Easter in Washington DC

We took the boys to Washington and toured... and toured. It was great fun.




and toured.. and walked


We toured the Washington Temple Visitors Center

March Flowers in Summerville

I'm enjoying my life as a photographer. I took these photos for the Chamber of Commerce and they gave me such joy. Summerville is truly a beautiful place to live. The weather has been wonderful this spring. The flowers have been gorgeous. They have come early and will leave us before Flowertown Festival, but their beauty has been sharp and poignant.

Enjoy.

Christmas In Summerville, South Carolina

Erin's Pie From the Sky July 2011

Erin's Pie In The Sky

Erin’s Pie in the Sky

The day started

With a deluge as

Water poured from the sky.

Deep from the night it began

And it ran and ran 

Down our streets and

Into our porch.

On into the late afternoon

It swam,

Filling our apartment and our hearts

With a soggy hope of deliverance.

But a thoughtful daughter

With a frame of beauty

Found in the kitchen

A place of refuge where

Damp doubt could not reach.

She took task and

Measured and cut

Butter into peas

Until she had transformed

Gloomy skies

Into a tartlet of shinny 

Round criss-crossed comfort.

That at the end of the day

Warmed all of our tummies

And our hearts

With the idea

That rain may wash

Through our hopes and our dreams

Or if we choose

It can wash away troubles

And renew us.

Like her flour and summer fruit

That turned us, all tart and sour

Into a circle of laughing,

yummy peach pie,

That smiled until

The clouds flew away

Like a flock of

Blackbirds

Linda Conkey Shaw July 28 2011

The summer has been filled with family, fun, hot sunshine, and moments when all seemed lost. But alas there is the role of family and how we can rely on someone to help us see what we will not. 
We were vacationing in a beach house when the "tropical" rainstorm managed to dump 8 inches of rain upon our island town. Electrical wires fell, water rose, roads were closed and eventually we were evicted from our rental because of sewer backups. 
We held it together and took the opportunity to ride our bikes in the rain, help Sam's lifeguard class find joy in the a battery powered radio, and soon after the sun came out (about 3) we were able to relocate our posse. And when we did we had such a wonderful 
pie to warm us. 
Thanks to Erin's culinary skills. 
Today marks her graduation from school and her movement on to new pathways. 
With love from Mom. 

This was July 

Happy Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's day thus far.

First we were able to attend Hannah's Baptism. It was a wonderful day with family coming from all over.


Then we got to go watch Sam preform at a piano recital. Jackie Jones at the Crossroads Presbyterian Church. He did a terrific job! We were very proud of him.

Then... we took my mother out for Mother's Day dinner at the Outback STeak House. I had Tilapia with crab and mixed vegetables. Sam had the same. Mother had ribs and Mark had steak. It was a wonderful evening.

Eagle Harbor Boys Ranch Day of Service

This was a great day for all involved. We had over 220 volunteers show up and work work work.
We:
1. Graded the Basketball Court with dirt
2. Graded the Pavilion and planted new nursery shrubs
3. Filled in holes around the ranch that were left from construction. (pot holes)
4. Filled in holes around the lake that were causing erosion
5. Sorted donated clothing in their warehouse
6. Provided Childcare so that young families could participate
7. Painted the office
8. Distributed gravel (crushed concrete) into the many deep potholes on the Ranch road.
9. Built 8 picnic tables
10. Repaired the Small Picnic Pavilion by installing trusses for support.
11. Had a wonderful Lunch with the Boys at the Ranch
12. Socialized and developed future relationships of service.

It was wonderful serving side by side with another congregation (Church of Christ) and the Eagle Harbor Boys Ranch Staff.

We were the epitome of Many Hands Make Light Work.

Afterwards the boys invited the youth to swim and relax in their lake.

Labor Day

Unlike other family members who went hiking on Labor Day.. we went canoeing.

The only mishap we had was when Dad lost his golfing hat to a tree branch along the river.

We rounded a corner to find a large tree blocking our path. The strong current pushed us into the tree and the branches reached out and grabbed dad's hat.

We are canoeing with friends.

Other than that it was a lovely day. :)

Dad's Bday

As a surprise we had a nice dinner for several new friends. Many had helped us with the wedding and I wanted opportunity to get to know them better and also say thank you.

It was a great way for us to get to know our fellow saints and share an evening of surprise with our DriverDad. He did not know about it and was pleasantly surprised. We were able to share almost all of his German Chocolate Cake." so that he didn't have to bear the burden... :)

He scored a golf game with a new friend and enjoyed this on his birthday. We had a busy but eventful weekend.

79 Is Divine

Mother had a wonderful birthday. She has been busy with the house and getting everything organized and cleaned. We helped her with the garage in August and it is looking pretty good.

We had a nice dinner at Gilligan's. It was a yummy seafood feast.

A Nurse In the House

Our new friend and nurse is staying with us while attending MUSC this fall.

He is enrolled in a Masters Program for Nurse Anesthesia.

He and Guitar Guy get along pretty well. He's not hear that much.

It takes a lot of studying to become a Nurse Anesthesist

Kiawah Beach Outing

We got in a trip to Kiawah before the wedding crew arrived.

We went with our new freinds from SEattle.

It was a beautiful day for the beach and even greater fun on the way home, when we stopped by the Angle Oak for a few pictures. But not before we got yelled at (???) for sitting on the tree.

ahem...

A great day of fun. :)

Camp Ho Nan Wah

Sam had a great time at scout camp this past June.

He got a total of six badges, a rank advancement, and certification in Scuba Diving.

Tonight he attended a Court of Honor where he received 10 Badges from the past year:

MotorBoating,

Tracking

Emergency Preparedness,

Environmental Science,

Personal Management

Family Life

Art

Finger Printing

Carpentry

Music

Archery

He had his Court of Honor where he earned the rank of STAR.

Great Job Guitar Guy

You should ask him what his favorite part about camp was.

Camp Ho Nan Wah

Guitar Music Concerts

S
Dad and Guitar Guy helped out around the house by fixing our Dining room chair that sunk into the middle. They had to get creative to fix it so that it wouldn't break again. Guitar guy gets a lesson in carpentry skills.

Here is our Guitar Guy Playing in his Spring Concert. This song was Let it Be by the Beetles, but he also played many different folk songs.Sam played Buzzing Bee for a spring Piano concert

Trip to Texas april 2010

We drove to Texas in April and visited with the DinoGuy and Trainboy's family

Riding bikes on a virtual bike at the boyscouts museum. Gramppa even joined them!

MUNCHKIN enjoys sliding in the back yard

One of our favorite things : We went to the Boy Scouts of America Museum. Not only did we discover many fun facts, but we had fun doing it.

Here they are jumping on the trampoline and having a great time. The weather was very nice.

A New Boy March 2010

Little brother joined his sisters in March. He is such a happy boy. An heir to the Pierce line.

Here we have the whole family together.

What joy a new brother brings

50 years

JuJu, Buba, Dr.Dad, Dr.Mom
JuJu and Jill
A hug for GolfGuy
The Woodlands
Three Friends
A Neice and Nephew

I was truly surprised by my family.

Mark did such a great job of

not telling anyone.

I had fun with my "Old" new friends. Jill and Julie and I grew up together on John's Island.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch

Julie made me queen for the day.

A new Year 2010

The year started out great. Guitar Guy and I went to Jill and Chuckies on our way to the beach. We were planning on a polar bear, but the rain and dreary weather kept everyone away. ... So we just walked the beach... It was a fun day before the rain came down.

Later in the week I met with Jill and Julie for lunch at Red Lobster. I did not watch my diet.. shame shame. but we laughed and had a great time getting reconnected with one another.

A Midnight Marathon..

Language Lady completed her first 1/2 Marathon.

Go... Go.. Go...

Erin Shaw I just finished the moonlight half marathon in 2
hours! I am so proud of myself. Soy campeon!

http://www.moonlighthalf.com/

Go Erin.

Santee S.C.

DriverDad and I took a much needed vacation for the weekend and drove (just a short distance) to Santee State Park. We stayed at a local Best Western so that we could rise rested on Saturday to face the Santee National Golf Course.

I have to admit I was not looking forward to the hot day that had been forecast. The first part of the day was a bit uncomfortable, but we were pleasantly surprised, however when we were blessed with several gentle breezes and an occasional overcast sky in the afternoon.

DriverDad had his usual beautiful drives that really went the distance. I kept my respectable score of 54(9) 111(18).. I try to keep it around an

average of 6 per hole. I did manage to get par twice. ??? I always seem to settle down on the back nine, but that was probably because I started reading a book and had taken an Aleve for my back. :)

DriverDad loves to golf. He had a great time playing the course which was well maintained, beautifully laid out, and had its challenges.

Dinner plans included trying out the much touted restaurant Lone Star BBQ. After driving through the Santee State Park and checking it out we had a relaxing dinner and evening at this delightful BBQ gathering place. A Blue Grass Band entertained us and several displays of history piqued our interest. The food was not terrific nor was it unpalatable. I would eat there again for I loved the atmosphere and the hospitality of the owner and fellow patrons.

Sunday Morning

We drove to the Santee National WildLife Refuge (on the eastern shore of Lake Marion) and enjoyed a quiet sabbath morning in the woods. For most of the morning we were the only people in the Preserve. We drove the 7.5 mile loop, got out and hiked a few short trails, and enjoyed the sounds and sights of God's creative hand. We planned to bike the several miles of biking paths throughout the Preserve, but felt uneasy about there not being any other human life near. I would have liked to have seen at least one car. When we were leaving we did see one couple who were hiking the trails. Remote is the word best used here.

We drove next to the Palmetto Trail just below Bonneu, S.C. on the east side of Lake Moultrie.

Here we rode our bikes on the Lake Moutrie Passage from the path head, through the piney forest, across the railroad,

and up onto the dyke rim. It was hot so we curtailed our journey being satisfied to get a taste of future possibilites.

We checked out Bonneau Beach before returning home via Monks Corner. In Bonneau we discovered a nice public beach with 4 boatramps and ample parking. We were looking for future reference for the use of the jet-ski.

My favorite place as far as the water sports is concerned is up off of 260 in the furthermost part of Lake Marions's finger branches. The beauty and accessibility of the place is apparent in the number of businesses and residences that are spotted throughout the water channels. I have my eye on a Tranquility Cove and would like to explore the place further. These branches were almost like lakes themselves. There were plenty of places to stay, several boat ramps to launch, and a nice open water in which to play on the jet ski with.

We have now explored near a one hour radius from our home. Edisto Beach (south), Santee (north), Charleston (southeast), Bonneau (north), and of course we driven through everything west of us (pretty sparse).

We did get to drive through the Francis Marion National Forest as it skirts along the southeast shore of Lake Moultrie, but I have my eyes on Awendaw or Mcclellanville and would like to (in the fall) do either a bicycle ride or a hike along part of the Palmetto Trail that begin here.

Folly Beach Ride

GolfGirl and I had a great time biking the island of Folly Beach, Friday, July 30. We started at Folly Beach County Park and rode all the way down to Morris Island Lighthouse Inlet. It took about two hours. We were so exhausted when we finished that we had to drive to FishingGramma house to take a nap.

According to (running map .com) we went 11.5 miles. We left early after dropping GuitarGuy off for his LGcamp and rode while it was relatively cool. When we returned, however we discovered it was near 95!

I've never been so glad to sit down and eat. We had a nice time getting to see the island from a bike. I would like to do this again when it cools down a bit.

Morris Island LightHouse

I took a dip to cool off.

Also I had a short chat with

a lighthouse worker who told me the first phase of the lighthouse project restoration is finished.