mud season

It's that dismal time of year when I am reminded why I briefly considered moving the store to one of the villages where stores close for the winter. But lucky me, I am getting on a plane headed for Savannah Georgia tomorrow, to spend a long weekend with my in-laws. I hope to spend time in Savannah, Beaufort S.C., and Tybee Island--if you have any tips on things to see/places to eat in those towns, please let me know. I am taking along Night Swim, a coming of age novel written by my friend Jessica Keener. I've read some excerpts and a draft of the novel Jessica is currently working on--her writing is lyrical and nuanced, and I look forward to sinking into her book. I love Jessica's non-fiction too--the reflections on home that she occasionally posts on her blog are wonderful, and that I hope she will collect and publish them one day.

And I've made a new friend, after reading her book and contacting her. If you like historic fiction you should read The Wolf's Sun, by Karen Charbonneau, a compelling story with rich characters that is packed with historic details. (Did you know that in 17th century Brittany, peasants dropped a chicken down their chimney to clean it?) It's a big book (I read it on Kindle) --a great read to see you through the end of winter. Karen lives in the Idaho wilderness. See wonderful pictures on her blog including a recent entry when she had a mother and baby moose in her yard. 

This is a picture I took two years ago of a house in Bluffton, South Carolina. I will be back next week with pictures of Spanish moss, magnolias, and the low country.

Jen