cindy lark hartmanAzaleas in DC – Franciscan Monastery
Posted on May 4, 2018
The azaleas and rhododendrons are currently in full bloom at the Franciscan Monastery in the neighborhood of Brookland in Northeast Washington, DC. I missed the tulips this year but glad to catch the azaleas and hope to catch the roses too! The gardens are open daily to stroll.
Orleans Hawks Puckett Cabin, BRP
Posted on May 2, 2018
The Puckett cabin at milepost 189.1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a tribute to the midwife Orlean Hawks Puckett. She had little education and married John Puckett at 16.
Puckett gave birth to and lost 24 children. Many were stillborn and the rest died in infancy. Many believe she symbolizes the strength of the Appalachian woman. Several theories exist today about why Orlean’s was unable to carry a pregnancy to term.
In 1889, when Orlean was in her 50s, a neighbor went into labor and no doctor could be found. This began her career as a midwife, and for the next 50 years, she traveled the Virginia countryside, never charging for her services. She was known for her compassion and skill. In more than 1,000 deliveries, she never lost a mother or a baby. Orlean delivered her last baby at age 94, and died in 1939. This cabin was her last home.
Orlean moved from her home in 1939 because of the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, she died three short weeks afterward. A small cabin on her property was preserved by the National Park Service, and is known to be Puckett Cabin.
Continuing her legacy, the Orlean Hawks Puckett Institute, in Asheville, North Carolina, works to promote and strengthen child, parent, and family development.
The Rookery … a real treat
Posted on April 25, 2018
Somewhere on the backroads between Georgia and South Carolina, I caught a glimpse of a lot of “white” out of my peripheral vision. I had to travel about a half mile before I was able to turn around and pull off the side of the road. I was thrilled to stumble across the rookery. I counted about 100 egrets in the area. I hated to leave. But! I noticed a couple of days later, after downloading the photos … the wood stork standing back to back with the egret and another sitting in the nest. I didn’t even notice him while standing there. A real treat.
Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse
Posted on April 22, 2018
The Sullivan Island Lighthouse, in South Carolina, is the last major lighthouse built by the Federal Government, completed in 1962, The tower has a unique triangle shape and looks more like an air traffic control tower than a lighthouse. One point of the triangle faces the ocean and withstands winds up to 125 mph. The light can be seen for 27 miles on a clear night. The lighthouse was originally painted red and white and the residents petitioned the Government to re-paint it to black and white.
Rainbow Row – Charleston, SC
Posted on April 21, 2018
Rainbow Row was coined for the 13 pastel colored historic Georgian buildings from 79 to 107 Bay Street in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. The homes, originally built in the 1800s, were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s. Prior to restoration, they were in poor condition and were so run down, they were considered slums.
Whirligig Park – Wilson, NC
Posted on April 15, 2018
This one-of-a-kind, two acre art park features 31 of Vollis Simpson’s whiligigs in the heart of Historic Downtown Wilson, North Carolina. For more information visit the wilsonwhirligigpark.org website.
The Cypress Trees of NC
Posted on April 10, 2018
I’ve been eyeing this spot where the cypress trees grow out of the water just a bit south west of Oriental, NC for sometime. I had this vision for a perfect sunrise. I finally made it! The sun was a bit too far to the east yet to rise directly behind the cypress trees, but the color and the reflections were fabulous!
Visit Fine Art America to purchase a print of The Cypress Trees of NC
The Winter That Won’t Quit
Posted on April 7, 2018
Hard to believe that on 7 April, in Washington, DC, they are calling for snow flurries… but they are. This is the winter that just won’t quit in the DC area. Yet, my daughter and I made the trek down to the Tidal Basin, to see the Cherry Blossoms, this morning. It was cold, wet, and windy… with no sunrise from all the cloud cover. But, I walked away with a little Jefferson, Washington, and Cherry Blossoms.
The New Spring
Posted on March 22, 2018
To day, the first full day of spring, mother nature brought about 6 inches of snow to beautiful Southern Maryland. It’s the new Spring.
