CHARLESTON BIRTHDAY "SWELLABRATION" #1.

Jamey sent me these 2 beautiful bowls for my birthday. They are made of polymer clay. I adore them.

I think we had the most spacious and prettiest room at the Vendue Inn. Worth every penny! There was complimentary sherry on the fireplace mantle. Chocolate truffles at turn down service (with a quote of the day and weather forecast) and milk and cookies in the lobby at 9 p.m. And complimentary Starbucks coffee in the a.m...but you hadda go across the street to fetch it. THANKS C.J. and Jamey for getting the coffee.

4 Girls and one bathroom. It worked out pretty well. Glad we had double sinks.

The Vendue is FULL of original art. In the rooms, halls, lobby and everywhere else. We LOVED it.

Girls in sunglasses...C.J., Kay & Jamey. We arrived very hungry and hurried up to the 3 level rooftop bar for drinks and food. Yummy....the pimento cheese and bacon sandwich was REALLY yummy. There were great views of the river. Pretty cool that Kay & I arrived from Austin....C.J. from Dallas and Jamey drove from Augusta, GA....yet we managed to meet up at the airport and cab together to the Historic District.

Porcelain wall art on the rooftop wall.

Every afternoon from 4 to 5 p.m. the hotel offers free wine and cheese etc. It was very relaxing and nice. They also sent up a complimentary bottle of birthday champagne on our first night there....top drawer!

The Vendue Inn is made from a full block of old warehouses and is only a block or two from the water. We stayed in the newly remodeled side pictured here. Across the street is the older side which will be remodeled soon. Nice, small, boutique-y. The staff was sooooo kind and friendly.

This fountain was at the end of the street from our hotel.

Our first night....the sun was setting, the boats were sailin' and we saw a dolphin...a very nice long stroll. We walked all the way down to "rainbow row". It's a block of colorfully painted houses. I missed alot of pictures...we were REALLY tired. That's Ft. Sumter over on the left w/ the flag.

This is the pineapple fountain. It was under renovation when we were there...I was bummed. I took this picture off the internet. Pineapples mean "welcome".

Three of my best girlfriends...we're just missing Patty & Valerie. Flowering window boxes were everywhere in Charleston.

Kay had a great time greeting most of the dogs we saw downtown...and there were alot of dogs of all kinds. She's saying "Hi" to Franklin. Everybody was walking their pups and taking them to a nearby dog park.

There were lots and lots of gas lights on the streets...both at private residences and commercial places.

Sweetgrass baskets etc. at the market. This is an old, old part of the lowcountry. Now it's considered an art form and very collectible and very expensive. They are very tightly woven and the patterns are intricate.

Our hotel also offered bicycles to ride for free....free is good. Nice bikes. We didn't partake.

Little boxes of chocolates in our hotel room. I had the "we're swell" buttons especially made since it was my birthday swellabration.

A view from the hotel rooftop. Again....don't miss that pimento cheese and bacon sandwich....I'm going to make it at home! We found pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, grits & she crab soup on almost every single menu. (I passed on the grits.)

We went to the market that has been there for a couple of hundred years. You can find ANYTHING at the market. This lady had melted records...which I've done but hers look alot better than mine did.

A PET'S WISH.....

This little Boo-Boo...boxer mix and his brothers and sisters are ready for adoption...he's a "snoopy"...yes?

APW made the teensiest dent in our dog inventory this week.

Five dogs were adopted this week. One is not pictured.

This puppy Brutus was the last pup left of his litter not to be adopted. He was SO sad without his brothers and sisters. This nice couple from the Air Force Base took him home...to be a playmate for their other APW dog (Leo). THANKS!!!

It's "Munch"!

This dog came to us more dead than alive...but not to worry...the story has a good ending. A Border Patrol person found her wandering and starving and very sick out in the middle of nowhere. She had been dumped.

This is Sandy now. She was so sucked dry by fleas and ticks that she had to have a blood transfusion!! She is gaining a bit of weight but is still weak in her back legs from 'tick fever'. Look at those baby blues!! She's a VERY sweet doggie.

A PET'S WISH BENEFIT AT VAL VERDE WINERY.....

This cute, little mostly white dawg found her forever home last night. Not sure about the others as I left the event early.

The oldest winery in Texas...since 1883. It's in our 'hood'.

This is my friend John who runs the 'front of the house' at APW. He co-ordinates EVERYTHING! And his sweet service dog Sawyer AKA Bean.

Haha....this is tiny Peaches who was rescued from inside a lawnmower last week at Home Depot. The kind employees there took off a wheel to get her 'unstuck'. That's right....she's hanging out in a birdcage.

Some of my art at the silent auction. I think the painting sold but I'm not sure....or about the other stuff either. We had SO many GREAT donations for the silent auction.

Inside the winery....an old grape press.

We had so many people donate lovely food and sweets etc. Meatballs, cheese, tons of fruit, bacon wrapped dates, pasta salad etc.etc.

Some history about the winery.

Wine vats. They grow olive trees there too.

Nice painting. Olive oil & award winning wine.

Tables set up out back w/ grape vines. Wish that sun would hurry and go down...it was hot.

This is a cool idea. It's the wine pull! You pay $10. and pick a bottle to pull. Some are empty and some aren't. Good luck!

What a wonderful collection of gift baskets for the silent auction! Whatever didn't sell last night will be featured at another fundraiser at the end of October.

The D.J. did a good job of playing just the right kind of music. The event was well attended. I took pictures before it started.

Boxer mix puppies that will be ready to adopt in a week or so.

This sweetheart has been waiting a long time for someone to adopt her. Wacky ear....cute face. The ear is just a momentary thing.

Wine pull again...look at that cute pup-pup in the background.

These 'cages' are like little gazebos and really neat for showing the dogs during events. Easy to transport, unfold and set up. There were a group of cats there last night too. Ainsley wants to go home with you! Thanks everybody who came out there last night and to everybody who made it happen!!

SEPTEMBER STUFF.....

I donated this painting for the silent auction...see more about that below.

My neighbor's Sago Palm is going to bloom. It's about 30 years old...it's unusual for them to bloom.

Gourd #6 is done and will be in the silent auction tomorrow night at the local winery...we are having a big fundraiser for A Pet's wish.

Well, this is out of focus. I also donated a painting, 2 bottlecap snakes and 2 painted mask thingies.

Harold says that fall might be on the way. He will be 15 years old in October.

Willie says that Gene needs a new gardening hat.

Cherry in her sleeping bag.

A drone pic of the east side of Cozumel island. I said I wouldn't go there again...but am thinking of a solo trip in early November. I can go 6 nights...airfare and stay at darlin' Alicia's B&B for under $550.

The west side of the island....should I go one more time?

This cute little pup-pup is looking for a forever home. She's at A Pet's Wish. We are lucky to have a volunteer...talented...photographer.

I'm in love with this dog. I have a hard time walking past her every time I'm at APW. Her owners just left her there because they moved and couldn't have a dog at their new place. She looks so worried and nervous and doesn't know why she's there and when are her parents coming to get her? I hold her sometimes.