Places and Things!

                                       photo by Joy Peterson

                    Kershaw County Farmer's Market - Camden, SC
                                             April 10, 2010

Last Saturday I visited our local Farmer's Market on opening day. The selections were great and I'm looking forward to a trip to the market each week. We bought cantaloupe, onions, squash, cucumbers and a loaf of wheat sourdough crusty bread. The cantaloupe was sweet and tasty. The onions were sharp and crisp as they should be and I've yet to cook or serve the other goodies. We will be cooking the squash and a few onions together soon. Everyone in the house loved the crusty bread!

This photo is from a two minute video of the market I took from across the road. I wanted to capture a first impression of the market but was so excited to see what they had to offer that I forgot to. This was taken just as we were leaving. I took stills from the video and created this one as a black and white with a light soft focus.

Wild Mushrooms

We have had an abundance of mushrooms growing all around our yard. This is just one example of nature's wonder. I have searched, but have been unable to identify this mushroom. It's pretty knarly looking, kind of like a minature hut!

Family Day Trip

A day trip to Goodale State Park, Camden SC brings great family fun. What we found was plenty of sunshine, even though the ground was a little wet from the heavy rains we've had the last few days, and a perfect place to picnic, fish and just hang-out with the family.

One of the nature trails provided a beautiful and peaceful journey around part of this 140 acre lake, which was a civil-war era mill pond according to the information posted upon entry.

The cypress trees stand tall while their feet are sunk deep into this amazing lake. One treat was finding a large quantity of tadpoles. Tadpoles are a kid magnet because they are little, black and squirmy.





Of course my interest is photography and I was able to get some great shots including this lovely photo of the lake.

After a round of boccie ball it was time to head home until our next outing at this fine park.

photo © 2008 JJ Fields

Spring has come to the Carolinas

photo: Kissing daffodils by J.J. Fields

After the cold and sometimes icy days of winter, dry skin, chopping and hauling wood, spring is a welcome sight. The daffodils, raise their pretty little heads, and announce the arrival of spring.
Spring is when the earth warms and becomes fruitful with new grow. The air begins to stir with activity. Butterflies begin to flutter about, spreading sparks of color. Humming bird feeders are taken out, cleaned and prepared for a new season of speedy visitors. And serious spring cleaning begins.

Some of the Carolina's early blooming flowers are irises, crocuses, and azaleas. Azaleas are a native plant which is hardy and easy to grow. This evergreen plant provides texture and color to the landscape year round with some varieties bursting with new blooms early spring.

A sure sign of spring in this area is pollen and a lot of it. The major contributing party here is the pine tree. With about 12 varieties there is no shortage of pollen producers. The distinct yellow dusting of yard, porch, and vehicles becomes common place. Pollen sticks to clothing and hair and triggers many allergies. Pollen may deter some but the true southerners still throw up the windows to air the house out.

Then there are other signs, the kind we may appreciate even less. The fire ants, busy builders and determined warriors, are on the move. The great nemesis they are, they scamper ever ready to invade and irritate. Oh, they never really go away, but burst out with renewed energy come spring. The fight is on!