Monday, July 27, 2009

Dog Days of Summer!

Yup, the dog days of summer are here! It is miserably hot outside and our dog Kasey does not tolerate the heat very well. Therefore she spends a good deal of time enjoying the cool air conditioning indoors...
"Back scratch fever..." (sung to the tune of "Cat Scratch Fever":).

Oops, missed a spot!

Ahhh...got it!

Smiling Kasey...

happy Kasey...

silly Kasey.

Talk to the paw!

Laughing Kasey...

grinning Kasey.

Enough with the photo ops...it's time to groom the fur!

Content, well groomed, Kasey.

Demur Kasey.

Now that you have shared in Kasey's 'summer inside the air conditioned house during the dog days of summer' escapades she bids you a good day:).

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sunday Wisdom

"He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy."
Proverbs 14:21, NIV

Friday, July 24, 2009

A Day at the Beach!

The girls and I decided to go to the beach. Thought you might want to join us!
Our beach is also a state park. It's like driving through the jungle.

Once parked, the pathway to the beach welcomes us.

What a beautiful sunny day.

Off come the hat and flip flops.
This little guy just came back from a swim and smiled his delight at the camera.

The waves are crashing and calling to us.

Clouds feather out across a Carolina blue sky.

Let's get our feet wet while we go for a walk as there is much activity here today.

Shells...

and shell clusters.
Remnants of a tree add sculpture to the miles of sand ahead.
A shrimp boat trawls for a good catch.

Seagulls, the clowns of the beach, are cooling their feet in the water too.

Mr. Rhett Seagull poses for the camera...

while this guy enjoys the ocean waves.

Off in the distance another shrimp boat trawls.

Ocean waves come crashing in.

A pelican in flight.

Shrimpers continue the hunt for an abundant catch.

Seagulls peer out over the water.

The ranger's cottage has a great view! Can you imagine waking up each morning and having coffee on this porch?

Oooo...that water is a bit chilly as it foams about our feet!

The waves serenade us as we walk...

while God's glory is seen for miles.

Pelicans hover above the ocean's waves.

As we head back the tide seems to be going out revealing the rocks beneath.

A flock of seagulls join us (the birds not the band-I know my age is showing again:).

We had better head back as we have a stop to make on the way home.

Soft breezes are still blowing as we leave the beach.

The sand is hot beneath our feet.

Now that the car is loaded we wind our way back through the jungle of trees as we make our way to the...

I said we had a stop to make on the way home didn't I? Yup, that dreaded beach hazzard-barnacles! Christine seriously cut her foot on barnacles so we went to the hospital to get it doctored. Of course, we decided that the barnacle story wasn't very exciting so we came up with this tale instead:
a shark attacked her big toe, I wrestled the shark to the sand and won the battle and everyone is invited to our house tonight for shark steaks.
Hey, what happens at the beach stays at the beach! This is our story and we're stickin' to it!!!
BTW, after cleaning the wounds, a tetnas shot, and butterflying the toe, Christine will be fine:).

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Twilight at Magnolia Plantation...

Come along for something we don't often get to do-take a midnight stroll through the plantation grounds.
The sun descends over the waters' edge...

as water laps against the embankment...

crickets begin their nightly serenade as the sky begins to darken...

the shadows begin to extend beyond their usual limits...

while darkness overtakes the waters.

Dusk reflects from an upstairs window.

Once the sun sets the resident cats came out in droves. Of course, all that showed up was the glow of their eyes.

Spanish moss goes from graceful to spooky after dark.

With the last glimpse of light the moss becomes nothing more than a silhouette.

And then with a single candle to light the way darkness envelopes the plantation grounds...