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                                                                  What's a Girl to Do? To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity. William Arthur Ward As we were digesting our holiday dinner I was reminded in conversation when I hosted on HGTV. and we enjoyed a lot of laughs . FULL DISCLOSURE! I AM ON NOBODYS PAYROLL AND HAVE SOLICITED NO ENDORSEMENTS, CASH OR OTHERWISE FROM ANY SPONSOR(S). It reminded me of when I was being taped for an HGTV television show I was hosting and had slipped up to the restroom while they were working on video in another area. Behind closed doors - or so I thought, I began talking to myself, coaching myself, refreshing my memory, and doing…….. well, you know what people do in a restroom. Luckily, my considerate sound man broke in f...

                                        Hannelor Osfolk in 2010, Bier Garden Owner  Anton and Hannelor Osfolk never expected to provide home and haven to a ghost when they left Germany to make a better life for their growing family in America.  Hannelor said she loved to cook and people would always compliment her concoctions, so recipes and talented husband in tow, they took a chance and opened the Bier Garden in Olde Town Portsmouth, VA in 1997.  She said her husband was skilled in all the brick and mortar aspects of the restaurant so they ultimately added a charming outside garden which butted up against an old courthouse and jail. To add to the intrigue of their endeavor, they learned that the historic jails lawn had been the areas execution grounds for prisoners. Executed prisoners ranged from sailors in the wrong place at the wrong time to turncoats, murderers, and ev...

This haunted waterfront town is filled with curious ghostly tales and centuries of engaging history so obviously it's one of my most favorite to visit in October especially. Even as far back as Captain John Smiths recounts of his explorations, he mentions Portsmouth, VA in 1608 when he writes of a Native American village in the now "hospital point" area of the city.  FYI! Visiting it after sunset is even more exciting, so go for it and let your curiosity and imagination take over. The city's havoc-filled history includes the famous and the infamous such as traitor Benedict Arnold and famous Brit, General Cornwallis.  The strategic port city was even headquarters for the British forces in 1781. Besides the many elaborate church steeples adorning the skyline, I think my most favorite is a building completed in 1845, with an unusual and intriguing connection to its adjacent structure so read on.  It's the old Norfolk Courthouse and is in the "prison square area...

  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....

This was the gist of the ticker that caught my eye on tv during WPDEs news today.  Occasionally alligators make their way into the ocean, which of course makes the news so I wasn't completely surprised. Scientists hypothesize they do this to shake off the barnacles, while others think it's to find food. So this ticker today was no surprise, also taking into consideration that a lot of people get pets for their children to enjoy during vacation.  Then they let them go, presumably to "thrive" in the wild, though thriving is usually not what happens.   There's no end to the unusual but logical reasons a Boa Constrictor would be found on a SC beach. Turns out however, that I missed "Ford," which followed "Beach," but making this headline even more intriguing.  Even more interesting was that the snake was identified as a rare Albino Boa from South America, according to WPDE.  Curious for the details, I visited the WPDE website for the full story and...

  At first glance, it appears this huge bee is sneaking up on this tiny spider and will surely devour her. It's  one of those times when only a photograph will do to preserve the honesty, fragility, and reality of our wild world.  I discovered her in Greenville, SC.  As I stopped and studied, I wondered if the spider had perhaps stumbled into another insects trap or perhaps their egg case, having never seen either one.   At first, I didn't know if she was devouring the strange beige blob or if she was stuck in it and it would devour her.    This is one of those times when I join my wildlife photography cohorts in reveling in the beauty and the value of capturing the mystery and importance of nature's reality moments.  I was new to the area and had never seen such a spider but I was impressed with her vivid coloration and artistic, perfectly  geometric pattern, not to mention her possible predicament. Despite my reservations, I was compel...