Let there be light 9 '07

The day we  moved in

The stock model  of our villa only had 3 forty watt ceiling lights  to illuminate the 50 feet of the dining room and living areas.   It was pretty dark inside considering that there are no windows on the side walls, only one small window in the front (kitchen),  and a screened porch separates the living-room from any natural light in the back

Living room with addition of ceiling fan light and gallery lighting bar

Dining room with Gallery lighting and ceinling fan light

Knowing this, we had  multiple extra electrical outlets installed in the ceilings of every room during construction.   Bruce has slowly but surely been adding track lighting and lighted ceiling fans  throughout the house.

 Art Glass lighting over the breakfast bar

 There is even lighting strips installed above and below the upper kitchen cabinets to add more work area illumination

 

Southern Style Bar-B-Que cook-offs 9 '07

The South is famous for its Bar-B-Que Cook-offs.   On almost any summer weekend, you can find a cook-off contest being held in at least one of the Southern towns.  As the summer month progress, the competition gets fiercer.  So far, Bruce and I have gone to two Bar-B-Ques … one national, one local.  Each had its own unique flavor (pardon the pun).  So far we have found the food to be okay. (In all fairness, maybe it would have been better if we had come the first day rather than the second).  BUT, the festivities which surround these cook-offs, is more than enough reason for going out of ones way to spend some time at these events.

Our first experience was at the Boone’s  Hall Farm National Bar-B-Que Contest.  This is one of those big national cook-offs like you see on the TV Food Channel Networks.  All the heavy -hitter cooks you see on TV were there. Many make a living selling their “secret recipe sauces” at these events.

Vendors lined up along the river

Vendors at the Boon Hall Barbque cook-off

Many seemed to believe in flag waving as a source of their luck.

The main source of entertainment was some authentic southern jammin'. 

It was held just outside Charleston at Historic Boone’s Farm Plantation.  

 An admission charge covered the cost of a docent led tour the historic plantation manor,

Boon Hall Planation House

and its authentic slave village… pretty interesting  stuff.

Boon Hall Slave Village

Slave Kitchen

Slave House Living quarters

Slave bedroom

Our second shot at one of these contests took place over Labor Day weekend when we attended a local Myrtle Beach Cook-off.   It was held on the sports ground of the old Myrtle Beach Military Base.  Maybe it was just local pride, or maybe it was because there was not an admission charge, but this event attracted a much larger number of both cooks, and apprecianados.   The number of cooks completely surrounded the sports field.

Myrtle Beach Cook-off

Here are some photos of just a few of the colorful cooking set-ups.

The Flag waving took on a local flair at this event.

And of course, those who had won at previous shows were quick to let the judges know it.

Visiting with the Neighbors 9 '07

This little green tree frog came to visit today. I had almost put my hand on the front door handle to open it, when he blinked.  So did I. I couldn't believe my eyes.  I put my groceries down and carefully moved him into the bushes where KAT wouldn't find him.