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Thursday, June 25, 2026

Review of Carolina Tides

If you are looking for some light summer reading while at the beach or perhaps just in a chair on your back deck take a look at these short stories. They were written by seven different authors and celebrate all that there is about living on the coast. As an added bonus all of the proceeds for this book will support women in need in Brunswick County North Carolina and Horry County in South Carolina.

About the Book

I really enjoyed reading the short stories in Carolina Tides. Each story was just the right length to sit down and read all in one sitting. The sub-title of the book is A Story a Day for a Week Long Stay. That was a very fitting title, and although I was at home when I read them, I can very well see this as a great book to take on vacation, when you want a bit of reading time, but not too much.

The book covers many topics of coastal living from the wonderful creatures that live on the coast, to romantic walks on the beach, porch-lit evenings in sleepy little fishing villages, the history of North and South Carolina and even some unexpected encounters. Each of the short stories were written by a local author from the Carolina coastline.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon. It can be purchased as a paperback or a Kindle version. Carolina Tides

Stories and Authors

Here is a list of the stories and authors that are included in Carolina Tides

The Names Beneath the Tide by Teri M Brown

Winds of Change by Jan Comfort

Ark of Hope: A Pelican Story by Karen Prescot

Brighter Days Ahead by Lisa M Pritchard

Walk Back in Time on the Grand Strand by Lynda Stoy Stear

Azeleas by Carol Stigger

The Beach Ball by Jennifer Tirrell

My Visits to the Carolinas in Photos

I love visiting the beach and particularly love photographing lighthouses. We have made several trips to both North and South Carolina. The photos below were ones I took while photographing lighthouses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

More Reviews by Coastal Carolina Authors

Here are several reviews of have written on books by one of the authors in Carolina Tides, Teri M Brown.

Peg Unhinged

10 Little Rules

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

An Enemy Like Me

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Thursday, June 11, 2026

Sunflower Hill Farm

Beautiful Sunflower Silos

In this post I will be reviewing my visit to Sunflower Hill Farm and the beautiful silos painted in sunflowers that are nearby.

Sunflower Hill Farm

My cousin and I were looking for a good place to meet for lunch on a sunny afternoon in May. I mentioned I wanted to photograph the painted sunflower silos in the wine country near us and she suggested a nearby cafe at Sunflower Hill Farms. It was an excellent choice. Our food was great and the whole place was a great relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

We ate on the patio and and I enjoyed a delicious veggie grilled cheese, it consisted of provolone and cheddar cheese along with mushrooms, peppers, spinach and onions, all grilled on sourdough bread. Yummy.

Sunflower Hill Farm is a wonderful event space too. The farm is located on 130 acres. Along with the cafe there is a shop with homemade items on sale. There is also a nursery on the property and a large event space. The farm has become a delightful wedding and event space. As you can see in the photo below, the event area sits up on the hill overlooking the Missouri river valley.

Sunflower Hill Farms is located at 245 Terry Road in Augusta, Missouri. On their website www.sunflowerhillfarm.com they have listed lots of information about their events, calendar, and a menu from the cafe. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend this venue. Here are a few of my photos.

Painted Silos

These beautiful silos were commissioned by the owners of the Sunflower Hill Farm. They are located near the Katy Trail just south of the entrance to the farm. It is at mile marker 661.6 on the Katy Trail. They were painted by artist Anne Molasky and her painting partner Kim Alsop and were finished in the fall of 2023.

These vibrant sunflower paintings are a nice stop for people along the Katy Trail. There is also acess to them off of Hwy 94 halfway between Defiance and Augusta deep in the heart of Missouri Wine Country.

I stopped to visit and take photographs of these beautiful works of art just before I visited Sunflower Hill Farms. They are quite amazing to look at from all different angles. I would have loved to see them as they were being painted. Very talented artists!

Zazzle Products

Here is a link to a greeting card made from my sunflower silos photograph.

Sunflower Silo Greeting Card

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Thursday, May 28, 2026

HYBYCOZO at Missouri Botanical Garden

In this review I will be reviewing my visit to the HYBYCOZO exhibit at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Missouri Botanical Garden has hosted works from some very talented artists over the years. This year from April through August they are home to works by HYBYCOZO. This exhibit called Patterns in Nature, allows you to explore 21 intricately designed installations throughout the garden.

In early May I visited the garden to photograph some of these beautiful works. I went during the daytime, and they were stunning among all the beautiful blooming flowers in May. The garden will also be open several evenings for special viewings of the sculptures called LightForm.

About the Artists

The following information on the artists were copied from the brochure handed out at the garden.

"Artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk began HYBCOZO in 2014, drawing inspiration from the inherent beauty found in mathematics, science, and natural phenomena.

Originally from Ukraine, Filipchuk attended the University of California, Berkeley and studied Conservation and Resource studies, concentrating on patterns in the natural world, biomimicry, and environmental science. Beaulieu attended Carleton University in his native Canada and studied Industrial Design.

Together, their large-scale geometric artworks push the boundaries of technology, lighting, and fabrication. HYBYCOZO has been featured in cities from San Francisco to London and from the galleries of the Smithsonian to the deserts of Burning Man. The artists created six new custom pieces for St. Louis, inspired by the living collections and conservation mission of the Garden."

My Photographs of the HYBYCOZO Works

The sculptures were all so very different and with the theme of Patterns in Nature they all worked so well into the garden. Here are a few of my favorites.

Here is the sculpture that is at the entrance to the gardens.

This photograph was taken by reaching into one of the works and photographing the tops of the sculpture from the inside.

I love how this one sits between the columns.

These bright pink sculptures sit in the reflecting pool in front of the Climatron.

There are several sculptures in the gardens that are reflective. They mirror the surrounding garden features.

The Iris were in Bloom

One of my favorite flowers to photograph at the Gardens are their beautiful Iris. They have a huge area with lots of Iris in a multitude of colors. They were in full bloom when we visited so I was able to take lots of photos. Here are a few of them.

Many if my photographs are sold on Zazzle. Here is a link to one of my Iris cards.

Iris Delight Card

More Reviews of Missouri Botanical Garden

I have written several reviews on Missouri Botanical Garden over the years. Here are links to a view of those reviews.

Missouri Botanical Garden in the Winter

Japanese Garden

Review of Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips

Learn More about Missouri Botanical Garden

If you would like to learn more about the garden, here is an Amazon book that you will find interesting and informative. Missouri Botanical Garden

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Thursday, May 14, 2026

Review-World Bee Day

World Bee Day in an annual day that calls attention to the critical importance of bees in our world. Did you know that bees are very important to the production of food in the world? They are among the most effective pollinators which enable fertilization and the production of seeds and fruits. Approximately 1/3 of all the world's food crops depend on bee pollination. Without bees many plants would struggle to live and this would lead to diminished food availablily.

World Bee Day

May 20th is an annual observance to raise the awareness of the essential role of bees. In 2017 the United Nations approved May 20th to be the first annual World Bee Day. This date was picked to honor Anton Jansa of Slovenia who was a pioneer of beekeeping that was born on May 20, 1734.

The 2026 theme for World Bee Day is "Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production."

I found the following YouTube video on World Bee Day. It was written for children, but it can also be very educational for adults. It tells about bees and their place in food production.

Fun Facts About Bees

There is one Queen bee in each hive. She is the only one that produces new bees. She may live up to 5 years. She can lay up to 2600 eggs a day.
When a queen bee dies the worker bees create a new queen by selecting a young larva and feeding it a special food called "royal jelly" this enables the larva to develop into a fertile queen.
The rest of the female bees are worker bees. They all have assigned jobs. They can live for just 5-6 weeks.
The male bees are drones. Their primary function is to mate with the queen bee and pass on their genetics to future generations.

The worker bees have duties assigned them from birth. Here are a few of the duties I found interesting.

Scouts- they go out to find where the pollen is most plentiful. They also search for a place for a new hive.
Funeral directors- when a bee dies the funeral team takes the dead body out of the hive and disposes of it.
In order to keep warm in the winter, there are a group of bees that gather and block the entrance to the hive with their bodies. They beat their wings to send in a warm breeze. Even when it is below freezing they can maintain the heat in the hive to 90 degrees.

What you can do to help?

Some of the ways you can help to save the bees include:

Planting native, bee friendly flowers
Reducing or eliminating herbicide and insecticide use
Leaving patches of bare soil and untidy areas for nesting
Providing water sources with stones
Supporting local organic farmers

My husband has been learning a lot about bees and last year he encouraged me to plant more bee friendly flowers in my flower bed.

I planted sunflowers, cone flowers, black eyed susans and other bee friendly plants. Here are some photos of the bees on our plants last year.

More Information on Bees

If you would like to learn more about bees, Amazon has several books available. Here is a link to one that looks like it would have a lot of information. https://amzn.to/4eVPt60

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Thursday, April 23, 2026

Peg Unhinged-Book Review

Peg Unhinged- A Book Review

I have reviewed several books by Teri M Brown and I have enjoyed every one of them. Teri is a talented author that has written works in several different genre's. In her latest novel she explores a woman going through menopause, divorce, career issues and all the emotions these issues can cause. The book is a real page-turner that is written with humor and compassion. In this book you will meet Peg and her sometimes helpful and sometimes not cast of friends and relatives.

Book Synopsis

Peg is a successful real estate agent who has been the top agent in her agency for several years. Peg has just found that her husband wants a divorce and to top it all off one of the new agents in her firm is a young ambitious woman who also has eyes on Peg's husband. When this woman goes after the coveted award that Peg has always had, Peg becomes unhinged. This is the last straw to all the troubles in Peg's life.

As the book progresses Peg is forced to pull herself together and rely on her strengths. In her struggle to find herself she has conversations with God where she sometimes complains and sometimes pleads for guidance. The book is written with humor in the crazy situations that Peg gets herself into and I often laughed out loud.

The Book on Amazon

This book can be found on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.

Peg Unhinged

Review This Reviews of Other Teri M Brown books

Book Review-10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure

Book Review-Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

Book Review of An Enemy Like Me

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow - A Book Review

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Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Fatal Flotilla at Sea Oats Beach

This fun new cozy mystery by Karen Whalen is sure to delight all the cozy mystery fans out there. I have been a fan of Karen's mysteries for several years now, and I always look forward to her new releases. This latest book did not disappoint. In this book she brings back Breanna Hart and her interesting group of friends.

Book Summary

Breanna Hart is an interesting character who is a real animal lover and volunteers at the local animal shelter. As this book begins Breanna is at the Flotilla just before Christmas in Sea Oats Beach. All of the boats are brightly decorated with shimmering lights as the parade in front of the beach. Everyone comes out to watch the flotilla, and it is a delightful sight. Breanna too is enjoying the festivities until they see an abandoned boat floating nearby and she discovers a dead body on the boat. The victim is found to be killed by a gunshot. He was a big supporter of the animal shelter where Breanna volunteers

Breanna takes it upon herself to go on a fact-finding mission to discover who the murderer was. She gets the help of several of her friends and also a bloodhound from the shelter named Tracker. She has several threatening incidents that occur that put her in danger, and she is warned by the police to stay out of the investigation. Breanna cannot help herself though and continues to search for clues.

As the holiday approaches she is determined to discover the culprit.

Book on Amazon

You can find the book on Amazon at The Fatal Flotilla at Sea Oats Beach

Reviews of other Karen C Whalen Books

The author has written three different series of books. The Tow Truck Driver Mysteries, the Dinner Club Mysteries, and the Sea Oats Beach mysteries. I have reviewed several of the books and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Here are some of my reviews.

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Thursday, March 26, 2026

Outdoor Sunflower Decorations

I was out shopping at a local "At Home" store when I came across this cheerful little birdhouse. I thought it would be perfect to spruce up my deck and backyard garden area for the spring. I bought it and ended up hanging it on a post at the edge of our deck. To my surprise by late that afternoon I saw some birds checking it out. It is now a week later and if you look close at the hole in the front you will see the materials the birds brought in for their nest. I was amazed they settled in so quickly.

I then decided to go on Amazon and look for some other sunflower decorations for my backyard. Below you will find the results from my search.

Sunflower Solar Lights

Solar sunflowers are a great way to add some light to your garden at night or light up your walkways. As I was looking for sunflower decor on Amazon, I came across a variety of different sunflower solar lights. I can see them in the garden around a deck as a great way to lighten up your flowers for an evening party. Here is a link to some of the sunflower solar lights on Amazon. Sunflower Solar Lights

Sunflower Bird Feeders

In the photo above you see the sunflower birdfeeder, that I purchased on Amazon hanging on a post at the edge of our deck. I tried to put in a birdseed mix, but found the smaller seeds went through the cracks. I refilled it with sunflower seeds and they work perfectly.

When I looked on Amazon for sunflower bird feeders, I found they had lots from which to choose.

Here is a link to Amazon's page on Sunflower bird feeders. I am sure you will find one to fit your needs. Sunflower Bird Feeders

Sunflower Welcome Mat

Do you need a new welcome mat to spruce up your outdoor area? I love to see sunflowers on a welcome mat and I found that Amazon carries a large variety of different sunflower mats. Here is a link to the Amazon page on sunflower mats. Sunflower Welcome Mats

More Sunflower Reviews

I love sunflowers and have written about them in past reviews. Here are some links to sunflower reviews on Review This.

Fun Facts about Sunflowers

Sunflower Facts and Photographs

Photographing Sunflowers

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Thursday, March 12, 2026

Missouri Botanical Gardens in the Winter

Explore Missouri Botanical Gardens

In St. Louis we have a beautiful botanical garden that has been in continuous operation since 1859. It was founded by Henry Shaw and is one of the few gardens to achieve National Historic Landmark status. I have spent many hours visiting the garden during the spring, summer, and fall times, but until this year, I had not visited it in the winter. What a delightful experience! In February my son and his family were visiting us from New Hampshire, and I took my daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to visit the gardens. We had a wonderful time.

Orchid Show

I had often seen photos of the annual orchid show but had never been to the garden to see it. This show is held in February when the more than 5000 individual plants are moved from the greenhouses to the Emerson Conservatory. The botanical garden has over 700 unique kinds of orchids, which are cared for year-round by the horticulture staff. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the orchid show.

Growing Orchids at Home

In the brochure we received at the orchid show there is a section that talks about how easy orchids are to grow at home under the right conditions. Here some key points.

Potting medium - many orchids grow best when their roots are exposed to the air. There are mixes for the pot that help with this aeration.
Temperature- most orchids are comfortable at room temperature- 60-80 F
Humidity- 40-70% is ideal, this can be achieved by placing pots on a gravel-lined try filled with water.
Light- Orchids like a sunny room or artificial lights. If leaves turn yellow or lanky they need more light.
Water- Make sure potting mix nearly dries out before watering again.

I found this book on Amazon that helps you in growing orchids.

No Stress Orchid Gardening for Beginners

Chinese Garden

It was a beautiful day out, so after visiting the orchid show I took my granddaughters and daughter-in-law to some of my favorite spots in the garden. There were not any flowers blooming at this time of the year but the beauty of the sculptures and structures around the park made for a delightful visit.

Our first stop was at the Chinese Garden, this garden was designed by Chinese born architect Yong Pan. It is modeled after "scholars gardens" in the southern provinces of China.

Here are some of the photos I took of my granddaughters exploring the garden.

Japanese Garden

A favorite place of mine to explore at the gardens is the Japanese Garden. I wanted to show this to my granddaughters, so we took a stroll to the garden and walked around the lake to experience all of the sculptures and features of the Japanese Garden. This 14-acre garden is called Seiw-en and was dedicated in 1977. I have photographed it often through the years. Here are some of my photos.

The Garden through the Years

I have taken photography classes at the garden and have enjoyed my visits through the years. Here are some other reviews I have written on the garden.

Japanese Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips

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