4th day of Spring

Hello from hot, sunny and thunder stormy South Carolina.

Catch up;

Wed Mar 14th - we went to Coconut Joe's at Isle of Palms for lunch with rv friends from last year. Great time! Then we drove further down the Isle to where we like to kite and got up our kites and some 'laundry'. Fun aft. That evening we had a campfire at our friend's cabin here and viewed a fab sunset...(yes we have pics!) Other friends dropped by during the evening ...it was so good to share stories and the firelight. oh and my hubby (the fire man starter) got the camp fire to show different colours...so a great evening.

Thurs Mar 15th-my husband woke with allergic reactions to the high pollen counts here! We went shopping for meds. We also stopped by the Sweetgrass weaver, Marie Rouse, on Hwy 17. This is the lady I had talked to before. It was lovely to hear her storys and she did sign the book I had which is about the history of Sweetgrass baskets and the makers. Her mother is in there and she told me about her mother a little. We bought 2 small baskets...our rv is a small living space. I liked one and my husband liked another. I wish Marie Rouse a wonderful season for selling her baskets...her stall is on Hwy 17 just in front of  the Walgrens Pharma store so it is easy to drive in and park and get to her stall. So much construction is going on that many of the stalls are not easy to get to right now. We didn't have our camera so we said we would come back for pictures of her.

Fri Mar 16th - we drove into Charleston...parked on Hasell street...and walked up to the Tourist info place which was about 6 or 7 big city blocks. We walked up Meeting St and back down Elizabeth and then Anson St. I fell in love with Charleston all over again!!! We had a lovely lunch at Tbonz Gill & Grill on 80 N. Market St. I asked the hostess for a lunch suggestion and she mentioned a certain salad...excellent. We walked the market...ducking into shops...I looked into Key West Hat Co on Market st where I had purchased a hat last yr...ooooo...they were just putting up some colourful concoctions for Easter. Charleston does have a Ladies Hat Society and an Easter Hat Parade (unfortunately we won't be here in April). We then went back to the kite store we like called Kites Fly'n Hi, 40 N Market St in the Rainbow market. We chatted to the owner about our year of flying and looked at his stock. Peter bought a kite ...meanwhile I had drifted into a leather store, Market Leather of Charleston where I saw just the bag I'd been looking for yrs...it had some scrapes and was knocked down in price...it had character to start with! Then we discovered a fab puzzle & game store called Turtle Creek at 84 N Market St...tons of fun all over the store and the neatest wooden puzzles. check them out at  http://www.puzzleboxguy.com/ . We headed back to the rv..tired and happy...a different day than we had planned but fun. It rained and thundered back at camp.

Sat Mar 17th -we stayed in camp. I did a lassive laundry load and my husband worked on the engine of rv. It was sunny and hot. For St Patrick's day I had a Guinness with dinner.

Sun Mar 18th-we flew kites...my husband got the new one flying but the weather was changing so we returned to camp before the heavy storm hit. His allergies were bad that night.

Mon Mar 19th- domestic tasks... discussions about our next camp... lots of research and then we booked into a Penn KOA....grocery shopping. The weather was HOT and sunny.

Tues Mar 20th - The first day of Spring....we drove into Charleston...parked in the lot on Hasell St and then did the Loop of a walking tour which includes Meeting St., the Battery then Church st. The weather was perfect...the houses and gardens were being prepped for the upcoming Garden tour. We took lots of pics. The flowers on shrubs were out...such colours...the wisteria was drooping over everything. We walked down a very narrow lane to the Battery...getting such a sense of the old town. You just couldn't rush down any street...so many houses had plaques...and we had our walking tour book with us. You also had to keep a close eye on the walkways...some were very humpy...old old trees's roots had shaped the brick or stone work. The metal gate work is famous and it was a delight to view so many different patterns. The park, White Point Gardens, at the mid point in our walk...was full of regal live oaks and blossoming Azalea shrubs and possibly jasmine flowers...there  even may have been camellias...the flowers are out early and such a variety. The walk was very long for me...and as we got back into the Market area I needed to eat. I spotted some people looking at a menu at Eli's Table  at 129 Meeting St...right beside the Gibbes Museum! So we decided to lunch there and then view the museum which was on our list of places to see because it is also part of our membership package we purchased in Fl. The lunch was very good...I had fried green tomatoes with my sandwich and good hot tea. It was also  delightful to see the 'business' people in Charleston come for lunch here. We were impressed at the Gibbes Museum...it is an old establishment even for Charleston...it has promoted local artists and provided studio space as well. Their collections of art may not dazzle for some people used to European collections but I found the Alfred Hutty exhibit very well presented and a thorough display of his life's work. We each liked different artists. A lovely aft of enjoying art and learning about new artists.I enjoyed the work of Alice Ravenel Huger Smith (1876-1958). We dropped into the hat store...I bought a straw hat on sale which is dressy and makes me  feel I am in Charleston! We bought  2 small kites...one a surprise for me. On the drive back to camp we stopped and got some pictures of Marie Rouse who makes such fine sweetgrass baskets. A fantastically happy day!!!

Wed Mar 21- up with a heavy dew...we drove to the Isle of Palms and I flew a new kite...my first 2 hander...2 lines...whew...there were storm clouds off shore and some gusty winds...it was a thrill...needing totally new muscles and skills...feeling the wind change and getting the kite to change positions...wow...so exciting. I could hear my kite really 'sing' in some of the strong winds...and my husband's tiny kite was fast and fun...when I took pics of it on the ground it reminded me of a cat flicking it's tail wanting to spring up again. Such fun though I did bang my kite into the ground at the start...thankfully it is a soft  kite. We have pics.
We did get the mail we were hoping for...from overseas. Back at the rv a light dinner and watched tv. Boy, fresh sea air can tire you out.

Thurs Mar22 -We booked another future rv camp..lunched  here and then went for a drive. We walked the pier at the Mount Pleasant Tourist centre...so pretty..the views and a little park attached. There are swing seats and sea smells...we watched a regatta in progress and the tide come in. We then drove around Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms and back to rv. Then a light dinner and I stayed up very late watching a movie.

Fri Mar 23 - we are still checking off a to do list before we head north to Washington DC. We also shopped at our fave bakery for special bread for the supper the  KOA is putting on as a farewell to the Snowbirds in the camp. Many of us will be heading north soon and a new season begins in the south. Ah the winds are picking up outside...the clouds are stacked very high and fluffy with dark clouds below...I feel the sea in the air...the leaves are greening and my poor husband still has allergy problems.

Oh we did stop to take a pic on our return to camp this aft...I wanted one of  me beneath the street sign which spells my 'maiden' name. Apparently that family name is prominent here within the Gullah population.

Wishing you all a fine spring weekend.
Sunshine & laughter
Anne