Dear Reader:

Well September didn’t start out quite as lovely as one might hope -for the first day of the ” Fall months”- ( here in the Lowcountry) but it was the perfect day for cuddling in the recliner with a bowl of Vickie’s homemade chicken soup and remembering Lowcountry ghost stories and even jump roping ditties.

Susan Cadwell reminded me of the popular mantra for ” Fall Season Lovers” that I had used last Fall a year ago in one post- For us ” Fall Fans” there are only two seasons Fall and Waiting for Fall! Still true!

I loved this ” shout-out” to September that popped up in my emails.

I felt re-energized yesterday ( on the first day of September) because I had seen the most beautiful skies minutes before darkness descended Wednesday evening. The threatening clouds hadn’t moved in yet Thursday morning-so I scurried to Publix and made some fixings for a pot roast-put it in my slow cooker so I could enjoy the smell all day as it slowly simmered away.

It was only then ( early afternoon) that I looked out my two large windows to see the darkness descend with rumbles and streaks of lightning in the distance.

Still… it was a great day… to cuddle up and remember Lowcountry legends and legendary buildings with the color ” Pink” in them-one doesn’t exactly align pink with ghost stories-more black and gray. But it was the beautiful pink skies ( from the night before) that had me connecting the two.

Almost like a ” Pink Ghost” Wednesday evening-around 8 -pink started pouring in my den… reflecting off all my walls and ceilings-it was like someone shot pink cotton candy in my den… I grabbed my mobile phone and ran out on the porch taking pictures as fast as I could because darkness was descending quickly-a battle was being played out right in front of me-two of my neighbors were strolling down the street and the wife, Susan, was laughing because her whole body-arms and legs had a pink glow around them-we all laughed together-precious seconds of a strange phenomenon that was gone before they turned the corner at the end of the street. Darkness had won the battle.

I remember one ghost story I loved as a child from one of the Lowcountry Tales and Ghost story books was called ” Pinkie”-it was a fun ghost who played tricks on people but he was more mischievous than harmful. ( I spent over half an hour searching for that story to no avail ( If anybody remembers it please let me know.)

Then there was this jump rope ditty mother shared with me she used when she jump-roped- ( dating back to the forties) that somehow stuck in my psyche;

” Inky, Pinky, Ponky… Daddy bought a donkey -the donkey died and daddy cried-Inky, Pinky, Ponky!” ( Now that I think about it – a lot of jump-roping ditties were precariously sad or tragic but we little girls never gave it a second thought-concentrating on maintaining the rhythm of the rope!)

But there still is a famous house downtown Charleston -the ” Pink House” that has supposedly more ghosts residing inside than you can shake a stick at!

In downtown Charleston -at 17 Chalmers Street lies the ” Pink House” -it has been in existence since the early 1700’s and some historians pre-date that to the late 1600’s -it started out as a tavern and lodging of ” Ill repute” to ( over the years) several famous artists’ studios and even legal offices-but no matter the company inside the mysterious ghosts keep calling.

Even today … employees complain about windows suddenly bursting open ( even when locked,) footsteps heard climbing the steps to the third floor, and the silhouette of a woman staring out a third floor window forlornly… ghosts have even been popping up in photos taken over the years from pedestrians.

One ghost associated with the site is the famous female pirate-Anne Bonney-though the connection is not as documented as well as other sightings. Still it does appear that pink” can be found in bizarre situations like the pink that flooded my den and street Wednesday evening. For me… don’t ask questions-just enjoy the experience!

So until tomorrow… Let’s all be ” Surprised by Joy” and for me ( my joy) is always purchasing fresh flowers to brighten my day-no matter the weather. Flowers just make me happy!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh