Sunsets and Dolphins!

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE where we live; and I'm NOT going back!  But I really do miss my band nights, especially Thursday nights!  And, I'm currently still bandless...just waiting to get more settled to see what direction I'd like to go with my music.  In the meantime, I really have been VERY homesick for my Brookfield Band in particular, and some of my band friends....so, we had to come up with a Thursday night "thing" to keep me happy:)  And, we came up with something quite good, that we ALL really look forward to every week!  Our small town has a weekly Farmer's Market--on Thursdays!  This is not just a produce stand type of market--sure there is produce, but there is also hand-crafted items, gourmet foods (afterall, I did just purchase home-made ravioli tonight--asparagus and mascarpone cheese:D), chefs with stands, icecream, crepes, cake pops, sweet potato pie, gourmet soups, etc---yes, we come down every week to have dinner!  (and buy some produce:)--and not only is there food, crafts and produce, but live music!  

Following our weekly dinner and fun at the Farmer's Market, we go a couple of blocks down the road to the May River to enjoy the gorgeous South Carolina sunsets (and believe me, they really are very spectacular down here!)  And tonight, for the first time since we moved to SC---we were blessed by the presence of dolphins---three!  they were just swimming, not playing.  It was *only* in the 60s this evening; apparently they only like to play in warm weather--kind of like me:)

Flowering Bushes

 

When we first visited the area of South Carolina where we were potentially going to live, it was April.  One of the biggest things that stood out to me were all the beautiful flowering bushes--everywhere!  I've seen a few here and there in Wisconsin, but they really aren't too prevalent up north.  Come April in Wisconsin, I'm usually just starving for color after a long grey winter; so the very colorful bushes really made my day!  

Well, we live in South Carolina now!  This will be our first winter down here, and I honestly don't believe I will be deprived of color any longer!  I happened to be washing dishes and look out the window to see that the three bushes in our front yard started blooming?  In mid November???  I ran outside, as I thought I was hallucinating--but the flowers are really opening up--and these bushes (with very hard and stiff leaves, no clue what they are) have hundreds of buds---I think these bushes are going to be bursting in color in time for Christmas!  That will make up for our first non white Christmas--that and the 60 or 70 degree temps:)

 

Welcome Our New Neighborhood!!

When  you leave our subdivision, this is what you see!!!

The Church of the Cross

The girls and I took a little road trip just south of us and discovered this cool old church! It is called The Church of the Cross, and it was consecrated in 1857. In 1863, federal troops marched into Bluffton, and proceeded to burn down much of the town, but they were thankfully ordered to spare this beautiful church. Other than repairs following damage during a hurricane in 1898, the church remains largely in its original state. The church currently boasts a modest congregation membership of 500; it seats 400 comfortably. A second, "new" church was built in Bluffton, along with a school.

New Beginnings: week one

The Savannah Winds annual patriotic concert--my future band--they are GOOD!

Ft. Beaufort

Lots of ourdoor dining downtown

downtown night life

calm palms

The inside of a little grocery store built in 1920, two doors down from our little cottage. Neat place, I think the owner is second generation here, he's really old:D

We Live on the Coast now!!!!

The neighborhood grocery store

An old school house across the street from the grocery store; I think someone may be living here now.

breakfast at the Magnolia Bakery one morning, mmmmmmm:)

Magnolia Bakery and Cafe--our new "Gingerbread House"

Magnolia Bakery and Cafe

Hilton Head

Our downtown hangout--we love it!!

Our little dream cottage--500 sq ft, where we are living til we can find a bigger temporary home