2019 Year in Review

2019 was our first full calendar year living in South Carolina and it did not disappoint.

It was a pleasure to explore what the region has to offer. Here are some of our experiences. 

Strolling through my fantasy neighborhood in Beaufort, SC.

The stunning beach of Hunting Island State Park in St. Helena, SC.

Brewery/bar hopping in Asheville, NC while enjoying the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The difference in landscape after a 3 hour drive is incredible!

 

A ride down to Florida and enjoying a completely different landscape in Clearwater.

First time to Georgia walking along the Savannah River in Augusta.


Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg, SC was another treat with its sea of roses.

Swan Lake in Sumter, SC was a gorgeous retreat.

The Old Sheldon Church Ruins in Yemassee, SC.

The whimsical work of Pearl Fryar in Bishopville, SC.

Walking the Lake Murray Dam and hanging our love lock.

The impressive topiaries of Greenwood, SC.

Our young butterfly garden is working. We had 4 monarch caterpillars. Since they find a hiding spot for their next phase of life, we don't know if they made it or became a snack for another creature.

The garden also became a huge attraction for the birds, particularly due to the addition of a birdbath which is being enjoyed at all temperatures. 

We have been to many restaurants to check out their offerings and more importantly, sip our way through a flight of beer to sample micro brews.  

Twisted Spur Brewing had the best presentation with the flight arriving in a carving of the South Carolina state.

Of course we went on many nature walks seeing our first alligator and rattlesnake (2 things I never expected to see wild here) as well as explored the city of Columbia.

Business has been very healthy, so much so that I cut back on social media quite a bit this year. 

Reducing social media use creates more hobby time opportunities. So I started focusing on reading classics and was surprised that one of my favorites was Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

source

I was expecting a boring tedious read but really ended up enjoying this psychological thriller that was, at times, quite humorous. 

While that novel is not for everyone, one that I think may be was another favorite. This was John Steinbeck's East of Eden. 

source

I had seen the 1955 film starring James Dean earlier in the year when it was on Netflix.  While I enjoyed the film, it leaves out the first half of this epic read so the novel is much more entertaining.


This venture will continue into 2020 as it is proving to be much more amusing than anticipated! It has been a great way to discover authors of whose work I would love to read more of. 


I hope you all had a great, fulfilling 2019 too.

Wishing all my readers a marvelous 2020! 

Thank you for stopping by. ~Val