Going away party for snowbirding neighbors '12

Going away party at Pawleys Plantation pub

Our snow-birding neighbors are starting to head north, so now it is get togethers time to give them a warm send off. One excuse is as good as another for a party

Mark Kelvin Presents at Charleston Artist Guild 4'12

Mark Horton

Landscape artist Mark Kelvin gave a presentation on ways of finding inspiration at the Charleston Artist Guild’s General Meeting last night ( 4/10/12).  He emphasized:

The importance of sketching regularly

Mark and some small pencil sketches

  Regularly analyzing all your recent works together as a set to gain insight into what is working for you and what is not.

 And he gave tips on plein air painting while traveling.

Mark is the co-owner of the Horton Hayes Gallery in downtown Charleston  . You can learn more about Mark and his work at
http://www.hortonhayes.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=284

Home Sweet Home : HBSP '12

Huntington Beach State Park , SC. 

Great place to hike, bike, beach-it /swim, bird watch,and still be close enough to home to feed the cat

Celebrating our anniversary at Jekyll Island GA 3 '12

We're back home after our mini vacation to Jekyll Island State Park GA. What a great trip... couple rounds of golf, lots of bicycling, hiking, wildlife viewing. and long walks on the beach. We ate the best anniversary dinner ever, in one of the turn of the century mansions in the historic district. It was a perfect getaway.

Vacationing on Jekyll Island GA 3' 12

You may remember from an earlier post in 2010 that we had stopped  overnight at Jekyll Island  while we were en-route to Florida.  We had been favorably impressed with what we saw then,  and had vowed to come back and spend more time exploring this Georgia State Park Sea Island.  The week of our anniversary seemed to be the perfect time to fulfill this vow.  We always  take a  romantic get-away  trip for our anniversary, and this historic sea island seemed to offer us the perfect combination of luxurious creature comforts and rustic adventure.

 One of the things we did not have time to see during our first pass through of the Island  was it's historic district. In 1886, Jekyll Island was purchased to become an exclusive winter retreat for America’s most elite families, known as the Jekyll Island Club. For more than half a century, the nation’s leading families, including the legendary Rockefellers, Morgans, and Pulitzers, came to Jekyll Island “to secure an escape.”  Many of their "cottages" are still here. 

Today, the Jekyll Island Museum tells their stories, giving an inside look at what life was like for both club members and their employees. 

 Offering exhibits, tours, and a museum store, the Jekyll Island Museum provides an introduction to the vibrant cottage life of the National Landmark Historic District and important landmarks beyond such as this colonial era tabby structure.

 or this Plantation Oak which is estimated to be the oldest Oak on Jekyll Island.

 While we did not take any of the formal tours, we did spend a significant amount of time riding our bicycles through the historic district homes and gardens 

  stopping to read all of the historical markers along the way.

The island has an extensive set of  well maintained bike trails  which allowed us to traverse the entire length and breadth of the island without the use of  a car .

Many of the bike paths are under the shade of the massive heritage oaks making it not just a  beautiful place to ride ones bike but a comfortable one as well

The bike paths not only go through out the historic district, but

 the harbor, 

the maritime forest, 

 The maritime forest

 the marsh 

  and  even through the dunes onto  the beach.   

 We were very impressed with the measures that the State of George has taken make such treasures accessible to the public, while protecting these same areas from use.  E.g. look at the viewing stations set up on the dunes so that people can watch the sunrise without trampling the fragile dune vegetation

 All along the way there are bike racks for those that want to stop to explore an area of the island a bit more. We took full advantage of this , especially when it came to exploring the beaches.

We had seen the Boneyard Beach on our previous visit, but had not had time to fully explore it.

This time we were able to park our bikes 

 and walk completely around the north eastern leeward end of the island 

along the river

having a picnic along the way

then back across the marsh to where our bikes were parked

On a different day we explored the opposite end of the island checking out the river

and the small marina under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge

 Most early mornings were spent on the beach watching the sun rise

 and taking pictures of the beautiful dunes for a series of paintings CC is working on

 

Evenings were spent back in the historic district dining in one of their many fine restarants, 

 

  and walking their beautifully lighted gardens.

It's impossible to name which area of the Island CC enjoyed the most, but for Bruce it was a no brainer.

Jekyll Island has been a heralded golf destination since 1898, when members of the Jekyll Island Club created the Island’s first golf course. In the decades that have followed, Jekyll Island has maintained its reputation as one of the premiere golfing destinations in the nation. Bruce made sure to take advantage of that feature

 The challenges of Jekyll’s 63 holes on four courses are matched by the sheer beauty of their location, set in a coastal environment of warm breezes and sunshine. Using the Island’s natural landscape as inspirations for creating classic course designs alongside spectacular scenery, the Island’s four golf courses provide users not only a challenging game, but also a striking setting for play.  

We chose to play the small Great Dunes nine hole course because it runs right along the ocean with some very tough  fairways shots and some very serious hazards

I think it is fair to say that we will be back to visit Jekyll Island again some day

Spicy Lamb Merguez Sausage

Spicy Lamb Merguez Sausage

 Our neighbor, Mary Paul LeCler made us a fabulous  dinner with home-made Lamb Merguez  Sausages last night.  It was so delicious I had to share the recipe.

These spicy North African sausages are popular in Morocco, where they're served plain, with couscous, in sandwiches, with eggs or stuffed into pastries. They can be made from ground lamb, ground beef, or a mixture of the two.

In Morocco one can buy fresh merguez in thin 3" links. When making merguez at home, you can opt to feed the mixture into sausage casings or simply shape the mixture into patties or cylinders. You'll want to first have   Merguez Spice Mix and  Harissa  on hand.

Step 1: Prepare Merguez Spice Mix

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• -------------------------
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)

Measure all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Sift once, stir again and transfer to an airtight container for storage up to six months.

Step 2  Prepare Harissa  Seasoning

Tunisian in origin, harissa  is a delicious chili pepper condiment now accepted as part of Moroccan cuisine. Dried red chili peppers are ground to a paste with garlic and spices. Lemon juice and olive oil are used to moisten and thin the paste. Some Moroccan recipes also include tomato paste or puree.
You can use a small processor or blender to make harissa, but I think this quantity is easiest made in a mortar and pestle. Add harissa directly to a dish as it's cooking, or offer it on the side.
Yields 3 tablespoons.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 to 15 dried red chili peppers (approx. 1 1/2 oz. or 100 g)
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• olive oil

Remove the seeds from the dried chili peppers and place them in a bowl. Cover them with very hot water and leave to soften for 30 minutes to an hour.
Drain the chili peppers, and gently squeeze out excess water with a paper towel. Using a mortar and pestle (or a blender or mini food processor) grind the chili peppers, garlic, salt and spices to a paste. Add the lemon juice and just enough olive oil to moisten the harissa, or add additional olive oil to thin it.
Store unused harissa in an airtight container in the fridge. For long storage, lightly top the harissa with a little oil before covering.

 Step 3 Make Merguez Sausages

As with any sausage, fat is key to flavor and texture. Try not to skimp too much if you feel the need to adjust the recipe.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (500 g) ground beef or lamb
• 4 oz. (120 g) ground or finely chopped fat
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
• 2 tablespoons merguez spice mix ( see above)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons harrisa  ( see above)
• ---------------------------
• sausage casings, optional

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, kneading the mixture well to evenly distribute the spices, herbs and harissa. Shape as desired. (Alternatively, you can pass the ingredients through a meat grinder and feed the merguez into sausage casings.)For best flavor, allow the merguez to sit for 30 minutes (or longer in the fridge) before cooking.

Lloma McCarron, RIP '12

In loving memory of CC's friend and long time pen-pal Lloma McCarron who passed away from renal failure on Feb 26, 2012 in Queensland Australia.

Quilt Show at Myrtle Beach '12

My friend Janet and I managed to take in a wonderful art quilt show this morning, then browse an estate sale in the early afternoon. I found a beautiful Asian ginger jar at the estate sale; it is the perfect prop for a still life paintings. We were having a great time until the tornado warnings forced us to go home.

This quilt was huge and so cheerful. It made me happy just looking at it.

Happy Valentines Day Everybody

6'x6" oil painting by CC

 Happy Valentines Day, Everybody !

My sweet BJ baked me a cake for V day.

Sunset over Hywy 17 SB

This evenings sunset

Mr Vernon '11

Tourist Entrance

We also visited Mt Vernon---- George Washington’s plantation on the Potomac River near Wash DC…..  It is huge - 8000 acres which were separated into five different farm sites and multiple buildings    

  

The entry for tourists is from the inland circular drive, but the residence can also be approached from the Potomac River. 

The back of the residence faces the Potomac 

  

Looking South

with sweeping views of the river in both directions.

Mt Vernon Dock House on the Potomac

 At Mount Vernon you can explore the mansion, the outbuildings, the gardens and the new museum and learn about the life of America's first president and his family.

The dining room on the main floor

All the rooms on the main floor were decorated for Christmas in a manner consistent with Washington's   lifetime 

George and Martha Washington's Bedroom on upper floor

 We were especially lucky, in that  we got to tour not only the main rooms on the first floor, but all of the upper floors rooms as well.  The stairways are very narrow and cannot handle the volume of people that want to tour the building during spring, summer and fall.  Normally tourists are only allowed onto the first floor of the residence.  Just before Christmas the crowds slack off, and visitors are allowed into the inner sanctum.

G. Washington's Office at Mt. Vernon

We toured all of the out buildings

Slave Quarters – had had over 500 which he freed upon his death

Slave Quarters – had had over 500 which he freed upon his death

 and gardens in the estate

Espaliered fruit trees in herb garden

Then we headed to the new museum dedicated to George Washington's life

and to his contributions to the nation. The exhibition reveals the real George Washington not only as a general and president, but as a young land surveyor, experimental farmer and savvy entrepreneur. Washington’s views on religion and slavery, and the influence of his wife, Martha, are also explored.

Washington's Grave

An amusing highlight of the museum was an exhibit of the only surviving complete set of Washington’s famous dentures,    No, they are not wood.... Sorry to disappoint you, but apparently all four sets of Washington's dentures were made of ivory, human teeth and animal teeth.  

G.W Dentures

Another interesting aside is that one of his step great grand daughters ( from Martha Washington’s son by her first marriage) married Robert E Lee.

All told, the tour of the estate and museum took us the better part of a full day, but it was well worth it  for the appreciation we gained into the courage and genius of  George Washington