Summer reads

 It's just about officially Fall! finishing up my summertime reads

Summer Reads:

Below, Tomorrow is for the Brave:

Finished this one above ...it was really good. I also read another Kelly Bowen, pictured farther down.

LOVED this book, (above) it was really good! I don't really pick up mystery books, but this one surprised me and it was a really good story. Kept me guessing.

just finished this one, (above) slow start but it built up  (I almost put it down) momentum and got me hooked half way through. It was a good book. Lots of history and brave young women.

started this one, but it almost immediately was about ghosts, and I don't care for that, so I put it down

This one was good. Alot of interesting and sad history

haven't got to this one above yet.......it will transfer to my FALL reading list, LOL!!

the book below, the Garden of Lost Secrets, was really good. I loved it!

Sometimes, I find books that look interesting in here:

woman's world magazine

woman's world magazine

woman's world magazine

woman's world magazine

I pick up children's books all the time. Alot of them are fun to look through with big beautiful pictures and I always keep  large STACK  of books available for young ones who might visit.

This one was Charleston history, so of course that caught my eye!

and it had such big beautiful pictures!

the story is told from the point of view of the cat, Jack.

Plus it was autographed.

Read this book in the middle of the long hot summer and I loved it, it was a great story! I will definietly be looking for more from this author.

I see a couple in this Summer Reading special that sound interesting and I will be getting.
oooops, after checking----a few of these are not even released until 2027!

Womans World

Womans World

Womans World

Womans World

If you are a book reader-----Did you read any good books this summer? I tend to gravitate to books set in my favorite era, the 1940s and WW2.

our yellow roses are in full bloom once more. This is a new rosebush I got this summer.

and the pink ones bloomed a couple of weeks ago

and I've been busy still processing and freezing peppers! One of our best years yet for peppers, so big and glossy.....and so FRAGRANT. Our poor "maters"didn't do as well this year. Our onions did really good.

Fall is almost here!

City Visit

 We had appointments and errands the other day in Charleston

I always enjoy the long country drive back to the city, such pretty scenery.

The cotton fields are starting to bloom:

And this peanut field will be ready to harvest soon:

City scenes:

a common sight on city apartment balconies----surfboards, kayaks and paddle boards to take to Kiawah, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, or maybe Folly Beach

Lots of outdoor dining options to choose from:

These city streets were my playground for so many years....it's always good to see them once again........and the memories.

Fairy Granddaughter likes to tell the story of how George Washington danced at the big ball with all the ladies in this building

pretty Rainbow Row

Lots of boats at the marina, and I spotted a few fancy yachts

Saw some of my old friends. LOL. Years ago when we lived there, I knew some of the horses by name. I loved to visit the horse barns and we took Fairy Granddaughter there as well.  I didn't see my FAVORITE black horse out on the streets today though.

its too early yet, but this is one of my favorites during the Fall and Thanksgiving season, they decorate the steps  really pretty.

I got to admire bunches of the beautiful window boxes that I love:

a few crepe myrtle blooms still hanging on.........

It was hot, but lots of people were out and about

I only got one picture of St. Michaels

The very FIRST piece of history I taught Fairy Granddaughter was all about Rutledge House

We went all over, Church Street, Meeting street, Calhoun, the Battery, South of Broad, and here we are on Tradd:

I've made many picture of these cold marble steps over the years, even posing Tansy and my dolls on them, LOL

I didn't get a picture of it, but I noticed the old Calhoun Mansion on Meeting street is now called "Williams Mansion", which was the original name, in 1875.

 The house was filmed for the North and the South as the (George) "Hazard" mansion. One of the most famous scenes is Kirstie Alley up on the front balcony.

 I'm not sure if you can still tour it, but it's filled with Gilded age treasures, art, and chandeliers. It has 35 rooms and twenty something fireplaces, and four stories.

Here's baby Orrie's house. I call it that because this is the house where they filmed in the North and the South mini tv series, Madeline gave birth to Orrie's baby boy.

Here's the Coburg Cow. Her name is Bessie and She's been here since 1959. She sits up on a platform about 10 feet up and was put there at what used to be the entrance to the old Coburg Dairy farm. After the farm closed, Bessie stayed.

She stays there, EXCEPT for hurricanes, so folks look to her as a weather predictor and jokingly say "un oh, it's going to be bad, they took Bessie  DOWN". LOL

They dress her up for Christmas, next to an egg nog bottle instead of her milk bottle,  and for graduation season in the spring, for Mardi Gras and other holidays. Its fun to see her costumes.

She still  had her 4th of July outfit on when we passed by last week. Maybe they are leaving it for Labor Day?

Here she was during Mardi Gras when we went by earlier this year:

I wanted to walk down one of my favorite Charleston alleys

love the patina on this old hitching post!

Cathedral of St John the Baptist

We stopped at our favorite restaurant/deli for supper

And then Mr. Front Porch treated me to my favorite creme filled donuts! 

We had a beautiful sunset on the drive back home.

Hope your week is going well and y'all are staying cool. The heat wave and humidity is hanging on here.

A bit of cooler Fall weather would be welcome!