Southern

A bloom that is the southern magnolia,  Magnolia Grandiflora.   It is so gorgeous and has a great smell.    The center piece here will grow into a cone covered with bright red seeds in the fall and will come off the tree. There is a blackened cone on my nature wreath that I posted earlier this week.    

I was talking with my friend Risee last night and we decided we would do a drive today to get more stamps in my state park book.  So we left at 8am with intentions to visit four parks...and we did!     The first park Wateree was a quick drive in, stamp the book and on to the next.    The second park was Landsford Canal which is famous for having an abundance of Rocky Shoals spider lilies that bloom on the islands in the river.   Well, with all the rain we figured it would be really a miracle to see the flowers as we had already seen the river was flooded when we crossed the bridge near the dam.  But we did see a few lilies hanging their heads above water.   I put one photo in the extra (not really great either)  and a photo of the flood gates at the dam open and pouring water out.  The water was not too far below the bridge we were standing on.  

As we came out from Landsford we wanted to stop at a red barn with a white wooden fence around it so Risee could take a photo of it with her "crystal ball" thing.    When we pulled off we saw gravestones in the woods surrounded by a rock wall.   Then we saw the sign.  This graveyard dates back to the 1700s.  There was a path and the gravestones were scattered everywhere. There were probably 50 to 75 stones in the area that was mostly grown up.    A photo of a few of the stones in the extras.

We stopped next at Andrew Jackson park, seventh president of the US.  There was a battle between North and South Carolina as to where Jackson was really born but because he had in his will that he was from South Carolina that is what was decided.   The park is just a few miles from the current NC border so it was possible that he could have been wrong!      Interesting!     The last park was Chester where we did a drive in and a short walk on the fishing pier.  It was getting late and we had a couple hours drive back home.   Plus no stopping for lunch!!

It started out really foggy but by the end of the day it was just perfect weather with some blue sky and clouds.    Probably the last trip for a while as the weather will be hot and humid beginning tomorrow.    We both are not good with being outdoors in that weather!   

A good day!  It certainly helped that Mary Contrary person that was around yesterday!!     She didn't question anything today!!