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So my mama and I made it back from Charleston. Luckily Tropical Storm Hanna wasn't bad at all, which I am very thankful for. We had a good time and I think my mama enjoyed it. I didn't carry around my big camera the whole time, but I did take it a few places just so I could do something I don't get to do that often....take pics for myself. One of the reasons I got started in photography was because I loved taking pictures. It's something I don't have a lot of time for here lately. I picked my three favorites and edited those really quickly. Here they are......

The driveway at Boone Hall Plantation.
Anytime I'm in Charleston, I usually go out to the Morris Island Lighthouse on Folly Beach before I leave. I'm typically there around lunchtime, as I usually visit Alicia or Kelley during that time......but neither of them are in Charleston now and one of my wishes this weekend was to go out to Folly around sunset. I'm so glad I was able to do just that. This is where I captured my favorite images from our trip!
Of course I want to spend more time editing these and blowing some up for the walls in our house. But, I have weddings to edit that come first....sooooo....guess I better get back to editing those now!!!!

Hanging out with Hanna in Charleston

Back before wedding season started I mentioned to my mama that we should take a trip together somewhere for a few days. Well, we never decided on anything until a few weeks ago she mentioned it again. I told her she had 2 options....the first weekend in September or wait until February. My mama has never really traveled anywhere much and decided she wanted to go to Charleston since she's never been. So, we hit the road Thursday morning, stopped in Columbia for lunch and got to Charleston around 2pm. The weather was perfect!!! Beautiful blue skies, a nice breeze.....couldn't have asked for much better! Here's some pics taken with my point and shoot from yesterday.

The Battery....
A sailboat...
A Palmetto tree....
After dinner at Fleet Landing, we walked down to the waterfront park to get a few pics there.
The bridge....
The Yorktown...

Mama kept watching the sun shining on this cross as we were eating.

View from the end of the waterfront park.
Mama didn't think I could get a picture of it before it flew off....got it!
Now the weather today is a little different than yesterday. We were fine until about 1pm when we got drenched from the rain.....I think we are confined to our hotel room for the remainder of the day. A lot of places today closed at 1pm....they have boarded their windows up and put their sandbags out. Only voluntary evacuations have been issued....nothing mandantory. I think we'll tough it out unless mandantory ones are issued. According to the weather forecast the worst of Hanna should come through around midnight until 2am. So hopefully we'll sleep through the worst part. We're staying at the Embassy Suites (where I usually stay when I come down with BI-LO). The building used to be the old Citadel building and has been here for years so I feel pretty safe where we are.

Other than that, my sore throat is now a full blown sinus infection. FUN! Guess we'll be here hanging out in the room the rest of the rain....it's not raining now but every now and then it starts pouring rain. I'll be checking email periodically but if the power goes out, I will not have any internet access. Let's just hope the worst of Hanna doesn't hit Charleston!!!

Caught by another camera!

So I was emailed by two people to say they saw me in the paper on Sunday. The Charleston Post and Courier covered the bride run. Yep...there's me in the background before I handed the camera to Marty (who ended up coming down Friday night because their game was rained out). I held my camera a while...finally couldn't stand it any longer...I had to hand it to Marty so I could toss oranges. It's so much fun and the runners and walkers are very thankful for BI-LO and everything they provide.
Photo: Alan Hawes / The Post and Courier

Click here to see all the images from the Post and Courier - http://www.charleston.net/photos/galleries/2008/apr/06/cooper_river_bridge_run_2008/

Day 4 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

Saturday - RACE DAY! The alarm clock goes off around 5am for me anyway - we have to be ready to go about 6am. The first thing is to line up the pickup trucks and load them with t-shirts to throw out to the crowd.

Then we go across the bridge and line up at the start line.
T-shirts ready to be thrown out!
Before the run starts, they have a wheelchair race.

Then we finally start moving. Going over the bridge is very windy.
The people line the streets waiting for the runners and walkers.
And try to catch a t-shirt.
Once we get to the post race field it's time for the breakfast of champions - a Johnsville Brat. Stan Streetman always has the grill out and the brats ready by the time we get there.

Here's one of the water stations waiting on the runners.
And here they come! Ready for some fruit.
This is what Marion Square looks like on race day....not much room to move!
Some of the BI-LO team throwing oranges to the crowd.

Another view of the crowd on Calhoun St.

And the other water station handing out water.
It doesn't take too long for the crowds to slowly start dwindling down. By that point, you're ready for a break and a chance to sit down. You can see the pallets have been cleared of the fruit, muffins and bagels.
At 11am it's time to get all the BI-LO crew together for the Team BI-LO picture.
Then it time to start cleaning up....moving all the pallets out of the way
and stacking them up to be loaded back on a truck.

The water that was leftover is loaded back on a trailer.
And the food that's left is donated to the local food bank. They come to pick it up...and we load it up for them.
And here's a shot of the aftermath.....although it doesn't take the city of Charleston long at all to clean up the mess...they are very quick at getting everything back to normal.
Although it was a long day, we were done a little earlier than normal this year. Seemed like we had a LOT more volunteers who helped out tremendously.

Now I'm back home and trying to get caught up on things!!!!

Day 3 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

Sorry for the late post...Friday was a long day and we have to get up early on Saturday so I didn't get to post these until now. Friday began with the arrival of the apples, oranges, bananas, bagels and muffins that all had to be unloaded and stacked on the pallets. There are 2 fruit/bread stations and 2 water stations that were set up. This is the ones right on Calhoun St. The others were across Marion Square right up next to the hotel. Everyone did a great job of helping out and the fruit was ready to go in no time!

Here's some of the drivers who were down there to help. I hate to say it, but as much as I love my business and working from home, I definitely miss the people I worked with at BI-LO. From left to right is Dennis Howard (Shaggy), Don Crisp, Paul Fant (Candyman) and Robert Keller! I miss you guys, but I am glad I got to see you all in Charleston!
It was a little foggy to start with on Friday....here's a shot of Marion Square and our hotel before the Bridge Run.....tomorrow it will be packed with people!!!!
The other fruit/bread station....all ready to go!
Once you help out here for a while, I promise you won't want to see another banana for a while!!!! Ask these ladies if you don't believe me!!!!

This year we had a pretty big station set up.
I went back to the auditorium to take a few more shots of the Expo....Rusty Streetman and the crew in the BI-LO booth!!!!
This year I was able to attend the press luncheon at Lowndes Grove Plantation. I had never heard of it before and wasn't sure I was going the right way to get to it, but I was and it was a very beautiful plantation. This was the view of the Ashley River there.
At the luncheon, BI-LO presented a check for $17,414 to benefit the MUSC Children's hospital and....
a check from BI-LO and Pepsi for $29,021 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

After the luncheon I was off to the Kid's Run at Hampton Park. When I first got there, there wasn't too many people there, but the park quickly filled up with kids and their families - and Walter's Pals!!! For those BI-LO people who know Hardy and Kathryn Peters, here are their boys with Becky Broccoli....they have grown up so fast!!!! It was not the same seeing them running around instead of being pushed in a stroller!!!! They are so cute!!!
Walter's Pals at the main stage getting ready for the warm-up. They had so much fun dancing around with all the kids!!!
Buddy Banana was always posing for the camera!!!
The kids were lined up to play Plinko at the BI-LO tent for their shot at winning some prizes!
After the kids run, it was back to my room to get ready for the team BI-LO party that night. BI-LO hosts the party for all the people there helping out and all of the BI-LO vendors participating in the events. It is held at the Maritime Center and includes an oyster roast. I always love the opportunity to get to see Dave and Carol Cooke there....here's Dave with the oysters.

A shot of the event from the dock.
I like the casualness of the BI-LO team party...gives everyone a chance to sit around and talk a while and to get to know the vendors a little.
After the dinner, it's time to go back to the auditorium and clean up from the expo. Here's a shot of the aftermath....not too bad this year - it was actually a LOT cleaner than normal!Here's Katie, Crystal, and Sue breaking down the BI-LO display and packing it up!
Friday was a long day but once you're done the only thing that's left is race day....it's starts early though!!!!!