my cousin Amy and I were on a hunt for postcards and a souvenir T-shirt for our cousin Charlie, and in the meantime, we found some really cool stuff and amazing architecture.
while at walking was a lot of fun, there was a slight bit of a scary moment. There, as a Jesuit piece fell down and had a really bloody nose; so after helping him get himself together, we continued to adventure, and found a really pretty chapel dedicated to Saint Joan of arc. Amy and I thoroughly enjoyed a Middle Eastern meal at a restaurant called FiFi which is located on Wisconsin Avenue
Adventuring with a buddy is always so much fun, especially when your buddy is your Egyptian neighbor and friend. Nourhan is an international student (such a lovely lady)-so this eveing, our schedules finally aligned where we could go on an adventure together!
Nourhan spends a lot of time in the classroom and labs at Clemson University, studying hard, doing research, and working on her thesis–and hasn’t had much time to explore before now; We are making up for lost time!
We enjoyed the local history of the Maiden taking shelter along the waterfalls to escape her captors- and the history of the Stumphouse tunnel(where the Clemson Original Bleu Cheese was originally formulated and made by the old irish immigrant recipe and more!) Plus, on our way out, a fun armadillo decided to grace us with it’s presence as it crossed the road as we drove away. Nourhan hadn’t ever seen one before and asked me what it was, a cute little armadillo!
It has been a giant blessing having Nourhand as a neighbor and a friend and I am so glad she moved in next door to me!
Making a message for Nourhan’s momNourhan Elashkar and Anna Potthoff @ Issaquena Falls Stumphouse tunnel entranceNourhan ElashkarNourhan Elashkar drinking from a stream that feeds the waterfallNourhan Elashkar Stumphouse Entrance Hanging out with Yet, the Big FootNourhan Elashkar and Anna Potthoff with Big Foot, Walhalla, SCNourhan Elashkar first time eating mexican food, a hard taco, a Relleno, rice and refried beans at Los Arcos
A race car party at its best! Old fashioned and muscles cars were features but the best part? The race cars were the hot feature and they were all fired up! Lots of cool things to see under the hoods and the rev’s were booming loud!
Ribs were barbequed and enjoyed, along with an assortment of sides and desserts while looking and hearing the chatter about parts, paints, features and more! What a splendid day of fun under the sun, seeking and seeing the thrill of the amazing cars!
I had mild, seasonal allergies before moving to the South; that story is far from being true any more. I think I might be allergic to the whole state, year around, at this point. Thanks to modern science, I do take an allergy pill that really helps. Achoo!
Spring is here, even while leaving in an apartment, I still enjoy having a small “garden” on my patio. God’s pretty glory is everywhere!
Upstate South Carolina, Life in Clemson, South Carolina
Spring is rolling in with the thunder and rain, as you can see the bushes in front of my building are already budding out and super green; it’s all the abundant rain we receive here in the upstate area!
My Godson got baptised today, a wonderful occurence to dedicate him to God in front of family and friends.
The church in which the parents got him dedicated is nearby, so they will be able to regularly attend church and teach their son the wonderful bible stories, having a family in God, and continue to have faith in Christ and growth as their family grows.
Celebrations are running rampant today around the world and while I am not attending a celebration of Mardi Gras/Carnival/Fat Tuesday myself today, I participated in the past by attending Carnival in Ettlingen, Germany (where these photos were snapped in 2017).
Mardi Gras is a time of celebration and indulgence, of many things. Parties and street fairs and performances are loud, joyous and colorful. Hoops, hollering, music and dancing are everywhere, people wiggling and jiggling to all sorts of festivities, before Lent starts tomorrow; celebrating before the 40 days of Lent bring changes to their lives.
This year, my celebrations for Mardi Gras are cleaning house and catching up on things that need to be done, exciting? Not really but it still feels good to get stuff knocked out!
Our road trip back to Colorado included going through the beautiful, quiet state of Nebraska.
The rolling praries and grasslands, scattered amongst the grain fields and ranches, was quite stunning and we stumbled upon Chimney Rock, quite a stunning view as it just “pops” out of seemingling no where!
We stopped in Scottsbluff for a meal, Subway, and enjoyed the scenery of the quaint town (and found more postcards, which was a pleasant surprise in the small town).
In full truth, Chimney Rock is very pretty but the praries are something unique to behold, a hidden treasure of America’s bread basket country (which I have heard many people call a “fly over” area, which I believe is a true mistake, as it’s breath taking). If given the chance, drive and stay in Nebraska, it has lots of charm and the people are very warm and welcoming.
While walking this morning, post work, I saw the most beautiful Hawk. He, I guess it’s a boy, is absolutely stunning.
While observing, I suspect the Hawk was hunting/searching for prey, mice and such. While he definitelty saw me, he was very polite and easy going. He moved over to the edge of a storage shed, squatting for a better view and he appeared to be a great hunter and well fed. South Carolina wildlife is most certaintly stunning and the unexpected view on my walking adventure was a big treat!
My Travels 