Getting some fresh air..or not

My friend R and I went to Abbeville today for a photo safari.  Abbeville is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina and still has many historic buildings and churches from the 1700 and 1800 as well as the early 1900s.    The shops, courthouse, opera house and churches are mostly in the "square" which is really H shaped so we had a good route to walk and see everything without having to move the car to different locations.

I was really on architecture overload as the buildings where so interesting with mostly gingerbread trim or wrought iron balconies, the painting was done in soft rainbow colors.  There were old painted murals that we could barely make out what they were, probably advertising signs.  Old homes  with many turrets and odd size windows.   I could have posted 30 photos in order to show all the different architecture.   One of the oldest churches was undergoing major renovations and we were sad that it had gotten is such bad shape on the outside.   Interestingly there was no cemetary at this church so we assumed that it was at a different location since the church was at the end of one of the side streets of the square.  

This scene was at the Belmont Inn..with a horse sculpture in the courtyard. Why?   I am assuming the football player sculpture is representing the Abbeville High football team..why it is on the porch of an historic inn is beyond me!   The Inn has been around for since 1903 when the Opera House next door opened with traveling vaudeville acts.  It has had several owners and undergone extensive renovations through the years.   A place I might like to spend a night!  

One of my "projects" for 2019 is to practice more black and white and more street photography.  I spend so much time in the forest and at natural surroundings that I don't see what the man-made world can offer.  Of course, I always like the old stuff so visiting small town South Carolina with all its "oldness" should help with this project without making me feel claustrophobic in the big city.   If only the people would cooperate and be on the street.  

In the extras are two other street photos I happened to get today.   I wasn't really ready for the woman under the department store sign as I was standing in the middle of the street watching for cars as I was trying to get the whole side of the building. She happened to come out of another building next to this and started toward me.   I did not want her to notice that I was taking her photo..hello..that short woman in the road with a camera in her face.  Mentally giving myself pep talks on the fact that I can take the photo and she just happened to walk in to the scene.  The other was the old Livery Stable, the young man struck my eye as he had on black and white sneakers and the black coat while the door and windows were painted black with white trim.     People watching will be a new thing to learn as well as how to be sneaky taking their photos!