNi4uJCgIlaypwnQybN2OPtAldMwgMBlN65D63D1eW8GA11MumzSxQOkwBJz65OIdQaAlmN8l9fj2cXOly4blz93UsIw51QUCwvGVvecggynBF609x6PIZVS_38fBZEXOIbF6dAJ8SoikGujAfJVGypfn9/s4096/D60D5075-4EB4-479E-9882-8A23CC00F2BD.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxayQpQDXn90qBErBtSQswZgmYEQ9dRm5SPQaNi4uJCgIlaypwnQybN2OPtAldMwgMBlN65D63D1eW8GA11MumzSxQOkwBJz65OIdQaAlmN8l9fj2cXOly4blz93UsIw51QUCwvGVvecggynBF609x6PIZVS_38fBZEXOIbF6dAJ8SoikGujAfJVGypfn9/w300-h400/D60D5075-4EB4-479E-9882-8A23CC00F2BD.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Here’s the Daley Center and some of its plaza. The steel and glass skyscraper has 31 stories, standing 648 feet tall. It’s named for former Chicago <a href="https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-richard-m-daley-biography/">mayor Richard J. Daley.</a> </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05n0cXMlE81El5g1T2Dg4KPyln1VeEMGGauZwOqOj1xxbvHS4a_gc-Mo_3zwbpFiP3XQsVnyODp5tOL_hA_Ru6rUpvIBZTB4LRFTeBdlUbuu79VzAWMCguWAYhm1afo-yb8WZp5usB1E76LUflhUj9yn-3NS91fhqMZSG_8_I2eJgTRoLiN-AqQPtuE_h/s4096/E4C20359-1879-41E2-809B-9D2A051C625F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05n0cXMlE81El5g1T2Dg4KPyln1VeEMGGauZwOqOj1xxbvHS4a_gc-Mo_3zwbpFiP3XQsVnyODp5tOL_hA_Ru6rUpvIBZTB4LRFTeBdlUbuu79VzAWMCguWAYhm1afo-yb8WZp5usB1E76LUflhUj9yn-3NS91fhqMZSG_8_I2eJgTRoLiN-AqQPtuE_h/w400-h300/E4C20359-1879-41E2-809B-9D2A051C625F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Directly across from Daley Center is the Cook County Courthouse, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courthouse_Place">also called Courthouse Place</a>, built in that classical style in the early 1900s. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Chicago’s City Hall is also housed here. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y0C4c-OibYdXpnzkYWl81Jqm7jY0pbLWgGTKn9DqVD4uWc1IhjTqyzOYSVzrTCWyW_8RgD_Tt2n7hPBJC-lNqxemoWC26P08RoAKiK8ZIVsbLOCHpBJLExkPHar1qPXdL-LiaxpwFIinBCt_uVa-yan-wZD_Q5XaPrOZgOciy_G-f7nECePne81CfgDA/s3559/464AC9E7-47CD-4201-9D1C-9A8454415B15.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3559" data-original-width="3278" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y0C4c-OibYdXpnzkYWl81Jqm7jY0pbLWgGTKn9DqVD4uWc1IhjTqyzOYSVzrTCWyW_8RgD_Tt2n7hPBJC-lNqxemoWC26P08RoAKiK8ZIVsbLOCHpBJLExkPHar1qPXdL-LiaxpwFIinBCt_uVa-yan-wZD_Q5XaPrOZgOciy_G-f7nECePne81CfgDA/w369-h400/464AC9E7-47CD-4201-9D1C-9A8454415B15.jpeg" width="369" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Patrick Hand SC; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Many of these old buildings feature sculptural relief art. One site describes the Cook County building's art this way: "<span style="color: #333333;">monumental, Classical Revival-style exterior of the present structure, which was designed to be a functional and efficient office building, symbolizes the strength, dignity, and vigor of the governmental functions it contains."</span></b></span></div><div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The pair of male figures leaning on the Cook County seal seem to support the building’s “masculine” style. The work was sculpted by artist Hermon MacNeil. </b></span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGuBzG3DyxcHvFplaov3HGqYFUFbPF-mM8SQnpknUndokKkK-cXsuoKgR8dqyPkvBAnLTzMruzWmzwfO3xxEBjcMVAgWc5R0Bt_C4VXA1fadJaYXNvnDvmbskoBf5WlQK4ZdVh-peX73GLLQCVDBxQPoFOcWtL7lrAD0srcupOjAma8bfGmH6sKnFuwhd/s4096/01B36109-593B-4DFB-AE00-1C470EA6324D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="4096" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGuBzG3DyxcHvFplaov3HGqYFUFbPF-mM8SQnpknUndokKkK-cXsuoKgR8dqyPkvBAnLTzMruzWmzwfO3xxEBjcMVAgWc5R0Bt_C4VXA1fadJaYXNvnDvmbskoBf5WlQK4ZdVh-peX73GLLQCVDBxQPoFOcWtL7lrAD0srcupOjAma8bfGmH6sKnFuwhd/w400-h279/01B36109-593B-4DFB-AE00-1C470EA6324D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>This large mural certainly caught my eye above the entrance to an office building at 120 N. LaSalle St. The mosaic is called <a href="https://sites.saic.edu/rbsc/2018/11/10/2142/">The Flight of Daedalus and Icarus</a>. The Greek myth tells the story of Daedalus inventing wings made of feathers and wax. He and his son are testing the wings in flight. The father had warned his son Icarus to not fly too close to the sun. But he does…the wings melt…and the boy dies. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Chicago artist Roger Brown created this mosaic. “It’s a tale about greed in Chicago’s corporate epicenter,” commented<a href="https://chicago-outdoor-sculptures.blogspot.com/2008/04/flight-of-daedalus-and-icarus.html"> blogger Jyoti in an April 2008 post. </a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYwNaN1RnYomOFC13gnWceRVs-0jdscgAu3V7NZ__NfY6XLtZyYw8CJL7D2LbMND84lsDi3diq15MvJLoG2Wx-dP9dCRKf6AIO_cZYMnorQBQSQ_PuAg96T9wf2t0lSfJjv_FoT4ctmPKRIPPSlWoxJY25fmD3VYNhgIf6_YlQwh2IY7Hg2SdZD0oEQzu/s4096/D524AA68-1E96-4A4B-9FEF-F9D59EB680DC.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYwNaN1RnYomOFC13gnWceRVs-0jdscgAu3V7NZ__NfY6XLtZyYw8CJL7D2LbMND84lsDi3diq15MvJLoG2Wx-dP9dCRKf6AIO_cZYMnorQBQSQ_PuAg96T9wf2t0lSfJjv_FoT4ctmPKRIPPSlWoxJY25fmD3VYNhgIf6_YlQwh2IY7Hg2SdZD0oEQzu/w400-h300/D524AA68-1E96-4A4B-9FEF-F9D59EB680DC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>I wish <a href="https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins">this coin shop</a> had been open when I walked by it on North Clark Street but it was closed during the July 4th week.</b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDbL_fMBH_Zy79j37XxuoF9DgjEbTD0fSkHGl6daKcCbAww18OTSbEopy7bkqaYQ_w-wyQ3AMRiy5_YiOv6bkLQ5TWM3V05kqvGQ753Cr97WoAGE-qWgTAGyMDDS3AFG71bJL25z06Tgact92p09o3KVvpNIrq45aOifkQVGGF1Y5HLVtHzl3RzartIp3/s4096/35458D7E-B86F-419D-9001-05EBA7EF41BF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDbL_fMBH_Zy79j37XxuoF9DgjEbTD0fSkHGl6daKcCbAww18OTSbEopy7bkqaYQ_w-wyQ3AMRiy5_YiOv6bkLQ5TWM3V05kqvGQ753Cr97WoAGE-qWgTAGyMDDS3AFG71bJL25z06Tgact92p09o3KVvpNIrq45aOifkQVGGF1Y5HLVtHzl3RzartIp3/w400-h300/35458D7E-B86F-419D-9001-05EBA7EF41BF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I liked the large coins on the building’s exterior. Yes, it’s a form of advertising but the artistry of the coins stands out too. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5kjzAHReea94q1oPnEdWTjO1aVgszqCkig390ANxopS_pbjR1VdJTbRD5LwPD_47Q4XdwGpMogoYazJ0jxtxJOD2gtAHFKcXhrKq6iJiZuz2tvJpv2lz2tVwh_CmMzRWRpK4HVu_vDd7scdeyTkS_6QEv1qZo7LnOXGkZeDoGV3PRhLkg7EPQwEVYl4Y/s4096/52621CF9-7EC0-4280-A33E-6DE70926DE79.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5kjzAHReea94q1oPnEdWTjO1aVgszqCkig390ANxopS_pbjR1VdJTbRD5LwPD_47Q4XdwGpMogoYazJ0jxtxJOD2gtAHFKcXhrKq6iJiZuz2tvJpv2lz2tVwh_CmMzRWRpK4HVu_vDd7scdeyTkS_6QEv1qZo7LnOXGkZeDoGV3PRhLkg7EPQwEVYl4Y/s320/52621CF9-7EC0-4280-A33E-6DE70926DE79.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>ARCHITECTURE </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbMGfyapq6TXMR-2PUI_11Ks6TDvxBAJho6bLoNZMN-eqY-jX1UifuEADslLpVPgs8LEj3RgjBSlNQKrFOGkkO1OudlrUK6dZqjAiXxsf9yK9ioB9iBI0eL3_ZpBGcPbOqccVsPF0AJEZESKjHP-HMUyt7Y_I1yeGt5ZVd1MyVqhN_7K5xOhIBFm55Ge_/s4096/0C0C45DB-EE6E-42DB-B9EF-5E7FE69B4FCE.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbMGfyapq6TXMR-2PUI_11Ks6TDvxBAJho6bLoNZMN-eqY-jX1UifuEADslLpVPgs8LEj3RgjBSlNQKrFOGkkO1OudlrUK6dZqjAiXxsf9yK9ioB9iBI0eL3_ZpBGcPbOqccVsPF0AJEZESKjHP-HMUyt7Y_I1yeGt5ZVd1MyVqhN_7K5xOhIBFm55Ge_/w400-h300/0C0C45DB-EE6E-42DB-B9EF-5E7FE69B4FCE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Where to begin?! Chicago is known for its architecture. This photo shows the interesting mix of styles along the Chicago River downtown. You see the gleaming modernistic Trump International Hotel in the middle. To its left stands the 60-story twin “corn cobs” that is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_City">Marina Towers Condominiums</a> built in the mid-1960s. On both sides are neo-Gothic skyscrapers from the early 20th century. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwl6x64tw9iROB5EXfGp0FaCU3CaYyT9u8w2cDg6naQ-M9Xfo03oilHdZjzz-L_3Sj8xIrjMtpUH39RKKGcHoqtlELKy3lv75xDvX9-deL2iGyrq4KISoKeYLVwkOjf497_ddrv6OuTQ7n3-8Ezq5fzHOoCPJdL_Q63C7-5v_jNDf0olWoLbTCubhpgGe/s4096/2ACC9DDF-FF82-43A1-9FB7-9EC6C3FF3819.jpeg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwl6x64tw9iROB5EXfGp0FaCU3CaYyT9u8w2cDg6naQ-M9Xfo03oilHdZjzz-L_3Sj8xIrjMtpUH39RKKGcHoqtlELKy3lv75xDvX9-deL2iGyrq4KISoKeYLVwkOjf497_ddrv6OuTQ7n3-8Ezq5fzHOoCPJdL_Q63C7-5v_jNDf0olWoLbTCubhpgGe/w300-h400/2ACC9DDF-FF82-43A1-9FB7-9EC6C3FF3819.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Walking among these giant buildings is pretty easy between the river walks on both sides of the Chicago River, the several bridges that span it and the many streets that crisscross this urban landscape. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHFpWuE2e41lQSxLUsSq0R2NA303PWa3XM_tbz3S40NOFlaSriI53mp3nhQ9Fasu2o1HBI2h5Iw30lIp-nASI5MGeM_k862iqK-f9_-ab0BWwriba6-jswRDn97VwvCow8VJQn81YInyKQYHh2QZgQU8EpwZsJ-2xAOrYtRr4P9BAj6_tgez3PK8eKyNL/s4096/5A6EB242-21C6-4C7E-B67C-1895DAA61A7B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHFpWuE2e41lQSxLUsSq0R2NA303PWa3XM_tbz3S40NOFlaSriI53mp3nhQ9Fasu2o1HBI2h5Iw30lIp-nASI5MGeM_k862iqK-f9_-ab0BWwriba6-jswRDn97VwvCow8VJQn81YInyKQYHh2QZgQU8EpwZsJ-2xAOrYtRr4P9BAj6_tgez3PK8eKyNL/w400-h300/5A6EB242-21C6-4C7E-B67C-1895DAA61A7B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>Alesia points the way to the Windy City wonders.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh6qm5PyDAfUzE-C8BSq3JdkzQNV4WEvnFkQ342jtOPUMsoAkO96ZJxRoHDoghb9nKEzHRZbFFXyLv42fWavQicKRM5UtXdb9uwj8oDWQRk2R_U6nlrGFyqumDT2VShBgjmkOgZAUge2bgie8qNB6YwkhsbrIqLq2RYK6hEVVXccQjHbdrB6heJEP4TJN/s4096/848DA802-AE89-4C15-BD73-9ADDA4AA508F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh6qm5PyDAfUzE-C8BSq3JdkzQNV4WEvnFkQ342jtOPUMsoAkO96ZJxRoHDoghb9nKEzHRZbFFXyLv42fWavQicKRM5UtXdb9uwj8oDWQRk2R_U6nlrGFyqumDT2VShBgjmkOgZAUge2bgie8qNB6YwkhsbrIqLq2RYK6hEVVXccQjHbdrB6heJEP4TJN/w300-h400/848DA802-AE89-4C15-BD73-9ADDA4AA508F.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>A river view of the Wrigley Building (left), the Tribune Tower (right foreground) and the DuSable Bridge. </b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8s62dXD4tU_rQKXNnCO1amxxMrgg_MFGa3EJTt6fRJrSQ8_1-Oqbi3B4XJFOVhoCOpM-G1dme3GoJku_AQya_51HLQ7NERNzKIp20QOB2BereCAm7R2CW4m-9XoxfT3tPzySlRzig6Ph8wQNd2xbq37JYrCK3UexFWYxVUqPD8uW3kyVcn07AcDs5Uqv/s5184/C0D0A2D6-9819-4F67-8F8D-D3BC20CB752A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8s62dXD4tU_rQKXNnCO1amxxMrgg_MFGa3EJTt6fRJrSQ8_1-Oqbi3B4XJFOVhoCOpM-G1dme3GoJku_AQya_51HLQ7NERNzKIp20QOB2BereCAm7R2CW4m-9XoxfT3tPzySlRzig6Ph8wQNd2xbq37JYrCK3UexFWYxVUqPD8uW3kyVcn07AcDs5Uqv/w300-h400/C0D0A2D6-9819-4F67-8F8D-D3BC20CB752A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The <a href="https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/wrigley-building/">Wrigley Building </a>on N. Michigan Ave. was completed in 1924. It became the headquarters of the world’s largest gum company. That’s a lot of gum sales to build this skyscraper! </b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YdJWLZ9uXfIW0gd3bnTwMGVTijogGtlVFUVYeOLcXJkSBtyDNg-nY7xsAam8BVcrh-GxIU1B0Eevfa_iaNRFZ9NN70mJq_LwBkUlk2q3waUipRc6V4LbHHdycuV8Qtrs_Ezbif3exKesAShoSnn9Mw5W5jJunamzAqBYGldpFe6Me7jTPJJuuCnmDP3Q/s4096/DE6742D3-C4EF-4F89-B218-73BF1B31A0AA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YdJWLZ9uXfIW0gd3bnTwMGVTijogGtlVFUVYeOLcXJkSBtyDNg-nY7xsAam8BVcrh-GxIU1B0Eevfa_iaNRFZ9NN70mJq_LwBkUlk2q3waUipRc6V4LbHHdycuV8Qtrs_Ezbif3exKesAShoSnn9Mw5W5jJunamzAqBYGldpFe6Me7jTPJJuuCnmDP3Q/w300-h400/DE6742D3-C4EF-4F89-B218-73BF1B31A0AA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>Completed just a year earlier and close by on North Michigan is the <a href="https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/tribune-tower/">Tribune Tower</a>. </b></span><b style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC";">It had long been home to one of America’s greatest newspapers, the Chicago Tribune. But in recent years the newspaper moved operations out to the suburbs. The grand Gothic Revival building is being transformed into luxury condominiums priced from $700,000 to $7 million. </b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjmCZbafHxGr1XPOvg-NiYhBTBft9DNi9fsJcInuFkNqcW-mqQ3dQEyY8GNMXQwGvO9Qvn2-MozHXusiE8YvNlsSIbWFcnibTzGygr87K1JJ-1qKpHz50-EB34ZVK7lMqp_hNnMJGxvfLGi1aiQGxRtY3ZkZP-A0dmIW0MKx3OCSCCkmWRqSSHAQita4u/s4096/B1494A79-659F-4348-A2EF-7959851F231E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjmCZbafHxGr1XPOvg-NiYhBTBft9DNi9fsJcInuFkNqcW-mqQ3dQEyY8GNMXQwGvO9Qvn2-MozHXusiE8YvNlsSIbWFcnibTzGygr87K1JJ-1qKpHz50-EB34ZVK7lMqp_hNnMJGxvfLGi1aiQGxRtY3ZkZP-A0dmIW0MKx3OCSCCkmWRqSSHAQita4u/w400-h300/B1494A79-659F-4348-A2EF-7959851F231E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /><b>And <a href="https://casinos.ballys.com/chicago/tribune-project.htm">I came across reports </a>that this newspaper facility is within the next few years going to become a,,,gulp… Bally’s Casino. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsg9uYJXWW6QuGCt3uN6tetD9BEduKJ78PjmJkHTnUEipY6NDxa0NbMoPYZU3UUGCL2JwJPR465hyuT6TgDvBD8sRgmaRnmA6QF0joC6YNtgse7PPVlZa4Gsjh389GfnIEUoGesAamJAQ0i45pX-85fZ-6ZgRmW0TsC71LqZm3GX7XhINXWAuvgrsNCh5/s3951/95FC19F8-A4BE-477E-B5C3-35FAAFCC4678.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3951" data-original-width="2963" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsg9uYJXWW6QuGCt3uN6tetD9BEduKJ78PjmJkHTnUEipY6NDxa0NbMoPYZU3UUGCL2JwJPR465hyuT6TgDvBD8sRgmaRnmA6QF0joC6YNtgse7PPVlZa4Gsjh389GfnIEUoGesAamJAQ0i45pX-85fZ-6ZgRmW0TsC71LqZm3GX7XhINXWAuvgrsNCh5/w300-h400/95FC19F8-A4BE-477E-B5C3-35FAAFCC4678.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The city’s old and new contrast is exemplified in this image. That’s the 1869-built <a href="https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/chicago-water-tower/">Chicago Water Tower</a>, also on North Michigan Avenue but in the part known as the <a href="https://www.themagnificentmile.com/">Magnificent Mile</a>, known for its bounty of shopping opportunities. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>The water tower was built to encompass the tall machinery of a powerful water pump that brought water from Lake Michigan. It’s the U.S.’s second oldest water pump. Louisville, Kentucky has the earliest one.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>When open today the grand Gothic Revival structure is home to a museum and art exhibits. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvHVxuF7SUScpFwf1mISbwvzwJuZVkO4_o0cLVZXSWWMMsqkjM2UgnBoI-hG7gOoOuK6ER-Ea0LPef3Qhj_vo4oNU3af7RalmH1KK6_1iqgPb77Td0FBCc6Gga0gUH90-LVMeMyu-3myZdEIWhD579Oz2WpSHkyOtGIPjPcLSToKeaMYv-tBgwQPZHDrc/s4096/146AC3DC-0272-4766-A215-A1B0F48A7614.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvHVxuF7SUScpFwf1mISbwvzwJuZVkO4_o0cLVZXSWWMMsqkjM2UgnBoI-hG7gOoOuK6ER-Ea0LPef3Qhj_vo4oNU3af7RalmH1KK6_1iqgPb77Td0FBCc6Gga0gUH90-LVMeMyu-3myZdEIWhD579Oz2WpSHkyOtGIPjPcLSToKeaMYv-tBgwQPZHDrc/w400-h300/146AC3DC-0272-4766-A215-A1B0F48A7614.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>I enjoy seeing and photographing the city’s buildings and architecture from any perspective I can. I took this photo when on the Windy tall ship. Our guide talked about the Vista Tower on North State Street (the tall building on the right) and why the 83rd floor of the 100-floor building was kept open as a wind tunnel or "blow-through floor." <a href="https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/vista-tower-blow-through-floor">See why here. </a></b></span></div></div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNBSiqeC71efaVbL_xeSvNRnmmRNTlOokQ6qwyI0Mhh3vqge49dp5JIkEZiifu4Qk7FDGnQO28WrO2eNAH93TtYhYnRF9ZeMxvoJGYgXfhYKhNhZbMfnBUO3V4rpaOhKL14GB1u6zEpShXkt5BCPEhhfMMmaSTatQxpbPVF6bHsXTNj0iWrhrEdV2R6jJ/s4096/2E1CB2CA-EA44-4B8F-907F-1AA101C2A5C2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b style="text-align: left;"></b></a><b style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNBSiqeC71efaVbL_xeSvNRnmmRNTlOokQ6qwyI0Mhh3vqge49dp5JIkEZiifu4Qk7FDGnQO28WrO2eNAH93TtYhYnRF9ZeMxvoJGYgXfhYKhNhZbMfnBUO3V4rpaOhKL14GB1u6zEpShXkt5BCPEhhfMMmaSTatQxpbPVF6bHsXTNj0iWrhrEdV2R6jJ/s4096/2E1CB2CA-EA44-4B8F-907F-1AA101C2A5C2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNBSiqeC71efaVbL_xeSvNRnmmRNTlOokQ6qwyI0Mhh3vqge49dp5JIkEZiifu4Qk7FDGnQO28WrO2eNAH93TtYhYnRF9ZeMxvoJGYgXfhYKhNhZbMfnBUO3V4rpaOhKL14GB1u6zEpShXkt5BCPEhhfMMmaSTatQxpbPVF6bHsXTNj0iWrhrEdV2R6jJ/s4096/2E1CB2CA-EA44-4B8F-907F-1AA101C2A5C2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_AktvyiXeVImqTQ9THVlBTktipmn5eP3PFbmetP53ooLj98IZ7CgVROcuOMdY7Z7_ITmCxR6gjdwnUBPRoRF2fdkufh232lcAe-hSbzwtocLgVE4amD16l_euMARzrsuFnLe0FdakrKwxILEMH_ryHw4IVDjUIw3KY3D7yCU4hqhlZ0Gp9f4zeL8nRdL/s4096/9D221C56-29EA-4197-A726-05EA1643102E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_AktvyiXeVImqTQ9THVlBTktipmn5eP3PFbmetP53ooLj98IZ7CgVROcuOMdY7Z7_ITmCxR6gjdwnUBPRoRF2fdkufh232lcAe-hSbzwtocLgVE4amD16l_euMARzrsuFnLe0FdakrKwxILEMH_ryHw4IVDjUIw3KY3D7yCU4hqhlZ0Gp9f4zeL8nRdL/w400-h300/9D221C56-29EA-4197-A726-05EA1643102E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />While waiting for the elevator on Floor 15 of the awesome Westin River North out the window is this view. </b><b>That’s the “corn on the cob” Marina Condominiums mentioned earlier on the right. The white wall on the left provides, to me, an interesting contrast. the buildings in the background complete the frame. </b></div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaDb1Pe88ren5C67onHJtUPXexMmmRBPhs0NYvALKVyqCfmB9vg7iAVJZ1_H_N4sSHnd5uM2XvTwyJofvGdbBxlZOqYMzsqfNSq3KQvr72i-c_l3maL2iPCy-P3-ZVwkpozz7xlnuMdkkXXq7fcKCreuF1K0cq5oHuuwxcWegyhn7-NPl7_g-wXMidRE-/s4032/007365F3-A9F5-4FDA-87CA-EC03183F3F5A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaDb1Pe88ren5C67onHJtUPXexMmmRBPhs0NYvALKVyqCfmB9vg7iAVJZ1_H_N4sSHnd5uM2XvTwyJofvGdbBxlZOqYMzsqfNSq3KQvr72i-c_l3maL2iPCy-P3-ZVwkpozz7xlnuMdkkXXq7fcKCreuF1K0cq5oHuuwxcWegyhn7-NPl7_g-wXMidRE-/w300-h400/007365F3-A9F5-4FDA-87CA-EC03183F3F5A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From our hotel’s riverfront terrace I noticed how as the day went on the shadow extended on the 55 at the 15-story 55 W. Wacker office building. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r1uohjwSP2uGV9zDInYUq2YFM01sW2VUbwtbDuPyeNuKuEXRegAANB2Qi3gMTqU3RyMQ-a5zuVCIWOb4glYoytjobmOuGfvoLnQV3-lg0PUvFLPqKYD5cERmeF3hozSAhDE5YvtG5zQmPyxcpCFSjocsx0fgcz9jxMsZXH7L8sBak2ZTD2s0j9YBOASz/s3479/19AEA1B2-A5AD-44C8-B3C5-9A53748CE645.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3479" data-original-width="2935" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r1uohjwSP2uGV9zDInYUq2YFM01sW2VUbwtbDuPyeNuKuEXRegAANB2Qi3gMTqU3RyMQ-a5zuVCIWOb4glYoytjobmOuGfvoLnQV3-lg0PUvFLPqKYD5cERmeF3hozSAhDE5YvtG5zQmPyxcpCFSjocsx0fgcz9jxMsZXH7L8sBak2ZTD2s0j9YBOASz/w338-h400/19AEA1B2-A5AD-44C8-B3C5-9A53748CE645.jpeg" width="338" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0JQaLMrF8FlCY-WEhJYyzUQWkWUpRZ9Rk32O0mQH363N0tL_cw1HcbdKdcUoCfo3ZzuPWPGHJgQnKBZsLPdV-_s-P-hgwwx1fSgfBOmLMX9ikn4bP2cwQ53C9Etb1QWSnA-Kw_cU0d8xo3s8fuTwGyvnCgcqOaAt_2Jm86wSF6_lkwEOji2LBi5rDN2P/s4096/EFCAA3CE-0583-4E39-BAF8-2B34416C5F03.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0JQaLMrF8FlCY-WEhJYyzUQWkWUpRZ9Rk32O0mQH363N0tL_cw1HcbdKdcUoCfo3ZzuPWPGHJgQnKBZsLPdV-_s-P-hgwwx1fSgfBOmLMX9ikn4bP2cwQ53C9Etb1QWSnA-Kw_cU0d8xo3s8fuTwGyvnCgcqOaAt_2Jm86wSF6_lkwEOji2LBi5rDN2P/w400-h300/EFCAA3CE-0583-4E39-BAF8-2B34416C5F03.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This massive <a href="https://www.themart.com/">Merchandise Mart</a>. When completed in 1928 it was the worlds’s largest building. It was constructed for Marshall Field & Co. to consolidate the store’s wholesale activities that were scattered in 13 warehouses throughout Chicago. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvCuU7JP6IjYa2U-7RA4xzkt01W3A-RFwpWg8txCQ4EF7Vbaw3_Q3wt_rTnMoIi3OsITnqBu2VEcDUWlebJkZ5NREUKm5HpIzyeLsEzgXv5TDvjTGATpXmnSiQbLpXI52-bRKPjl1MOIdpq0a6py40PDmpH8WwPc89MNQGEXaZWed5xNDrfgnYzn8QR9f/s4096/63F00778-2E43-4A75-B72A-5D89065F0434.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvCuU7JP6IjYa2U-7RA4xzkt01W3A-RFwpWg8txCQ4EF7Vbaw3_Q3wt_rTnMoIi3OsITnqBu2VEcDUWlebJkZ5NREUKm5HpIzyeLsEzgXv5TDvjTGATpXmnSiQbLpXI52-bRKPjl1MOIdpq0a6py40PDmpH8WwPc89MNQGEXaZWed5xNDrfgnYzn8QR9f/w300-h400/63F00778-2E43-4A75-B72A-5D89065F0434.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Today the 25-story Merchandise Mart is home to retail and office space, boutiques, radio and TV stations (really?), and 11 floors of permanent showrooms. It would be interesting if tours were offered. The lobby had these unique-looking blue chairs that I had to try for myself…</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF0pH_XxUJ-Q6zqBP6YRNOv8QZ_pP-uj_jcKguJOe11zHDee55b-V4uSwnCfgaK6sUlR2Wh0eEZRkHQY7m3mrcW_0xtLpZpjfoJjoOos1lyUyYQivz51k__HXfUGaSXL7fWtP08VUNd45ZV5IZc9m5yhbmm6cE-W8YIYSIQE-isfnmAKgQHH7TsZ6bnKa/s3088/A8565298-F914-4DB9-B0CF-357DBAD10BE8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF0pH_XxUJ-Q6zqBP6YRNOv8QZ_pP-uj_jcKguJOe11zHDee55b-V4uSwnCfgaK6sUlR2Wh0eEZRkHQY7m3mrcW_0xtLpZpjfoJjoOos1lyUyYQivz51k__HXfUGaSXL7fWtP08VUNd45ZV5IZc9m5yhbmm6cE-W8YIYSIQE-isfnmAKgQHH7TsZ6bnKa/w300-h400/A8565298-F914-4DB9-B0CF-357DBAD10BE8.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoci6cf-8NNFaY5YWfYPZsyN5TGqxGuycUuN7ADAaCWpqCmX0_fb9ogGrrzjK9NfCpEBbK62fhoTAK7G0-onsTbTWJpShudc9fDqonomIljpl1TfgSJIDNOtVrKaTUYl6o4kkgJAML-h59eDCHdx8tuiUHmb0YQeuRc_0xp9ZHmKwvRySrJjpFAMJJ5ZIs/s400/2EECD314-27D8-41F1-88FF-7EB0DE894254.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoci6cf-8NNFaY5YWfYPZsyN5TGqxGuycUuN7ADAaCWpqCmX0_fb9ogGrrzjK9NfCpEBbK62fhoTAK7G0-onsTbTWJpShudc9fDqonomIljpl1TfgSJIDNOtVrKaTUYl6o4kkgJAML-h59eDCHdx8tuiUHmb0YQeuRc_0xp9ZHmKwvRySrJjpFAMJJ5ZIs/w400-h300/2EECD314-27D8-41F1-88FF-7EB0DE894254.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Two years ago we watched a show of images projected onto the mart from across the Chicago River. Talk about big-screen TV! <a href="http://mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/chicago-family-gathering.html">Here's the blog post from that August 2021 Chicago visit. </a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBE8E4Ou61VPYo1dF45DKh1dZ4Psgy41R54baPdyQiODjVeNZhXX5eR1uls9I4p7-3P2ThqKEZBseVjpHJYGgN65rfdHTvxbJ80nB7sG64DCr9UBBvCpsHtdZ9glvZJJPDmOB2gwSKyiDDID-nJmH5i7PWD2JnBac18VESKASvdyW11h-HuoT5IZisxNPW/s5184/48D6BBE4-A054-4DFB-B247-E4CD6BB8530B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBE8E4Ou61VPYo1dF45DKh1dZ4Psgy41R54baPdyQiODjVeNZhXX5eR1uls9I4p7-3P2ThqKEZBseVjpHJYGgN65rfdHTvxbJ80nB7sG64DCr9UBBvCpsHtdZ9glvZJJPDmOB2gwSKyiDDID-nJmH5i7PWD2JnBac18VESKASvdyW11h-HuoT5IZisxNPW/w400-h300/48D6BBE4-A054-4DFB-B247-E4CD6BB8530B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>The brown building in the foreground has a clock tower with Whirlpool on all four sides. Located on the river at 335 N. LaSalle St., the seven-floor structure was completed in 1914. It was built for the <a href="https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/reid-murdoch/">Reid, Murdoch & Co.</a> for offices and a grocery warehouse. The City of Chicago, in 1955, began to use it for traffic court and other offices. The building today is, among other things, the headquarters for Encyclopedia Brittanica.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsTqCULOcez1QQ7ewDMUBvT4NjLL-Ojvu91kPYad5l05JMJ5wWFbDlRXgmyMA_9jhHCifod9csXnqJQ2ZKeE2sAZi2AtavtEd6BcfnM-3YcCPOqRfp6795xamoRhCfD1UTZQv7ccpV2lVkxpH2PKJF_nGmkGSHMYYKhlVa83G61TLCVyhtOkeYcl1ZNad/s4032/66ECCA34-049D-4267-83F3-F4871FD228C2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsTqCULOcez1QQ7ewDMUBvT4NjLL-Ojvu91kPYad5l05JMJ5wWFbDlRXgmyMA_9jhHCifod9csXnqJQ2ZKeE2sAZi2AtavtEd6BcfnM-3YcCPOqRfp6795xamoRhCfD1UTZQv7ccpV2lVkxpH2PKJF_nGmkGSHMYYKhlVa83G61TLCVyhtOkeYcl1ZNad/w300-h400/66ECCA34-049D-4267-83F3-F4871FD228C2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b>Whirlpool, per its name on the clock tower, </b><b>uses four floors here for its <a href="https://www.worldofwhirlpool.com/">“World of Whirlpool” operation</a>. The Westin Hotel where we stayed can be seen in front of the Marina “Corn Cob” Condominiums (above photo). </b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCJvAwJk83-joo9GmEQBTjDcoLAgXFTQsD7XO_AfTKaQtQx1zPGmKfPG2c4DbJUgRrzyG3H-31bHxE_rGya-hDO03aRQ8ecPK26_tOGxl4Tfj3g_9FFw-UzdyScQP-8stDWlS-M54W3nZ-hnuJ-mnOXWIdHvq_-bJuvo0vMfWqWKnX5efQlEYNeteA-Ls/s4032/7A7B0178-5D20-422F-8370-FEC782CB6646.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCJvAwJk83-joo9GmEQBTjDcoLAgXFTQsD7XO_AfTKaQtQx1zPGmKfPG2c4DbJUgRrzyG3H-31bHxE_rGya-hDO03aRQ8ecPK26_tOGxl4Tfj3g_9FFw-UzdyScQP-8stDWlS-M54W3nZ-hnuJ-mnOXWIdHvq_-bJuvo0vMfWqWKnX5efQlEYNeteA-Ls/w300-h400/7A7B0178-5D20-422F-8370-FEC782CB6646.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Nighttime is the right time for some dramatic photography! In the photo below, the Westin Chicago River North where we stayed is on the left. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm2lqSd-rD9TPOXFkJmQnEqf3lNLoI7kzhKdLxp9cpyHxZw01C37ozjuiK1XvKn9ZyJE2N6I-GdacWyfdueFztCedQ_mgOsWgZuAntI_Rt5bgvI0_Hcf4QroShRySmDqrxlqDVgUaR1ZTPxMhCPLOWSOxMaD8WIrU7EcDdX2k-4X7M76o41GpJMP3sDlT/s3872/8FE7DC80-46A7-4E2F-BC8A-385780CFF013.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="3872" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm2lqSd-rD9TPOXFkJmQnEqf3lNLoI7kzhKdLxp9cpyHxZw01C37ozjuiK1XvKn9ZyJE2N6I-GdacWyfdueFztCedQ_mgOsWgZuAntI_Rt5bgvI0_Hcf4QroShRySmDqrxlqDVgUaR1ZTPxMhCPLOWSOxMaD8WIrU7EcDdX2k-4X7M76o41GpJMP3sDlT/w400-h300/8FE7DC80-46A7-4E2F-BC8A-385780CFF013.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ6tNTyV453zFcwAxOZEnGSUbOX48xD02KIPZqJ8onNVajn_3q74MJnM-TBMYEkah9n5336Rlm_q8pDUT61oEvnQT7VJ4sA3c5OWp1WBlryBsaxfPzNvMa5c-J7m6gh9RZgSlVAQhzMcRoH7YC0rGdNoGTSkf0mmrBY2Fwlo-98Q1JKp0vcWGqTOVu40e/s4096/3532BF04-1408-4C12-B6DA-7BC879D6B75E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ6tNTyV453zFcwAxOZEnGSUbOX48xD02KIPZqJ8onNVajn_3q74MJnM-TBMYEkah9n5336Rlm_q8pDUT61oEvnQT7VJ4sA3c5OWp1WBlryBsaxfPzNvMa5c-J7m6gh9RZgSlVAQhzMcRoH7YC0rGdNoGTSkf0mmrBY2Fwlo-98Q1JKp0vcWGqTOVu40e/w300-h400/3532BF04-1408-4C12-B6DA-7BC879D6B75E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>I’m not sure the name of this building but I like the skyscraper's curvy leading lines.. <br /></b><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGWnmewB_bLrYRpIDsORXhhyY6nRUMz44s-K7VZ-w2rd62GLsgrhJF6Kn8vfsFX-Qapk90QyQ3_jkU9YGQoluGBSyqh0SMDqt-xWCHJpDGc4GhBBdwY-rXfSPD9Car4opUVGE7HE7Kjs5hYM4Mw_cX81Gr0DTs0FFpejQrpulD1cCpbcrcWay4RlY_4pZ/s4027/06E30449-821C-4558-BA56-25448E9BBC73.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4027" data-original-width="3020" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGWnmewB_bLrYRpIDsORXhhyY6nRUMz44s-K7VZ-w2rd62GLsgrhJF6Kn8vfsFX-Qapk90QyQ3_jkU9YGQoluGBSyqh0SMDqt-xWCHJpDGc4GhBBdwY-rXfSPD9Car4opUVGE7HE7Kjs5hYM4Mw_cX81Gr0DTs0FFpejQrpulD1cCpbcrcWay4RlY_4pZ/w300-h400/06E30449-821C-4558-BA56-25448E9BBC73.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Traditional straight lines are the form of these two giants. On the left is what for so long was called-and still is by many- the <a href="https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/875-n-michigan-ave/">John Hancock Building</a>. The insurance company pulled out its last offices in 2015. Our Misty tall ship guide said the 1969-built Hancock Tower is now officially called “875 North Michigan Avenue” after its address. But “Big John” remains the name many locals prefer. I do not know the name of the building on the right. The Hancock is much taller. It’s the ground-level perspective in play with my image. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNXmquXF9i3PRtU5K2UbG4GhPlOxyWbkbDRbRaVr2t30mO6pRSV7pyY6quSH9tVZizvlCOGPU8Ayo7-H_px07Xt0jQ3yZG7HDPdlKAQBc1pfUVsXe1Wc-ONC0xim7KEVIwePvc6iqgIWpRLRkcDaBcElsNwJEG2-94MlJplcFsbdSH3b6IINIJdM-FGQF/s4008/DDBC9851-B6C3-47FA-993A-CE657CC8412E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4008" data-original-width="3006" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNXmquXF9i3PRtU5K2UbG4GhPlOxyWbkbDRbRaVr2t30mO6pRSV7pyY6quSH9tVZizvlCOGPU8Ayo7-H_px07Xt0jQ3yZG7HDPdlKAQBc1pfUVsXe1Wc-ONC0xim7KEVIwePvc6iqgIWpRLRkcDaBcElsNwJEG2-94MlJplcFsbdSH3b6IINIJdM-FGQF/w300-h400/DDBC9851-B6C3-47FA-993A-CE657CC8412E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>I bet back in the day only the top executives had the corner offices in the big <a href="https://www.111burnhamcenter.com/">Burnham Center</a> built in 1913 at 111. W. Washington St. The 22-story structure is named for architect and urban designer <a href="https://www.chipublib.org/about-daniel-burnham/">Daniel Burnham</a> (1846-1912). He was a key figure in rebuilding and redesigning Chicago after the great fire of 1871. Navy Pier, Macy’s on State Street, Grant and Jackson Parks, and the Riverwalk are among Burnham’s many contributions to the city. Today Burnham Center has a residential component to go with its office space opportunities. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVNBKC8eotc7gr0WZqU0o2zJbRzJof8248RQcKZGokgCpAdehuviI9dovFMLvYpjnl_MghdYKOXDwd_Fek8bm-p3rX_4kjca9_C4NkarmaHIZy1TPPJJTxKKoSfndpY2154Jz61nkfw9w37STGcJxCZ6H6jMRwIZO6QmcToJjjDhxPyoaMyLv5yczSjXA/s4032/F4C39164-E68C-4962-8FCA-E9E048C3E477.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVNBKC8eotc7gr0WZqU0o2zJbRzJof8248RQcKZGokgCpAdehuviI9dovFMLvYpjnl_MghdYKOXDwd_Fek8bm-p3rX_4kjca9_C4NkarmaHIZy1TPPJJTxKKoSfndpY2154Jz61nkfw9w37STGcJxCZ6H6jMRwIZO6QmcToJjjDhxPyoaMyLv5yczSjXA/w300-h400/F4C39164-E68C-4962-8FCA-E9E048C3E477.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>I wish I had a closer look at this church now that I know it is considered the world’s tallest church! The golden spire tops the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_United_Methodist_Church_of_Chicago"> First United Methodist Church of Chicago</a>. It has 21 floors and stands 568 feet tall. Founded in 1831, it is also the city’s oldest church. <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/inside-the-worlds-tallest-church.html">This site</a> tells how the floors are used today and, intriguingly, how there is a Sky Chapel in the spire 400 feet above the ground that has worship serevices three times a week. I’m filing this information away for our next Chicago visit! </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OBLTn3kzy1JpfyMevZDOd08gGC3Jp48UgJcLEUyvL_tOgg2GH9nmGvp8eU5fha_oCnQCnhXh24iEUr2vyAxPdw90VEqpRj8Ekkv_7_E5ZxGlHh19Dn9bLQ3Ls0ssQuqBQnEzAeHJY91IrKBcH7vBHf-R4VCoTgLvRkL-44wRCXoAXpu15L7YYVFtQHDh/s4096/F711CA6A-29AE-4210-BB9C-31E522CBE4D1.jpeg" style="clear: right; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OBLTn3kzy1JpfyMevZDOd08gGC3Jp48UgJcLEUyvL_tOgg2GH9nmGvp8eU5fha_oCnQCnhXh24iEUr2vyAxPdw90VEqpRj8Ekkv_7_E5ZxGlHh19Dn9bLQ3Ls0ssQuqBQnEzAeHJY91IrKBcH7vBHf-R4VCoTgLvRkL-44wRCXoAXpu15L7YYVFtQHDh/w400-h300/F711CA6A-29AE-4210-BB9C-31E522CBE4D1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><br /><b>This Chicago fire station has architecture similar to the old water tower featured earlier. It’s up to code we are sure. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu9kxP60yBwOyHTPJ5b-igCTW3hZVoaVnnGdf8Pibr6RoZkEUt28dRMJl5QOlULsjQfoObmqDrl8vnQ9VvnzY7h9OwEjwUkpeCufQTiCw26RyKktNwWmUIx7xe6H3DsodvpkRNvpUct95aiQ16NNYhkaS35WcJJj2_tVYygOGrzx1X02nCYzh8DduLd3P/s3994/190AAA58-259D-48CC-9282-FA1FBF30025A.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3994" data-original-width="2996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihu9kxP60yBwOyHTPJ5b-igCTW3hZVoaVnnGdf8Pibr6RoZkEUt28dRMJl5QOlULsjQfoObmqDrl8vnQ9VvnzY7h9OwEjwUkpeCufQTiCw26RyKktNwWmUIx7xe6H3DsodvpkRNvpUct95aiQ16NNYhkaS35WcJJj2_tVYygOGrzx1X02nCYzh8DduLd3P/w300-h400/190AAA58-259D-48CC-9282-FA1FBF30025A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>We walked toward Lake Shore Drive and came upon Northwestern University’s business, medical and professional studies campus. The Gothic style matches NU’s Evanston main campus. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDsCUi_2t3zzaPK0yXNx0kcLek02lZfXULjj64OGud2Vpk8j8is6TBbyAI1pV7J3BKxxExkmcyVFzjaIXmljtELdo9WYIi-C4Em-_qBzFHbDu-S8xIiNot8oP1iyl7ISpbaacAzQhC8GVMcCC1tAmvRp_g3RumB6DSw0wpOc1jKdzW8ZTyBmsCEKXdKVm/s4096/0BF0863D-A162-4C0F-A920-FAA41ECE3B8A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDsCUi_2t3zzaPK0yXNx0kcLek02lZfXULjj64OGud2Vpk8j8is6TBbyAI1pV7J3BKxxExkmcyVFzjaIXmljtELdo9WYIi-C4Em-_qBzFHbDu-S8xIiNot8oP1iyl7ISpbaacAzQhC8GVMcCC1tAmvRp_g3RumB6DSw0wpOc1jKdzW8ZTyBmsCEKXdKVm/w400-h300/0BF0863D-A162-4C0F-A920-FAA41ECE3B8A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I’m a graduate of Northwestern (MSJ Journalism) and always like to revisit when in Chicago. We didn’t make it to Evanston this time, but seeing the Chicago campus gave me my purple fix! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglposn0FjyyM1eR1wJgHCOr7eLfqkJw8OVgY1gf7qRw2XFHFIAe889CYAFKIJxugZVtRBtjvGKpeW4_4cqtfohyX0P4mgEyGbJCWNl5DR_eSjhMjGp_3OrQ0xK1R3n22IctLoYVviAg85Whn5Tn5xvK5PYU5GeneY7hR9X2FW59TJyGvw_hFHSwQDYG4QR/s4096/BE2509E6-33E2-4D56-ADEE-1AF80DC50AB9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglposn0FjyyM1eR1wJgHCOr7eLfqkJw8OVgY1gf7qRw2XFHFIAe889CYAFKIJxugZVtRBtjvGKpeW4_4cqtfohyX0P4mgEyGbJCWNl5DR_eSjhMjGp_3OrQ0xK1R3n22IctLoYVviAg85Whn5Tn5xvK5PYU5GeneY7hR9X2FW59TJyGvw_hFHSwQDYG4QR/w400-h300/BE2509E6-33E2-4D56-ADEE-1AF80DC50AB9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiYhI1NeeLVQF3aeaGsX22ERf1-9ra6rYoSHOumxLHuY7aBPqfnXHeHHmUInOxqbv3xqydpeHb8v6rgtXElLa_Hu2uyyBQYrQPpwrJSeeCZmHxxv3i86t6EGUVdlqTFsrP6nI-mYSpB3jUh2g8ISqpe3zMB3zzwoNNRNmY4uopAdKcaHTC9jnrhfJyL20/s4096/8FD7435E-2F8D-4DE4-9B48-488B3AB1CA57.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiYhI1NeeLVQF3aeaGsX22ERf1-9ra6rYoSHOumxLHuY7aBPqfnXHeHHmUInOxqbv3xqydpeHb8v6rgtXElLa_Hu2uyyBQYrQPpwrJSeeCZmHxxv3i86t6EGUVdlqTFsrP6nI-mYSpB3jUh2g8ISqpe3zMB3zzwoNNRNmY4uopAdKcaHTC9jnrhfJyL20/w400-h300/8FD7435E-2F8D-4DE4-9B48-488B3AB1CA57.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Burberry building branding! On the Magnificent Mile of shopping utopia is this gem. This <a href="https://www.themagnificentmile.com/explore/listing/burberry">British luxury brand</a> goes way back to 1856. It is known for its tartan check pattern. I have some Burberry cologne that came in a box that resembles this store design. Inside this Michigan Avenue shop be ready for a very personalized shopping experience. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVqVo5JlhItNL-NG8xFlWti8rE7WIFwZ-avx4prjKoYDgsku79hFTSJzuI1jnWA6ookN8QvA07WPX3JLSQPWvT2MhjNInvx9-EtSIEuBwz4Xi1VDi3Jg-SwQnCfVihrbrj98p-oy9yfPMA2PmKBvoJsrR1ZjGdy_f98S5jpQyRbA0X8wjH4yHuhp_gqSY/s4096/82935CEF-7417-47D8-B196-E97628761521.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVqVo5JlhItNL-NG8xFlWti8rE7WIFwZ-avx4prjKoYDgsku79hFTSJzuI1jnWA6ookN8QvA07WPX3JLSQPWvT2MhjNInvx9-EtSIEuBwz4Xi1VDi3Jg-SwQnCfVihrbrj98p-oy9yfPMA2PmKBvoJsrR1ZjGdy_f98S5jpQyRbA0X8wjH4yHuhp_gqSY/w400-h300/82935CEF-7417-47D8-B196-E97628761521.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><b>I had the chance to walk through a few upscale neighborhoods. This was in River North in the area of North Orleans and West Ohio streets. I’m sure these residences are very pricey. The stone and brick exteriors complement Chicago’s downtown cityscape. </b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyEts5qX-UNrssYcscCy4oJmkFbZV5qx1V8hHaXvGGpJCgryzrsa9d0-BV5DkJGCVdMsfxs3rrzNYtPUcBiJL5xyHdYLdPdeQVM-nSrCKSsYvOctUDT2en1UtGMQ8cZGC97I43-VIzcg6tMv1cngy5FTraJ8zaT0bNBjZgzHY7BIw2RvOsE-nn4HgkenK/s4096/612E9987-F168-4F2F-836C-DC760ED7C998.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyEts5qX-UNrssYcscCy4oJmkFbZV5qx1V8hHaXvGGpJCgryzrsa9d0-BV5DkJGCVdMsfxs3rrzNYtPUcBiJL5xyHdYLdPdeQVM-nSrCKSsYvOctUDT2en1UtGMQ8cZGC97I43-VIzcg6tMv1cngy5FTraJ8zaT0bNBjZgzHY7BIw2RvOsE-nn4HgkenK/w300-h400/612E9987-F168-4F2F-836C-DC760ED7C998.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz28u8rYH9ZTfLt9BLBYkWK5ii_rRhI6y4C-bdyTcMow1EEz3Ec-b1tjPjXgMd9qMMjCj0fprkDPvDA0wfNNgfqkCEiVzMYax1c-MlbtOWGUcTZNNNN07-fFFFgbCO6pIvsGO8a9qXRs4_iM8NObVXcfNzUBTo8hrSuvNh4yR8PLjEp8JyqWpTQM2SXFUD/s4096/7DDF10B2-7D99-4505-8773-7284C4AC9B5B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz28u8rYH9ZTfLt9BLBYkWK5ii_rRhI6y4C-bdyTcMow1EEz3Ec-b1tjPjXgMd9qMMjCj0fprkDPvDA0wfNNgfqkCEiVzMYax1c-MlbtOWGUcTZNNNN07-fFFFgbCO6pIvsGO8a9qXRs4_iM8NObVXcfNzUBTo8hrSuvNh4yR8PLjEp8JyqWpTQM2SXFUD/w300-h400/7DDF10B2-7D99-4505-8773-7284C4AC9B5B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>ALLEYS, SIDEWALKS AND “THE L” </b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-52Aq5MkzWgyRYt6DuNCXGuYs5wHwFqUf5lYXXpEvLKj-MMCtERFPRWvNq9gTzEY8eo4XzmhpiX6gHWXmxgE2TUSzLtod01flUuOA-ZwcIibAbdXOBvLFJxNojWLzBN5gL4e04dP1THitW6mvx66Bj_JYi2WA-xQ9x3GrqBB5l1xDvWzV6UDLfHUvZW9/s4096/85926EC7-CD4F-4938-8CD8-8FB653787EC2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-52Aq5MkzWgyRYt6DuNCXGuYs5wHwFqUf5lYXXpEvLKj-MMCtERFPRWvNq9gTzEY8eo4XzmhpiX6gHWXmxgE2TUSzLtod01flUuOA-ZwcIibAbdXOBvLFJxNojWLzBN5gL4e04dP1THitW6mvx66Bj_JYi2WA-xQ9x3GrqBB5l1xDvWzV6UDLfHUvZW9/w300-h400/85926EC7-CD4F-4938-8CD8-8FB653787EC2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Next, a series of photographs taken while walking through and around this amazing city. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXXItk9Pndlxb8RUNxBbdFDkn0BvARqtfsnigKuhx-rUUYtun2aCvKSuMDMIF3wFaAsprl-yyiNrerk1AZs26LCjRYDreiVB6Pnxe6-Q-1BsmevkcS-fcxqUFkJ51-d0KQwRaxBGdHqORU2N3X2xAi8LJPhpqXvyuepF9i1xoJFj6a-0sLKgfZtvTMkjm/s4953/31DF807D-6700-4754-ACF8-5B2F714E71C9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4953" data-original-width="3304" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXXItk9Pndlxb8RUNxBbdFDkn0BvARqtfsnigKuhx-rUUYtun2aCvKSuMDMIF3wFaAsprl-yyiNrerk1AZs26LCjRYDreiVB6Pnxe6-Q-1BsmevkcS-fcxqUFkJ51-d0KQwRaxBGdHqORU2N3X2xAi8LJPhpqXvyuepF9i1xoJFj6a-0sLKgfZtvTMkjm/w266-h400/31DF807D-6700-4754-ACF8-5B2F714E71C9.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD7SX3ZhqXn9WatQln5144A1d-EzRydq-IGPYiSOhOoHutq1O6M3onjhrq1h9Ac85xFrIyVZaXOEXZfNNyeEXblaGuyyfJOlJqVKHwULQlsASJBpEwe9h5Grh67d_w9fWmmZOKlS_gqBFs9qcIvrYo2WwDbDWaEPgYTbLdO_3TvCddjGvjGgsH4DAiA3o/s3408/BB2EEFC4-2444-41BF-A397-FE80CB03F9F8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3408" data-original-width="2564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD7SX3ZhqXn9WatQln5144A1d-EzRydq-IGPYiSOhOoHutq1O6M3onjhrq1h9Ac85xFrIyVZaXOEXZfNNyeEXblaGuyyfJOlJqVKHwULQlsASJBpEwe9h5Grh67d_w9fWmmZOKlS_gqBFs9qcIvrYo2WwDbDWaEPgYTbLdO_3TvCddjGvjGgsH4DAiA3o/w301-h400/BB2EEFC4-2444-41BF-A397-FE80CB03F9F8.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmHP94an3LieNj3iHEQ3_jsADpFlCqw9nG81xHjoo1fMRT-LyrOto97_d1as2RhFDZsrpKffxU3gbxyQotjV4s5kUnNewV1q1dkqM6NVksHfJT2gVPQSM7U1LzukcG6W3euWSyBxP6sUgxVruYDM-j5RNyrzbQmRsTZ4_ULExfu4zIgH5CotHEZzB6Y-R/s4096/FE51ABBA-53A1-4CC2-8C2A-1FDB70CFD2D5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmHP94an3LieNj3iHEQ3_jsADpFlCqw9nG81xHjoo1fMRT-LyrOto97_d1as2RhFDZsrpKffxU3gbxyQotjV4s5kUnNewV1q1dkqM6NVksHfJT2gVPQSM7U1LzukcG6W3euWSyBxP6sUgxVruYDM-j5RNyrzbQmRsTZ4_ULExfu4zIgH5CotHEZzB6Y-R/w300-h400/FE51ABBA-53A1-4CC2-8C2A-1FDB70CFD2D5.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTvQkzAVEGpwypOdTpdBm9CNv2EktJuMqNsqHdkQ4mdp4YvD1RLKV8HwdosjWjc1k9sloU7IKJZYc5Ta3TeZ7IXCwvpAB_PH6p6ZKoTWjhQ0L2eu6Hw_XabjCqe697Fb03wWksJg8dsWoip_MWW7qSeq3BgfL42eoHLnf-0zBZaRKfSgk6MIW-J3u0ln-/s4096/8AE160AB-0098-4A76-A874-857E139C0AD3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTvQkzAVEGpwypOdTpdBm9CNv2EktJuMqNsqHdkQ4mdp4YvD1RLKV8HwdosjWjc1k9sloU7IKJZYc5Ta3TeZ7IXCwvpAB_PH6p6ZKoTWjhQ0L2eu6Hw_XabjCqe697Fb03wWksJg8dsWoip_MWW7qSeq3BgfL42eoHLnf-0zBZaRKfSgk6MIW-J3u0ln-/w300-h400/8AE160AB-0098-4A76-A874-857E139C0AD3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfQVcYhZhb4CUkbHTIN86p2m0ax8S-ztdmoPsVbOedUptnTVbm4UnICFDeLhQ2mAlI4p6gNpUPwGf9iwg0-zI13jL6cDTJk6dXKnlJyYfxc_iIZ-Ve-HLV92Ib2MYuBBE0P8bjllnydGPQpazKHwD2EVzJeY6JgHxctmbH0sLL6WdqrBbHES9M1xgNTrm/s4096/4FBC8DB5-10D4-42EE-BE0B-BD0BEF4F5D23.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfQVcYhZhb4CUkbHTIN86p2m0ax8S-ztdmoPsVbOedUptnTVbm4UnICFDeLhQ2mAlI4p6gNpUPwGf9iwg0-zI13jL6cDTJk6dXKnlJyYfxc_iIZ-Ve-HLV92Ib2MYuBBE0P8bjllnydGPQpazKHwD2EVzJeY6JgHxctmbH0sLL6WdqrBbHES9M1xgNTrm/w300-h400/4FBC8DB5-10D4-42EE-BE0B-BD0BEF4F5D23.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Vsy0ImL-65Hr3MtoQcmRCzAvqormQAfimNovrP38dGnVJ5aZEm_OKhjjpE3clwOzp34rCv032n7AzYrp9KULTik8K_RsMIE7NDzqEg2sqIYFwnZ3Lso73zuTdekPu9G7FRRy_yUA-AOnq2enRKpB1fxzZohujPGjAFUwuVxm03O0mWdma0ZyW92VW0z_/s3593/B676DE75-708B-4AE9-B193-0B9D79F866DA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="3593" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Vsy0ImL-65Hr3MtoQcmRCzAvqormQAfimNovrP38dGnVJ5aZEm_OKhjjpE3clwOzp34rCv032n7AzYrp9KULTik8K_RsMIE7NDzqEg2sqIYFwnZ3Lso73zuTdekPu9G7FRRy_yUA-AOnq2enRKpB1fxzZohujPGjAFUwuVxm03O0mWdma0ZyW92VW0z_/w400-h334/B676DE75-708B-4AE9-B193-0B9D79F866DA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Zexb_xfqtYKl-vLP7atx7u3E_1luZ-0roXCtkE6cq-gv8nLDe4vZMeIx9UBAJ-qXBfpE7PM7B-0-4DrVq2jcM_IXahXqa00GlFaZ5BREtO93vkY6dEKxXtStmGezs4lFxud6lBpcCPXMzX4nhWBP-VfTzs8ptLhsPS_H7bMqrlwc-bwHtjsKNYApG8r/s4096/A82343C0-EB5C-4ADE-8B62-B9BD4B073137.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Zexb_xfqtYKl-vLP7atx7u3E_1luZ-0roXCtkE6cq-gv8nLDe4vZMeIx9UBAJ-qXBfpE7PM7B-0-4DrVq2jcM_IXahXqa00GlFaZ5BREtO93vkY6dEKxXtStmGezs4lFxud6lBpcCPXMzX4nhWBP-VfTzs8ptLhsPS_H7bMqrlwc-bwHtjsKNYApG8r/w300-h400/A82343C0-EB5C-4ADE-8B62-B9BD4B073137.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgBXL1dgpfXZQJ6y_S362NQ7LR1xPaKquxtal5H40gYuN-X0gu9yE9PfikBFEYKByvhYBIM99qAFr-tBTHOC67LaLrkf4UfxTn3kGNoXhMurvXFRfygccKoUqErHjnaPySxb9tmqw8toQH9YEOVo1eb91fG26DV8Dsn9TXVqOvQkg1nno3LBaDAELE3RV/s3778/0318D62B-2019-44E3-99CB-D8EFEB9ABF8A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="3778" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgBXL1dgpfXZQJ6y_S362NQ7LR1xPaKquxtal5H40gYuN-X0gu9yE9PfikBFEYKByvhYBIM99qAFr-tBTHOC67LaLrkf4UfxTn3kGNoXhMurvXFRfygccKoUqErHjnaPySxb9tmqw8toQH9YEOVo1eb91fG26DV8Dsn9TXVqOvQkg1nno3LBaDAELE3RV/w400-h318/0318D62B-2019-44E3-99CB-D8EFEB9ABF8A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The line was out the door at <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2023/3/17/23643899/mr-beef-chicago-italian-beef-history-carl-bonavolanto">Mr. Beef</a>, 666 Orleans St. Joseph wanted to check out this Italian sandwich place that has scenes on the television show<a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-bear"> “The Bear.”</a> The show must be popular because business was booming on Tuesday, July 3 when we stopped by. </b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6DA2MBZJ9TDJH9KqsY6Sm2dl8vFxR6Ss1h1l9YaddTsqUY23THLO5UwysT-ibt_JvEFnZIrk5kqbsyaBTsNeDwS7GQaqeO8ZniLeQH9f_O19DMN3Rd374zcyurOrkzq5gcqgjnd5IFdzpLpI3mx7d1b-3YNHv4lgqLVbwKj-h0YPwrfhfjoSgYcWfUfZ/s4096/E850F47D-1D1B-41BA-9DCA-E8908962D596.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6DA2MBZJ9TDJH9KqsY6Sm2dl8vFxR6Ss1h1l9YaddTsqUY23THLO5UwysT-ibt_JvEFnZIrk5kqbsyaBTsNeDwS7GQaqeO8ZniLeQH9f_O19DMN3Rd374zcyurOrkzq5gcqgjnd5IFdzpLpI3mx7d1b-3YNHv4lgqLVbwKj-h0YPwrfhfjoSgYcWfUfZ/w300-h400/E850F47D-1D1B-41BA-9DCA-E8908962D596.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Glad to see the restaurant capitalizing on this new fame! </b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyWW69lfws1HA5nsiuilkpuvBHHV6zxb8cK3LAhzoZmRAEJDJ9OTypLvYkxFXm94moWSwZ33nt1W0_sEI43S8wEoDbnGENLoNeWbNXGxdtkd-cuXEOJXnn37182Q47oyGKzvWaWKZCLZbXMXbjUehl6Y4CRkzy3JBN03zqMzUdY-7jEQrS5x0c1PFUMoG/s4096/48268CBD-1947-4172-87C0-62E352B761A8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyWW69lfws1HA5nsiuilkpuvBHHV6zxb8cK3LAhzoZmRAEJDJ9OTypLvYkxFXm94moWSwZ33nt1W0_sEI43S8wEoDbnGENLoNeWbNXGxdtkd-cuXEOJXnn37182Q47oyGKzvWaWKZCLZbXMXbjUehl6Y4CRkzy3JBN03zqMzUdY-7jEQrS5x0c1PFUMoG/w400-h300/48268CBD-1947-4172-87C0-62E352B761A8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile always seems to be busy, which is nice to see. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf75l2dDBycnjK1pc7Kq3htzX9go9HPk406nfloJ8WwlrMuZaZfqAPiBEYvJjqydF10dwih5GgrbET3fEyRzkxnQAl4eKEh3hZI7Lk3blWhUqM-wg4nBzhu62vkGeP1wSNubiQUtifRMe-d3p_ZawvCGiFJKTuM29oVwib_xxDK8_vH-9D3IlzT_7Pa4i/s4096/B850DBFE-F283-4E7F-9C95-6A315AB0210E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf75l2dDBycnjK1pc7Kq3htzX9go9HPk406nfloJ8WwlrMuZaZfqAPiBEYvJjqydF10dwih5GgrbET3fEyRzkxnQAl4eKEh3hZI7Lk3blWhUqM-wg4nBzhu62vkGeP1wSNubiQUtifRMe-d3p_ZawvCGiFJKTuM29oVwib_xxDK8_vH-9D3IlzT_7Pa4i/w400-h300/B850DBFE-F283-4E7F-9C95-6A315AB0210E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">I have (mostly) fond memories of my regular use of Chicago’s elevated train system way back when I was a student at Northwestern. The “L” is a vital conduit and constant in the city’s infrastructure. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmTYMo-kcZReeS7bU30UOTxuS8Jx1BnrBJFnmN9jQj5-Gmp_ZjTdSNBNMVmRZEZZzo4Tb2dFl0-SckAApJIvMDvy6buksn-v-SqgWasmMqSa0sv3hEVRzV9H3emhiZBSMVt7ioDooL0so7YaSL628VmQWYlk-SkeCCZRlmY78UG7ZzMDozIgN0Qy-lHcw/s4842/190FF855-A39A-4D27-942F-4C6B3CBD3EAC.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3631" data-original-width="4842" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmTYMo-kcZReeS7bU30UOTxuS8Jx1BnrBJFnmN9jQj5-Gmp_ZjTdSNBNMVmRZEZZzo4Tb2dFl0-SckAApJIvMDvy6buksn-v-SqgWasmMqSa0sv3hEVRzV9H3emhiZBSMVt7ioDooL0so7YaSL628VmQWYlk-SkeCCZRlmY78UG7ZzMDozIgN0Qy-lHcw/w400-h300/190FF855-A39A-4D27-942F-4C6B3CBD3EAC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: 700;">This Chicago visit we didn’t need the L to get around (using cabs, Uber and our feet instead), but it’s always a must to photograph the trains to reflect what makes Chicago go. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><b>REFLECTIONS</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EsUgaddEW51kGJnsHj6WSNNRLiuCIhFWCRV_zbr9-jxts8h871QiBL3Lq6akRgHEtgAgWj2BtX5XMR17yYz8v7Grl0_tX_84VDIrEyksp9kVHd66cF-WCD0g24Fu9WOvisHqGoBp_f-lJhk9oemyUjipquDoM--cdbKj9Vaosr7-_QKQWx2qE25uX3wN/s3968/DDA2A255-C60E-4D2E-A620-91D2D0E00CA9.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EsUgaddEW51kGJnsHj6WSNNRLiuCIhFWCRV_zbr9-jxts8h871QiBL3Lq6akRgHEtgAgWj2BtX5XMR17yYz8v7Grl0_tX_84VDIrEyksp9kVHd66cF-WCD0g24Fu9WOvisHqGoBp_f-lJhk9oemyUjipquDoM--cdbKj9Vaosr7-_QKQWx2qE25uX3wN/w300-h400/DDA2A255-C60E-4D2E-A620-91D2D0E00CA9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>You see some interesting and unusual reflections on the many glass Chicago skyscrapers. The distortions can border on the bizarre. </b><b>Here are some that caught my eye. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgBvW45S985aoxlfcbTKtEjjYTocKMI6guz2dpvLaiIyn2AyVLmos_ONbdr3jiiNnd8P4U9wjTns98QMqrVRP1wbi_B8UbhgN9lMuG46CjkWR4GJK7Q0oo37bc7RdNPTejF7vdR_BJKNhn6OPhe_57JfvUsJv3N4ClH8sE4sOOlii-xBRePkB_PHyzUIS/s3874/32905DDC-E19D-4E6E-A87D-01354864B879.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3874" data-original-width="2906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgBvW45S985aoxlfcbTKtEjjYTocKMI6guz2dpvLaiIyn2AyVLmos_ONbdr3jiiNnd8P4U9wjTns98QMqrVRP1wbi_B8UbhgN9lMuG46CjkWR4GJK7Q0oo37bc7RdNPTejF7vdR_BJKNhn6OPhe_57JfvUsJv3N4ClH8sE4sOOlii-xBRePkB_PHyzUIS/w300-h400/32905DDC-E19D-4E6E-A87D-01354864B879.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Big buildings= Big reflections</b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDv9aEj56tg4sRUNG37AqBNieUW93-FaM2v21eHncyDOSMR3xqt5iW4PZV9ULdToJhsLhnAZJ9off5vJKaIaaDAy_8xREN8VLa-3QaRKo7e5uyEoOtFpFBBHEQaU7C__pIDY_aHdyU4JWZrywAd64j3XaTmX6LyWV9WkS4-MYn9KTae-7StREfyAzLvSZ/s4096/97199EDC-B3C3-4DF8-A7F9-BA04BA59DB12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDv9aEj56tg4sRUNG37AqBNieUW93-FaM2v21eHncyDOSMR3xqt5iW4PZV9ULdToJhsLhnAZJ9off5vJKaIaaDAy_8xREN8VLa-3QaRKo7e5uyEoOtFpFBBHEQaU7C__pIDY_aHdyU4JWZrywAd64j3XaTmX6LyWV9WkS4-MYn9KTae-7StREfyAzLvSZ/w300-h400/97199EDC-B3C3-4DF8-A7F9-BA04BA59DB12.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzEhJM8D-U6BmcPC0iUoUibIXaOy-cAw5vQ8ypknbo0mpqSls5aaZ3zsPOObsK3ZojECE1vIQuNvOvuYXYGNSx6uvL7_KQNZWRg8xwj1n1mWIVrCt-e04EX18aH-Bcf2z9b7fM0bOsd2QlaxD2K7hd3rVvYFi9Gyv85dA2Z9f78xO-ncu7Nmc7Bw3L1yU/s3863/C0E4C38B-3221-493B-8FDD-08793AB011CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3863" data-original-width="2748" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzEhJM8D-U6BmcPC0iUoUibIXaOy-cAw5vQ8ypknbo0mpqSls5aaZ3zsPOObsK3ZojECE1vIQuNvOvuYXYGNSx6uvL7_KQNZWRg8xwj1n1mWIVrCt-e04EX18aH-Bcf2z9b7fM0bOsd2QlaxD2K7hd3rVvYFi9Gyv85dA2Z9f78xO-ncu7Nmc7Bw3L1yU/w285-h400/C0E4C38B-3221-493B-8FDD-08793AB011CD.jpeg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WXecNjr34V-mE-ngUaa5rly_VhU7SI6nqA0FL9qSE_O1JHm3JcBYl7vMRIr_6GgQZWh-H-O4ZMjusSQ2z9pincLm6x0VK7WLtv2oqIwyp-4tNoUvGCjvhE1xib4WfQnpRuPjuc_DDKhtwCkDUOdbBfRnLUNJUB80drt0d98mhODbpOqFw6V6X9XnzdYe/s3916/4385E9F6-D403-49D9-8969-425E354757FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3916" data-original-width="2937" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WXecNjr34V-mE-ngUaa5rly_VhU7SI6nqA0FL9qSE_O1JHm3JcBYl7vMRIr_6GgQZWh-H-O4ZMjusSQ2z9pincLm6x0VK7WLtv2oqIwyp-4tNoUvGCjvhE1xib4WfQnpRuPjuc_DDKhtwCkDUOdbBfRnLUNJUB80drt0d98mhODbpOqFw6V6X9XnzdYe/w300-h400/4385E9F6-D403-49D9-8969-425E354757FE.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>FOOD FOR THOUGHT! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyASbRRTgjhK51AMEvklkWHmCov9WBzkY2l-jQ9TyNXzsKcI_DCESq1M52gJHlkqd1zgrvp841ewuLUMkzughSPbizpClup6mHlkumxWtP8W22M2Qdnru8a-jmwZBlh9lILMybToJjWL9b_Amk9wi5esyRt8m2tvmfkFW5r6TNVjEF5TYzqlBhIIQRTegW/s4032/166FF6FA-4F8F-49E1-8628-9AC3AED6B7A1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyASbRRTgjhK51AMEvklkWHmCov9WBzkY2l-jQ9TyNXzsKcI_DCESq1M52gJHlkqd1zgrvp841ewuLUMkzughSPbizpClup6mHlkumxWtP8W22M2Qdnru8a-jmwZBlh9lILMybToJjWL9b_Amk9wi5esyRt8m2tvmfkFW5r6TNVjEF5TYzqlBhIIQRTegW/w300-h400/166FF6FA-4F8F-49E1-8628-9AC3AED6B7A1.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><br /></b></div><b>We had many fine meals that’s for sure! We discovered a jewel in <a href="https://www.pizzeriaportofino.com/">Pizzeria Portofino</a>, conveniently located right by our hotel. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48c0QfmS2g9HK7ziT-LN573lF1L52IH-V_pbaSZiFdf_AJh-M5wkmXLkN_ior4D9VpGaZ1HZuVdeXhjQA-J6iRSHG4-8pQhWCh6DEkVrj4ma5ROWtBFzpbEWBco4dkQ6QrxxmmBbnnoVnAe2fWOWqQmr_5prhCR35wC8_5PXpPSQdirh75ARIAxVuawTv/s4032/5ADB4836-91D0-4891-8820-8B06F2EEEEE7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48c0QfmS2g9HK7ziT-LN573lF1L52IH-V_pbaSZiFdf_AJh-M5wkmXLkN_ior4D9VpGaZ1HZuVdeXhjQA-J6iRSHG4-8pQhWCh6DEkVrj4ma5ROWtBFzpbEWBco4dkQ6QrxxmmBbnnoVnAe2fWOWqQmr_5prhCR35wC8_5PXpPSQdirh75ARIAxVuawTv/w300-h400/5ADB4836-91D0-4891-8820-8B06F2EEEEE7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: #fff9f4; caret-color: rgb(54, 88, 136); text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span>On its website, the restaurant describes itself this way: “</span></span><span face="metallophile-sp8, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: #fff9f4; caret-color: rgb(54, 88, 136); text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;">Pizzeria Portofino is a sun-drenched casual restaurant located directly on the Chicago riverfront offering hand-stretched pizzas, coastal wines, an expansive patio and breezy decor that will instantly transport you to the Italian Riviera.”<br /><br />That’s a tour boat passing in the background. </span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="metallophile-sp8, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: #fff9f4; caret-color: rgb(54, 88, 136); color: #365888; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPUyUVqHF06R7q3UNwEIxa7UvVshOflCBicNI4fY5YAXxbGoghpOpwIHdC3xBQtG3COht-1nylZjBUzGX_1tV9JEWJhi6-wzbjkAMOPl1EL141yxuF_341Ztye0ZkU_jg5g8SUddMXfN46j8Jtx2RGcH4-ovTKEQ_ofUHDDL7WNM9o6In5Rha_c0MAGM8/s4032/870428A9-53CC-4336-8F23-3AFF80F51CE4.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPUyUVqHF06R7q3UNwEIxa7UvVshOflCBicNI4fY5YAXxbGoghpOpwIHdC3xBQtG3COht-1nylZjBUzGX_1tV9JEWJhi6-wzbjkAMOPl1EL141yxuF_341Ztye0ZkU_jg5g8SUddMXfN46j8Jtx2RGcH4-ovTKEQ_ofUHDDL7WNM9o6In5Rha_c0MAGM8/w300-h400/870428A9-53CC-4336-8F23-3AFF80F51CE4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><b>We would go twice for lunch to Portofino, first on the rainy Sunday soon after arriving in Chicago. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn_nD0sj3Je89_btBqfyKecnHv3PAMaW3md3WSEm9vzV4exEV2EiMTicyuPbDcFddZAWbpOkYvFHMgEj2t6h3us8dJBWZDaFj9qK-2ByFEwFh50g_azPXNOGAPx4ODkmVDXEQGdhpzCM8cBw8_7_xKEWz4MUyC82eg4LuXen32hKklOVNlVH1tjbc03Zs/s4032/34D4099C-F641-4056-93A1-4BEAF351AC4D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn_nD0sj3Je89_btBqfyKecnHv3PAMaW3md3WSEm9vzV4exEV2EiMTicyuPbDcFddZAWbpOkYvFHMgEj2t6h3us8dJBWZDaFj9qK-2ByFEwFh50g_azPXNOGAPx4ODkmVDXEQGdhpzCM8cBw8_7_xKEWz4MUyC82eg4LuXen32hKklOVNlVH1tjbc03Zs/w400-h300/34D4099C-F641-4056-93A1-4BEAF351AC4D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Then we returned on 4th of July when the restaurant was packed and we were very lucky to get a table without having a reservation. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yHKQ3zLD0q0zX_ynSW2-Q-SLlpbc7X0pXC6QtI3ZsyE8fnS5QVfMDyaJiKgrWXpMMSQ7i0tIFiJb80ROLiK0RuZkOJrPy9yvuFk3wBnwZCFP2Nmd3e1MzPMkC451u6Qe0lNv9x1FvVNCQYf8g-aXD9-Y3MkR1IGmF1tcT9kDvgNaJYobSuNCBIuagMYs/s3024/0FB0BF22-8C7F-458C-AA6A-290DA8224229.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2470" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yHKQ3zLD0q0zX_ynSW2-Q-SLlpbc7X0pXC6QtI3ZsyE8fnS5QVfMDyaJiKgrWXpMMSQ7i0tIFiJb80ROLiK0RuZkOJrPy9yvuFk3wBnwZCFP2Nmd3e1MzPMkC451u6Qe0lNv9x1FvVNCQYf8g-aXD9-Y3MkR1IGmF1tcT9kDvgNaJYobSuNCBIuagMYs/w326-h400/0FB0BF22-8C7F-458C-AA6A-290DA8224229.jpeg" width="326" /></a></div><br /><b>Joseph joined us the second time. We had delicious pizza both visits. It wasn’t the deep dish Chicago style that I was craving, but it was very good. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM_NHEUoqG8mk2yRY0JoRjfqUhuLcd9INzPhucYzWJiWMY1U4xEWSSijj4tz9n8VpXfrwQBL3INSJC8FBY0QEFmogjOhcgXxW5OI8oH9jo5K04HVh70L34YEI1mursr-0FYoxSeuNji3ueF2aZFJtm38Ll9wFB1fnQqS4AmTOwpXWZUGpvrnFYT3bKsks/s4032/9290623A-382D-497B-8425-496AEF9E556B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM_NHEUoqG8mk2yRY0JoRjfqUhuLcd9INzPhucYzWJiWMY1U4xEWSSijj4tz9n8VpXfrwQBL3INSJC8FBY0QEFmogjOhcgXxW5OI8oH9jo5K04HVh70L34YEI1mursr-0FYoxSeuNji3ueF2aZFJtm38Ll9wFB1fnQqS4AmTOwpXWZUGpvrnFYT3bKsks/w300-h400/9290623A-382D-497B-8425-496AEF9E556B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Cheers to Pizzeria Portofino! We hope to return next Chicago trip. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2e9xLPqLC3E9Vq603kkUeZQyDUa7JMeiA2oAQI4OoXGq6jkRWiZDOzPe0uuRMmFXt-AlLRlt2bRm7P7wywczVnJ0Lx8KKDH3Vpqg4yQBM1K3A-oflcoZs6djjQQKtA3Rg0Pw87gepmoJDUenEcQg7G3Z-mFcKkOskxpm2KmN-_nNcckAmgSOb8KdfMQ1i/s4096/E54992E8-A13D-48FB-9F00-BE111F02E0ED.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2e9xLPqLC3E9Vq603kkUeZQyDUa7JMeiA2oAQI4OoXGq6jkRWiZDOzPe0uuRMmFXt-AlLRlt2bRm7P7wywczVnJ0Lx8KKDH3Vpqg4yQBM1K3A-oflcoZs6djjQQKtA3Rg0Pw87gepmoJDUenEcQg7G3Z-mFcKkOskxpm2KmN-_nNcckAmgSOb8KdfMQ1i/w400-h300/E54992E8-A13D-48FB-9F00-BE111F02E0ED.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>We enjoyed a variety of cuisine for dinner. Mexican restaurant <a href="https://www.barriochicago.com/">Barrio</a> was a short walk from the hotel. The portions were big, the service so-so, and none of us were blown away by the tastes. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuhFQzguLoYUXJPrWdLwsT6KU8vyLQCMvI_RorAFPHYiSF1bz0GgvmajteBAWH9tfTGvuMfGAMUaVXViRLAf6h89iljJxf43YkE2rDMwkv79tYIGGG5UzB0AHKeoumkHLvwAYfT_f2YFU5H4U5evZHHpAcAc_rYNHDBYcZJyr7rBamEObl3m19OGsRuXD/s4032/E3B6B436-C089-499D-9903-884DF3B72D15.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuhFQzguLoYUXJPrWdLwsT6KU8vyLQCMvI_RorAFPHYiSF1bz0GgvmajteBAWH9tfTGvuMfGAMUaVXViRLAf6h89iljJxf43YkE2rDMwkv79tYIGGG5UzB0AHKeoumkHLvwAYfT_f2YFU5H4U5evZHHpAcAc_rYNHDBYcZJyr7rBamEObl3m19OGsRuXD/w300-h400/E3B6B436-C089-499D-9903-884DF3B72D15.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGNwmpmESoNKwEptja4lK_u1NSVdkgKIWXCimi_JEERHHfnnw_xQm0VJygmf4aZQLzusBWWZ4PMgf4hJdVgRCRzyD2HOVHzo9SOzWplNOcJeQIo4rv-ugX_ij3jp_FRo--uaZ-UceMhHQF4Pog1rQf7WNYlqRXohj4jNkk6NbB4_id6yjE7ts2At-LzId/s4032/A2B3EBC1-4DFE-4760-8051-E57A37A4D5F9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGNwmpmESoNKwEptja4lK_u1NSVdkgKIWXCimi_JEERHHfnnw_xQm0VJygmf4aZQLzusBWWZ4PMgf4hJdVgRCRzyD2HOVHzo9SOzWplNOcJeQIo4rv-ugX_ij3jp_FRo--uaZ-UceMhHQF4Pog1rQf7WNYlqRXohj4jNkk6NbB4_id6yjE7ts2At-LzId/w300-h400/A2B3EBC1-4DFE-4760-8051-E57A37A4D5F9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNarpbR7qbOZD1vst_2LvIrFiW3TSpNlVbhXgPJ_6yAVfTc4AhqNKrviL746gWnNTap3fHJfC-OG-y8nlpQDOFYGxJBLPN1OjQdmHeTVSNZXCICWCzTlTL76bpr0Z53ptrp2yHO6F4PpYLGMHTFCJ00uA1TMiVESgT59G9o4-4qhu9IFP5_SjPFr8iVDg/s4032/CD76D9C8-E21F-4B27-A17E-098AC6324A35.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNarpbR7qbOZD1vst_2LvIrFiW3TSpNlVbhXgPJ_6yAVfTc4AhqNKrviL746gWnNTap3fHJfC-OG-y8nlpQDOFYGxJBLPN1OjQdmHeTVSNZXCICWCzTlTL76bpr0Z53ptrp2yHO6F4PpYLGMHTFCJ00uA1TMiVESgT59G9o4-4qhu9IFP5_SjPFr8iVDg/w300-h400/CD76D9C8-E21F-4B27-A17E-098AC6324A35.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>We had better meals at a French restaurant Justin picked called <a href="http://www.chezjoelbistro.com/">Chez Joel Bistro Francais</a> on Taylor Street in Little Italy. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SpA9Y8AxHYrNHz-0Tef5p4ti-Rr3u7Gh6R6Mq_QiN9yNiM7qiI6TRGW-4tBZ8uSSH6ho7NZiswHKZhxQygScRiVTwXLsMZsXjsynl9EUi_ViN1WNiXE5lNThVJClivq8o6yiO9arL5fbSvAJYx-7UBjtuCOMQGmDrGONuWginpCQeH-8GKA-vg55zXWz/s4032/6BB4C154-8706-47FF-9AC8-11D7AC826E25.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SpA9Y8AxHYrNHz-0Tef5p4ti-Rr3u7Gh6R6Mq_QiN9yNiM7qiI6TRGW-4tBZ8uSSH6ho7NZiswHKZhxQygScRiVTwXLsMZsXjsynl9EUi_ViN1WNiXE5lNThVJClivq8o6yiO9arL5fbSvAJYx-7UBjtuCOMQGmDrGONuWginpCQeH-8GKA-vg55zXWz/w300-h400/6BB4C154-8706-47FF-9AC8-11D7AC826E25.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><b>The Ravioli Au Courge was yummy! </b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloCsO98nCfHKya2elJb054OMbESXi3E2bvNiUqpMbnk_wNDBEBYAj7gQaOObHG7OV6JQV1p14Xj9aswtlCoCEtX-6r8sHznGQ36PCt5HnmsZud7ngtmRRaUDuG6moM5pyTp6Yf1NguRJ3sZQv6jmhU4ywxG63MeQC46NFH0YttwKNH-xebZVX6zBd9JBi/s4032/558FB5DE-E603-44D0-B792-B167BA483E9D.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloCsO98nCfHKya2elJb054OMbESXi3E2bvNiUqpMbnk_wNDBEBYAj7gQaOObHG7OV6JQV1p14Xj9aswtlCoCEtX-6r8sHznGQ36PCt5HnmsZud7ngtmRRaUDuG6moM5pyTp6Yf1NguRJ3sZQv6jmhU4ywxG63MeQC46NFH0YttwKNH-xebZVX6zBd9JBi/w300-h400/558FB5DE-E603-44D0-B792-B167BA483E9D.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>And so was dessert, Moelleux Au Chocolat. </b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Patrick Hand SC;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUgV9KuUHUflM0W8freCV1VQy8EiVgQWMa6V9_3G7rBE2lu4mut5swYszJXGfATu4JejXtRX3oexMA9dO6S4KcqTeKkphAiNwjLB3Kmzc94N5hNChIoXO_FNcrYpQqYbZpVCFCew0eVorcVwLdL8t73eVhfFkj4is615K5chNwxeflp5_gw1y7qz9v4xq/s4032/7490B0EB-BFA4-44C1-BB45-D90400266B00.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUgV9KuUHUflM0W8freCV1VQy8EiVgQWMa6V9_3G7rBE2lu4mut5swYszJXGfATu4JejXtRX3oexMA9dO6S4KcqTeKkphAiNwjLB3Kmzc94N5hNChIoXO_FNcrYpQqYbZpVCFCew0eVorcVwLdL8t73eVhfFkj4is615K5chNwxeflp5_gw1y7qz9v4xq/w300-h400/7490B0EB-BFA4-44C1-BB45-D90400266B00.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>Fourth of July we feasted at a Pilsen eatery called<a href="https://www.skyrestaurantchicago.com/"> S.K.Y.</a> Alesia and I each had this interesting fried chicken dish that came with a spicy hot sauce and creamed corn. Very tasty! </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLUhny-Vfhd1TFMZLyyUr-ieSqtUJu0rFEOlzmi14bnDQZHxC2-436bAiPHN-Lneuk3oGJTdZFPgjjEN4sUW9E-yJHrJfzIvtUUr23cjjOx0ueHAb4f7jkmU-RF-gOkf77NQ6HVaYXreZwSJhG_1-OwPT2l1FOEeFGLwkYmzIxGIRBT7a5-PuIZdeb-Rz/s4032/DEA2D92D-E3B8-467E-9EAA-4E00F96B7C96.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLUhny-Vfhd1TFMZLyyUr-ieSqtUJu0rFEOlzmi14bnDQZHxC2-436bAiPHN-Lneuk3oGJTdZFPgjjEN4sUW9E-yJHrJfzIvtUUr23cjjOx0ueHAb4f7jkmU-RF-gOkf77NQ6HVaYXreZwSJhG_1-OwPT2l1FOEeFGLwkYmzIxGIRBT7a5-PuIZdeb-Rz/w300-h400/DEA2D92D-E3B8-467E-9EAA-4E00F96B7C96.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><b>If you made it this far, thank you! To Alesia, Joseph and Justin it was great to have us all together for a special Independence Day in Chicago! </b></div><div style="font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdI6qRXwT8eulEY7_qSd7LBzNdpDoF1e5qEl6l9uzO8RPf2MREgLtDD_DMFSPwGhNtEgLPew9td6zvapJRP5XbuGs2KPToNfFY2bsLEvqGjKyEH18MnjBvB_zO4OQsld8YiQH_lylaM3kvHW-0bTQh9SE35i4L6gX878xaa4M58Lo5vSaspUIsHGlSsBCy/s4032/7ABA2FFA-7757-48AA-9A35-266512C4F91F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdI6qRXwT8eulEY7_qSd7LBzNdpDoF1e5qEl6l9uzO8RPf2MREgLtDD_DMFSPwGhNtEgLPew9td6zvapJRP5XbuGs2KPToNfFY2bsLEvqGjKyEH18MnjBvB_zO4OQsld8YiQH_lylaM3kvHW-0bTQh9SE35i4L6gX878xaa4M58Lo5vSaspUIsHGlSsBCy/w400-h300/7ABA2FFA-7757-48AA-9A35-266512C4F91F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAynP4SLpzizcPoZhiptIQaqoUQuJwbmIXAwtFnjeLHpUFH8FqFq1BuS1grchNP5dsUdGJTFRCfmY9r9ZmCi50TrDCQJ_XtYRzAq1nCiTnrVYfH_KQXgiW_ikfMLBfH4rEinHMiOPTTAeIo1JqEw15lbvM2H5wEBjvxVLh98j8C88aTwhqa5J5daEcc1b/s4032/AC769379-38AD-4887-99BE-BAD50159D680.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAynP4SLpzizcPoZhiptIQaqoUQuJwbmIXAwtFnjeLHpUFH8FqFq1BuS1grchNP5dsUdGJTFRCfmY9r9ZmCi50TrDCQJ_XtYRzAq1nCiTnrVYfH_KQXgiW_ikfMLBfH4rEinHMiOPTTAeIo1JqEw15lbvM2H5wEBjvxVLh98j8C88aTwhqa5J5daEcc1b/w300-h400/AC769379-38AD-4887-99BE-BAD50159D680.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>We really like the Westin River North Hotel. This was our third or fourth stay here. Note in this photo Pizzeria Portofino restaurant on the river to the left of the hotel. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzocj7vCSZoCoZ-tB00s12neVTBjT_vC22Suemu6GvFoXX26IfktaLb_64kfRKuQurqzTRzRsFCwpB0YXVtaDC4qiP834kTgPHLmJfoAb9P0pZlgLNcEF3ZbKu2s7nFlXGw5V2A6wOMmaFh9RAE_qz1KS-s4SIGUwW042tZDvxHpiccvuL33B-V95PxZE/s3532/A91AF023-B388-48B1-8726-9855E41B16F0.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3532" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzocj7vCSZoCoZ-tB00s12neVTBjT_vC22Suemu6GvFoXX26IfktaLb_64kfRKuQurqzTRzRsFCwpB0YXVtaDC4qiP834kTgPHLmJfoAb9P0pZlgLNcEF3ZbKu2s7nFlXGw5V2A6wOMmaFh9RAE_qz1KS-s4SIGUwW042tZDvxHpiccvuL33B-V95PxZE/w343-h400/A91AF023-B388-48B1-8726-9855E41B16F0.jpeg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><b>The hotel has its own large deck that oversees the Chicago River and many of the city’s magnificent skyscrapers. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zA9Qu1P05nj3d1pGFmUsReWJdgUz5eHTcS04bVUEfOrsva6Y-wGwdZiJUF_dU0z8EKL0cFYl2Nuv6sS_eQ4m7SWjLKx41pbUD7sws_MS4tT1IU1dii1sJfGGPnFG05QLSFGymn1RvHz143eDOkK39haIZKxiQjV0qE8Ln3FMzaZZDyrZEeBIVEJuw_VQ/s4096/Red%20Admiral%20Butterfly.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zA9Qu1P05nj3d1pGFmUsReWJdgUz5eHTcS04bVUEfOrsva6Y-wGwdZiJUF_dU0z8EKL0cFYl2Nuv6sS_eQ4m7SWjLKx41pbUD7sws_MS4tT1IU1dii1sJfGGPnFG05QLSFGymn1RvHz143eDOkK39haIZKxiQjV0qE8Ln3FMzaZZDyrZEeBIVEJuw_VQ/w400-h300/Red%20Admiral%20Butterfly.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b>Finally, a few critter photos to end this post. This is a <a href="https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/red-admiral">Red Admiral</a> butterfly. I photographed it on a stone wall near the old fire station shown earlier. I like this butterfly's name and its scientific name too: vanessa atalanta. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyZPcKVwNUVAfeSmM1lZdMgngKQc3mlWKfFiIPpYAnRKcDWcINKTAhxjuq5905OMJU8lIAL3Wmq6QAdV6pBi1tcMuUY9bL46KB2AlsqDmZnFzvIIvM3d2gc1NEYWGwT8G6-IoDApTmg_PUDdTnNgL0TySPJ7jFVB8cPT5S_-PH3prNqqOe6E_Owf0zKSA/s4096/Ring%20billed%20gull.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyZPcKVwNUVAfeSmM1lZdMgngKQc3mlWKfFiIPpYAnRKcDWcINKTAhxjuq5905OMJU8lIAL3Wmq6QAdV6pBi1tcMuUY9bL46KB2AlsqDmZnFzvIIvM3d2gc1NEYWGwT8G6-IoDApTmg_PUDdTnNgL0TySPJ7jFVB8cPT5S_-PH3prNqqOe6E_Owf0zKSA/w400-h300/Ring%20billed%20gull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>I spotted these <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/id">Ring-billed Gulls</a> on rocks as we returned to port on the tall whip Windy. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxB9hDisnP8Voleq6zSiU5gUpgRsPzwwuiVbMVP_6DyrKSeWOPxgkEZF3OmEPG8L_7UPtpqYt2neNtByoqqvn8KkR4xkXdtCMV_L4Jkf9mqtQHoZOc9vttBE3Z-62WQepKusYDBnmhdpQjUsbRVlIFYpzaHW1iDG0dTJsr-TlzWnDJtHpchB8ZRPi_FI_/s4096/Mallard.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxB9hDisnP8Voleq6zSiU5gUpgRsPzwwuiVbMVP_6DyrKSeWOPxgkEZF3OmEPG8L_7UPtpqYt2neNtByoqqvn8KkR4xkXdtCMV_L4Jkf9mqtQHoZOc9vttBE3Z-62WQepKusYDBnmhdpQjUsbRVlIFYpzaHW1iDG0dTJsr-TlzWnDJtHpchB8ZRPi_FI_/w400-h300/Mallard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>This is a female <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/overview">Mallard</a> seen near a boating marina while we walked along the riverwalk toward Lake Michigan. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><b>Farewell Chicago! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Patrick Hand SC"; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0