Labor Day Sunday- The Beach (Where Else!)

 

Between playing tennis in the rain for a short time Saturday and today (Labor Day) getting soaked by rain while mowing the lawn, Sunday at Sullivan’s Island had perfect (dry!) weather. 

Parking was more difficult than usual but it was worth it to spend three or so hours soaking in the sun, swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, and enjoying the idyllic scenery. 

And of course, I took a bunch of photographs. Here’s what was going on at Sullivan’s Island in the Station 17 area. 

New Folly Beach Pier Update

 

Our first visit to Folly Beach in about a year found the big fishing pier replacement project looking that much closer to the image in this rendering. 

When we saw the construction last Sunday it looked like around 50 percent of the old wooden pier had been replaced. You see in this photograph the new gray concrete base extending out to sea. Shipworm infestation became a problem with the old wood pilings that date back to 1995, necessitating a redux.

The new $14 million pier is expected to be finished in Spring 2023, according to Charleston Parks and Recreation officials. 

Colorado Critters- Birds, Butterflies and Land Animals Large and Small

 

Our early August visit to Colorado to see family and celebrate birthdays was full of festivities and fun. 

We were in the Estes Park area for several days and were fortunate to partake in the abundant beauty of this mountainous region. As a bird and nature photographer, I was excited by this landscape that is so different from our beloved South Carolina Lowcountry. 

Check out my video shot with my new Go Pro Hero 8 camera! 

Thanks and gratitude to my sister Ann and her husband Paul for hosting us for a special family get-together and for showing us so many of your Western home’s treasures. 

This post will focus on the animals I was able to photograph, starting with…

ELK

I read that Colorado has more Elk than any state in the U.S. with some 290,000.

Early Book Publicity

 

I am starting to try to generate some PR and publicity for my new book. This week I received disappointing news from Palmetto Publishing that delivery of the first batch will be three weeks or so later than I was told in mid-June when the manuscript was ready to be printed. Looking at early September for the first 100 copies, instead of mid-August. 

One of the Bird Kingdom’s Delights: Little Blue Heron

 

A mix of blue and white at our backyard pond caught my eye a few days ago. 

I knew right away what I was seeing because I have seen this a few times before. This is a Little Blue Heron that is also a little white because it is in the molting phase of becoming a much darker blue. 

Check out my blog post from 2011 that has many more photos of this interesting bird, especially images of a very young one with all white feathers. 

This Heron is also distinctive with a bill that is so dark at the tip. 

I walked around the small pond to take different pictures. It flew from one side to the other a few times. 

Sharks! Fishermen Land Two on Sullivan’s Island

 

We encountered rain and ominous dark clouds on the way to the beach on Sullivan’s Island Sunday. 

I thought we may have to turn around and return home. Sure glad we didn’t because not only did the clouds clear, but before we even set up our chairs in the sand we noticed a fisherman was having quite a battle reeling in whatever was on the end of his line. 

And what a catch he had! 

This guy seemed to be the leading the two fishers (fishermen). Maybe he runs an outdoor adventure outfit. 

He told me this shark is a Blacktip. Notice the black coloring below and around the dorsal fin and the black along the tail fin. 

Fireworks and Patriotism on Hilton Head!

 

We had a really nice time spending the 4th of July on Hilton Head Island. We took in the fireworks show at Shelter Cove, a "mixed use" community on the island. 

This was just outside the restaurant where we had a fine dinner.  More on the restaurant to come. 

We finished our meal an hour or so before the fireworks commenced. It was neat seeing the festive crowd slowly gather at Shelter Cove. We sat on a bench where we spoke for a while to a young family from the Atlanta area.

Hilton Head Sunrises = Spectacular!

 

Spending 4th of July on Hilton Head Island was a blast- as were the fireworks we saw at Shelter Cove (see my post that follows this one).  

We were able to swing an oceanfront room at the Marriott Resort and Spa at Palmetto Dunes. 

Early 🦅 that I am, both mornings of our stay I was locked and loaded (camera I mean) and on the beach just after 6 a.m. 

The water temperature was perfect for a sunrise dip in the ocean!  And during the day too when we were on the beach.

Patio, Porch and Driveway Projects? Check!

Three long-planned home improvement projects have been completed. These were under the category of “when I physically feel better.” Last year’s successful hip surgeries opened the door to me feeling I could finally tackle such labor-intensive work. 

Here are before and after photos of the front porch and back patio painting projects. Preparations before painting involved cleaning and pressure washing the surfaces. Primer paint was also used on the patio. 

Charmed by a Cute Pair of Barred Owls

 

Wow, this month of June has been something! I am hearing and seeing Barred Owls almost daily. Two days ago around noon, Alesia alerted me to Barreds in the backyard…again. 

I grab my camera, step out to the patio, look up, and look what is looking back at me! 

Two beautiful Owls are content to stare at me with as much curiosity as I have to stare at them. And they didn’t mind me moving around to “capture” them from different angles. 

They perch on a Southern Live Oak tree (I think that is what it is) with thick branches that cross in front of a pine tree. I really like the composition of the above two photographs. And you see how the Barred Owls’ coloring blends so well with the trees and branches.