summertime dreaming . . . .

Last night we booked a beach house on Folly Beach in South Carolina! Every December and January I get to dreaming about the trips we might make the following year. Last year we went on a hiking trip in a remote and high region of Spain. This year we want to do two things . . . . a beach trip and a stay at Kripalu (a yoga retreat center in Lenox, MA)  I used to live in Charleston, Charles and I got married on an island there and two summers ago we spent a few days in Charleston, during which trip, I drove Charles out to Folly Beach as he'd not been there. Unlike a lot of the beach areas in Charleston which have been developed to within an inch of their lives, Folly has been protected. I guess a more accurate description is that, for a long time, it was ignored. Consequently all the old cottages are still there, some pretty run down, others renovated. The 'downtown' has casual, beachy taco joints, bars and coffee shops where you are welcome in flip flops & shorts. Local councils have realized what a mellow, relaxed, laid back island they have and are doing their utmost to keep it that way. I had seen a cute, dog friendly cottage a few blocks from the pier several weeks ago, but continued looking. Nothing looked as cute so last night I spoke with the owner and rented it! It's a days drive there and a days drive back (and we need to drive because we are taking Nigel with us!) so we've rented it for 5 days in May.  Yay! Today is frigidly cold and damp and, several times while walking dogs out there, I imagined us on the hammock in that warm Carolina sunshine! Mmmm . . . that's going to get me through the next couple of winter months!