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  KIDS AND BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH  This month is set aside for people everywhere to remember the heroes who battled breast cancer and won. And those whose lives were tragically cut short, and the lives of their families and friends that were forever altered by this terrible disease. It’s never too early to educate and encourage our kids and October is the perfect time to investigate which non profs and which salons in your area will give you the special haircut that can make the burden of chemo just a little lighter. It's possible to wade through the daunting specifics and do it at home, but we decided it was also the perfect excuse to go to a salon.   This is Laina. When she was 13 she decided to finally part with her long locks and get a haircut. It was a hard decision for a young girl about to start high school and face the challenges and anxieties that go along with that first day. In the process of talking about her cutting her long beautiful hair, I ...

                                            Victims of the Alligators of Carolina WARNING: THESE PHOTOS MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR THOSE  INDIVIDUALS SENSITIVE TO ANIMALS HUNTING AND FEEDING ON OTHER ANIMALS                                                  RELAXING IN SOUTH CAROLINA If you embrace the hypothesis some naturalists embrace that the relationship between the numerous alligators that populate the south and shore birds is mostly symbiotic, this may shock you.  It's true that many of the birds in the southeast prefer to build their nests over water and alligators resultantly cruise those waters preventing racoons and snakes from getting to the birds eggs and chicks. That would indicate a relationship that benefits both....

The insect on this Hosta bloom is the perfect example of symbiosis between plants and insects, but it's not the only one.   Gardening became especially popular when Covid suddenly forced us to become more mindful, and we realized how unimportant shallow, useless things we'd been pointlessly chasing actually were.  Most of us were given more downtime than we ever wanted, and we were more less forced to look back at what made us happy, fulfilled, and stress free, not what we were told would make us happy.  That's when nurseries and gardening centers suddenly grew in popularity and they ran out of so many items because people were suddenly remembering how therapeutic "playing in the dirt" was again and began gardening in their own backyards. Some of us extended the gardens we'd established, while others spread their creative wings for the first time. And most found the benefits of this new physical activity was surprisingly rewarding.  The satisfaction we felt...

  Birds of a feather do flock together, however this particular bird was oblivious to her obvious uniqueness.  I discovered this beautiful goose recently and learned she’s not only rare but probably new to the northern Myrtle Beach area as to date, unreported.  And while the rest of her species appeared to be accepting her, her coloration was completely different.  This Leucistic Canada is a Prime Example Why We Should Never Let Anything - Especially Our Appearance, Deter Us From Pursuing Our Dreams and What We Feel Destined to Be and Do in Life I felt fortunate that I was able to get her to pause briefly, and she appeared to be coyly posing for her 5 seconds of blog fame. In this case it was important to get the shots perfect to be able to present her true and unique coloration. I also included a few of her flock very close by so you can see the similarities and the unique and rare differences. After some research I identified her as a Leucistic Canada Goose, a sp...

There's no way to describe the amount of talent displayed at the annual Sea Coast Artist Guild’s "Art in Common" event September 11 - 12 2021 at Valor Park in Market Commons.  It was obvious we all needed a break from the confines and angst the Pandemic has caused us all and it didn’t hurt that the hurricanes far away from us brought us some breezy, cooler, but sunny weather.  It was also obvious how relaxed everyone was and clearly enjoying being out with their friends and cohorts again. As I wandered the grounds, I was impressed not only with all the creativity but with the diversity of this talented group.  Art ranged from the sublime and soothing to the wacky and whimsical.  And don't we all need that, depending on the day so I'm already looking forward to their next Spring show scheduled for April 2022.  Check the Sea Coast website (below) for the exact dates and times.  Kristen, in her Golden Zen Boutique booth was a delight and added her obvious cre...

  The Sumter Master Gardeners have already begun digging in – literally, in preparation for Swan Lake and Iris Gardens’ annual Iris Festival Memorial Day weekend 2022. When Sumter Master Gardener, Sheryn LaVanish told me Tuesday afternoon that she would be going to their annual iris dig early the next morning, I   knew I had to be there to learn more about the iris I want to add to my pollinator bed.   I quickly threw some things in my car and hit the road   to watch these dedicated volunteers work at what they’ve been perfecting for decades.   And work they did! From Left to Right,  Pat Sakole, Sandi Strickland, Pat Petty, Marie Hill, Mary Jean Dowling, and Pat Kennedy working, but clearly also enjoying playing in the dirt at their assigned station. Jan Hilton, President of the Sumter Master Gardeners tried to find some shade in her quest to get as dirty as possible for the cause Nobody and nothing escaped the large amount of dirt slung that day (in a ...