If you notice poor quality in my photos blame Verizon...I reduced the pixels so I wouldn't eat up all my data when I upload photos! Today we went for another Townies Tour...this time it's HARTSVILLE, SC.....near the same area geographical we went to on our last Town visit. Back in the Pee Dee region, crossing the Lynches River we traveled into Darlington County (from Kershaw County) where we live. Back in Cotton Country!!
Mom and I were so ready to be out and about we've had lots of rain, been hard to get anything done outside so I took advantage and did lots of little inside things to get my house in order--- literally. To get there its a quiet drive through farmland and lots of roadside stops for photos...so we don't get in a hurry!
Mom and I were so ready to be out and about we've had lots of rain, been hard to get anything done outside so I took advantage and did lots of little inside things to get my house in order--- literally. To get there its a quiet drive through farmland and lots of roadside stops for photos...so we don't get in a hurry!
the burbs around us are not exactly upscale...
Fritillary
We stopped near the river to help a turtle across the road, then not far from there we came upon a field of wild flowers... full of butterflies...
Buckeye
We made a stop at Kalimara Gardens part of the Coker College Campus...there is an awesome boardwalk there and lots of birds,,,but Mom really can't do the steps to get down to the boardwalk anymore so we hung around the garden to see what was in bloom And we saw all sorts of nice things!! I always feel so wonderful when I stand under a Live Oak, especially one with a Northern Parula singing his heart out in it...
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Kalimara
Northern Parula
The big bloomers of the day were def the Hydrangeas all colors...
and more butterflies--an American Painted Lady Butterfly
Here's something you don't see everyday can you guess what it is?
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A pomegranate!
When I was a kid our bus used to stop and let us pick pears and pomegranates, we would go home with that red stain all over our hands, face, and clothes! "Not too funny when our mom's saw us"!! I don't think I've attempted to eat one since becoming an adult only a kid would be enthralled with one.
This five lined skink scared us when he jumped out of the bushes!! They make a lot of noise as they slither around and it sounds like a snake... this one is about 8 inches in length!
Then Mom started to wimp out and we hadn't even seen the Town yet!! Soooo
... there was only one thing to do --take her out for lunch!! :o)
This helped! ...we scarfed down a salad and some of the crunchiest onion rings we've ever eaten --->good stuff <---but neither of us liked the sauce they served with the rings...
...as we left the restaurant the waitress came rushing out waving her hands at us...
Holy Hysterics
Holy Hysterics
She was holding my camera and Mom's pocketbook!! OKAY a couple of country bumpkins come to town...JEEZE we needed a little wake up call I reckon!
Once we recovered our possessions we headed one more block to "down town" proper...
Mom waited in the shade while I took some photos of the town square...and a few other sights in Hartsville...named after the Hart's who were sort of the founding family of the town as far back as 1818
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and the Coker family also had a lot to do with the economy of this town...and the College as I mention in my last town post is a center for education in this area...
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hope you can read this...
here is the store it's an entire city block it has now been segmented into various businesses...
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est 1865
It sure was nice to see the Blue Sky!! More rain is expected by Friday so gotta enjoy it while it's here...like so many other aspects of life!
another wonderful experience with MOM in our Townies Tour!
PEACE
Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.
What a beautiful day indeed.I love the older buildings in the first few shots. the gardens are gorgeous with the beautiful butterflys. That was one big store for a small town but it sure did survive a long time. Boy I'm happy they ran after you to give back mom's purse and your camera. You'll have more rain and we will have sufficating heat.
ReplyDeleteThe downtown is very well laid out and all the stores are thriving! One thing I noticed is the variety of the shops...our downtown is so stuff it's one Antique store right after the other...I don't normally take my camera inside but it was so hot I didn't want to leave in the closed up van in the heat..I would have never remembered where I had lost it if she hadn't come out with it! Was so thankful for an honest young girl!!
DeleteSondra, have a look at this App for recording your journeys. Trip journal, http://www.trip-journal.com/. It may be what you want. Hartsville looks very quiet. I cant get over that there are no pedestrians. Your Mom looked like she enjoyed the trip.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a smart phone, but I will check out that website!! There was a downtown parking lot and it was full of cars but I have a feeling it was the shop keepers who parked there...not many pedestrians in the typical American small town. My X Brother in law who lives in Warrington England, calls us Lazy Americans!
DeleteThat's a fantastic skink photo!! Love all the butterflies and town views. I just started reading Blue Highways and I randomly opened to the middle of the book and the first thing I saw was Pee Dee! I wouldn't have known where that region was if you hadn't just mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteI read that book!! Good read...Mom screamed when mr skink rushed out to scare her..lol
DeleteThat was quite a full day! Funny how you both left something at the restaurant. You must be related. ;-D
ReplyDeleteIt was a full day--haha..related!!
DeleteBoy, your mom is one lucky lady! You two had a wonderful day out. Love all the photos, esp. that last one. The pics all came out just fine! XO
ReplyDeleteMy Mom has always been an adventurer at heart!!
DeleteI love this -- when you do town tours you still get to see and experience some incredible outdoor scenery and action too! Rescuing a turtle, hearing that amazing parula sing (I can almost hear it -- that is a fantastic picture), the beautiful flowers. The town and its history is great too. Your Mom looks like she really was enjoying herself too -- that is a huge wonderful happy thing! (What was in that wrap? It looks good.) But LOL you two do need to get out more ... ha ha, you gave that waitress something to talk about and I'm sure she felt good about herself helping you out like that. (PS: I could relate a few stories like that about us too.)
ReplyDeleteYes I wanted a photo of the turtle but had to stop quick and move him he was in "dead center" of the highway!! The Parula really had his head back and he was trilling for us!! :o)
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