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Tuesday, December 31st, some clouds:  It's 48 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The sky is overcast and there's little, if any, breeze.  Clouds will linger and even thicken during the day leading to some rain, possibly tomorrow.  Highs will be around 70 once again.

At this time of year, our attentions are focused on beginnings.  New Year's is the time to think of starting something new, resolving to begin something.  It is also good to look at endings.  There are few things in life that are never-ending--activities, events, conditions, associations, life itself.  Even though endings are often sad or melancholy, we have rituals and celebrations for many of them--decommissionings, farewell parties, graduations, funerals.  Other endings are left for us individually to mark and resolve.

But, things well-ended have a beauty and satisfaction of their own, a cycle completed.  Look at the tides for the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003.  A midnight low tide drains the marsh and the new year arrives on the incoming tide.  Another year passing ...

Monday, December 30th, very nice indeed!  It's 43 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning.  Already we have clear skies and bright sunshine, watchwords of the day.  Look for afternoon highs near 70!

I hear gunshots out across the marsh this morning, duck hunters, I suppose.  It's always a bit of a disturbing sound in the midst of a still, quiet morning.

Calm weather has settled upon us for a few days and the ocean has likewise calmed.  My visitors report seeing many dolphin cruising close to shore over the weekend.

Sunday, December 29th, comfortable:  It's 43 degrees on my back porch at 10:00 this evening.  It's nighttime, after a beautiful, nearly warm day.  Another one is predicted for tomorrow.  Sunshine and a high in the 60's.  Great weather for all our visitors.

The stars are bright and numerous these clear nights.  Orion is high in the sky and Jupiter and Saturn are shining big and bright.  The added benefit is that there are no mosquitoes to plague you while you are out staring skyward.

The old year is winding down, a guaranteed time for reflection, mainly about how quickly the year has passed.  It's also a time for looking ahead into a brand new year.  Looking into 2003 is somewhat uncertain, isn't it?

Friday, December 27th, chilly:  It's 36 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  We have high overcast right now just after a very red morning dawn.  We should have sunshine through most of the day and chilly but not cold temps--in the low 50's.

It's back to the shop today and back to the courts for HWMPT.  And I am just about ready to see the end of all those holiday treats.  Moldy Mice and Haystacks smell and taste terrific, but after a while a good ol' green salad looks really good!  And did any of you get fruitcake for Christmas?  We didn't, but I did make fruitcake cookies.  I remember as a child my brother and I cutting p the fruitcake to go into the fruitcake (usually on the the weekend after Thanksgiving.)  Mom would bake the cake--a very dark version--and then tend the incredibly heavy, dense loaf until Christmas.  It was good, but even as a child, I didn't want much of it.  This year, I didn't see fruitcakes being sold in the stores or advertised for sale anywhere.   Could it be that everyone has had enough?

Thursday, December 26th, bright:  It's 37 degrees on my back porch at 9:00 this morning.  It's Boxing Day--well, maybe not here, but in the Commonwealth countries it is, so we hop on it as a reason to have the shop closed for an extra day after Christmas.  The strong winds have subsided to a light occasional breeze and it is very crisp and clear this morning.  High today around 50.

He Who Must Play Tennis reports there was a very light skim of ice on the birdbath this morning--a sure sign of deep midwinter here.  My bet is that there are several of my porch visitors this morning who have much more than a light skim of winter on their birdbaths.  Just how deep WAS your White Christmas?

Bob Cowgill reports that he has observed the female Bald eagle down in the nest across from the Sales Center, presumably on eggs!  Here's hoping for a good outcome.

It's a day off but still much to do and I must be about it!

Wednesday, December 25th, bright and breezy:  It's 52 degrees on my back porch at noon on Christmas Day.  The sun is shining brightly but the wind is roaring, a strong, steady breeze and frequent very strong gusts.  It's not a totally unpleasant day to be outside, but a little less breeze would be preferable.  We are probably at the high for the day and there's the likelihood of temps near freezing in town tonight.

Christmas morning.  The presents are opened, the wrappings picked up.  Brunch has been prepared and eaten and the dishwasher hums about its task.  There's a peaceful Christmas Day feeling in the house for a couple of hours before the turkey takes center stage in our efforts.

Some of you may be able to look out of your window today and see snow.  It's one time in the year that few people grumble about having snow.  Christmas snow is somehow special.  I am looking our on a green landscape, lots of live oaks and pines and palmettos, and a temporary lake, remnants of yesterday's thunderstorms and very heavy downpours.  So, I'll just hum "White Christmas" and imagine other Christmases when snow covered everything.  Muffled sounds; a crisp tang to the air; squeaky, crunchy footfalls; snow cream!  It's a nice place to visit ...

Tuesday, December 24th, unsettled:  It's 47 degrees at 6:30 this morning on my back porch.  It's still midwinter-dark outside, but the moon was shining in the night so I am hoping to see a bit of sunshine today.  Later, we have been threatened with thunderstorms.  Ahhh....Christmas Eve in the South.  Rudolph and Santa had better be equipped with lightning rods!

Christmas Eve and nearly too late to do anything more.  It's a wonderful time!  Actually we will see lots of people with lots more to do as they drop into the shop today.  Some will come for the party, others in search of "something for (fill in name here)."  No matter why, we look forward to seeing all of them.  It's Christmas!

This is the evening when the reindeer fly!  As a child, they WERE the magic of Christmas.  I mean, Santa and his presents were pretty neat, too, but Dasher and the gang were tops in my book.  I even had a plastic Rudolph wallet, bought for me by my favorite aunt on a shopping excursion to the old Rice's department store in Norfolk, Va, when I was five.  I still remember what it looked like and have to speak with my Mom about why I don't seem to be able to find it anymore!

I still love the reindeer and will be watching and listening for them this evening.  Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Monday, December 23rd, mild:  It's 47 degrees at 7:30 this morning on my back porch, sunny with little breeze.  We should have a relatively sunny day today, maybe clouds building this afternoon, with highs in the upper 60's.

About midway into polishing 36 silver bells and 75+ ornaments, I begin to question why it was I thought silver ornaments were such a great idea for a tree.  Actually, I didn't decide that, my Mom did when she gave us a silver bell the first year we were married and has continued the tradition ever since.  That got us started and we continued from there.

Our first tree was a very young cedar, cut from the woods.  The branches were barely able to support ornaments, which is a good thing since we had very few ornaments and no lights, just one silver bell and some small wooden crèches and homemade felt bells, an elf that perched near the trunk, and a red bow tied around the top.  Believe me, it went up a lot faster than the one we finished decorating yesterday, which is much taller and wider and covered in ornaments collected over a lifetime together and from all over the world.

More than decorating a tree, handling all the ornaments and placing them is like flipping through a scrapbook.  To me, the tree is beautiful.  It shimmers and glistens in the glow of many fairy lights and candles.  But even though it has long since disappeared from my boxes of Christmas decorations, if I look deep into the tree, I can still see the burlap elf we had on our first tree, grinning out at me from his perch amid all the silver and glass.

Saturday, December 21st, mild:  It's 55 degrees at 7:30 this morning and I finally got a chance to pop out onto my back porch!  The sun is shining and the breeze has subsided to merely light.  High today will peak just above 60.  Pleasant, dry weather for finishing those holiday errands.

The tree has been up for almost a week--no decorations, just tree.  We wanted to see how Miz Bitz would react to a tree inside before we attempted lights and bright, sparkling things.  Initially, there were a few training opportunities as she patted a branch or tried the taste test.  But the real major correction came one evening when I saw the tree violently swaying and rustling noises coming from it.  There she was, scaling the ten-foot tree by climbing the branches near the center.  About a foot from the top, she peered out at us briefly before she was sharply reminded that tree-climbing was NOT acceptable.

Now, Bitz is back to trying to figure out territorial rights under the tree.  It has been tacitly settled, I think.  Molly sleeps in her basket which is under there.  Zoë curls up next to the basket.  Miz Bitz sleeps under the tree skirt.  So far it has worked.  Lights are the next step!

Wednesday, December 18th, cloudy, damp:  It's 55 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, very cloudy with a bit of moisture still falling.  Mostly cloudy throughout the day, maybe with a bit less rain, and a high in the mid-60's.

The day draws near, the day draws near.  I don't think Advent was really meant to be so threatening!  "No, no! Not another candle!  Don't light another candle!"

He Who Must Play Tennis will be watching the sky, hoping for a break in the clouds and some drying breeze.  He has a tennis matching the works, but it's looking a bit doubtful at the moment.

Have the White Christmas watches begun i your neighborhood?  It's pretty certain that Kiawah won't have snow for the holidays--how about you?

Tuesday, December 17th, nice again:  It's 40 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, clear skies and slight breeze.  Lots of sunshine on tap again today with the afternoon high again around 60.

Off on a tear again this morning.  Lots of folks are in the shop finishing up their shopping, picking up the last odd bit.  I really need to get started!  To all my friends and family out there--how does celebrating "Old Christmas" sound to you THIS year?

Monday, December 16th, nice:  It's 40 degrees on my back porch at 7:15 this morning with blue sky and only a slight breeze.  Lots of sunshine today and a high near 60.  Aside from the the fact that it's so close to Christmas, it's a great day!

The robins are in town now.  We had scores of them in our yard yesterday afternoon.  He Who Must Play Tennis returned from a match and saw a couple of them working to get the last of the water in the birdbath.  He refilled it and within a minute we had varying numbers up to eight robins perched around its rim alternately bobbing for a drink.  It looked like one of those old wooden chicken pecking toys. I don't see them this morning, but I am sure they are on the island somewhere.

I received a reader tip about the problem we have with birds--particularly the cedar waxwings--flying into our windows.  "I read this somewhere - maybe it works. If possible try stretching monofilament fishing line in a zigzag pattern across the outside of the window.  As they fly towards the window the light flashes off the line showing them something is there and (hopefully) they avoid it."  As soon as I can coax HWMPT onto the high ladder, we'll try it.  Thanks!

Saturday, December 14th, sunny:  It's 46 degrees on my back porch at 7:15 this morning.  Blue sky this morning and some occasionally gusty wind, but otherwise probably a good morning for the marathon.  High in the mid-60's.

The cars were lined up at the gate last evening, the runners arriving for today's race.  It's a fully-booked event again.  Be alert if you are driving along the course this morning.

The cedar waxwings are back in town and it's time for me to put the Post-it notes on the large windows again.  The birds can see in one window and right through to the trees outside the opposite window and think there's a clear path.  Not so!  There were three dead birds on our front porch when we returned home last evening.  The sticky notes at least give them a  clue that the path is not clear for them.

Friday, December 13th, a messy day:  It's 47 degrees on my back porch at 7:15 this morning.  Rain has been falling since sometime after midnight and is still falling.  It's not pretty!  The good news is that it will be warmer today, around 60, we are told.  The other good news is that He Who Must Play Tennis has not scheduled a match for today!

Zoë does not approve of the morning weather.  She went out on the deck as usual, running from underneath one chair to the next to make sure it was raining the full length and breadth of the deck.  Then, instead of coming inside, she sat under one of the chairs, stoically and glumly looking at the wet world.  She has finally agreed to come inside, but she's not happy about it!

It's Friday the 13th--go carefully!

Thursday, December 12th, a bit less cloudy:  It's 45 degrees on my back porch at 7:40 this morning.  The sky can't be described as blue, but the clouds are a lot higher, so I think it's an optimistically cloudy morning!  High in the 50's and maybe no rain or mist today.

There are even a few birds chirping and twittering out there this morning.  They have been silent over the past few mornings, tucked away out of the rain, I guess.  I did see a gorgeous hawk, at least in silhouette, perched on a bare treetop bordering the east side of Haulover Creek.  I don't usually notice hawks there, but this one was so large and visible that he really called for attention just by sitting absolutely still.

Wednesday, December 11th, cloudy:  It's 50 gray but not rainy degrees on my back porch at 7:45 this morning with little breeze.  It will be mostly cloudy today with a chance of showers.

I've gotten a late start to an early morning--a bad combination.  Got to dash!

Tuesday, December 10th, rain:  It's 40 rainy degrees on my back porch at 7:45 this morning, breezy and chilling. We are told to expect rain throughout most of the day and a high around 50.  Not our most pleasant weather.

We will soon test the notion of Miz Bitz and a Christmas tree in the same house.  She is a very energetic and curious young cat and the tree may be too much to her liking.  Added to that is the fact that Molly and Zoë each year have to settle the question of under-the-tree occupancy between themselves.  Add a third cat, and a feisty one at that, and there could be some interesting times ahead.  I'm thinking tree on the screened porch this year!

The Bradford pear trees along the entrance to the Piglet have remained a bright spot of red late this season, outlasting most of the other leaves which have been blown and rained away.  This latest rain will probably do them in as well.  I've enjoyed seeing them everyday.

Monday, December 9th, moderate:  It's 45 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, overcast with a light to moderate breeze.  Clouds will be around most of the day with the likelihood of a little sunshine also.  High in the upper 50's.

I went out to Citadel Mall yesterday afternoon--a bad idea from the get-go!  But I had a couple of hours and thought I could get a few items ticked off the list.  It was crowded (of course) and hectic and although there's merchandise stacked to the ceiling and spilling into the aisles, I found nothing I wanted to purchase.  Obviously, judging from the lines at the registers and the bulging bags being carried to cars, I was very much in the minority.  The crowd was just a bit too frantic.  And am I the only one who feels assaulted by the "Sale" and "% off" signs on nearly every display this year?  Or maybe this is just an incipient case of the Humbugs!

I have been watching the eagle nest across from the Sales Center on every trip back onto the island (can't really get a good view when leaving).  For weeks I haven't seen any sign of the eagles at he nest.  But last night, at dusk, when I returned from my disappointing mall adventure, there they were--both eagles perched on limbs beside the nest.  So, I DID tick one thing off my list.

Saturday, December 7th,  sunny but cool:  It's 34 nearly freezing degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, little breeze, lots of blue skies and sunshine. It should be a good day to be outside with afternoon highs in the mid-50's.

There's a frosty glaze on the roof this morning and on the golf course, I would assume.  For all my good intentions, I couldn't muster the gumption to get out and walk.  The nest of cats and covers was just too warm.  Speaking of cats, one of them, Molly of course, has arrived to watch me type.

It's another anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the 61st.  Although it predates me, I feel a connection to the event.  The father of my best girlfriend growing up, our across-the-street neighbor, was on one of the ships in Pearl Harbor that day.  Even though he never spoke much about it, he was quietly but certainly identified by our parents and others in the neighborhood as being a Pearl Harbor vet and a certain unspoken honor seemed to be ascribed.  Hats off to Mr. Waters' memory.

Friday, December 6th, some sunshine:  It's 42 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning. The wind has subsided to a light breeze off the river and there is actually a hint of blue in the morning sky.  Don't get too excited about the return of mild weather because we are only headed up to around 50 again today, but there should be some sunshine to warm the air a little.

Are you among the snowed in or iced over this morning?  We really didn't feel any severe effect from the storm that blew through the SE to NE over the past two days.  Well, one major effect--because of weather conditions in Charlotte yesterday, no New York Times were delivered.  That was NOT happy news to a lot of people!

First full weekend in December  and the "to do" list grows almost as quickly as the "must do" list!

Thursday, December 5th, warmer? less chilly?   It's 37 damp, cold degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning. The wind is still blowing, but maybe not quite as briskly as yesterday morning.  Yesterday we had the cold, gray weather with only a bit of light precipitation.  Today we could get full-fledged rain.  he good news is that it will be warmer today--near 50--much better than the 40 the temperature hovered around yesterday.  And many warm thoughts to our readers in the the "real" winter areas!

Houses on James and Johns Islands are beginning to sprout holiday lights in various colors and constructions.  There is, of course, the very brightly lit house facing the Municipal Golf Course just across the Stono and there's a full team of white-light reindeer along Bohicket.  The real light show is at James Island Park, of course, but seeing the private outdoor decorations reminds me of a time many years ago when houses in our neighborhood would suddenly sprout large multi-colored lights around the doors or windows or along the roof-line.  Oversized candles or life-size Santas and snowmen would take up residence on porches.  Or, my favorite, a group of carolers from Victorian England would be transported, with full internal illumination, to a very few front yards.  ARB's and covenant controls are good bases for maintaining the look of a community, but wouldn't it be fun to see Santa up on one of these rooftops?

Wednesday, December 4th, cold:   It's 40 blustery, windy, gray degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning. No blue skies to admire this morning, just lots of clouds.  We are likely to have some rain during the next two days and some very chilly winds.  High today in the upper 40's.

As you passed near either of the two bridges now under construction, you will have noticed the steel cages that are first installed as the supports are being built.  They look like large tomato cages.  Last evening several of the "cages" at the Stono site were festooned with red-winged blackbirds perched on the top of the ring of bars.  The blackbirds are often seen perched on marsh grasses and I guess they have claimed the cages as a new species of very tall, study grass.

Tuesday, December 3rd, chilly:   It's 40 very dark predawn degrees on my back porch at 5:30 this morning.  We are promised mostly clear skies today with a high around 60.

I am up early due to some election duties today.  The cats are a bit bewildered and two of them have remained in bed.  Miz Bitz, however, figures that as long as I am up, I might as well feed her.

It's a busy day in the neighborhood today--town elections and then tree lighting and POPS dinner tonight.

Monday, December 2nd, cold:   It's 32 crisp degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The frost is definitely on the pumpkin this morning.  But the sky s mostly clear and the sun will warm things into the mid-50's.

Molly is not particularly happy about the cool weather.  Her deck patrol was noticeably shortened this morning (Mr. Squirrel can have the deck rail as far as she is concerned this morning!)  She is much more interested in claiming her spot next to me as I type and then one of the prime spots near the heat vents.  She's getting to  be a little old lady now and she likes her sunshine and heat.

I am intentionally NOT mentioning that it is already December because it's too scary to think about!

Saturday, November 30th, overcast:   It's 47 overcast, blustery degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  Partly cloudy today, breezy, with a high in the low to mid-60's.  That's just about normal for this time of year.  But temperatures will dip on Sunday.

If you were looking west, preferably over the marsh, last evening at sunset, you were treated to a glorious sight.  The encompassing sky was an improbable turquoise--imagine the brilliant blue of midday mixed with some yellow light from the disappearing sun to create a blue with the slightest hint of green in it.  Then add a large patch of salmon pink of nearly neon intensity that glowed even more brightly as the sun lowered and the light angle changed.  Two stereotypical south Florida colors over the subdued Lowcountry marsh grasses and reflected in the mid-tide river.  A masterwork of art and all for free!

Friday, November 29th, bright:   It's 38 degrees, according to the thermometer on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, but He Who Must Play Tennis reports a thin skim of ice on the birdbath.  I'm sure there is much thicker ice on Johns Island and in town.  We will warm up a bit today with all this sunshine, zooming up to almost 60 degrees by afternoon.  Haul out the holiday sweaters!

I saw a beautiful six or eight point buck near our house on Wednesday.  He just stood there posing because he does, of course, own the street!  What a sight.  That same evening, when returning home, I saw the neighborhood fox dashing across the road in front of me, low to the ground and brushy tail straight out behind him.  It's the first time I have seen him in the close neighborhood for a few weeks and I was delighted to see he was in town for the holidays.

The squirrels are very busy in the oak tree this morning.  I see three of them running the branches and then sitting with their bushy tails held close.

This is the first day of Hanukkah.  Greetings to those who are celebrating.

Thursday, November 28th, chilly:   Happy Thanksgiving!  It's 46 degrees on my back porch at 9:30 this morning.  Blue sky is the phrase of the morning, brilliant and clear.  There's a slight breeze blowing and it is a chilly one.  We are likely to see frost, at least, this evening, perhaps even freezing temps.  High today near 50.

Unlike many Thanksgiving Days, this one's a good one to be in a kitchen with ovens and burners going!  He Who Must Play Tennis has escaped to the tennis courts for a while after fueling up on French toast this morning.

We will have a fairly quiet Thanksgiving.  My brother and his family will be at our Mom's house for the big feast and I would like to be a part of that, too, but a quiet day is also nice before we launch full blast into a very busy season.  I'll try to get outside, maybe to the beach for a while and think about all the many, many things in my life I have to give thanks for--this beautiful spot we live in; friends and family to share it with; work I love to do; health, love, freedom, cats, and the blue jay who just landed on the railing outside the window.  Life is good!

Our very best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  may your blessings and gratitude continue to expand.

Tuesday, November 26th, nice:   It's 46 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning.  The sky is a bit grayer with a hazy high overcast dulling the blue, almost like a summer morning.  Little, if any, breeze.  High this afternoon will again approach 70.

I can count an even dozen leaves on the river birch this morning and the tiny warblers that were so active just a week ago are now gone.  Even my blue jay visitor has been noticeably absent these past few mornings.  I miss their flurry of activity.

Monday, November 25th, bright:   It's 46 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  There are a few high clouds in an otherwise blue sky and little breeze.  High near 70 by afternoon.

The squirrels are certainly busy these days.  The cool weather has sparked a bit of food gathering frenzy, I think.  Anyway, they are everywhere--in the trees, on the ground--always in a big rush.

One month until Christmas...I am now officially behind schedule!

Sunday, November 24th, cool, crisp:   It's 43 degrees on my back porch at 9:00 this morning, deep blue, clear skies, little breeze and gorgeous.  After a very busy week, I hope to actually have a chance to enjoy a couple of leisure hours today, in the yard or on my bike.  It looks like a beautiful day for it, low to mid-60's.

We were immersed in the Brahms Requiem this past week with several long rehearsals and then Saturday night's performance.  It's a wonderful piece to sing--especially for us altos--but is also vocally as well as physically demanding.  It's amazing just how much effort is expended enunciating German while singing.  But as in most big performances, I'm kind of sorry it's over and am reluctant to leave it behind.

Have you ever noticed just how nicely the Kiawah River bridge is placed?  It is at a curve in the main waterway such that when one is approaching Kiawah, the marsh vistas are optimized.  On the right, the waterway is in full and easy view, drawing the eye across the marsh and out to the ocean.  On the other side, the curve is less, pulling one deeper into the wide expanse of marsh.  Was the placement of the bridge happy coincidence--or terrific marketing?

Friday, November 22nd, not quite so warm:   It's 55 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  We are blessed with bright sunshine and clear skies this morning.  There's also a moderate breeze blowing, sweeping in a brief cold snap for the early weekend.  High today in the low 60's.

Can it really have been 39 years since JFK's assassination?  How can that be?  I feel myself slipping into the "historic" age.  That's the age when you read history books to refresh your memory.

I was a college freshman in 1963, living off-campus in a large old Southern house owned by Mrs. Kirby.  She rented rooms to 5 college girls and while not a close guardian, knew what was going on.  We saw her infrequently and rarely exchanged many words.  Aside from the shock and sadness of the event, the thing that remains so clearly in my mind about that weekend was that Mrs. Kirby invited us into her parlor to watch the funeral.  She was not a JFK supporter and grumbled audibly throughout much of the televised coverage, but she recognized history.  I've always thought, too, that she recognized that five young women, away from home, might have felt the need for family and community just then--and so did she.  We were never invited in again, but like so much in our world that changed that day, so did our perception of Mrs. Kirby.

Wednesday, November 20th, nice:   It's 46 degrees on my back porch at 7:50 this morning.  There's a slight haze up high against the blue sky, but no serious clouds at the moment.  Mostly sunny today with the temp again in the upper 60's.  A nice day.

The moon has been quite bright these past couple of nights, flooding the side deck so much that I have awakened and thought I must have left a light on in the house somewhere that was lighting the deck.  But a closer look shows the light is "cold" and silvery, the moon and not a bulb.

If your newspaper carries the "Rose Is Rose" comic, be sure to take a look today.  I know just how she feels!

Tuesday, November 19th, a bit warmer:   It's 38 degrees on my back porch at 7:50 this morning, blue skies, sunshine, little wind, and no mosquitoes. There are two puffed up birds sitting on the river birch branch outside my window looking a bit unpleased with the direction the weather has taken.  They--and tennis players--will be happier with the upper 60's we should see this afternoon.

Molly is, as usual, my companion as I type.  Today she is content to sit somewhat quietly on the chair beside me as I tap away.  Other days, she wants to be actively involved--not with the typing but with a hand--endearing but encumbering.

He Who Must Play Tennis is braced for the day with blueberry pancakes and the kitchen still smells of iron griddle and maple syrup, a cozy touch against our cool weather.

Monday, November 18th, cool:   It's 38 chattery degrees on my back porch at 7:50 this morning.  For a change, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue, but it is chilly.  Not quite as miserable as it was yesterday afternoon with grey skies, damp, and winds at 20-30 mph.  High today in the upper 50's

Now THIS is a day for getting started on holiday shopping!  Holiday sweaters make sense! I've actually already bought two Christmas gifts and consider myself way ahead of the game this time!

Only a very few leaves remain n the river birch, done in by the wind and rain.  The grape vines are yellow dots in the trees again and the dogwoods are burnished deep red.  There are even leaves on the ground to crunch through as you walk.  Best of all, no mosquitoes for the past couple of days.

Saturday, November 16th, not raining yet:   It's 50 overcast degrees on my back porch at 7:50 this morning.  Rain is in the forecast but has not yet commenced.  It looks cloudy but not threatening at the moment, but I wouldn't put away the rain gear just yet.  High around 70.

Here's a good thought for the weekend--the tax bills are "in the mail" and there is likely to be some sticker shock.

Friday, November 15th, mostly sunny:   It's 48 slightly overcast degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The clouds may come and go during the day as we head up toward 70.

We have not seen "our" fox in our yard for some time now.  Perhaps it's a timing issue or perhaps he has moved on.  I do miss his close presence.  However, He Who Must Play Tennis saw a fox just at the Kiawah bridge a few nights ago, so there are some still patrolling the island.  He also reported that a larger than normal, radio-collared bobcat appeared beside the tennis court HWMPT was on, sat down and watched the match for a bit, and then sauntered off again.  Now, THAT can interrupt one's concentration!

Wednesday, November 13th, cooler:   It's 54 crisp degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  We are finally on the cool side of the weather front and, hopefully, the dry side, also!  High today in the low to mid-60's with variable cloudiness.  Dipping into the 40's overnight.

We really could launch a small boat and paddle about in our yard this morning.  In fact, a few items have floated out from under the latticed area and are bobbing at the edge of the lake right now.  A part of the problem is that a natural swale runs through the side of our lot.  That wasn't much of a problem until the owners of a contiguous lot on the downstream side of the swale decided to fill in the naturally low area as it crossed his property, creating an effective dam.  It hasn't been a problem for several drought years, but it's a bit of a nuisance now.  Oh well, maybe we should consider ornamental fish.  They would at least eat the mosquito larvae!

The ponds on the Municipal Course just over the Stono are overflowing their banks also.  A couple of wood storks seemed to be enjoying the increased shallow wading area yesterday evening as we passed by.

Tuesday, November 12th, thundery rain:   It's 70 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning.  The rain has been falling most of the the post-midnight hours and continues to do so now, to the accompaniment of some low rumbling thunder.  The cool front is supposed to be pushing this weather through sometime today and we will have cooler, drier air for the next several days.  In the meantime, the lake has formed around our house again and we are a waterfront residence!  High today in the 70's.

No further tremors after last night's mild earthquake.  If we are going to have earthquakes, ones like last night's are what we should request!

ABC's Good Morning America will broadcast from Charleston on Wednesday.  So, if you live out of town and are wishing for a quick visit to the Lowcountry, you might want to tune in.

Monday, November 11th, 8:00 PM Update--SHAKY! A little over an hour ago, at 6:40 pm, there was a 4.2 (Richter) earthquake 17 miles south of Kiawah--out in the ocean.  We certainly felt it here and I recognized what it was immediately--all those years as a Navy wife in California gave me a bit of experience!  It's a mild quake and there's been no damage reported.

He Who Must Play Tennis was always out at sea when the tremors rumbled through in CA, so he wasn't sure at all what was going on as there was the initial thud and then the gentle but persistent rocking.  And we thought tornadoes were what we needed to watch for today!

Sunday, November 10th, warm and moist: It's 67 lukewarm degrees on my back porch at 9:30 this morning.  I finished my bike ride just in time, it would seem, as the skies are darkening and I think I hear a distant rumble of thunder.  Showers are a definite possibility today and the temperature will be near 80 again.

It is a busy weekend.  I understand the Island Craft Fair and Sale was a rousing success and we are in the middle of this year's Kiawah Seminar weekend.  The former ambassador is speaking about Russia and we are once again being led on an intellectual journey outside our own island.

Yes, that definitely IS thunder and I had better retrieve Zoë from the deck.  He Who Must Play Tennis is on the courts and I would expect will retreat if the rains come--hard.

Friday, November 8th, like yesterday: It's 45 brisk degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  Once again we are going to be treated to a beautiful Lowcountry fall day--clear blue sky, bright sunshine, and cool dry air.  Expect a high near 79 and get out there and enjoy a beautiful day!

There is little activity in the tree outside my window this morning.  My troupe of little birds must be out still foraging for breakfast this morning.  I miss their antics (as does Molly, I think).  With all of their flitting and jumping they are like my own avian Cirque du Soleil in residence.

Thursday, November 7th, sparkly: It's 45 brisk degrees on my back porch at 8:30 this morning.  The sky is absolutely clear and bright blue, so even though the breeze is a bit sharp, it is still a gorgeous day.  Sunshine most of the day and an eventual high in the low 60's.

The little warblers and chickadees are very busy in the trees outside my window.  There are more than a dozen of them flitting about and animating the scene.  They are busy, busy little birds, never perching for long in the same place, hopping from limb to limb, then flashing over to the rooftop.  By comparison, the two blue jays perched in a nearby pine tree are rather sedate!

Wednesday, November 6th, warm: It's 70 (that is not a misprint!) degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  We have had lots of rain overnight, and while it is still gray and blustery looking out there at the moment, the rain is supposed to have mostly subsided now and we are on our way up into the mid-70's.

The cooler weather and rain have revived the golf course turf amazingly and the fairways and rough look like green velvet.  Add a touch of purple sweetgrass, which has been spectacular this year, and  a few dots of leaf color here and there, and you have a nice picture of fall on Kiawah.

We just had a pretty hefty wind gust that caused another bushel of leaves to swirl down from the river birch and the sky is a bit darker.  The showers may not be over quite yet after all!

Tuesday, November 5th, clouds: It's 50 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  It's overcast once again this morning with a bit more breeze.  we will have clouds during most of the day, we are told, but without the showers we had intermittently yesterday.  The thermometer will soar into the upper 50's and stay there.

There were all sorts of computer sidesteps this morning, the main one arising from typing "m" in any password blank which would fling me out of the password-entry mode and minimize the page I was typing on.  A few left over goblins form Halloween?  The old tire-kicking turn the machine off and then back on seemed to have reset everything.

Go vote!

Monday, November 4th, clouds: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  It's overcast once again this morning with little breeze.  The threat of showers is in the offing, but it doesn't look threatening at the moment.  High in the upper 60's and low's again in the upper 40's.

A sweatshirt was actually a layer too far on this morning's walk, but I was expecting the brisk temps we have had for the past couple of mornings.  It was a pleasant walk none the less.  There are some beautifully berried pyracanthas along my route and they are a lovely bittersweet orange just now.  I haven't noticed the holly berries yet, but it's time to start looking.

Mt. Etna's erupting and there was that awful earthquake NE of Naples--experts were full of assurance that the two events were unrelated.  Over the past couple of days, there have been more quakes in Italy, Japan, and a pretty strong one in Alaska.  Pretty strong coincidences, don't you think?

Sunday, November 3rd, cool: It's 45 degrees on my back porch at 8:30 this morning.  We have a high overcast that is lasting a bit longer this morning than usual and the world looks a bit subdued this morning.  Te breeze is cool and will remain so throughout the day with a  high again in the mid-60's.

We have relented, closed the windows and turned on the heat, at least overnight. he sun is still warm, but it is lower in the sky now and not quite so much a presence in the house.  Even so, the weather has been terrific for the past few days, hasn't it?

There is some serious terrain clearing going on at the site of the future shopping locale, Freshfields, between Kiawah and Seabrook.  This could mean that groundbreaking is close at hand.  One thing for certain, the cleared land is yielding such beautiful, black topsoil as we do not usually see out here--the result of that acreage being farmed for so long.  It's a shame to think that it will be sprouting asphalt shortly.  Ahhhhh, progress!

Friday, November 1st, cool: It's 48 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, blue skies and breezy.  If there were a pumpkin outside the door, it would almost have frost on it!  Mostly sunny and cool today with a high in the mid-60's.  And there isn't a mosquito in sight--at the moment!

November--and I can officially begin falling behind in holiday preparations once again.  I HAVE made lists of what needs to be done this year, which will make it that much easier to gauge just how FAR behind I am at any given moment.

Hope you have something wonderful planned for the weekend.  It should be a nice one.  A walk on the autumn beach sounds like a great idea to me!

Thursday, October 31st, cooler: It's 55 degrees on my back porch at 8:35 this morning. What started as a bright sunny morning has settled into a gray, overcast one with a moderate breeze.  The temp will probably not make it all the way to 70 today, so the breeze will seem especially cool.

After all the predictions of rain and clouds, yesterday turned out to be beautifully sunny and warm, Lowcountry Indian summer.  But by late afternoon, you could begin to feel the hint of cooler air swirling through the afternoon humidity and by early evening, the air was much cooler and drier.  An autumn front has arrived and maybe the mosquitoes will slow down a bit.

Molly registers the cooler weather and is lying curled up right next to me for warmth this morning.  I'm sure she will search al her nap spots later to find if there is a sunny one.  If not, she will stare wistfully at one of the heat registers before finally retreating to her sheepskin-lined basket.  These transitional seasons are trying.

Wednesday, October 30th, cloudy: It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 5:45 this morning. There's a light but steady rain falling at the moment and the forecast is for clouds ands perhaps more rain throughout the day.  The temperatures remain moderate, however, with a high in the mid-70's.  The mosquitoes remain healthy.

It's dark outside and quiet except for the sound of rainwater in the downspouts.  The rain is not heavy enough to dissuade the two moths who are dancing outside my window, drawn by the light of my desk lamp.  Molly is beside me and focused intently on the fluttering dance.

Have you noticed the beautiful swath of cosmos in full bloom just this side of the Rosebank Farms vegetable stand? 

Tuesday, October 29th, warm: It's 69 humid degrees on my back porch at 7:15 this morning.  We had only one bit of rain yesterday, a t-storm last night.  This morning I can see blue sky behind the thin white clouds, so perhaps today will offer some more sunshine.  High near 80 again.

We had a yellow dawn this morning rather than a pink one.  The light made the mottled green/brown/yellow river birch leaves out side my window glow with a color not entirely of their own making.  Of course, it helps to be very near-sighted--without glasses, the colors seem to intensify, probably because shape and form are diffuse.  In any case, it looked like fall outside my window for a few minutes.

Another sure sign of the approaching holidays:  notices about the upcoming Craft Fair are beginning to appear--November 9th at the Episcopal Church.

Monday, October 28th, warmer: It's 68 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  There are some very high clouds this morning and some patches of blue.  We could only hope for a day as nice as yesterday turned out to be!  It will be warmer today, in the the low 80's by afternoon.  With the warmth comes some humid weather and the threat of thunderstorms.

I hope the weather is soon favorable for aerial mosquito spraying.  The critters are numerous, large and  hungry at the moment.  He Who Must Play Tennis reports that filling the birdbath this morning was a mission fraught with danger and health implications.

Sunday, October 27th, clouds: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 EST this morning.  I can see blue clouds behind the broken cloud cover, and that's about what we will see throughout the day. We have a moderate breeze off the river and expect a high in the mid-70's.  There's more rain on the way.

He Who Must Play Tennis went around the house last evening resetting all the clocks and timers in anticipation of the time change.  However, he did not reset the cats and they were ready for us to be up at the usual time, artificially manipulated time notwithstanding.  So, I'm up, the are fed and back asleep again and all is quiet here.

It looks very much like autumn outside my window today.  The river birch leaves have turned and they are starting to drift to the ground.  There are about a dozen tiny birds flitting among the branches this morning and often when they land or flash by, another leaf dislodges and floats down.  They are tiny little warblers of some ilk and appear to be having a grand time

Saturday, October 26th, a bit warmer: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 6:30 this morning and still very dark outside.  We leave DST this evening and while I will miss the light at the end of the day, I will welcome it at the morning.  The forecast is for cloudy weather to continue today, but temps in the mid-70's.  It remains damp.

Actually, there's a beauty in the clouds days.  When the sun shines brightly, we see the brilliant blue sky and the bright yellow flowers.  But in the somber light, some of the more subdued colors show.  The marsh grasses, for example, change from brown to shades of gold and orange and umber.  Grasses along the roadside show an amazing palette of color. and even the grey clouds are varied colors.

I noticed that the groundsel (salt myrtle) is beginning to show its white buds--a sure sign that it's almost November.

Friday, October 25th, cloudy: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning.  It's Overcast and dark this morning, making it seem like very early morning indeed.  The cloudy, sometimes drippy weather will continue throughout today, much as we have had for the past week,  There is aerial spraying planned for the whole island today, but I don't know how that might be affected by the weather.  I haven't heard planes as yet.

We saw a dozen or so woodstorks gathered around the small pond on the Municipal Golf Course (just on the other side of the Stono bridge yesterday, mingled with a few egrets.  I was surprised to see them so close to a busy road.  It was a good large bird morning, as I also spotted a Red-tailed hawk perched in one of the trees along the KI Parkway.  I know they are fairly common birds, but I love to spot them perched.

He Who Must Play Tennis will do so this morning and as the morning brightens a bit, the weather doesn't look quite so heavy and threatening.

Wednesday, October 23rd, cloudy: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning.  It's cloudy again, but we've had no significant rain for the past day, just some occasional drizzle.  That's likely to be the case today, also, with a high in the mid-70's.

Actually, the overcast day was pretty in its own way, especially crossing the marsh.  The grasses are browning now, in itself a melancholy look.  Add a light misty haze hovering over the ground, the river at mid-tide so that it filled its banks but didn't flood the marsh and you have a scene worthy of some grand, sweeping Russian music.  The quality and degree of light reminded us a lot of England.  The smell of the pluff mud anchored us firmly in the Lowcountry!

Tuesday, October 22nd, cloudy: It's 67 damp degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning, cloudy with an occasional stirring of the air.  We had a brief downpour last night and could see some thunderstorms today.  We will certainly see clouds through most of the day with a high in the mid-70's.  Not the best weather for a golf tournament, I'm afraid.

The skies did clear last night after the rain and the moon was a very bright light in the midnight sky for a time.  Moonshadows were sharp.

Must run--go carefully.

Monday, October 21st, cloudy: It's 65 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning, much warmer and more humid than it has been at his hour for the past few days.  The sky is overcast and we could see a few showers at some point during the day.  Highs in the mid- to upper 70's.

I have seen the Bald eagle a couple of times recently, perched on its tall pine just across from the Sales Center.  I hope the pair have returned to that nest which means I have a chance of spotting them here at the house as they patrol along the marsh and river.

And speaking of large, flying critters, watch out for some pretty sizeable mosquitoes!  They are large enough that I could feel them landing on me last evening--and there seem to be a lot of them with more to come as a result of the heavy rains a few days past.

Do you remember the saplings that were given to us just after Hugo?  Each year this time, I am reminded.  One of our neighbors planted three of the maples in his front yard and two of them are turning changing color right now (one is still very green).  They are among the only color-changing plants in the neighborhood and it's a bright spot at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Each spring, another donated tree--a flowering fruit--blooms beautifully in another neighbor's yard, and we have a magnolia in our yard grown from a sapling donated to the Lowcountry by Mississippians.  They have all grown a lot over the past decade and it's nice remembering the kindness that brought them to us and the faith that saw them planted.

Saturday, October 19th, lovely: It's 54 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning, another beautiful day filled with lots of birdsong.  High again today in the 70's, perhaps a few degrees warmer that yesterday, lots of sunshine and cool breezes.  Enjoy.

The sunrise this morning painted the sky a beautiful salmon color for a few minutes.  There is still a slight pinkish blush on the few very high clouds, but that's fading fast now as the morning light grows.  I like morning, and days like this always make me regret that I wasn't up earlier and out on the beach to enjoy the full expanse of morning color.  But it's hard to convince myself of that when it's dark and cool outside and so nice under the covers!

Enjoy a terrific fall weekend.  If you are in a place where the trees go through Technicolor changes this time of year, stare at them extra hard for me.  I miss that.

Friday, October 18th, cool: It's 54 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning.  Again the sky is blue, there's a light breeze, and the air is crisp and dry.  We will have another beautiful Indian summer day with an afternoon high around 70.

The sweetgrass is in bloom at present, clouds of purple seed heads dancing above the clumps of grass. You have to go to the far end of the island and hunt for native stands of the grass, now, but it has been extensively used in landscaping and borders many roads and golf holes.  The sweetgrass baskets makers used to come t Kiawah to harvest the grass for their craft, but no more.

Thursday, October 17th, sunny, crisp: It's 56 degrees on my back porch at 9:00 this morning.  It's fall!!  the sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, and the air is dry.  It's actually chilly out there!  What a pleasant break!  We should have several days like this,  lows in the 50's and highs in the 70's and loads of sunshine.  A time to be outside!

There is still much water standing in our yard, good indication that the surface soil, at least, is saturated.  From the looks of it, we will have our garden water feature for a couple more days yet.

The birds are singing their fall songs and the squirrels are dashing across the roof and through the treetops almost frenetically.  Now all we need to complete an autumn picture would be a few ducks and geese flying over, headed south.  And I expect we will be seeing that very soon.

It's a day off for me--a chance to do some work in the house.  It's a bit chilly, yet, but the windows are open to let the freshness in.  Enjoy your day!

Thursday, October 17th, sunny, crisp: It's 56 degrees on my back porch at 9:00 this morning.  It's fall!!  the sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue, and the air is dry.  It's actually chilly out there!  What a pleasant break!  We should have several days like this,  lows in the 50's and highs in the 70's and loads of sunshine.  A time to be outside!

There is still much water standing in our yard, good indication that the surface soil, at least, is saturated.  From the looks of it, we will have our garden water feature for a couple more days yet.

The birds are singing their fall songs and the squirrels are dashing across the roof and through the treetops almost frenetically.  Now all we need to complete an autumn picture would be a few ducks and geese flying over, headed south.  And I expect we will be seeing that very soon.

It's a day off for me--a chance to do some work in the house.  It's a bit chilly, yet, but the windows are open to let the freshness in.  Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, October 16th, cloudy: It's 63 degrees on my back porch at 7:50 this morning.  The rain mostly stopped yesterday morning and we had sunshine through much of the midday and afternoon with some light rain again last evening.  The chances for a dry day today are pretty good, with clouds during some of the time.  High in the mid-70's and it's still a little damp.

With all the water that has fallen over the past few days, the river is very full at high tide.  As I was driving in to town last evening, I passed the Stono construction at just about high tide and the road looked very much like a causeway with smooth water lapping at both sides.

Running a bit late this morning and I cannot pause to listen to a bird singing a very sweet tune just outside my window.  Rats!

Tuesday, October 15th, more rain: It's 60 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  After lots of rain yesterday, we have had steady rain through the night, not hard, but steady.  The skies are still wet and heavy-looking, and I think we will see more rain through today also.  High near 70.

We have a lake abutting our house on two sides these days and frogs should soon be in abundance.  The lagoons by yesterday morning were lapping over their normal edges and unless they were able to lower the level during yesterday afternoon's lowering tide, they are in danger of being well over their banks this morning.  Hopefully, some of this abundant rainfall has been able to soak into the ground rather than run off and we will have made some dent in the drought, at least here along the coast.

Zoë is not thrilled by the rain but went out on the deck for a few moments this morning in spite of it.  Molly and Miz Bitz remain content with the enclosed porch. Molly, particularly, does not like wet feet.

Monday, October 14th, rainy: It's 70 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning and we are having a light shower with a few offshore rumbles of thunder.  After a generally sunny day yesterday, the thunder and rain showed up around 8 last evening.  May be the advent of the cool front?  We are at the forecast high temperature for the day right now.  We'll see.

He Who Must Play Tennis persevered through Kyle and his opponents to win his age division in singles at the Alan Fleming tournament.  He's pretty excited about it and already planning his tournament schedule for the next twelve months.

There is much interest among the tourists in butterflies at the moment.  It's understandable since there are flurries of them (the butterflies) everywhere these days.  I've seen some rather large ones this year myself.

Saturday, October 12th, clear: It.s 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, clear and calm, and headed into the low to mid-80's by afternoon.

Kyle swept by us by midday yesterday.  I don't think it ever really came ashore below us, so we remained on the west side of the system.  We had a rainy blustery morning, but by noon, the sun was beginning to break through and by 3 pm, He Who Must Play Tennis was playing.  All in all, we got a bit of much-needed rain and some free pruning of a few palmetto fronds.  Pretty benign, thank you!

Friday, October 11h, damp:  8:00 Update:  Tropical Storm warnings are in effect for the SC coast today as Kyle is reborn.  We are expecting moderate winds, heavy rain, and possible isolated tornadoes.  It's very blustery and thundery out at present and the trees are really bouncing in the wind.  It's also raining, but not heavy at the moment.  Flash flood warnings have been issued for Kiawah, Seabrook, and Wadmalaw as well.  Obviously, this will note bode well for tennis this morning.

Yes it really is 2:45 AM on my back porch.  The beginnings of a cold and a few other things have conspired to keep me awake, so I thought I would put the time to productive use.  I can't really tell much about how the sky looks at present, but it's always to hear the world at night, even on a rather moist evening.

Even though the temps are a bit cooler, we really have had an infusion of dry air yet and it remains humid, if not actively raining.  I am still looking forward to the first cool, dry day.

The spreading plots of morning glories, especially the large one behind the shop, now sport clouds of yellow butterflies.  The view is especially nice in the morning, of course, and is worth a little detour to see.  Of course there are many other stands of morning glories, all adorned with fluttering sunbeams and you can probably find one closer to home.

Wednesday, October 9th, cool:  It's 63 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  I heard rain on the roof for the past couple of hours and it's still dripping a bit out there now.  This is pretty much what we can expect for the remainder of the day--occasional rain with a high in the low 70's.  The cool front arrived--but not the sunny, dry weather.

It's actually quite refreshing out there this morning, a definite change.  And that means it will be time for change of season sniffles.  We have already heard quite a few in the shop.  But it will feel good to wear long sleeves.

The workday starts early today and I must be on my way.  I haven't been out on my bike for a couple of weeks now and I am hoping I can do that tomorrow, just to see what going on in our world.

Tuesday, October 8th, raining!:  It's 70 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning and we are having a slow, steady rainfall.  Hopefully, this is the leading edge of the long-promised cool front. Even with the rain falling, it feels less humid on my back porch than it has on the past several "dry" mornings!  If the cool front does, indeed, slip into town, our high today, under cloudy skies, will be in the upper 70's.

Work has begun in earnest on the new Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Johns Island.  Its new location--at the site Rosebank Farms flower and veggie market occupied under two seasons ago--has been cleared and leveled and there's a fleet of heavy duty equipment there, ready to have a go at the foundations, I assume.

Monday, October 7th, still hot:  It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The sky is a bit more overcast than it has been for the past several days.  Based on the heavy humidity, I would chance a guess that it's mostly heat haze!  The promised cool front is still at least a day away.  It will be hot again today with an afternoon high approaching 90.

A spider has been very busy in the courtyard outside the shop over the past few days.  She has built a very large, rambling web that stretches from the top on a plant in one of the planters to two trees may feet above that and several feet apart.  The web won't be there for long since the tress will bounce in any wind--and it's also poised for destruction by passersby, but while it's there, it's a marvel!.

We crossed the Kiawah bridge in the late afternoon yesterday and were treated to the sight of a dolphin rolling along.  I had not seen one at the bridge for a while, but I am always hopeful.

Saturday, October 5th, sunny:  It's 73 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  There's a bit of morning overcast, but already it is beginning to clear and I can see blue sky beyond it.  The rising sun and moderate breeze will soon burn and blow away most of the clouds and we will have a mostly sunny day with the high in the upper 80's.

It's time to put in the fall and winter flowers even though it feels hot enough for them to meet the same fate most soft plants so in mid-July and August here.  It still seems a bit strange to me to think of fall and winter as times when blooming plants flourish here.  Snapdragons, pansies, bocopa all prefer our "winters."

I think I saw three robins yesterday.  Are they here already on their winter journey south?  They were feeding on the ground, acted and looked like robins.  If they are, we should soon see large groups of them.

Friday, October 4th, hot again:  It's 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The skies continue to be clear and there's little breeze blowing at present.  we will have another hot day, again near 90 by afternoon.  The promised cool-down is, as always, just a couple of days away on the forecast calendar.  The cooler days have been just a couple of days away for over a week now.

I've noticed several more than usual red-winged blackbirds along the marsh edge recently.  I used to see them near the bridge nearly everyday.  However, over the past year or so, I would see them in that spot infrequently, even thought they were still easily seen in other areas on the island.  It has been a treat to see them once again along the Parkway.

I've also watched a very small warbler in the river birch yesterday and again this morning.  I'm not sure what ilk of warbler--I'll need a field guide for that--but he is sure an active little bird, hopping and flitting from branch to branch.

Wednesday, October 2nd, mostly sunny:  It's 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, clear with little breeze.  It's pleasant out at the moment, but we are headed into hot weather again today with highs near 90.  That's going to be the forecast for the next several days (so much for that predicted cool-down later this week) with tomorrow being the warmest day.  But we are cooling off a bit at night and the humidity is marginally lower.

He Who Must Play Tennis reported seeing one of Kiawah's piebald deer on his (HWMPT's, not the deer's) way to West Beach Tennis one day last week.  The spotted deer are more often seen further east on the island, so it was a surprise to see one at this end.  I can remember the first time I saw one.  My first reaction was that I was seeing a calf!  Second look registered "deer" and I have watched for them since.  I haven't seen a completely white deer, but I keep looking as many have seen one in the past.

The birds are creating quite a ruckus in the understory at the moment.  That always makes me think "snake" or "bobcat."  I always go look and occasionally I can see what the fuss is all about, but most often not.

Tuesday, October 1st, partly sunny:  It's 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:20 this morning.  The brightening sky is shaping up to be clear this morning and the breeze is light.  The humidity level has fallen just a bit, thank goodness, although I would not call it "crisp" just yet!  Lots of sunshine today with highs in the mid-80's.

October--one of my favorite months.  In spite of the long months of March and August--which seem to far outstrip all the other months in length--we seem to reach October with increasing alacrity with each passing year.  October is a month of intentions.  All sorts of new projects are underway, the more clement weather engenders once again the inclination to work in the yard, and, of course, there's the "get a jump on the holidays" intent.  Mainly, though, I find a new interest in riding my bike around the island and just being out in the wonderful Indian summer weather.  Intentions are good, October is better!

Monday, September 30th, sunny:  It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 7:40 this morning and for a change there's early morning blue skies.  I can see the pine trees right along the river marsh dancing in the breeze, but here, 50 feet off the edge, there is only a slight breeze stirring.  Mostly sunny today with an afternoon high in the low to mid-80's.

To our north and west, the colors of autumn are gold and rust and brown with an occasional touch of a nearly impossible to describe orange.  Here in the Lowcountry, especially during October, the colors are purple and yellow as the fall wildflowers put on their show and, later, as the grape vines yellow.

He Who Must Play Tennis is driving north as I write, replete with tennis until at least Tuesday!  He probably won't get to play any this week, but that didn't deter his packing the tennis bag--ever ready, ever prepared!

Saturday, September 28th, a bit more pleasant:  It's 85 degrees on my back porch at 7:00 this morning, a lot more pleasant than yesterday at this time, both in temperature and humidity.  The winds have stilled to just an occasional light stirring of the treetops and there's actually some blue sky beginning to show as we near sunrise. High today will still be in the upper-80's, but should feel a bit more pleasant than the past couple of days.

There are a couple of ongoing irritations that go along with living here--at least they are irritating to me.  One is the long-term, recurring problem of power blips and outages.  They can be only momentary "clicks" or more extended outages from a few minutes on up.  Why?  Our fax machine prints out a message every time there's a power failure, so we have tangible evidence that it happens.  Of course, the light show of flashing digital timing devices throughout the house would also be a clue!

The second irritation--and this one is a more recent event--is the degradation in phone line quality.  When the modem opens the phone line and you can hear the crackling on the line, you already know the internet is not going to be a happy commute.

Is something deficient with our cabling here?  Is it across the island or just in the older sections?  Is Kiawah really as remote as vendors would like us to believe?  We lived in Naples, Italy and actually had more reliable services there.  Of course, water was sometimes in short supply, so I guess there are trade-offs.

Friday, September 27th, hot & humid:  It's 82 very unpleasant degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The remnants of Isidore are racing north very much inland from us, but the winds are definitely up and the humid air is being pumped in.  The afternoon high will be in the upper 80's but feel like the upper 90's and there's a chance of showers.  NOTE:  There is a rip current warning in effect for south-facing beaches (that would be us!) through 4 p.m. today. Even though it's hot, it would be prudent to stay out of the ocean until late this afternoon.

This is not good tennis weather and He Who Must Play has a match at 8:30.  I suspect it will be more like chasing butterflies than tennis balls.  Speaking of butterflies--cool segue, huh!--I have seen several very large ones this past week, before the winds increased so.   Has the Monarch migration already begun?  The largest one I saw was not a Monarch, but perhaps a Swallowtail.

Thursday, September 26th, more showers likely:  It's 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:20 this morning, overcast and very breezy.  Showers are in the forecast again today, perhaps not as intense as the ones we had yesterday afternoon, though. In fact, the clouds are much higher in the sky at the moment and not terribly threatening.  High in the mid-80's.

The wet weather yesterday will have made soggy playing fields for the Property Owners' tennis tournament that is the begin this afternoon.  Breezy sunshine would be a big help right  now.

We had a couple of wildlife sightings coming back home last evening.  He Who Must Play Tennis spotted a wood stork amongst the egrets around the Sea Marsh lagoon and I saw the bedecked Dolly Deerest in the company of a unadorned doe further down the street.  It was good to see her in the company of another deer for a change.

Wednesday, September 25th, mostly cloudy:  It's 72 degrees on my back porch at 7:20 this morning.  We have already had a few early morning showers and there are still some wet-looking clouds blowing about in the moderate breeze.  We should expect a few more clouds during the day and a high around 80.

Work on the Stono River bridge is still at a standstill.  The second crane to topple remains where it landed, the cab bashed a bit and the boom partially submerged.  There's a lot of money in equipment standing idle and the end to the construction extends even further into the future.  What a nightmare this has been for the contractor.

There's a gorgeous, lush patch of morning glories behind the Island Center buildings.  It cheers me every morning as I pull around to the back entrance.  Actually, if you look closely, there are patches of the purple flowers scattered profusely along the roadsides and climbing trees and posts.

Tuesday, September 24th, mostly cloudy  It's 73 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  Look for a mostly cloudy day with the chance of a few showers.  High in the low to mid-80's.

We had a beautiful dawn this morning.  (One of the benefits of the shorter days is that I get to see the dawn more often.)  The sky was pink and gold for a few minutes, impossible sky colors to imagine.  They quickly faded, however, and we are left with gray overcast and a light to moderate breeze.

Molly, the "old lady" of our brood, is attending while I write this morning.  There's much mewing and purring as she alternately begs for attention and then thanks me for it.  She and Miz Bitz have come to some sort of living coalition and rarely torment each other now.  Even Zoë seems to have mellowed a bit.

Monday, September 23rd, mixed:  It's 70 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The forecasters are calling for mostly sunny today, but we have just had a very soft but steady shower, so there's some moisture swirling out there somewhere.  At the moment, it is cloudy with a light to moderate breeze.  High in the low to mid-80's.

Actually, it's an autumnal-looking day out there.  Even though we here in SC are weeks away from anything that resembles traditional autumn, there are a few signs of it.  Some leaves have fallen, but mostly from lack of water rather than decreased temperatures, and the days are noticeably shorter.  I'm looking forward to that first day we can actually call "cool and dry."

Sunday, September 22nd, warm:  It's 68 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning, the sky is clear and the birds are singing.  It's great to be back!  We should have temps in the low to mid-80's today with a scattered shower possible in the afternoon.

There's nothing like a trip to Central Florida in September to make coastal South Carolina seem cool and dry!  It was HOT & HUMID everyday with downpours on several afternoons.  But we had a good visit with friends and took care of some family business also.  The three cats were well-catered in our absence and Molly snubbed us for only an hour or so--Miz Bitz only until she realized we were her only hope for dinner--and Zoë didn't seem to notice we had been gone.

The marsh changed in our absence.  There's a light golden tint stealing across it now and the yellow fall wildflowers are just beginning to show along the marsh edge near the bridge.  There is also a noticeable difference in the quality of the light in the afternoon, or maybe that's more of the contrast to the light in Florida.  In any case, the marsh was a very welcoming sight when we drove in last evening.

Thursday, September 19th, hot, humid:  Hanna has stopped provided us with much-needed rain, but that's okay because Isadore is ready to take over.  Although it was overcast today, it felt very hot (mid-80's), in part because there is so much moisture in the air.  We can probably lighten up on outdoor plant-watering duties for a day or two.   

We had a very pleasant evening with friends and acquaintances old and new, including a visitor from Scotland, at the property owners' dinner at the Sandcastle this evening.  Eighty-some people comprised a good-sized group.  The meal garnered the caterer and his staff a round of applause and everyone went home well fed and seemingly content. 

The island seems quiet, with little activity on the leisure trails.  Perhaps people and critters alike are lethargic as summer draws to a close.  Leaves are beginning to turn here and there.  Where did the summer go?

Note:  Relocation and reconnection have been accomplished, but the camera has yet to be located in one of many boxes.  Eventually we'll have some new photos of the hotel and the bridges, long overdue but perhaps not unwelcome.

Sunday, September 15th, wet again:  Between temperature in the low 80's and rain off and on since last evening, it's humid out at there at 8 PM.  The rain has been mostly drizzly, with a brief period where it came down hard and fast.  The water is very welcome and will revive the resurrection ferns and perk up other Kiawah plants and shrubs.

A participant in the latest spotlight survey reports an average of 40 deer per night, a big decrease from 5 or 6 years ago when 90 was the norm.  The bio-bullet contragestation program seems to be effective.  Also spotted were a good sized fox, near the second gate, and, on Eugenia Avenue, a large male bobcat ( # 993, to be precise )who was not the least concerned about being "in the spotlight." 

Hopefully Hanna has not spoiled your regular weather reporter's vacation in Florida.  Do Disney characters have an aversion to rain?

Saturday, September 14th, cloudy, perhaps wet:  It's 76 just-beginning-to-get-light degrees on my back porch at 6:45 this morning.  The forecasts are filled with predictions of rainy periods today, tonight, and tomorrow--the effects of TS Hanna as it moves up the inland route out to our west.  It's not raining now and we didn't have the rain expected overnight, so I think the weekend could be a mixed bag.  High in the mid-80's.

The bags are packed and the cats, especially Molly and Miz Bitz, are suspicious.  Actually Molly is suspicious, having seen this scenario several times.  Miz Bitz just wants to be inside the bags because she wants to be inside of every bag and box.  Zoë is just on the porch ignoring all of us.

Friday, September 13th, cloudy:  It's 73 partly overcast degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The forecasters are calling for mostly cloudy with thunderstorms for today and tomorrow with slightly cooler temps, in the low to mid-80's.

The mosquitoes HAVE subsided a bit, I'm happy to report, but they haven't disappeared.  So, if you are coming to Kiawah this weekend, pack the repellent.

He Who Must Play Tennis and I will be out of town for a week.  We are looking forward to some time with friends and time to read and play.  I am not taking my laptop computer so I won't be on my back porch every morning, but a friend just might offer some updates now and again, just to keep everyone posted.

Today's big news is that when the crane at the Stono River construction site fell over THIS time, it didn't hit the bridge  Construction has been halted while state authorities investigate, so there shouldn't be any traffics hold-ups for at least a week.

If you will be traveling this weekend, go carefully.  We will.

Thursday, September 12th, Mostly sunny:  It's 74 overcast degrees on my back porch at 8:30 this morning.  We should have a mostly sunny day with slightly cooler temps, mid-80's by afternoon.

The airplanes sprayed for mosquitoes early this morning and even though the smell of insecticide is quite heavy, He Who Must Play Tennis reports that thus far, the spraying has just made the mosquitoes angry.

I have noticed much more bird activity over the past few days and have heard much more birdsong in the mornings.  The blue jays have been particularly active around our house and the trees and understory have been alive with chickadees flitting and hopping from play to place.  Molly finds the activity in the river birch outside our window immensely entertaining and is agitated only when the squirrel appears and they chatter at each other through the closed door.

Wednesday, September 11th, partly cloudy:  It's 72 cloudy degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  It will clear a bit by afternoon and will be very hot today, in the mid- to upper 90's.  Then, we are promised some lovely, cooler weather beginning Thursday and on into the beginning of next week--a nice time to visit.

Incredibly poor telephone lines yesterday made it impossible for me to get on the internet yesterday morning.  Supposedly, we will be DSL-equipped and ready by the weekend.  Hope so!

Obviously, today is a significant one, the one-year anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center.  I have to admit that I approach the day with some ambivalence.  There is no question that the events of 9/11/01changed the world.  There is no question that many individuals and families have suffered unimaginable grief and that as a nation we have also grieved.  There is no question that the day is inexorably burned into history and will be and should be remembered.  The ambivalence arises in that this day of remembering is for so many media-driven, orchestrated, I fear, for show and sound bites and on a fast track to sentimental spectacle.  Solemn observances at the sites, a national moment of silence, and community observances are, I think, very appropriate, but the week-long media build-up to day-long network coverage is a media event.

I hope that sometime today each American does pause to remember what happened.  Beyond that, I hope each of us reflects on what our own responsibility is to see that we move on beyond this past year.  Freedom and life are fragile gifts.  We need to nurture, protect and celebrate both of them.

Monday, September 9th, partly cloudy:  It's a very pleasant 72 degrees on my back porch at 8:0 this morning.  we have a few clouds and a light to moderate breeze, but a little weak sunshine also.  It will remain partly cloudy throughout the day with a high in the mid-80's.

A neighbor reports that Dolly Deerest, our local almost-always-alone tagged and collared doe, has been spotted with another tagged and collared doe.  both were headed into the marsh together, followed closely by fox.  The fox didn't stay around long, but it's good to know that Dolly has a friend.

Yesterday was one to warm the hearts of all the aging sportsters.  Pete Sampras, a youngster to all of us but a crusty veteran amongst most of today's tennis pros, not only made it to the US Open finals, leaving the real youngsters far behind pondering the lessons they were just taught, he won it.  The fact that his finals opponent was Andre Agassi, another 30+ veteran, made it that much sweeter.  You know how much He Who Must Play Tennis enjoyed it!

Sunday, September 8th, pleasant:  It's a very pleasant 72 degrees on my back porch at 8:15 this morning.  The sky is deep blue and the sun is shining, there is a light breeze out of the northeast and everything is shaping up to be a very nice day.  High this afternoon should be in the low to mid-80's.

Two observations to share.  First, the beautyberry (French mulberry) is showing its bright purple fruit now.  Look for it along the bike paths and at the edges of undeveloped areas.  You can't miss it!  Second, I saw the bald eagle back at its nest in the pine tree across from the Sales Center.  I usually take notice of that tree as I return to the island in the afternoon and yesterday at my first view, I thought I saw something white high in the tree, so I took careful note at my next opportunity and, sure enough, there was the eagle, sitting on one of the branches looking out over the marsh.  It still thrills me to see one!

Saturday, September 7th, pleasant:  Actually, it's Friday night about 9 pm and it's 78 degrees on my back porch.  It has been another sunny, hot day, a few isolated sprinkles here and there--typical summer weather for us.  It's very dark out now and there are lots of night sounds, primarily the crickets and one large owl in a tree somewhere over there.  Tomorrow should still be mostly sunny with the high in the low to mid-80's.  As always, there's the chance of a shower, especially in the afternoon.

I noticed while out on my bike that the entrance to the East Beach Conference Center, market and villa office directly across from the East Beach Tennis facility is being removed, curbs and all.  This looks like more than resurfacing.  I suspect that the newly relocated entrance that feeds Parkside as well as the new hotel will also serve as the access to the Conference Center, etc.  Kind of makes the right turn lane that was installed at Sea Forest drive a bit superfluous, I would think.  But then, again, perhaps they are just relocating that old entrance just a bit further down.  I'll watch.

This has been a somewhat sad couple of weeks.  A friend died unexpectedly, another friend has moved not far, but off the island, and yet other friends leave next week to move back to Canada.  A fortnight of leavings and departures that makes the upcoming season even more melancholy that it usually is. There have been so many "leave-takings" over the past few months as many people have moved on from Kiawah and Seabrook.

When we were in the Navy, we were very accustomed to being a constantly changing community, to meeting people, living among them for a while, and then all of us eventually scattering away.  After moving back here in '94 and "settling," I got used to the notion of roots and familiar faces.  I forget sometimes that these islands are in many ways very similar to a military area.  People have come here from somewhere else and they are very likely to be moving on to some other place from here.  Still, it feels different here, so I would like for them all to come back, please!

Thursday, September 5th, mostly sunny:  It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning.  The sky is once again blue and the sun is shining brightly.  The main sound one hears outside is the buzz of voracious mosquitoes!  Mostly sunny day with the ever-present threat of afternoon thunderstorms.  High near 90.

We are going to take our chances with the mosquitoes and head out on a bike ride.  It has been a while since I've been out on the trail because of the rainy weather and I am looking forward to checking on a few of my favorite spots.  The tide's not quite right for a beach ride, but I think I will have to check out the surf situation to see what effect the tropical storm is having on our surf and beach.

We are saddened by the death of Joseph Greatheart, a Seabrook neighbor.  He was a man of quiet dignity, royal mien, genuine warmth, and an abiding love of all New York sports teams (well, not the Mets, definitely the Yankees.)  He was a shop visitor on most Saturdays for the past six years and we were honored by his acquaintance.

Wednesday, September 4th, partly sunny:  It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this morning.  The sky is blue and the sun is shining brightly.  There are even a few birds singing in the day for us this morning.  We will see sunshine, a few clouds, and warm temperatures.  Expect high 80's by afternoon.

We saw Dolly Deerest last night, once again alone and with her yellow ear tags in place.  There is also a doe with a youngster (the fawn has grown enough to lose its spots) in the area between Oyster Rake and Sea Marsh.  I often see them alongside the Parkway and they have bounded across the road in front of me on two occasions.  Please go carefully, not only in that area, but especially in that area.

Tuesday, September 3rd, partly cloudy:  It's 74 degrees on my back porch at 8:00 this morning.  After a light early shower, there is now a good bit of blue sky visible around the less threatening clouds in the sky.  The shower likelihood is much reduced today--albeit still there--and the high should be in the mid-80's.

The tropical storm appears to be content to meander out at sea and perhaps curl back towards Florida.  In any event, it's not a major threat at this point.

The abundant rains have produced some truly magnificent toadstools.  Everywhere you look there are small clumps of them or entire or partial fairy rings.  We saw some yesterday morning that looked to be about 8-10 inched tall and 6-8 inches across the cap.  Plenty big for an elf or fairy to sit on!

Sunday, September 1st--Monday, September 2nd, a bit clearer:  It's 79 degrees on my back porch at 7:30 this evening.  There are still clouds in the sky that mostly obscures the sunset, but there is a wide spot of blue just above me and a setting sun is backlighting the billows.  It is the closes thing we have had to a colorful sunset for over a week, so I'll take it!  There's still a fair chance of showers tonight and tomorrow with a high in the low to mid-80's. 2 pm Update:  We had a beautiful morning with lots of sunshine, but it is raining again now, softly but enough to get