"Following where my camera leads me!"

"Following where my camera leads me!"

Saturday, October 31, 2015

One Week in October

Old Charleston Jail


I spent quite awhile wandering around this old old place on a quiet afternoon. There was no one about. I was captivated by the architecture, the old stones, bricks, the ironwork, the arches, the bars on the windows...all the history. I am so proud of how my photos turned out. These are some of my favorite of all time I've done. 
But.........Did we go in? Nope!
Are we gonna?...ha ha NOPE!
First of all, I spend hours researching and photographing all things historical in our city and area. Neighborhoods,  church ruins, forgotten corners, old buildings, monuments, and mansions, ancient streets, churches, peaceful cemeteries, war history, old gardens,amazing alleys, old maps, etc. All my cup of tea.
 And there's not a night goes by that we don't happen upon small groups of people, usually tourists, walking the streets on the popular 'ghost tours'. 
But I had never given the old jail any thought and not studied it at all, never photographed it. So when I was there concentrating on the amazing old Romanesque Revival architecture and lines of the place I certainly wasn't thinking about anything "scary". 
After I came home and looked at my photos I was intrigued, as I always am. When I make pictures then I want to KNOW about the places and the history. I love to dig and dig and DIG until I find out neat and interesting things. And I sure enjoy sharing those things.
So after I looked at my photos...I found out these things.
 The prison has an awful reputation...LOL It was built around 1802 or so. But long before it was built, the land it sits on had been other things....in the 1600s....a poorhouse, a hospital, and even a jail for runaway slaves. The first known woman serial killer who would also be the first SC woman to get the death penalty died here. I think she was hanged in 1820. 
So you can imagine all the 'ghost stories' about this place. And wow, it sure does look "spooky", doesn't it? LOL
There even used to be a castle-like turret  tower room back towards the middle/back of the structure. I'm not sure it it was a room for prisoners, or maybe a watch tower? An earthquake took it out many years ago.
Alot of what I read claims much of the (scary) history is just tall tales, fabrications, and people's imaginations. 
The real facts are that indeed, this place WAS the city's prison, back in the days when prisons housed mentally ill people, pirates, highwaymen and hoodlums, murderers, and just all kinds of criminals and serial killers. It was a wild, violent, and untamed city in the early days....and many of the peaceful and beautiful streets we calmly STROLL these days, and enjoy, were rough and full of bad people, scary people, and many duels were fought on our sidewalks and in our alleys. Charleston was, and is a port city...hundreds of pirates ended up in this jail. It is estimated that well over 10,000 inmates died here.
 We talk today about how our prisons are overcrowded...wow...the conditions in a prison such as this one make today's prisons look like Disneyland, LOL No heating, no air conditioning and if you live in or have visited Charleston in the heat of the summer you know what I am talking about.
 Cramming all those criminals and sick people into tiny dark cells, many with no windows at all and certainly no breezes. No medical care, poor food, huge rats, no restrooms, dirty water.The place was full of disease. Just as many of the prisoners that were sentenced to this jail died from the violent and sickness plagued conditions of the place,---- before they even got to their executions. Back then the prisoners didn't just 'live there'....many were tortured as well, and most of them were in chains. Yes, it was CRUEL AND INHUMANE treatment. But they were in there for a REASON. Thiefs, robbers, murderers of women and innocent children, rapists.
I guess if prisons had remained like the old Charleston City Jail....I'd venture to say that we would maybe have alot less crime...if they knew THIS WAS THEIR FATE. (what do you think?)

this is the "mild" link to the old jail. (in other words...not too scary, mostly historical)
the old charleston jailhouse

if you're braver and not "scared of no ghosts" , and want to read more, google it yourself and find lots more. LOL ha ha


Friday, October 30, 2015

One Week in October

"Why is summer mist romantic and autumn mist is just sad?"  .....Dodie Smith





Thursday, October 29, 2015

One Week in October


"Summer is leaving silently. Much like a traveler approaching the end of an amazing journey.."
                                                                                                .....Darnell Lamont Walker


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

One Week in October

"Night, which in autumn seems to fall from the sky so suddenly, chilled us."  
                                                 ......Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

One week in October


"Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves.
We have had our summer evenings....
Now for October eves!"     ......Humbert Wolfe

Monday, October 26, 2015

"Punkin" Patch

Warm. Pleasant. Fall. Day....no coats needed. A perfect day for a visit to the annual pumpkin patch. 
Little ones, as well as grown-ups (self included) have fun selecting their favorite pumpkins for carving, painting, displaying, or putting on the front porch. (self)

So many to choose from!

Grills are fired up and the smell of something delicious cooking fills the air. The Fall breeze blows it our way.....yummm....

This is the section for the "itty bitty" pumpkins. So tiny, so sweet, Perfect for little hands to grab. Our granddaughter grabbed hers!

What's that old saying?---"everybody and their dog" was there? LOL
Churches all over the nation had their annual "trunk or treat" events this weekend, giving children a safe and fun alternative to going door to door trick or treating.
Colorful displays all over as people park, open their trunks, and start to decorate. Many different fun and unique themes!


Cant you just SEE IT?----these young boys insisted to Mom/Dad "I am way too OLD for trick or treating, honest, I just want to 'hang out' this year".  And be cool. And walk around. And check out the pretty girls. And laugh at the little kids. And try to act grown up. And, ooooops..........hey if we don't trick or treat, we can't collect CANDY. Dang......didn't even think of THAT. Darn! LOL 

Neat old car on display!

With a very unique driver ready to go!







I just love those white pumpkins!

Pup proudly showing off it's costume!

Lots of princesses, fairies, mermaids, firemen, pirates, Elsas and Annas-- proceeding trunk to trunk in the quest for candy.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Sights around the City

I saw this bicycle laying on the city street. 


Then I saw the roses on it.
You can read about the  young boys who sell the palmetto roses here:
PALMETTO ROSES IN CHARLESTON

Usually this upstairs apartment has alot of lovely flowers blooming all summer long. I always make a point of seeing what is growing/blooming whenever we pass by.

I love the wild ivy that entangles itself all over and around and in between things...

Amazing big old porch. 


Signs of Fall abound....

Love this display of feathers these folks made and attached to their city gate!


Another big old Southern house

Love meandering our streets and seeing what is in bloom:





Interesting big old green house.........

take a closer look and you can see the little upstairs window opened up to let in the Fall breezes. I sure always wonder how they get these window unit air conditioners safely secured?

Beautiful cannas in full bloom:

Interesting roof isn't it? Oh........and there's another one of those air conditioners!

We went on by Canon Park to look at the columns. I love this little park. Dogs and their people meet here late in the afternoons to let their dogs off leash and let them run, and run, and play! 
Its a fun place to take your dogs.....or to just go watch the others play! many city dogs don't have yards, so grassy parks like this one are so welcome. And yes, we all carry bags and clean up after our doggies.....keeps it nice for everyone! Charleston is a very very dog friendly city, and we all live by these un-written rules and "code of conduct" so it remains a dog friendly place. There are very very FEW homes, apartments, and condos in our city that don't allow pets.
this is definetly not my "best" picture of the columns...but these are what it looked like on THIS night, so I'm putting them on here! LOL


One of my very very favorite scenes.........chippy old paint on old houses and porches! I would rather have this ANYDAY...than brand new paint! Notice that porch swing on this old porch....it doesn't get any better than that on a hot summer night!

I don't know what these spindly, twirling, twining flowers are. Does anyone know? I love their color!
After all our muggy, sweaty, summer city walking..........walking about now just feels glorious! The air is so refreshing and the breezes amazing! Its down to the 80s in the daytime here, but in the evenings when we usually walk, it's just been so cool and nice. I am loving it.

............and those were our scenes for that evening!