Georgia – Page 6 – Wandering Dawgs

Camellias make me happy

February 5, 2020Posted in Flowers, Georgia, NatureTagged Camellias, Coastal Georgia garden, garden, Gardening, Georgia garden, weekly smile, White Camellia, Winter Blooms12 Comments

I fell in love with Camellias last year when I saw them blooming during my Adventure in Bonaventure.

I have an old Camellia in my yard that my next door neighbor passed on to me many years ago. I didn’t know what I was doing and just stuck it in the ground and hoped for the best. For years I would only get a few flowers each year. A few years ago it was covered with the white blooms in January and February. Seeing those blooms always make me smile.

White Camellia Bloom February 2020

New bloom

White Camellia

When the Camellia is blooming I like to have flowers all around the house.

I enjoy those winter blooms so much that I decided to plant some more Camellias. Last Friday I drove across town to visit a nursery that specializes in Camellias. I spent about an hour with the owner as he told me everything I needed to know about how to plant and care for them. He helped me select three bushes that should do well in my yard – a pink High Fragrance, a gorgeous white Sea Foam, and a red and white variegated Bobbie Fain.

It took me two days to decide exactly where I wanted to put them. Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl I dug three holes and followed the instructions on how to plant my new plants. There are buds on each of them.

Bud on newly planted Bobbie Fain Variegated Camellia

High Fragrance next to the front stairs

It was a lot of work digging those three holes but it was worth it! Seeing the plants in their new home makes me happy.

This post was inspired by the Weekly Smile over at Trent’s World. What made you smile this week?

Throwback Thursday #18 – January 30, 2012

January 30, 2020January 29, 2020Posted in Georgia, Nature, RVing, State ParksTagged Memories, Okefenokee Swamp, snowbirding, snowbirds, Throwback Thursday12 Comments

We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips. This January I am highlighting our January, 2012 snowbird trip to Florida.

Part 5 of our January, 2012 RV trip around Florida

After enjoying our stay in Alafia State Park, we spent a few days in Salt Springs in the Ocala National Forest before stopping at one of our all time favorite campgrounds on our way north. On this day eight years ago, January 30, 2012, we were camped at Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo, Georgia in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It was our last stop before going home.

We had camped there several times before but this stay at the park was quite different from our other visits. In 2011, a wildfire burned for days in the area and a lot of the woods were badly burned.

As we the drove the last few miles to the park entrance we were saddened to see the devastation caused by the 2011 wildfire.

20120130 Stephen C Foster (3) — Stephen C Foster State Park after 2011 wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp

The fire also destroyed part of the walkway through the nature trail.

20120130 Stephen C Foster (2) — Stephen C Foster State Park after 2011 wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp

We returned to the park several times after the fire and the area is recovering nicely. There are pictures from our 2018 visit at The Land of Trembling Earth.

It was great fun wandering around Florida that year. Except for a few cold days in the early part of the trip, most of the days were warm and sunny. We even had a few days when we could wear shorts!

We were gone for 36 days and went a total of about 3000 miles and have lots of good memories.

Lens-Artists #70: Monochrome

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019Posted in Georgia, PhotographyTagged Bonaventure Cemetery, Lens-Artists, monochrome, Photo Challenge, Savannah25 Comments

This week, Patti has challenged us to explore the world of monochrome using black and white, sepia, or different shades of the same color.

For this challenge I went through my archives and chose photos of scenes in Savannah, Georgia. Converting the photos to black and white added a bit of mystery to them. The photo above is of stone steps leading from Bay Street to River Street along the Savannah River.

The Forsyth Park Fountain is one of Savannah’s most well know sights.

20090427Tybee-and-Savannah-(31) — Forsyth Park Fountain in Savannah, Georgia

Bonaventure Cemetery is always an interesting place to visit. Seeing it in black and white adds a little more drama.

20140401-Bonaventure-(56) — Military graves at Bonaventure Cemetery

20140401-Bonaventure-(117) — Bonaventure Cemetery

20140401-Bonaventure-(135) — Bonaventure Cemetery

Perhaps one of the most famous homes in Savannah is the Mercer House made famous by the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good of Evil.”

20171029Shalolm-Yall-(14) — Mercer House, Savannah, Georgia

Many thanks to Patti for this weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Monochrome

October in Coastal Georgia

October 29, 2019Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Flowers, Georgia, Nature, SunriseTagged autumn, Butterfly Garden, Coastal Georgia, Georgia on my mind, Gulf Fritillary, Ibis, salt marsh, White Ibis15 Comments

October is one of my favorite months in coastal Georgia. The weather is finally cooling off, the sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous, and you never know what birds will show up to feed in the marsh.

I’ve been seeing gorgeous morning skies at sunrise.

20191017-Morning-Sky-(5) — Coastal Georgia Sunrise

The cooler temperatures are perfect for taking a morning walk.

20191005-Span-Ham-Morning-(8) — Coastal Georgia Salt Marsh

I need to clean out the dying plants from my butterfly garden but I decided to wait before pulling them up. As long as there are butterflies stopping by for some nourishment the plants will stay.

20190911-Fritillary-(10) — Gulf Fritillary on Mexican Sunflower

Large flocks of White Ibis have been feeding in the salt marsh around our neighborhood.

20191021-Ibis-(34) — Juvenile White Ibis

Throwback Thursday #9 – October 17, 2017

October 17, 2019October 16, 2019Posted in Georgia, North Carolina, RVing, WaterfallsTagged autumn, Memories, Nantahala National Forest, Scenic Drive, Scenic drives, Throwback Thursday8 Comments

We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.

We spent this day two years ago, October 17, 2017, on scenic mountain roads visiting waterfalls in Nantahalla National Forest in North Carolina, and Sylvan Falls in Georgia.