charleston

We have had a small population of very tiny, nimble lizards living in the house over the past few weeks.  I find them charming rather than creepy.  When I first spotted them, I saw three near one of our window air conditioners and they were probably an inch and a half long max.  I’ve now seen several, progressively larger but still wee, around the apartment and even one on the doorknob as I was coming home from work yesterday.

I found one today and he or she was courteous enough to stay put long enough for me to take a few photographs.  Our little guests are Mediterranean geckos, an invasive but harmless species that tends to live in walls.  (Surprise!  I knew that already.)

If they eat bugs, they can stay.

On a separate note, Tropical Storm Hanna is passing just to the east of us, and we’re fine.  Conditions are going to deteriorate as the evening wears on but we’re tucked in for the night.

I went outside with my new 50mm lens for the first time today.  It is a lot faster than my other two lenses.  I shot a series of photos of the camellias in the church yard next door starting at one full stop overexposed to two stops underexposed, and the best of the lot was the two stops underexposed.  It’s going to take some getting used to but in a low light environment, I can definitely see the advantage.  Chopper suggested shooting indoors without flash to get a better sense of it, and I’ll probably use that as my project for tomorrow.

While I have a ton of camellia photos in the gallery already, they never stop being an appealing subject for me.  Nikon D70, ISO 400, f2.0, 1/500, 50 mm.

I also caught sight of a truck driving by with a rather distinctive logo and purpose, and I couldn’t resist taking a photo.  Yes, I looked like a tourist.  Oh, well.

Chopper and I watched the annual Charleston Christmas parade (photos in the gallery as usual) with the usual mixture of delight, amusement, and confusion. First, I’ll say that we have some outstanding marching bands in the area and I always love to hear the police bagpipe band. So very festive. And the Basset Waddle for the Basset Hound Rescue is always charming.

  
But can anyone explain to me why we had a man dressed as a toilet, King Tut (with bubbles), and a personal floatation device in a Christmas parade?

King Tut is my favorite.

Mom, Dad, Chopper, and I spent a gorgeous day outside at Sunrise Park and the Angel Oak. The photo of the day is a butterfly from Sunrise Park. Not sure what kind, but I’m sure someone will tell me. Nikon D70, ISO 400, F5.6, 1/350, 200 mm.

Some other notable photos from today (left-right): My mother the treehugger, a bee, and the miniature regatta in the harbor.
 

In a park between Ashley and Rutledge Avenues, just down from Calhoun, are the ruins of the oldest museum in the United States.  The Charleston Museum is now located on Meeting Street, but there’s something about the few remaining columns and brick walls in the park that catches the eye.  I stopped and took some photos today, and have three photos of the day for you.  They’re all portrait orientation, so they don’t look quite right in a square thumbnail.  Sony Cybershot DSC-P10, ISO 400, see EXIF information on the photos (detail mode) for other details as it varies from shot to shot.