Photos provided by The listing agency: The Lachicotte Company through CCRA.

​The pictures below were from the 2019 Boat Parade. (Of course, Covid-19 wiped out the 2020 festivities.) The 36th annual Murrells Inlet Boat Parade took place on the 4th of July.  Thousands were in attendance.  
This year’s theme was "Liberty, Justice and a good time for all!" 
The idea is that boats can enter for $5.00. Starting at the point of Garden City Beach, folks make their way south Murrells Inlet.  Preferred viewing areas are along the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, Belin United Methodist Church and Morse Park Landing.   My images were taken along the Marshwalk.
Most in attendance were showing their patriotism, dressed in red, white and blue! Kids and animals were especially festive despite the sizzling temperatures. That’s when the water sprays and hoses turned loose on the viewers felt especially welcome!
Maybe in one of the coming years, we will decorate a boat and participate from the other side!

I love it when the night sky coincides with family visiting from "Up North!" I could TELL them how beautiful it is... but to see it in person is the BEST!

Mother nature puts on a show. You just stand there and the sky changes every 30 seconds.

Always the first Saturday of May, the "Blessing of the Inlet" did not disappoint.  Thousands were in attendance for a church service offering a blessing for the inlet and the community of people who live in the area. In its 23rd year, the festival takes place on the grounds of the Belin (pronounced: Blane) Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Various charities and service organizations were present in booths in addition to food trucks, performers, children's events and an animal adoption program across the street. 

The idea for the event came from a Sunday school class back in 1997.
It was a beautiful moment, for me, as all gathered gave The Pledge of Allegiance AND sang The National Anthem... in a church service no less! It was a blessing to witness such unity in a group.

From the program book:
​
What a blessing Murrells Inlet has been in the lives of many. Families and fishermen alike have been experiencing the salty nostalgia the permeates this friendly historical community. Strolling among moss draped oaks shadowing the warm summer days... feeling the crisp crunch of oyster shells beneath sanded feet, inhaling the swirling aromas of salt marsh and seafood while high tides gently lap against the boardwalk... hearing the far off cry of gulls blowing in from the sea blending harmoniously with the season's first chords of beach music...
NOTHING could be finer than to be in this part of Carolina.

​I agree.

Here's a fact: the "Carolinas" are crazy about their sweet potatoes.

​The root vegetable is the state veggie of North Carolina and Mississippi has been dubbed "The Sweet Potato Capital of the World" But the ruby red that comes from the soils of South Carolina have captured this New Englander's heart. (Pie, pudding, casserole, spirals or mashed with butter, marshmallows, maple syrup or pecans - I love it every way.)
Every year the town of Darlington, SC shuts down to honor the tuberous vegetable with a festival of its own featuring products and foods made from sweet potatoes, lots and lots of sweet potatoes. I am going to make a point of visiting the festival in the fall of 2019. In the meantime, I've been digging up some back story on the historic aspects of the of the vegetable.

Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America, but they managed to travel across the Pacific by 1000 AD. This is a curious fact that scientists have uncovered through plant DNA studies. It seems that Europeans, from Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage onward, were responsible for many of the food transfers between continents.

After Columbus, it took just over 50 years for the tomato, a native of Peru, to reach Italy where the sauce-loving Italians were recommending it be fried in oil with salt and pepper, according to Laphams Quarterly. (The British thought tomatoes smelled and were poisonous.)

But, 400 years before Columbus, the sweet potato managed to travel 5,000 miles across the Pacific from South America to Polynesia, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

How did that happen?

The sea-faring Polynesians may have accomplished the daunting voyage, which would have been like traveling to the moon without knowing the moon was there. The voyage would have taken months. DNA research suggests the Polynesians landed on the west coast of South America and took some sweet potatoes home.  Suffice it to say, these roots have roots.

According to April McGreger, author of Sweet Potatoes, A Savor the South cookbook, she says that all Southerners owe their lives to sweet potatoes.  
“Without sweet potatoes, we would’ve probably starved at some point or another, particularly during and after the Civil War.”  
She goes on to say that the sweet potato is one tough root. It’s thought to possibly be the oldest cultivated crop in the world. While it originated in Central or South America, sweet potatoes were later introduced to the southeastern United States and grown by Native Americans.  As Europeans settled into the Palmetto state,  the tasty crop became a cornerstone in sustenance farming. The sandy soil that is a hallmark of our region was ideal for sweet potato growth. 
The nutritious vegetable was especially important to slaves working under harsh conditions. Beneath their cabins, they had root cellars in which they stored sweet potatoes through harsh winter months. But in many ways, not only did these sweet potatoes feed their bodies, they fed their souls.

“When enslaved Africans were brought over, the slave ships were provisioned with African yams, which are not at all what we think of as yams here in the United States,” McGregor says. 
The continent’s yams are starchy and nearly the size of a football. Originally, the plan was to grow these yams in the South, but they didn’t survive the climate. Sweet potatoes — which were less sweet and not as orange as we know them today — worked as a substitute and reminded them of home.

During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers, who moved from battle to battle, often had to scavenge for their own food and would rely on the sweet potato greens that they stumbled upon.
Into the 20th century, sweet potatoes were associated with poverty as oftentimes it was all some people had to eat.

​Sweet potatoes have continued to sustain the lives of farmers in recent decades. When the tobacco industry took a hard hit, many farmers turned to growing the sweet potato, an equally hardy crop, as a way to stay in business.

Since 1971, North Carolina has been the nation’s top producer of sweet potatoes, supplying about half of the nation’s annual crop. While South Carolina does not produce the volume of crop compared to the north, agriculture remains the number one industry. Farming is expected to reach $50 billion in economic impact by 2020,” 

​Photo Credits:
PHOTOGRAPH BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Author KATIE QUINE, Our State, What is the History of the Sweet Potato?

The photo above was taken in November of 2017 of the Angel Oak on John's Island, just south of Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo Credit: Tony Rice.) The tree is estimated to be 400-500 years old although some contend it is closer to 1500 years old. Age aside, It stands 66.5 feet tall and measures 28 feet in circumference. The shade it produces covers 17,200 square feet and the longest branch is 187 feet long.
WOW!
The oak derives its name from the estate of Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel. Local folklore tells stories of ghosts of former slaves appearing as angels around the tree.  In September of 2018, Allstate Insurance built a TV commercial around the tree called "Still Standing" saluting the strength of the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence.
Watching it now brings tears to my eyes.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dMjh/allstate-still-standing

Another stand of oak tress closer to home is located at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC. The oak trees of "Live Oak Allee" were planted in the 1700's when the property consisted of 4 rice plantations. A visit to Brookgreen Gardens is worth the trip any time of year.
My bottom line is that you can't help but gaze at them in awe. The grand live oak trees that align the highways, back roads and parks across this area take my breath away. I often find myself wondering... How old is that tree? Did that grand white oak tree in the woods live through the Civil War?  A white oak can live up to 300 years. So it's possible. 
I have learned how to figure out the age of a tree and wanted to share it with you. (You know, one of those nerdy trivia things you can now do on a hike to impress friends and grand children!)
You can easily calculate the age of any tree including a white oak if you know its circumference and growth factor.
All trees grow at different rates and I have supplied the growth rate factors of various trees below.

In a recent story published in the Wall Street Journal and excerpted by Business Insider, the findings are sobering to those of us on the later end of the "baby boom" generation. As a refresher, I'll mention that spectrum runs from the years 1946 to 1964. My brother Glenn and I are 16 years apart and fall into both ends of that 18 year span.

While Glenn and I can agree that we grew up thinking that more IS more when it came to our dreams of home ownership over the years, it is clear that my offspring have different ideas. Millennials just don't want the same types of homes us baby boomers did.

"Millennials and baby boomers make vastly different lifestyle choices, from marriage and family to how they spend their money. The two generations have different tastes in homes. Millennials aren't buying the large, elaborate houses built by boomers in Sunbelt states." The Wall Street Journal has reported. 

Boomers are looking to downsize, but millennials aren't interested in their homes.
I see that glaringly apparent in my youngest daughter, a self-declared minimalist. Whereas I purchased my first home in Hamden, Connecticut at age 24, and saw home ownership as a stepping stone to "bigger things," she could care less at this point in her life. Living for right now means she shares an apartment with 4 others in an upscale area of Boston and lives for world travel, meaningful experiences and a Whole Foods shopping cart. She does not equate "acquisition" with true happiness, and that includes a home of her own. Whereas I felt a home "grounded me," on the road to adulthood, she says the life of a wealthy nomad is her key to happiness. Home ownership is not a selling point. My guess is that sentiment is founded in the fact that she has student loan debt to pay off and entry in the Boston housing market is out of reach... so why bother wanting what you can't have, right now? And what looks like rebellion of the old ways is just millennial economic common sense. Millennials may want homes deep down, the economics are not there for them to obtain the dream.

But when they DO PURCHASE, what they want is very different than generations before them.
 
"Homes built before 2012 are selling at steep discounts — sometimes almost 50%, and many owners end up selling for less than they paid to build their homes," Candace Taylor wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

"These days, buyers of all ages eschew the large, ornate houses built in those years in favor of smaller, more modern-looking alternatives, and prefer walk-able areas to living miles from retail," Taylor wrote. "Design trends have shifted radically in the past decade," Taylor wrote in The Journal. "That means a home with crown moldings, ornate details and Mediterranean or Tuscan-style architecture can be a hard sell, while properties with clean lines and open floor plans get snapped up. "In addition to their love of open floor plans, millennials are known for being partial to minimalist, low-maintenance designs and sleek, discreet appliances."

Scratching my head, will sturdy, dark stained, knotty pine ever be "hip" again?

There is a development in the greater Myrtle Beach area that is worth a look, or two or three if you are searching for compact living, new construction and a community with plenty of fresh air space. Engineered for all generations and incredibly appealing to millennial, first-time home buyers and young families I would love to show it to you.

"A true urban village community. In one perfect place, you can shop at the country’s best local and national retail stores, have a fabulous meal, see the latest movie, stroll by the lake or take a quick bike ride to the beach." In my opinion, the millennial urge to have it all may have met its match and the young at heart generation (70+) can skip to their beat and keep up with the grand kids.

For more reading, check out the story links below.​
https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-vs-baby-boomers-big-houses-real-estate-market-problems-2019-3
www.wsj.com/articles/a-growing-problem-in-real-estate-too-many-too-big-houses-11553181782
Photo Credit: The Market Commons

You know the answer: They both bloom in spring. About 40 percent of home sales will be taking place from now to June, when the spring season gets people motivated to find a house, move and settle in before fall.

April is the time to get your home in tip-top condition to sell. According to an ATTO Data Solutions analysis of 14.7 million home sales from 2011 to 2017, the best month to sell a home is May, when market values rise an average of 5.9 percent. But, according to Forbes, the best single day to sell a home is June 28, when prices rise about 9.1 percent.

Meanwhile, according to Zillow estimates, home values are going up. In October 2018, the median list price per square foot was $140. In January 2019, it was $150. Zillow predicts home values to rise 6.6 percent in 2019, forecasting a lucrative market.

Bargain home shoppers may be out of luck in 2019. The number of homes foreclosed in September 2018 was 1.2 per 10,000. Compare that to the middle of the housing crisis in June 2009 when 6.28 homes were foreclosed per every 10,000.

Meanwhile, the international enthusiasm for home sharing has sparked a new interest in buying second homes. In this new home sharing economy, a vacation home may pay for itself down the road. According to Hampton Peace, owner of Peace Sotheby's International Realty of Pawley's Island, South Carolina, he says the key is to treat it like a business.
"A second home rental may help offset the maintenance and expenses of a home which will go through much more wear and tear over the course of the year with multiple tenants. Depending upon your market entry price point, you have to evaluate carefully,"  but he says "there are some deals to be found."

In any case, here's the overall outlook for spring from S&P CoreLogic and others: On the plus side, very good jobs reports and high growth in the Gross Domestic Product, plus a mostly up (though somewhat bouncy) stock market, says the basic foundation for home buying is good. Prices are expected to rise early this spring as the new Millennial shoppers buy their first home.

I have read through an article by Devon Thorsby of US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT about uncertianty in the market and pulled some of the highlights I found interesting for sellers. If you’re weighing your options to sell, considering selling this year or maybe the year after, don’t play the waiting game. Selling in 2019 vs. 2020 and political uncertainty may drive the real estate seller's market. Capturing lower mortgage interest rates may favor buyers to act now.

​Homeowners looking to sell should consider 2019 a prime opportunity to cash in.

"If not selling your home in 2019 means putting your house on the market in 2020, the sooner option is the best one. In a survey of 100 U.S. real estate experts and economists by real estate information company Zillow, released in May, almost half expect the next recession to occur in 2020. Another 14 percent believe the recession will hold out until 2021, while 24 percent of panelists expect the recession earlier – sometime in 2019.
Here are four reasons to sell your house in 2019:

• New buyers are still entering the market.
• Interest rates are still on the lower end.
• You have high equity.
• Selling now will be better than waiting till 2020.

With available housing inventory remaining low, even with rising interest rates, buyers who are ready to make a purchase will still shop for homes. The biggest wave of new home buyers will be among millennials, who are mostly first-time buyers. In a Harris Poll survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by real estate information company Trulia, more than one-fifth of Americans between ages 18 and 34 said they plan to buy a home within the next 12 months. Already, millennials make up the largest share of home buyers at 36 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors, which released the number in March 2018. The bottom line: While houses may sit on the market for a few more days on average compared with 2017 when the market was white-hot, buyers remain active and it’s still possible to profit from your home sale."
To read the full story please click the link below:
https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/why-you-should-sell-your-home

You just know when Spring has sprung along the Grand Strand. 
After a week of temperatures in the low to mid 60's and abundant sunshine waking up the landscape, the snapping turtles start to merge and you see dozens of them perched on the grassy slopes of ponds. The camellias have been on full display for over a month, clusters of daffodil trumpets are releasing fragrance and the azaleas are starting to blossom.
But the big "tell" is golf. It's like March 1 rolls around and hibernation is officially over. 
Walking around TPC Myrtle Beach today was a breath of fresh air.  The course was in great shape. The grass was lush and green. And you could not help but notice, Dustin Johnson was in town. His golf tournament that is. (Earlier in the week he was in town along with Darius Rucker and Hootie and the Blowfish band members, inducted into the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame.)
The 4th Annual Dustin Johnson Junior World Golf Championship was underway as some of the best female and male junior golfers in the world competed in a PGA tour-like experience. The event was free to attend.
We overheard an alligator was spotted in one of the ponds on the course.
​Spring has sprung, indeed!

​​Overcast skies did not hamper our attendance at the 6th annual Grand Strand ORIGINAL Oyster Roast and Bloody Mary Contest Held in the parking lot of Wicked Tuna in Murrells Inlet.  I love the fact that there is ALWAYS something going on along the Marsh Walk, and if not, grab a drink and rock away the afternoon at Bubba Love!
Thousands were in attendance on Sunday. The music was blasting from a porch above the crowd. It was a full day of Live Music, All-U-Can-Eat Oysters, Local Craft Brews, Vendors, Food Trucks, and some of the best Bloody Mary's on the beach sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Fetzer Wine, and New South Brewing.  Visitors could sample Bloody Mary's mixed by local families, clubs, businesses, and restaurants with a variety of recipes and garnishes.
We did not get into the oyster shucking, but I was impressed that oyster shells were collected by South Carolina DNR and will be used to replenish local oyster beds. Over 50 local artists, merchants, chefs, and non-profits offered everything from handmade clothing and jewelry to stained glass and shoppers were encouraged to bring their own shopping bags.
Proceeds from the day's event provided funds for environmental education and ocean friendly projects along the Grand Strand. Surfrider Grand Strand is a registered 501C3 non-profit organization.

It was a great way to ring in 2019 and celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary! Charleston is my new FAVORITE southern city. (Boston will always be near and dear to my heart.) The festivities began with a horse drawn carriage ride around the city. I love the architecture and the churches. For dinner we dined at High Cotton. The meal was absolutely outstanding. Then, a boat trip to watch fireworks on the Spirit of Charleston. The next day we walked around the city, toured the market and stopped for delicious bloody Mary's. The park was particularly pretty with dozens of people out wandering.

The tour company we used was Palmetto Carriage Tours.
I never tire of listening to the interesting stories and the antidotes the guides add to their historic narratives. One of the stories was about the significance of the PINEAPPLE in Charleston history.

One of the best parts of living here is the PURE JOY you feel when friends come to visit and they fall in love with the area too! My BEST FRIENDS, Pam and Phil, from New Hampshire visited in October of 2018. We ventured out one morning to watch the sunrise at Huntington Beach State Park... the pictures say it all.