Charleston is a place of romance, no doubt about it. Not the kind that only couples can enjoy, definitely, but the heart of it is romantic. To say this is to say not all romance is the kind that takes a man and woman to kiss on a bridge, but the kind that makes the world believe in beauty and wonder.

Places like this are where I feel as if already I am in part of Heaven. To look up is to expect the glory of God, but to look around is to live in it. With so many things that are completely wrong in our world I've thought many times that nature does not reflect evil no matter how corrupt and evil the heart of man grows. The essence of nature belongs to God and if man will not praise God than the rocks and trees will. A gnarled and burnt tree in war zone may be completely gone in terms of life and having been destroyed by evil may seem beyond the reach of life. But when we see a new, green plant growing out of the ashes we realize that out of the ashes of war-torn humans there is new life growing from the humility of death and soft hope of resurrection.

In one way or another we are all war-torn victims. We, holding the highest honor of being made in God's image, failed our responsibility and tossed ourselves into an epic struggle of good and evil. We didn't create it, no, but we choose to become part of it. God loves us still, yet how we make Him weep by turning our hearts away from Him. I like to think that those who serve God should pay attention to nature, because here we see unswerving praise to the maker of Heaven and Earth.

However, paying close attention in another way is a good idea in alligator paradise. This is still the fallen version of God's creation.

Gretta snapped this shot of me on the bridge that made me feel like a southern belle.

Cheryl

Briana

Oh, and here's the lovely photographer herself out from behind the camera, posing with another lovely lady, Cheryl.

It's hard to describe the effect that meandering around in gardens has on one. I mean, they make you ravenously hungry and totally unreasonable as to any further adventures once the stomach kicks in - it's frightening really. I believe this is the garden where we broke out the dried mango and chowed down. Such an indelicate verb for girls, but thank goodness we don't belong to the class of girls who only pretend to eat.