Our Amaryllis Bloomed Beautifully

 Amaryllis can be so REWARDING!

On April 3, I made this photo of our Amaryllis in the veranda.

It had three blooms on a rather thick stem!

You can see our Delftware houses on the ledge in the window.

A collection from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines over the years...

On April 16, this photo got taken.

 After we'd returned from Charleston, a second stem had come up with three more huge blooms!

Amaryllis are so rewarding and we got this already for years, see links below post.

Related links:

{Gift Amaryllis Fully Blooms on Mom's Birthday in Heaven} | previous post by me

{Amaryllis Stargazer Blooms in Our Wood Garden} | previous post by me

Arthur Ravenel Bridge and Angel Oak Tree

 When staying in a lovely hotel and enjoying day after day exciting trips, time is FLYING...

Our departure day did arrive...

Just had to capture this Arthur Ravenel Bridge.

 So I crossed the Cooper River by car onto Mount Pleasant and turned right for standing behind Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston.

The height of the two pylons is 175 meters and the total length of the bridge is 4 kilometers. 

It is the 3rd longest such span for a cable–stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

The design is done with the frequent natural disasters in mind; the bridge can withstand gusts of wind in excess of 480 km/h and earthquakes rated 7.4 on the Richter Scale.

Taken while driving over the actual bridge...

There are 8 lanes, four in each direction and also lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

What a marvel; it got opened in 2005.

In about half an hour, we arrived at St. John's Island at the ANGEL OAK TREE

It is HUGE and you can read more about it here: Angel Oak® | Charleston, SC – Official Website ←click link.

Circumference is 25.5 feet or 7.77 meter. 

It is the largest Live Oak Tree east of the Mississippi estimated to be 300 to 400 years old.

It is named after the owners Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel whose family owned the land in the 1800s and 1900s.

Charleston County purchased the land in 1991.

Houmas House the Sugar Palace in Darrow, Louisiana | ←click previous post by me with huge Quercus Virginiana or Live Oak Trees

Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana | ←click previous post by me with huge Live Oak Trees

Same photo but now cropped...

Me in front of this giant wearing my Escada stretch pants and boots; seen here: →click {Happy with my Escada Stretch Pants}

It was quite dark from this giant!

Now Pieter stands in front of one of the branches that are laying down.

Do you see to the left those two wooden poles, to support these huge branches?

It is really hard to capture its enormous size...

Pieter wore his Zegna summer jeans.

There were lots of people when we were there.

Again, perfect blue sky.

Now the 3.5 hour drive home for picking up our tax papers at the CPA and for making it in time for early choir practice for Holy Thursday...

Below is the short Relive video from drive over bridge and to Angel Oak Tree; enjoy!

Got to cross the Cooper River and the Ansley River...

Forest Tent Caterpillar Tried to KISS me at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

While at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, we sat on a bench outside and enjoyed our slice of cranberry nut bread with butter on it.

It was a surprise to suddenly notice this critter walking 'UP' to me!

Put him/her back on my knee but the race up to my LIPS started anew...!

Up it came and FAST.

Did pick it up and placed it on the picnic table and we left.

Guess it CRIED

What would you have done?

Only later of course, I figured out that this was a Forest Tent Caterpillar or Malacosoma disstria

Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth

Malacosoma disstria Hübner, 1820 ←click link for more images.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens also has a Zoo and Nature Center 

So after the Caterpillar tried to KISS me, that is where we went next...

What a beauty of a Peacock in Pieter's favorite color blue, as he can distinguish it well, being color blind...

The Indian Peafowl is one of the most colorful species of bird.

The males, called peacocks are well known for their courtship displays in which they fan their long colorful trains in order to impress females.

Well, this one did show quite a lot of its colorful train!

What a majestic bird!

A groundhog sitting up... had to zoom in through the wire.

Wire visible later with Bobcat photos.

Elegant deer, and there even was one roaming freely around. At one time it was nudging my hand, where I held the iPhone, while I read some information... 

This turtle was HUGE, an African Spurred Tortoise...

A barn owl...

And a Bobcat and here I could not walk up to the wire for capturing it through there... out of protection there was another wooden fence I guess.

When I used my usual kitty call, it turned its head and we could admire its majestic 'grand' kitty face!

They live in Georgia as well.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens has a lot to be seen and is educative for children as well!

Hope you enjoyed your virtual visit without getting 'KISSED'...

Related link:

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens with Nature Train Tour | previous post by me