Beautiful fall day...in December

There is nothing about South Carolina or the weather here or our house that makes me think it's Christmas in one week.  Today was a perfect, cloudless, 60 degrees with a light breeze and falling leaves.  We don't have any holiday decorations up because, well, we don't have any.  We haven't had a Christmas tree since we owned the house in Ridgeway, although I never missed it because we at least had snow in Wisconsin and the house (and boat) in Maryland were too small. 

Today though, a week out from Christmas day, it feels like September.  Steve and I raked leaves for a bit this morning (our tree is really starting to lose them now).  Then Beth picked us up and we all went out to Charlestowne Landing, the actual settlement site from 1670.  We've been there before (see July 2011 post) - there's a small zoo of local animals, a replica trading ship, archaeological sites, a plantation house, and lots of gardens and ponds.  For $7.50, it's a heck of a bargain.  Today we were shocked to see flowers blooming - and lots of them.  I'm pretty sure they are camellias, which I thought bloomed in spring.  Maybe they do bloom then too, or maybe they're messed up since it's so warm out.  Either way, they're pretty!

The same cannot be said for this turkey.  They're pretty unattractive.  Look at the hair on the end of that...thing...by it's beak.  Not pretty.