Friday evening with Pat.

As soon as I came to Charleston, people started asking me if I have read any of Pat Conroy's books. I not-so-recently began reading The Lords of Discipline and I stayed in tonight to continue. 

The Lords of Discipline tells the story of a cadet at the Citadel during the 1960s. It discusses the South, issues of race, old Charleston families, relationships, and growing up, all through the eyes of a young Irish Catholic. The page I photographed here struck me in its discussion of exploring downtown, specifically the area known as South of Broad. I have spent a fair amount of time wandering these same streets in an effort to find familiarity and adventure in the old houses and gardens of the historic neighborhoods. Conroy does a wonderful job capturing the curiosity of Charleston and the great concern people have in maintaining the beauty of the city. "There was no such thing as an insignificant detail, and everything had a name." There may not be a more fitting way to describe this place.

The corner of King and Queen.

I decided that I should explain why I am in Charleston and what I am doing while here. 

In August I was hired by the Preservation Society of Charleston for a ten week internship to help with The Fall Tours. The Tours run throughout the month of October and are the largest annual event and fundraiser for the society. I helped research the tours, prepare historic information, and carry out the event in October. My favorite part of working with the tours was getting to prepare the historical narratives on the featured houses. There were 20 tours, each with five to eight properties, and I got to write the histories for each of the houses. The histories were given to volunteer docents who then presented the information to the tour guests. I helped prepare the research that was provided on the tours and heard by thousands of people. In addition, I got to see quite a few private homes and gardens in Charleston, which aren't typically accessible by the public. Upon the completion of my ten weeks, they asked me to return in January. I happily said yes and have been busy working to prepare the 2014 tours.

And my office is right downtown, on the corner of King and Queen Streets. Doesn't that sound fancy?

It rained today.

Rain fell at a constant pace, not quite a pour but more than a light sprinkle. The sky turned to a dull shade of gray frequently associated with the skies of the United Kingdom. The sunny warmth of yesterday was long gone, so I spent my afternoon in the Charleston Museum.

I apologize for the questionable quality of this photograph; it is hard to take a sharp picture when the objects of choice sit behind glass. The Charleston Museum has a textile gallery which currently features an exhibit titled "Quintessential Quilts." The display includes many completed quilts, but I was drawn to this small introductory display case. I liked the  mix of shapes, patterns, and levels of completion, but I think the real reason that I admired this case was the two round pieces shown at the bottom. 

As a child, my parents' bed was topped with a family quilt. I cannot remember now if that particular quilt was made by my mother or by her mother, as we have quilts from both of them, but I know it was made by one of the two. The quilt features a similar pattern to these pieces shown here, and I will always find comfort in that design. Some patches have a dark green background with sheep scattered on top - my favorite pieces. Sick, scared, or simply not wanting to be alone, childhood Rachel found sleeping to be easier when snuggled under her parent's quilt.

Beach breezes.

At least 360 days of the year, I prefer the mountains to the beach. I crave the mountains the way a North Carolinian craves Cheerwine. There is something magical in a jagged skyline that simply feels like home.

Today, standing along the battery, inhaling comforting sea air and exhaling my stress and anxiety, I couldn't have imagined wanting to be anywhere but here. In Charleston. Charleston, a coastal city where the land is flat, mountains are miles away, and the uneven bricks are the most elevation change one experiences on a two hour walk. Charleston, where February feels like summer. Charleston, where I have learned to love sea food because I get to experience it fresh. Charleston, where the sound of ships in the harbor is no longer startling. Charleston, a city built on filled in marshlands, dependent on barriers that distinguish the sea from the land.

Charleston.

A new idea.

This morning I set out to walk Church Street, East Battery, East Bay, and Broad Street in downtown Charleston to take pictures of some houses I am researching. It was a beautiful day and I found myself taking as many pictures on my phone as I did on the camera for work. Then I had an idea. To both encourage myself to take more pictures and to share some of my pictures with others, I am going to post a picture a day. This may quickly actually turn into a picture every other day, or a picture a week, but it is a good goal to have. I also may not actually end up taking a new picture every day but I days like today will provide plenty of options for the future. It would have been nice if I had thought of this when I first came to Charleston in September or at least when I returned in January, but there's nothing wrong with starting on February 24th. Enjoy.

Here we have half of the William Roper House (left) and half of the house beside it.* Both of these houses survived the Civil War, and records suggest that the people of Charleston gathered on the rooftops and piazzas (what Charleston calls porches) of these homes to view the bombing of Fort Sumter. The green shutters and ironwork of the Roper House captured my interest as soon as I came to Charleston. The house stands out against the stuccoed buildings of the historic district. I also love the story of the house. Looking at it one would never know, but resting among the roof beams is a 500 pound cannon fragment, an artifact of the Civil War. The cannon is so large that is has never been removed. 

*The house to the right is the William Ravenel House. Ravenel gained his pre-Civil War wealth as a shipping merchant and a planter. The house was damaged during the earthquake of 1886, and some of the destroyed columns were never replaced.