Road Tripping through the South

The Great Blue Heron in Spring Plummage

America sparkles with God's handiwork.  Recently we did a road trip to the Carolinas and Georgia...Asheville, Charleston, and Savannah.  What a fabulous time of sight-seeing historical places, grand architecture, enjoying the absolutely lucious cuisine of the South, the glorious scenery of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Atlantic coast, the hundreds of moss draped stately live oaks and the forests decorated with blossoming magnolias.

Magnolia Plantation is just outside Charleston and has been in the same family since 1676 when it was founded by the Draytons.  It is one of the nation's oldest plantations and public gardens and the first ever to open its gates to visitors for the cost of a quarter, because hard times warranted a new way to keep the place afloat.  A truly fascinating place which offers the house, the gardens, and a genuine swamp with boardwalks for experiencing firsthand its birds in the rookery, numerous alligators and other reptiles..  

The walk through the swamp was totally fascinating as it offered a haven for herons and other larger birds (names escape me) to nest and fortunately for us, the young were out on display.  Simply beautiful.  Thankfully, a fence appeared to separate us from the reptiles which were very visible in the water.  The visible ones were alligators, and I don't even want to consider what the invisible ones were, which could slither right through that wire fence.

Strolling through the gardens, I was thrilled to come upon this Great Blue Heron who appeared to be so otherwise engaged in his prospective aquatic lunch that I was able to get very close for a photo without his taking flight.  For added attraction, he was displaying his spring plummage. This made a perfect opportunity for painting when I arrived home.  The background water and trees were of my own imagination.  I preferred a much brighter setting than the one Mr. Heron had chosen.

Open your eyes and look around.  Drink in the beauty of God's artistry.  He is the Master Artist. He is the original Artist.  He knows how to put it all together.  And, I mean all.

Please enjoy the other posts which display my artwork.  If you find yourself taken with any, please contact me.  mjwillis52@gmail.com.