After the Storm

After the Storm - December 29, 2013

Blue Skies over our campsite at Camp Ho Non Wah just a couple of hours after the storm.  We fixed everything, and no one fretted a bit.  A scout is cheerful.

Ravenel Sunset

Ravenel Sunset - December 16, 2013

This was taken at sunset in the front yard of one of my customers.  The majestic trees here, and and all around where I'm standing go way back to a simpler time.  In late Spring, one of the trees in the center of the yard is all but overtaken with jasmine.  The scent is heavenly. Ravenel is a little vestige of the the time when a town thrived within yards of a railroad track.

Shorter Days

Shorter Days

Just after the 4:00pm, and the sun is already starting to cast quite a shadow.   This picture really doesn' t capture as well as I would have liked how the Spanish moss glowed against the sunlight.

Slowing Down

Low Clouds over the Marsh

I was driving back from Folly Beach today thinking about my next stop.  I passed several beautiful sights, a heron, a foggy creek.  I was going too fast, I thought.  So I slowed down and looked for the next scene. This is it.  The fact that I took the time to slow down, get out, and take the picture turned work into something else if but for just a moment.

Indian Summer

December 6, 2013 - Isle of Palms

It was 77 degrees on the Isle of Palms today.  Unseasonably warm, so a return to the beach seemed like a good idea.

Looking Up

December 3, 2013

I was doing some work in a customer's yard when I saw a small, but beautiful tree.  When I looked up through the leaves and into the sky, the colors were even more vibrant.   Beauty is always magnified when we take a moment to look up and consider from Whom all blessings flow.  And quite literally so in this case.

Late Fall in Summerville

Fall Color in Summerville - December 3, 2013

The cypress may have passed their Fall peak, but some of the other deciduous trees are just coming into their full color.  A drive through the older part of Summerville finds the skies still aglow with yellowing oak leaves.  The occassional reds and oranges can be seen as well, and some are inspiring enough for one to stop and appreciate.

Sunset on the Ashley River

Sunset on the Ashley River - December 2, 2013

Lake Marion Cypress

Lake Marion Cypress

November 29, 2013

Well, it's only been a week since I photographed that red copper cypress.  With a few cold winds, the fleeting glory of Fall is replaced by the first glimpses of the bleak Winter to come.  

Discovery

Discovery

November 29, 2013

This photo was taken within a minute after the discovery of this "Kirk Corner Notched" arrowhead in a field in North Charleston, SC.  I held here in my hand an ancient artifact, and this photo documents my first look at it in the sunlight.  The feeling I have at the sight of it is one of wonder.  I immediately picture a native American crafting this for the hunt hundreds, maybe thousands, of years ago.  The excitement I feel is not over its intrinsic value, but rather over the joy of discovering what was lost for ages untold.  I told my son, Nathan, who was with me, that we should thank God for the find.  That's the moment when joy turned to praise and I was reminded of Psalm 24:1 that says, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."  

Thanksgiving Maple

Thanksgiving Maple

November 27, 2013.  

I planted this maple tree on Thanksgiving Day in the year 2000.  It was a twig no longer than my arm when I removed it from under the hedges beside the house and planted it in the center of our front yard. My care for this tree didn't stop with its planting.  I've periodically treated it with spectricide for invaders, and yearly fight off the bag worms with deltamethrin.  In return, it gives us beauty and shade.  Here it is 13 years later with Thanksgiving Day approaching just tomorrow as I write this post. 

Sunrise on the Isle of Palms - November 26, 2013

Ho Non Wah

Camp Ho Non Wah

November 23, 2013

Ho Non Wah means land of the rising and falling waters.  This little tidal creek is just one of the waters for which the camp is named.  It rises when the Bohicket River and Fickling Creek overflows into the camp's pond and streams.  Nathan and I just enjoyed a Fall Camporee there, and of course, I took the opportunity to seek out some of the bountiful beauty that is Wadmalaw Island. 

Taking Time for Beauty

Autumn Cypress

November 22, 2013

I'm not a trained photographer, but I do love to take pictures. Just seeking out the scenes causes me to appreciate the beauty all around that I might otherwise pass by without a thought. This picture was taken near my home of off Hwy 61 in Charleston, SC.  The cypress trees down here can turn the most stunning copper tone this time of year. Up close, they look brown, and almost like a dried Christmas tree, but back away, and add a little light, and they almost glow.