winifredcreamer

Charleston’s Great Outdoors

A car comes in handy once you decide to get out of town, as Charleston is surrounded by water, and though the beaches are beautiful, they are not close by. We’ve tried as many beaches as we could. Every one is an endless strip of white sandy beach unfurling as far as the eye canContinue reading “Charleston’s Great Outdoors”

Indoors in Charleston

We wanted to avoid the heat of a late summer day and find something interesting to do in an indoor, air-conditioned place that was not a shopping mall. The Charleston Museum seemed to fill the bill. We could have walked, but with high humidity and the temperature hovering around 90 (F.) we decided to saveContinue reading “Indoors in Charleston”

Charleston’s Historic District

We’re starting to get to know Charleston. Our house is very traditional and located in the historic district. We hear the horse drawn tours clip-clop past the front door a few times a day. Passengers wave if we’re out on the porch. It’s like living in a diorama. We walked to Broad St., and downContinue reading “Charleston’s Historic District”

Guest Post: Visiting Chernobyl

by Joyce Heard I am delighted to introduce my good friend, Joyce Heard. A fellow Harvard grad, Joyce worked in journalism in the US, then moved to France after meeting her husband Jean-Marie while on a Rotary International fellowship. Now a long term European observer, Joyce and Jean-Marie divide their time between Aix-en-Provence and southernContinue reading “Guest Post: Visiting Chernobyl”

Out of the storm in Asheville

We are the luckiest of storm refugees, able to spend our five days of exile with our friends Billie and Larry in Asheville. The spectacular view over the mountains from their deck was enough to keep us from going anywhere, but we managed to break away and see some of what this area has toContinue reading “Out of the storm in Asheville”

Evacuation from Dorian!

We settled into our Charleston house, went shopping, and stopped in at the Sunday markets. At the Sunday Night Market, we saw preparation for a TV appearance and wondered who it would be. After we got home and put the news on, we found the mayor of Charleston standing right where we’d been, announcing mandatoryContinue reading “Evacuation from Dorian!”

Charleston, SC

We just arrived in Charleston, swooping in over Labor Day weekend. Hurricane Dorian isn’t scheduled to land until Wednesday or so. It may veer another direction in the meantime, so we’ll hope for the best. Our house here is completely charming, decorated to the teeth. We are very comfortable, right in the toe of theContinue reading “Charleston, SC”

A brief detour to Syracuse

Syracuse was just as warm as Chicago when I arrived, but I was scheduled to accompany my mom on a dinner cruise on Skaneateles Lake that evening. The weather was perfect, the water was smooth as glass, and the food was good. Even though we were guests, it seemed like a worthwhile activity even ifContinue reading “A brief detour to Syracuse”

It’s August. Why are we in the Midwest?

I always tell people that Chicago is a great place to visit spring and fall, but is to be avoided in the summer, when it’s too hot and humid, and in the winter, when it’s way too cold. Why am I not following my own advice? We spent the year until now visiting Australia–it wasContinue reading “It’s August. Why are we in the Midwest?”

Under the “Heat Dome”

Meteorologists must spend all their down time inventing terms for the next big climate moment. “Polar Vortex”, “Snowmageddon”, “El Diablo”, and now “Heat Dome”, are some of the more recent ones. I say this in admiration, as we all feel better when the weather changes and we know we’ve survived whatever-it-was. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-a-heat-dome-happens-1.5216908 In the Midwest,Continue reading “Under the “Heat Dome””