North & South

In April, Mark and I visited our daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids in NC.  We mostly wanted to just hang out with them, but we did a couple of fun excursions while we were there.  The first one was the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooreshead.

This was an interesting farm... not just the normal farm animals, though, sort of a zoo.  And some animals without cages.  You had the choice to drive your car through the grounds, or ride on a wagon pulled by a team of horses and an experienced guide.  Our guide was quite the entertaining young lady and kept making comments about the people in front of us who drove their BMW through the park.  She could not understand why they would do that and I soon saw why.  The animals would come right up to the cars or the wagon, expecting food and were not shy about putting their hooves or horns on the car.

The kids loved feeding the animals.

They loved the wagon ride and were especially impressed with the tongues on the cows and Brahma bulls.

 These kids were on the wagon with us and I love the expressions on their faces!

Allison had to hold tight to her feed bucket because this emu tried to jerk it out of her hands.

We saw typical zoo animals as well as farm animals:

 Annie enjoyed riding on Grandpa's shoulders....

 and the kids were fascinated by the peacocks.

While I was in NC, I had planned to take some family pictures for Allison, but the weather wasn't cooperative.  It was very windy and we had some rain, so the only one that I got a picture of was this cute girl, Emaline:

The other excursion was a trip to Charleston, SC.  You know, the OTHER Carolina.

First we went to John's Island and walked along the beach areas.  It was super windy.

 Allison could not keep up with Bubs (aka Patrick? or William? not sure they have decided after two years!) to take his picture.

 Emaline inspects a shell

 Annie

 Grandpa with the kids

 He doesn't hold still much

We also stopped by Angel Oak which is an oak tree estimated to be at least 400 years old and as much as 1500 years old.  The branches stretch a long way.

Allison and I were playing around with our cameras and the sunburst effect.

We stayed overnight in Charleston and in the morning visited the downtown area.  We saw many beautiful mansions near the waterfront.  It was interesting to me that they all had lovely verandas on multiple floors, but the mansions seemed to be on lots that were long and narrow, so the verandas only look out onto the back of the next houses.  In the picture below, you can see another house right behind this one on the corner.

I am standing with my back to the ocean, so I don't understand why the balcony doesn't face the street, but instead looks toward the house below....

 Battery Park cannons

 Battery Park

 Smallest house sandwiched between larger homes

In the afternoon, we took a boat to Ft Sumter, site of the first shots of the Civil War:

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge