Hartsville

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!

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...

Flickr ate my photo 

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?

Flickr ate my photo 

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

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

Flickr ate my photo 

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...

Flickr ate my photo 

hope you can read this...

here is the store it's an entire city block it has now been segmented  into various businesses...

Flickr ate my photo 

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.

on the Butterfly Trail

It's nice to have labor day off...it has been a partly stormy day; earlier it was hot and muggy so this rain may help.  First thing this morning I took the dogs for a walk around the block and spotted a few butterflies and late summer flowers (early fall?) some of the ones I look forward to all year long..so after I settled the dogs back in the yard I took off with my camera to get a few shots before the rain...

               

Like this butterfly Pea...I never see butterflies on this  i think the name implies the shape; it resembles a butterfly...

This painted lady is enjoying the blooming red sedum

I would rename this butterfly the orange admiral...here is the underside of the wing...the difference of the top side and underside of this Red Admiral is amazing.

This flower I love, its called the dotted monarda, its not satisfied to have one layer of showy flower, it has 3!  IF I had gotten a better close up you could see those dots on the yellow hanging flower petals, its barely visible here.

The Gulf Fritillaries are everywhere right now...it is one of my very favorite butterflies...the brilliant orange is amazing..here's the top side,

Another  favorite butterfly  is the Buckeye! Always makes me think of Ohio...the Buckeye State, but I think thats due to all the Buckeye trees there!

AND although the chances are 50/50 that Im wrong this could be the caterpillar of the buckeye.

Lots of sulphurs around but they wouldnt sit for a photo!

Good to have the day off and now only a 4 day work week...thats something to smile about

HA! had to toss in one of my food faces!!
That was part of my dinner last night....have a great week!!!

PEACE