What a delightful way to spend a weekend.  In Charleston, South Carolina with all the sights, sounds, fragrances and beauty that the south  has to offer.  And very nice weather today to top it off.  I managed to take almost 100 pictures over the last three days.  Where do I begin?  Well, the wisteria has been blooming everywhere and that makes me think of Bill and Margie and the beautiful wisteria that blossoms all along the trellis outside their patio door.  It grows wild here and takes over other trees.

 

Doyle and I both had a very busy week with everything that is going on in the mission.  The number of missionaries coming in is crazy.  We will increase our missionaries by more than a third.  When President Holm came out about a year and a half ago there were 125 missionaries in this mission.  By the time the big surge is over we will have 274 or more.  Office work has increased proportionately with records, cars and apartments.  I'm spending lots more time in the finding mode.  I talked with many people about what will work best and go to many towns to check out potential leads.  I try very hard to narrow down the leads in the office first.  Last week I went to a small town, met the local police, the mayor and his wife and the local land baron.  Eventful day, but no apartments for rent...in fact there are no apartments or duplexes in the town.  With the help of the local relief society president, I have a lead and an appointment on Monday.  This month alone, I will open up six new apartments and set them up for missionaries for next transfer.

Coming to Charleston was a last minute decision.  One of our senior couples who went home last month lived in Goose Creek which is about 12 miles from Charleston.  The apartment is vacant and President Holm told us that we could come down and stay while it is empty.  I'm keeping the calendar for it's use and it was not being used by anyone else, so we decided to use it. It won't be long and it will be too hot to do long tourist days, so now is the time.

Yesterday was pretty cloudy and windy, But we went to Patriots Point to see the battleship, submarine and carrier that are there.  All day!  Three ships!  Doyle loves it.  If we go anywhere that has a carrier to visit, we go.  This picture shows a member of the local SWAT team rappelling down the side of the USS Laffey.

This little plane is one that the Japanese used in WWII for kamikaze pilots.  It was very interesting, with the emphasis being on WWII, but at one point when we were way down in the ship in small, cramped quarters, claustrophobia got the best of me and I had to go out to the car for awhile.  It's an awful feeling.  This next picture gives you an idea.  Doyle could not stand square shouldered and get through the passageway!!

 

Yep, that's me in the pilots seat!

Doyle's message here was "Baptize and confirm!"

 

After a full day of being blown around like crazy, we went down to King Street for dinner at Joe Pasta.  King Street is a very busy place with lots of people going out for dinner and special events including sorority dinners.  Lots of dresses and high heels.  Doyle and I talked about the world and how there are so many things to tempt us to step off the straight and narrow path.  We dined outside and it was quite nice.  We had a very nice waitress who took our picture and then talked with the two young men who were setting up the valet service for the evening.

 

The young man on the right is Ryan who is working his way through college.  He is studying business and math.  He wants to be in business for himself some day.  I'm sure he will.  Very capable young man.  In the meantime he works as a valet attendant.

We really had no intention of getting desert until the waitress told us they had bread pudding and we both love that, so we split one.

Today was plantation day.  We went to the Boone Hall Plantation.  I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.  This is still a working plantation and they grow many crops, make many tourists happy and have lots of weddings and other functions on the grounds.  Three different movies have used the plantation for some of their scenes.

These are 300 year old Live Oak trees that line the driveway.  They are covered in Spanish moss.

This is the plantation home, but not the original one.  This one was built in the 1930's.

This Gullah woman was making sweet grass baskets.  These people have a fascinating history and a unique language.

The oak trees are huge and amazing! 

This is one of the nine remaining original slave quarters on the property.  These homes were built for the favored slaves who worked in the house.  The field slaves lived in far less desirable quarters that are no longer standing.

Behind me is a 600 year old Live Oak tree.  It is the oldest on the property.  This really is spectacular and we are so fortunate to be here serving a mission with some flex time to enjoy it!

Doyle could not resist this one.  We were talking about the Spanish moss and he thought that this could qualify him for ZZTop!  I do not think so, but it was funny!

This is a view of the plantation house from the left garden area.

 

We know that we are so blessed to be here in South Carolina at this time.  It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.  We shall not pass this way again and we are so thankful to Heavenly Father for this very special time in our lives together.  The south really does have a very special charm that is very different from anywhere we have ever lived.

We love our mission!!

And we love y'all!