Rosebank Farms

I finally got my Jeep back in full working condition!  Yay!  Several weeks ago that unmistakable electrical fire smell started and when my sister opened the hood there was smoke.  Ugh.  Luckily Tonya's brother Nick is a mechanic so he was able to fix it for the cost of the parts... still really expensive, though.  He was able to get it running again but the AC still needed to be repaired.  I had to wait for him to have a day off, which was Sunday.  With all this Robin stress it was complete torture not being able to hop in my Jeep and go for a drive with my camera.  There was no way I was going to drive around with no AC in this humid South Carolina weather!

As soon as Nick finished fixing my car I was out of here!  Last week when Mark and I went out for dinner we took a drive out to Kiawah and Seabrook and I saw a couple of places I wanted to come back to photograph.  It's a really nice, scenic drive under the massive draping oaks.  I turned on my iPod, relaxed and enjoyed the drive.  It was the first time I felt free since the breakup.  My mind was filled with thoughts of the future.

The main place I wanted to stop on my drive was Rosebank Farms on John's Island.  The other day I noticed a little sunflower field that I wanted to get some photos of.  I parked the Jeep and walked over to the flowers and began shooting.  The whole time I was checking the ground for snakes (I was wearing flip-flops!) because I know fields like this are where they hang out!  Luckily I didn't find any and they didn't find me!

It was late in the afternoon so the stand was closed.  Bummer.  I hope they don't mind that I took some photos of their awesome looking produce and sunflowers.  I definitely need to come back some day soon to buy some fruit and vegetables.  I love watermelon season!!

The Name Hat

My Mom once told me that she and my Dad almost named me Lisa.

Lisa? Really??

I started thinking about this story this morning when I was getting ready for work. I was watching the Today show and they were talking about parent's later regretting what they named their children.

The story goes like this...

My Mom wanted to name me Lisa. I'm not sure where she came up with that name. I think it was just popular in the late sixties. My Mother had a kid from another relationship so I was my Father's first born. My Dad really wanted to name me Pamela. My Mom told me that they went round and round about it and finally decided to put both names in a hat and do a blind pick. My Mom knew that my Dad REALLY wanted to name me Pamela and being that I was his first born she intentionally picked his piece of paper. She said she knew it was his because he folded it bigger than hers.

So, Pamela it was.

Growing up, my ENTIRE family called me Pammy. I hate that name. Some people that have known me for years (mostly my cousins) will occasionally call me that and I cringe. I once had a conversation with my Aunt and Uncle and told them that hearing that name makes me insane so thankfully they stopped. Other people, who think they are funny, have called me Pammy. The look I give them pretty much lets them know that I do not think it is funny.

My name is Pamela. Not Pam. Not Pammy.

I've noticed that if I introduce myself as Pamela within minutes the person will call me Pam. Why do people do that? I have grown to accept it. It's what people do and I've learned it's a losing battle. I always said that if I ever had children (which I won't) I would NEVER name them something that people will automatically shorten.

Even though Lisa isn't a name you can shorten I still prefer Pamela. I don't think I look anything like a "Lisa"! I guess I should just feel lucky that my parent's weren't hippies that chose a name like "Rainbow" or something.

Bull Island Sunrise

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the photography group I belong to which indicated there was a new post on the message board. The message said that there were a couple of openings on a sunset trip to Bull Island, S.C. I have been wanting to go to Bull Island for ages! The only bad part about this trip is that the boat leaves the dock at 5:30 a.m.! Ugh. Anyone that knows me knows I am NOT a morning person but I decided to sign up for the trip anyway because these sunrise trips aren't offered that often. Initially my friend Felicia was supposed to go with me but she bailed because she had to work that weekend so I called my friend Mark to take her place.

The night before the trip I couldn't sleep at all. I had to get up at 2:30 a.m. so I could leave by 3:30 a.m. in order to pick Mark up by 4 a.m. The trip to Awendaw from West Ashley is bout 45 minutes and we didn't want to risk being late. I guess the best thing about heading out at this God awful time of the morning is that there isn't much traffic so we made it in perfect time. When we pulled up to the gate there were a few cars parked in the grass so we did the same. After waiting for a few minutes I got out of the car to organize my things and out of the dark came a voice that said "Good morning!" I replied and he then said that when we were ready to head on down the dock to the boat.

Mark and I got our things together and started across the large parking lot toward the dock. This area is part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge which is in the middle of nowhere so it's incredibly dark out there! We could barely see 5 feet in front of us! Mark started shuffling around in his bag and pulled something out. Next thing I know I had a bright light shining in my face. He was wearing a head lamp! What a nerd... however, that thing DID come in handy because we couldn't see a damn thing as we walked down that long, dark pier!

As we reached the end of the dock everyone quickly arrived. There were 10 of us in all and I couldn't tell what anyone looked like because it was so dark! This pier was really long and brought us to the middle of the waterway. There were no lights out there and we were surrounded by water. All of us were trying to peer down to where the boats were to figure out what we would be taking to the island. Pretty soon the guide Captain Chris from Coastal Expeditions came up the ramp and greeted us. After a head count we all headed down the ramp toward the water. What waited at the end of that ramp was a very large ferry... and a very small boat. We all stood there awkwardly for a moment, not knowing which way to go, until the Captain said "Oh! We're taking the small one!" Ummmm... alrighty.

This little boat was wobbling back and forth in the water. On top of that, it was low tide so we had to step extra low down into it in the complete darkness. There were two benches facing each other and it sat all 10 of us quite cozily. The Captain started the motor and we were off into the darkness of the Sewee Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway.

I have no idea how Captain Chris navigated to Bull Island with no lights. At one point we actually hit a sand bar. When that happened I had an inner panic attack and was praying that he could fix the situation. I was so relieved when he put it in reverse and the boat eased off of the bar and once again, we were on our way. Someone asked why he did these trips when it was low tide and Captain Chris stated that if we didn't leave during low tide then our destination, Boneyard Beach, would be under water at high tide when we arrived.

The weather was pretty chilly and I was really glad that I wore a hoodie. It was nice having something to cover my head to protect it from the ocean wind. The day before I went to the store and bought some of those hand warmers to stick in my pocket. Those really saved the day!

When we arrived at Bull Island you could tell that the sun was about to appear because the sky was getting lighter and lighter. From the boat we all piled into a van and Captain Chris drove us to the North side of the island which is where Boneyard Beach is. As we drove up the road, almost to our destination, we were stopped because there were a couple of vehicles left from road construction blocking the way. We had to back up about 100 feet on a very narrow road with drops on either side to turn around, all the while racing the sun. We took another way to the beach and finally arrived. We all grabbed our equipment, scrambled out of the van and hurried to the beach.

When you are racing the sun it's so challenging because the sky is constantly changing colors and becoming lighter and lighter. One side of the sky was bright, blue, orange and pink while the other side was absolutely dark grey. I was constantly changing my camera setting every time I turned around. Literally!

Lilianna, one of the girls that we met that day, said she felt like
she was in a living Dali painting. I must say, I totally agree!

As I walked the beach I found several sand dollars. When I picked a couple up they were so brittle that they crumbled in my hand. I did manage to bring
three home with me (and yes, I made sure they were not living!)

Mark took a nap while I walked the beach from end to end.

Those who stayed for the afternoon were given maps of the island.

After spending several hours on the beach we were given the choice to go back on the skiff, or stay all day and take the ferry back later in the day. Mark and I decided to go back to the mainland early and were joined by Lauren and Lilianna.

The ride back to Garris Landing was much more enjoyable than the ride to Bull Island! First of all, it was high tide and we didn't hit any sand bars! Second, we could see! Third, it was warmer that it was at 5:30 a.m.! We all chatted on the way back and Captain Chris was a wealth of knowledge about South Carolina wildlife, the waterways and the island.

When we finally docked and climbed out of the boat we were greeted by approximately 30 senior citizens who were waiting to get on the ferry. We made the long walk back to the car and all Mark and I could talk about was food! We started driving back to Charleston and then we had the idea that we should see if Lilianna and Lauren wanted to join us for breakfast so we headed back to ask them. They said that sounded like a fabulous idea and we all agreed to meet at IHOP in Mt. Pleasant.

I think we were all so tired, but the conversation was great. It's always nice to meet new people, especially those with an interest in photography! After eating we exchanged info and then headed our own ways. I had to drop Mark off in West Ashley and we joked about the fact that he would be undressed and in bed by the time I was out of the driveway. I was only half-joking because I know I was right!

As I headed down the Interstate all I could think about was a big fat nap and that's exactly what I did as soon as I got home! I got something to drink, let the dogs out and jumped into bed and I must say, that was one of the best naps I have ever taken!

It was well worth getting up at 2:30 a.m. to see the sunrise! I can't wait for Robin to come back to town so we can go back for a day trip. I'd love to bring a lunch, our bicycles and roam the islands dirt roads. Bull Island is truly a magical place!

My Dad Was Magic!

I have a ton of old VHS and camcorder tapes to covert to DVD so I borrowed a DVD recorder from my good friend Samantha to finally conquer the task! The first thing I coverted was this awesome video of my Father circa 1994(ish) just before he retired from the U.S. Navy.

At the time, Dad was an inspector for the prestigious Ney Award, which he had won himself several times. He was also traveling around the world to do lectures at various Naval duty station mess halls. Who knew that Naval culinary traning was so involved?!?!



Sadly, I didn't watch this tape until a year or so ago after he had long passed away. It was a hard lesson to learn that my parent's were real people and actually quite cool. I only wish I had realized all of this while they were alive.

God's Acre Healing Springs

Robin came home for a few days this past week and planned to leave again on Wednesday. I decided to take half a day off on Tuesday so we could spend some time together. With so much recent stress over home repairs for the house insurance policy, my niece moving in and other drama in our lives I just wanted to get away, if only for a couple of hours.

There are a couple of road trips that I have really wanted to take for a while and one of them was to God's Acre Healing Springs in Blackville, SC which I learned about years ago.

From the Historical Marker:

By tradition, Healing Springs got its name during the Revolutionary War. In 1781 after a bloody battle at nearby Windy Hill Creek, four wounded Tories sent inland from Charleston by General Banastre (the Butcher) Tarleton were left in the care of two comrades who had orders to bury them when they died. Luckily, Native Americans found them and took them to their secret, sacred healing springs. Six months later the Charleston garrison was astonished by the reappearance of the six men. All were strong and healthy.

Ownership of the springs passed from the native “Indian” tribes who revered them to Nathaniel Walker, who bought them with corn. The site passed through several hands until it was acquired by L. P. Boyleston. On July 21, 1944 he deeded the land and springs to GOD. The waters, by analysis are exceptionally pure and contain healthful minerals. People today, as in the past, believe they truly are Healing Springs.

It was already mid-afternoon and we knew it was roughly a two hour drive so we headed out, grabbing some happy hour drinks from Sonic for the trip. The ride up Highway 78 is pretty uneventful and littered with a lot of farms. I always wonder loudly when traveling through places like this why on Earth would someone choose to live this far from civilization? As I drove, wanting to get to our destination as quick as possible, I made a mental note of places I wanted to stop and photograph on the way back.

When we arrived at the springs we pulled into the circular drive and assessed the situation. There were several cars there and people milling about. Others were carrying bottles to and from the springs after filling up. I decided to check us in on Facebook. We were so far in the country there wasn't even 4G reception!

After several cars came and went we decided to get out to get a closer look. As soon as I got out of the car I grabbed the bug spray and began spraying my entire body. I'm ALWAYS the one that gets a million bug bites whenever I'm outside and I'm allergic. The swelling and itching is brutal. One of the ladies that was getting into her car saw what I was doing, laughed and said "That won't help!" We South Carolinians always joke that the mosquito is the state bird and I didn't want to take any chances - especially while hanging around a source of water!

When we approached the springs we noticed that out of the three spring spigot's only one was producing any water. I walked around and took a couple of photos.



I went over to the working spring and started talking to the woman that was filling her bottles. I asked a couple of questions about the springs and she came to life telling me about the fact that she had been coming to the springs for years. She lived in Bamberg with her husband, who she claimed was Clarence "Choo-Choo" Coleman who used to play for the negro leagues, the Mets and Phillies. I asked how he got the name "Choo-Choo" and she smiled and said "Because he was as fast as a train!" She said he wasn't much into the springs, or collecting the water so he chose to stay home today after telling her that she already had enough water. She told me that you can never have enough!



I asked her what she used the water for and she said "Everything!" She said she drinks it, cooks with it and even bathes in it. She told me that sometimes she sits in her bathtub and pours it over her head. We chatted for a long time and I learned a lot about her life. She told me that she loves everybody and that it didn't matter who you are or what you do... she can't help it if you are going to hell! Ha! This lady is awesome! I really wish I had gotten her name! She started accumulating a lot of filled bottles and we helped carry them to her car. She thanked us and said "God sent ya'll here to help me!"

I really thought the water was going to smell and taste like the sulfur water from the spring at the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine so I was hesitant to taste it. The lady told me that it tasted better than her tap water so Robin and I filled our cup and each had a drink. It was actually quite good! The day was incredibly hot and the cold water was really clean tasting and refreshing. I started wishing I had some empty containers to fill up for us!

It was getting late so Robin and I decided to head out so we said our goodbyes. In the meantime, a few more people had gathered with loads of bottles to fill!


We definitely need to come back during the Fall or Winter since we found that there is a cache in the woods that leads you to another spring. I was wearing sandals so there was no way I was going to trudge through high weeds. There's no telling what critters were hiding out there!

On the way to the car Robin decided to douse her head in the "Jesus Water" (as we took to calling it) because it was so hot outside. After doing so, she said "May the Gamecocks have a winning season!" I'm surprised we didn't hear thunder roll.

On the way home we stopped to take a couple of odd rural "roadside attraction" photos...





Finally, after a stop at the grocery store and take-out Chinese shop we came home and relaxed for bit before hitting the sack. Robin was leaving the next morning and I had to work. Days like this make me miss the fun, spontaneous trips Robin and I used to take when she was working (and living!) in Charleston. I don't go nearly as much when she's not here, but I should... just to get out of the house and put my camera to use.

Perhaps when the weather cools down and it's not 100+ degrees outside!

The Burlesque Bomb

Thursday evening I came home from work and I wasn't feeling too great. I was really tired and had a bad case of heartburn. Ugh. As soon as I got home I took a couple on antacid tablets and decided to take a nap. About 45 minutes later I heard the dogs start barking. I assumed it was my niece coming home (yeah, another of my nieces moved in!) and all of the sudden I felt someone crawl into bed behind me! I quickly turned around and was surprised to see Robin! I hugged her and said "what are you doing here?!?!" I was totally shocked.

Robin reminded me that she talked about coming back for the surprise party for her step-brother Jody on his return from Afghanistan. I totally forgot about it and she didn't remind me on purpose because she wanted to surprise me. I joked that it was a good thing that I didn't have my girlfriend over when she came home! Heheh! Robin wanted some nacho's because she said there aren't any decent ones in South Florida so we decided to go to the Kickin' Chicken in Summerville for dinner. Robin got her nacho's and I had the chicken fingers, which are always excellent - yum!

I had to work on Friday for 5 hours or so while Robin was home doing some things around the house. I remembered that Loretta Lynn tickets for her November concert in Charleston went on sale at 10am so I called Robin to remind her. Ring, ring, ring, ring... no answer. At 9:55 I went online and started the ticket buying process. I had the PERFECT tickets - row B, seats 15 and 16! That's was 5th row center!!! I put in all of my credit card information and then Ticketmaster brought me to the "verify your card" section. I put in my date of birth, last four of my social, credit card security code and it said my info was incorrect. I tried again and it STILL didn't take it. Ugh. I kept refreshing the screen before it timed out while trying to call Robin. I think I called her about 20 times and she never answered the phone. I finally lost the tickets and was sooooo mad! Not because she didn't answer her phone, but because she NEVER answers her phone - AND we lost the perfect tickets! Grrr! I called my co-worker/friend Felicia to vent and she wasn't in her office. Where was everyone when I needed them!?

I finally got Robin on the phone and she said she was outside and didn't have her phone on her. Yeah, okay... I was a bit TOO mad, but you know, I have my moments. Before I got home Robin had gone to the Ticketmaster at Publix and bought tickets. Row H center. I was happy but still gave her a hard time about the perfect Row B tickets that I lost because she never answers her dumb phone. I must say that I have a pretty awesome girlfriend who always tries to make me happy even when I don't deserve it.

I had several plans for the weekend and was really excited that Robin was going to be able to join me for at least part of it! Saturday night I had plans to go to "Summer of Love Burlesque Freakout" show. I have read about the Bizarro Burlesque shows and had seen some photos on Facebook so I was pretty excited that someone started a burlesque scene in the city. A couple of weeks ago I saw that they had an event planned at The Mill in North Charleston so I emailed a couple of friends asking if they wanted to join me for dinner and the show.

Robin and I picked up Felicia and headed out to E.V.O. where everyone else was going to meet us. My friend James and his wife Janice came as well as my friend Mark who I rarely get to see so I was super-happy that he joined us! I had never been to E.V.O. before but I heard good things about it. I knew it was an upscale pizzeria, but I was really disappointed at the small menu. I suppose I should have looked it up online before suggesting the place. Kind of limiting in choices, I thought. I'm not sure if I will be back, I really thought the pizza was mediocre and the the crust had so much flour-like substance on the bottom of it that it left a pasty texture in my mouth. I spent half the time brushing it all off of the bottom before I bit into it! I felt bad for Robin because she's not really a pizza fan and there weren't many options for her on the menu. She ended up having soup and a salad. I'm not sure what was happening with her soup but I saw her add a ton of red pepper to it. I guess it really lacked flavor.

The burlesque show was a benefit for a local school and we were asked to bring school supplies. We stopped by the car to pick up our bags of supplies and headed over to The Mill after dinner. When we walked up to the door I opened it and walked in. It seems like the entire bar turned around and looked at me. I turned around to my friends and no one was there. I walked over to the door and opened it and was like "What the hell?! Why didn't you guys follow me?" Goofballs. I'm not sure what the situation was, but we finally all made it into the door and got some drinks and found a place to sit.

The Mill was... well, a dive bar. It was so incredibly smoky. Within the first minute I was having a bit of a challenge with my allergies. I could feel the smoke in the back of my throat and it penetrated my nasal passages. So gross. I was trying to make the best of it but it was a huge reminder of why I don't go to bars... or smoke. All I could think of was going home and taking a shower.

My friend Devin was on his way to meet us and soon after he showed up we made our way to the "stage" so we could see the show since the couch we were sitting on had no view at all of the stage. The stage was actually just a small corner of the bar with a curtain. There was a rope that sectioned it off. We were in the front so basically anyone in back of us, or people sitting at the tables had no view unless they were tall. It was a horrible venue and setup for this kind of show.

We had to wait a good deal of time before the show started which was pretty miserable as more and more people showed up. It was standing room only and the air conditioner wasn't exactly making things ice cold. Outside it has been in the 100's all week and when you get that many people standing on top of each other it's a sticky situation. By the time the show started we were all a bunch of sweaty asses.

When the show started I was kind of surprised - it just wasn't what I expected. I mean, I've never seen an actual burlesque production in person but I have seen plenty of videos - especially older ones and also modern acts like Dita Von Teese, whom I love, but this was like super-fast Mickey Mouse burlesque! I didn't think it was seductive in any way, shape or form. There was no tease, and personally I didn't find it to be the least bit sexy. The music was really the opposite of what I think burlesque is all about. Yeah, Mickey Mouse is how I would describe it. I was bummed.

I brought my camera and tried to take photos but the girls were dancing and jumping around so fast that I could barely keep up. There was no spotlight so the stage area was really dark which meant I had to use a flash which slows down the shutter speed. I never use a flash at concerts or performances. I pretty much lost interest in taking any photos at all, actually. These are the best of the set and they aren't even that good.




Bummer.

During intermission the bar got so hot I practically had a meltdown. Well, I guess I actually did. I just don't do well in the heat! I can't stand it. I get lightheaded, clammy and drenched with sweat. I don't know what it's all about but it started happening after my thyroidectomy. I just assume it's my medication, but I'm not 100% sure. I was trying to stand still and not have anyone touch me which is practically impossible in a situation like that. I knew my friends weren't feeling the show either so I finally asked if everyone wanted to leave - they all immediately said yes!

After witnessing the first half of the show no one was interested in seeing the second half, or sticking around to see if we won a raffle. It was that bad. Maybe in another venue it would be better... We all decided to walk over to The Chart to cool off and have a drink.

The Chart was pretty dead which was fine with me. It was nice to be in a smoke free environment with air conditioning! It was also nice to be able to have a conversation with my friends! At one point I took my hair out of its ponytail and all I think an actual puff of smoke came out of it. My hair smelled sooooooo bad! Of course I made everyone smell it! I'm pretty sure everyone gagged at the stench.

After a drink we decided to head out because Robin had to get up bright and early to head back to Florida. I was glad to see my friends but was kind of bummed that the plans turned out to be lame.

We did get the opportunity to see this awesome crocheted phone booth, though! That was pretty cool!!

South Beach - First Visit

Before my trip I did a lot of research on Miami and the surrounding area and was really saddened that most historical things have been demolished and paved over for parking lots and shopping malls - have I mentioned this already? After visiting twice I decided that South Florida is really pretty, but has no depth or soul. I think it's perfect for a person from the Midwest who has no beach, but if you come from a place close to the ocean it's really no big deal. I do, however, love the bluish-green ocean water!

After my brief excursion to the Miami City Cemetery I decided to head out to South Beach.

When I think of South Beach I think of neon, art deco and hot bodies. None of that particularly thrills me, but I decided to go anyway. The drive out to the beach across Biscayne Bay was gorgeous! It was hard to keep my eyes on the road because all I wanted to do was look out at the skyline!


I had no idea where I was going and no itinerary but I knew that I wanted to see at least one thing... the Versace mansion. I looked up the mansion on my phone and found it pretty easily. I parked within a block or two and walked toward Ocean Drive.

I'm no fashionista by any means, and I have no special connection to Gianni Versace, but I have a great fascination of true crime stories. I remember seeing the mansion on television with the police tape after Versace was murdered by Andrew Cunanan. I have a morbid curiosity, I suppose, and was really intrigued by the story.

When I walked down 11th street and was about to round the corner I knew that I was in the right place because the fence adorned the famous Versace Medusa logo.

When I rounded the corner there were people standing in front of the infamous mansion milling about. I decided to walk across the street so I could get a shot of the entire mansion and there was this older gentleman sitting in a lawn chair under under the palm trees. He said hello to me and asked me where I was from. He then asked me if I knew about the mansion and the person who used to live there. We talked for a while and he told me that he never knew Versace personally, but had met him on several occasions. He said the South Beach neighborhood was almost like a small town for long-time residents.

I stood there talking to the man for a good amount of time while waiting for the perfect opportunity to get a photo of the mansion without people in front of it. I was starting to think that I would have to come in the wee hours of the morning for that to happen! Finally, after waiting it out, I got my chance. I had to be quick because there was a constant stream of people on the sidewalk!

After getting my picture I headed back to the car to take a drive up and down Ocean Avenue and the other areas of South Beach. I knew that I wanted to bring Robin back for a Duck Tour so I didn't hang out too long. I figured we would have a chance to walk around when we came back later in the week.

Before I left South Beach I did make an effort to drive up Washington Street to check out DASH, the Kardashian store. Yes, I watch it! They annoy me so much, but I really love Khloe! :) I didn't go in because I'm sure nothing would fit me and besides, Khloe was nowhere to be found!

When I left South Beach it was around 4:30pm. I was hot so I grabbed a beverage for the road and decided that I was going to go to head to the beach... Haulover nude beach, that is!

More to come of that bizarre story!

Miami City Cemetery

I had a mental list of things I wanted to do while on vacation in Florida. I sent my friend Beth of Grave Addiction a Facebook message asking her if she was familiar with any cemeteries in the Miami area. She said that she heard from a friend that the Miami City Cemetery was pretty cool. If you are going to listen to anyone's friends regarding cemeteries, friends of Beth would be the first place I would start! She's all knowing so I'm sure her friends are reliable sources!

The night before I started off on my adventure I was at the apartment talking to Robin's roommate, Michael, while she was at work. We were discussing things I wanted to do while in Florida. I mentioned the cemetery and that I also wanted to see South Beach and Versace's mansion where he was murdered - yes, morbid... I know! - I'm sure that is not something that's on everyone's "must see" list when visiting South Beach!

Micheal started talking non-stop about that we could go the next night after Robin got off work and he could show me all the places. I said that Robin would probably be too tired to go after a long 12-hour shift and his response was "she can sleep in the back of the car!" Well, I never gave Michael an answer, but he just went with making these plans. He obviously didn't know me at all. I'm an independent person and would MUCH prefer to discover places on my own and not from the passenger side of a car. I appreciate the offer, but being someone's tour prisoner is not my idea of much fun. I want to stop when I want to stop, If I have to drive around a block 10 times to get the perfect picture I'm going to do it. Yeah, that didn't sound like much fun to me. Besides, I knew that Robin wouldn't want to do it.

The next morning I got up, charged my camera batteries and hit the road. I hopped on 95 South and headed toward Miami City Cemetery. I was surprised to find the cemetery was located right in the heart of Miami, not too far from the Miami Herald. The cemetery itself wasn't that big and that surprised me a bit. I parked in the middle of the cemetery because I saw a restroom. I had to go! I got out of the car and saw the grounds keeper who was kind enough to unlock the restroom for my use. When I came out he and I started chatting (I wish I had gotten his name!) and we talked for about an hour! He was a wealth of knowledge about the cemetery. He told me that he was the only person that cared for the cemetery, including the burials. Wow. He gave me pointers on what the sections of the cemetery were and also info on the notable people buried there.

I started walking around and took some photos. I spent so much time talking to the caretaker that I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked there, but the conversation was well worth it!

I love the "old" and "new" views from the Miami City Cemetery!

The photo above is one of my all time favorite graves. It reads:

The body of Carrie Barrett Miller
was moulded in this solid block of
concrete December 4th, 1926.
After the body has gone to dust, her
sleeping form will remain.

I Googled the name "Carrie Barrett Miller" and found an excerpt that her husband wrote after her death that wound up in American Mercury Magazine in 1927 - this man loved his wife!! - so beautiful!:

Even though it's located in the middle of the city of Miami, the cemetery is a lovely and relaxing place to visit, almost like a park.

Across the street from the cemetery is a huge mural honoring Miami urban artist Purvis Young. Sadly, it looks like the the person who created this masterpiece spelled Mr. Young's name wrong. I love stumbling across things like this. How else would I have ever learned of this talented artist?

As I drove around Miami, I found several other pieces of street art, which I always love to look at!


After wandering aimlessly around Miami I decided to head out to Miami Beach and more specifically, South Beach. I had a couple of places I really wanted to check out, but that tale has to wait for another blog post!