Happy New Years to CC from BJ 12'13

Stan Sperlak Gogh Box 12'13

STAN SPERLAK GOGH BOX

Guess what arrived on our door step last night.....

 A Happy New Years gift of a Stan Sperlak Gogh Box

to CC from her  wonderful  husband, Bruce.  

Bj had  seen me struggling to juggle my pastel equipment  while painting en plein air on our last trip, (and probably read my blog review of what I needed to correct the problems before the next trip),and  decided it would be easier to buy me a full kit with all the components than for me to try to assemble them. 

Resourceful soul that he is,  he checked through my FB  friends  for the equipment that other pastel artists were using (and probably checked my Yahoo bookmarks for art supplies) and decided that the Gogh Box looked perfect.

The only issue was whether I would get it in time.  Stan Sperlak's crew rushed it out on the Monday before Christmas so I would get it before the New Years.   A Huge Thank You to  goes out to both Bruce and to   Stan and the Sperlak Office  Staff for going over and beyond.

I am so happy.  I can't wait to load it up with my pastels and do some plein air paintings in 2014

My next door neighbors are clearly dog people who adore their two large dogs.  Even so, they are always very kind to our cat when we are away on a trip.  Even though we pay a cat sitter to attend to the cat's food water and other needs daily, our neighbors always  stop in  daily to talk to KAT, play with her, and to give our kitty lots of  reassurance that she hasn't been abandoned. By way of saying thank you for their kindness , CC made their pups some home made dog treats.

Bacon- Beef Flavored Dog Treats

Ingredients:
5 cups whole wheat flour
10 tablespoons melted bacon fat
1 cup milk
1/2 cup  warm water
1 cube beef bullion (dissolved in water)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon 
Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients well. 
2. Dampen your hands in water, then pinch off pieces of the dough and hand  roll them into 3" to 6"- logs - about 1 inch thick.  ( You can continue to hand shape the ends into a bone if you want them to look fancier,)
3. Place on a well-greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 12 to 24+ treats.  My Neighbors' dogs are quite large so I made some 6" bone shaped biscuits.  If I were making this for a smaller dog I would reduce the amount of dough used in each biscuit by half or more.

This recipe for Bacon-Flavored Dog Biscuits uses egg, milk, and bacon grease, all of which can spoil, if left out in the open, so be sure to store the cooled dog biscuits in a well sealed bag in the freezer until the day you are ready to give them to your pet.

St Augustine Florida - Last Evening 12'13

Our day trip may have been  a dud but that didn't put a damper on our evening.

 I had made breakfast and lunches every day, but every evening we had eaten out.  Since it was our last night in St Augustine we decided to return to our favorite restaurant of this trip: Salt Water Cowboys.

This hidden gem is a small  seafood shack built out over the the marsh at the end of a unpaved residential street. It's very popular with the locals, and for good reason.

The interior is funky and casual and inviting; the service is outstanding, and their seafood is some of the beast we've ever eaten.  And from where the the restaurant is located in the middle of a coastal salt marsh , we were able to watch Mother Nature's light show going on to the South of us all evening.   It was a great way to end the  trip.

Florida - Change of plans 12 '13

 We had wanted to visit  Cape Canaveral and tour the Kennedy Space Center on this visit to Florida, but the mother nature had different plans for us.   All started off well enough in the morning when we headed  south on Florida coastal highway A1A, but the further South we went, the rougher the weather got.  By the time we reached the Palm Coast we were hitting heavy rain, lightening and  were being buffeted about by some very strong wind. gusts.  A police car flagged us down.  He said the storm was predicted to get much worse and advised us to turn around.    It was Good Advice..  We heard later on on the news that a tornado had touched down in the area shortly after we left, and had ripped apart 6 or 7 homes and brought down power lines all over the area. 

. 

St Augustine Florida- The Bear & The King, 12 '13

Friday we decided to tackle the World Golf Resort's other two courses: The Bear & The King which is rated among Golf Weeks Top Resort Courses.   Named for its co-designers, World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, is the first and only course design collaboration between two of golf’s most respected and well-known ambassadors. Palmer and Nicklaus set out to create the 7,279-yard course as an eminently playable and picturesque course with memorable par 5s amid lakes, loblolly pines and 200-year-old live oaks.

 Like the other two courses on the resort, there are plenty of  obstacles but the fairways are wide and long enough to give even a beginner a challenging but enjoyable game

St Augustine Fl -Evening Visiting the City 12'13

While windy and cold the weather  looked like it would remain dry through the evening so we decided to do a walking tour of the old city of St Augustine.  It was settled by the Spanish on August 28th  1565 - 42 years before the English settled Jamestown, and 55 years before the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth.  That makes the City of St. Augustine is the nation's oldest permanently occupied European settlement.  

The Castillo de San Marcos

It's a beautiful place filled with historic sites like this stone fort with a mote around it. The Castillo de San Marcos' architecture and detail are distinctive and unique. It is the oldest masonry and only extant 17th century fort in North America. As such it is an excellent example of the "bastion system" of fortification.

and building with Spanish flair architecture

The British also briefly (1763-1784) occupied the site .  The old city has many British style pubs and public houses  to commemorate the period of British occupancy.

 

But things the tour got even better as darkness fell and the city began to light up with what it calls it's Nights of Lights. The whole city and harbor was aglow.  It was truly beautiful!

St Augustine Fl - Putting Around 12'13

Hall of Fame Reflecting  Pool

Next to the Hall of Fame the World Gold Resort offers a  18 hole natural grass putting green.

BJ on Putting Green
It seemed like a good thing to do on a cold winters day and again we both scored better than we would have on our home course.   Maybe because the greens are in better condition????

St Augustine Fl - Round 2 Slammer & The Squire 12'13

Wednesday was not a lot warmer than Tuesday, but was at least dry,  so we decided to pay another round of 18 holes on the Slammer & The Squire Courses.

As I said before, this course has a lot of obstacles, water,  sand traps, and deep rough where you can get into trouble.

But the fairways are long and wide  so if your aim is true, it is easy to avoid most of the hazards.  Both Bruce and I scored better than we do on our own home course.

St. Augustine Fl - World Golf Hall of Fame 12 '13

Tuesday,  we woke to temperature that were 25 degrees lower than the  day before.  Factor in wind and rain, and golf was clearly out of the question.  We decided to explore the World Golf Hall of Fame which was within walking distance of our back door.

The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum provides an extensive look at the game of golf through stories, artifacts, videos, art and photography of its members within 75,000 square foot exhibition space

Of course we had to have our photo taken on the Replica of Swilcan Burn Bridge at St Andrews

 We spent  several hours touring the exhibits and watching many entertaining videos. One of our favorites was the exhibit on early history of the game.  I learned a lot from the displays of the original equipment used in the game

The even had a miniature putting green with wooden clubs from St Andrews and golf balls filled with feathers to play with.  That was fun. CC found she did a lot better with a left handed wooden putter than she does her own modern iron.

Bruce practicing putting with original equipment from 1800s

The museum has also done a great job on featuring cultural diversity of the players including  major exhibits on African American and Female players who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for their achievements in the sport.

Nancy Lopez won 48 tournaments on the LPGA Tour and was player of the year four times.She has a whole room of the trophies, medals, clubs and photos in her at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Also fun was peeking into the locker room golf lockers with memorabilia from all the individuals who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I don't think it would ever have occurred to me to check out someone else locker, but when encouraged to do so... what the hey.... It was fun to find sequined evening jackets and golf caps in the women's lockers, and cowboy hats in the guy's.

And  of course, Bruce had to have his picture taken with 

Old Tom Morris

St Augustine Fl _ Slammer and Squire Golf Course, 12 '13

For our Hanukkah Gift to one another, Bruce and I took a vacation to St Augustine Florida.  We stayed at the World of Golf Resort, because it was conveniently located on their two famous course: The Slammer & The Squire, and The King & The Bear.

On our first day there we chose to play The Slammer  & The Squire. This 18-hole championship resort course was designed by Bobby Weed with design consultants Sam "The Slammer" Snead and Gene "The Squire" Sarazen.  It features two distinct nines with generous fairways. 

contoured greens,

 and plenty of water and other  hazards along with impressive views of the World Golf Hall of Fame  

Litchfield Alley 11 '13

 " Litchfield Alley"

 Southern artists love to paint the heritage oak lined drives that are  called  "Alleys" (usually preceded by the name of a plantation).  I was cruising along  in early morning traffic, on my way  to deliver some paintings to the Seacoast Artists Gallery, when I saw something  that gives a whole new meaning to the term "Litchfield Alley out of the corner of my eye,  I noticed some movement where none should be.  I did  a swift scan  of the open lawn near the south entrance of the Litchfield Resort, then let out a  gasp. There was a young adult 6' alligator rising up from beside a massive oak, and it was beginning to  lumber toward  Hy-way 17.  Alligators are a protected species in South Carolina, but if she reached Hy-way 17,  protected species or not, she would be roadkill .  By this time I  had driven past the beast, so I continued  on to the north entrance into the Litchfield  Resort, then circled around behind the beast on the resort's driveway.  My husband jumped out of the car,  and dashed across the lawn to try to herd the animal away from Hyway 17 traffic.

Hunkered Down

 She  hunkered down low on the grass when he  approached, but soon got up and started moving toward the South entrance road.

Approaching the South Entrance

 Since  there was no place for her to hide in the open grass, the only option we had was to continue escorting her until she could find someplace more protected..  I used  my vehicle  and car horn  as a road block against traffic on the south entrance, while Bruce walked her across the street.  When last seen she had taken shelter in some dense shrubs on the business property just South of the Litchfield Resort.

a

Safely across the road at last.

Live long and prosper Litchfied Alley

You definitely made the trip to the gallery more exciting today

Visiting with the neighbors -- swamp monster 11'13

Speaking of Halloween Disguises!  This little guy looks like he went trick or treating last night as a swamp monster.  He was so well  camouflaged we almost missed  spotting this 12 inch baby alligator in one of the ponds at Huntington Beach State Park this morning. 

What's for Dinner? 10 '13

What are you having for your Halloween Dinner?

( Clockwise)  we're having Spider legs, Shriveled Fingers, Toasted Turds

and Fungus on Maggots

And of course," Poizin" Yummy!

Yummy!

(aka  crab legs,  roasted  carrots and broccoli, and wild mushrooms over rice)

 ( Zinfadel)

Happy Halloween Everybody 10 '13

Happy Halloween Everybody

from our Home to Yours

What's on your table for Halloween? 10"13

We're having Poizin ( Red Zin)

and 

Dia De los Muertos Cerveza

Both available from Cost Plus World Market in several flavors.

 We couldn't resist.  We bought some extra bottles of Poizin as treats for the neighbors, and Bruce made some Gluten Free Monster Muffins to go with it.

What'is on your table this Halloween" 10 '13

What's on your table for Halloween?  We're having Vinos de los Muertos Blanco Dulce

and 

Dia De los Muertos Cerveza

Add caption

 ( both available from World Market in several different flavors)

Table set For Halloween 10 '13

The house is all decorated for Halloween.  Table has black cat candle-holders, cob-web table cloth and bats flying from the chandelier.   

Getting ready for Halloween.1013

Getting ready for Halloween.. Black cats in the window.

Paintings changed at the Applewood Gallery 10'13

Out with the old series

This afternoon, Bruce helped CC replace some of her paintings  from the  local landmarks series with some beach scenes. We love how the bright colors and playful subject matter stands out on the bright red Applewood Gallery wall.

In with the new.

Good Reads: Murder on the Front Nine 10'13

I just finished reading Murder on the Front Nine by Steve McMillen. This mystery/thriller adventure and a travel story, is Mr.  McMillen's first novel, "It is set in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, which is why I picked it up in the first place. It's main character is a charismatic crime solving Realtor/Architect/Golf Pro, who also just happens to be an ex-Green Beret. It is a tale of assassinations, black ops, corrupt politicians, big oil, betrayal, a drug cartel, and a treasure hunt, with a twist, off the South Carolina coast.

 You can read Steve's book on two levels. Simply as a  murder, mystery, thriller, whodunit yarn, in a southern beach setting, which is probably  how the majority of the readers will percieve it. The other level is with a local's and visitor's delight in recognizing familiar resorts, restaurants, golf courses and other local features. (Which is were I was coming from, when I bought the novel .)

The tale begins on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, a remote, upscale golf resort island along the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Mickke D allows himself to be drawn into an assassination investigation by three of his old army buddies, who he has not seen in fifteen years. Bodies begin piling up, planes are blown up, buildings are burned down and Mickke D discovers that maybe one of his old army buddies may not be as much of a friend as he once thought. The story meanders down the coast to Little River, SC; and makes a stop during the playing of the World Amateur Golf Tournament in Myrtle Beach. It makes side trips to Charleston, SC, Panama City Beach, Fl, Las Vegas and Washington, DC. There are plots within plots and the reader will has to figure out the bad guys from the good guys; who they like and who they dislike. Sometimes the number of characters, and complex plots got hard to follow, but overall it was an entertaining,fun, light read that I finished in less than half a day

Look who is planning to go visiting with the neighbors 10"13

Look who was greeting everyone coming into the plantation this evening.  He was hanging out on the narrow grass strip between his retaining pond and the main (only ) road in and out of the plantation.  We angled the car so he was in the headlights so CC could take his picture.  (No way was she going to attempt to get out of the car to photograph a 9 foot gator.) Seconds after  she took this shot, he turned and slipped back into the water.

Seacoast Artists Guild 2013 Fall Show 10"13

Last night we attended the opening reception for the
Seacoast Artists Guild 2013  Fall Show.  There is so many pieces of fine artwork in the show, and so many different media.  I don't envy the judges  trying  to narrow it down to a select few awards. 

 Today CC will  be attending the sales desk at:

3032 Nevers Street, Myrtle SC

Drop by for a visit and see all the fine artwork in the show.

Here are CC's  two entries into the show

Both Middle Saluda_Jones Gap (above) 

and  Lake Keeoway_Toxaway  (below) 

are from the State Park Series.

By the way, the show runs through October 21st and includes a  chance for you to be an art show judge.  Starting today, visitors to the gallery can vote for their favorite piece. At the end of the show,  the piece receiving the most votes will win an award.