THE EVENING STAR SHINES OVER HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.

"God saw all that he made, and it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning - the 6th day."
Genesis 1:31

After sunset when dusk settles The Evening Star (Venus) appears.  She is the brightest star in the sky, a perfect compliment to holiday color, excitement, sparkle, Gingerbread houses, Brunches with Santa and theatre productions such as The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker was presented before Thanksgiving by the Hilton Head Dance Theatre at the Seahawk Cultural Center.  The stage was graced with charming sets, twirling ballerinas, billowing net skirts, dazzling performances and satin toe shoes.  Fans and family members brought bouquets of flowers for the many dancers, the tiny ones in their frilly tutus and satin slippers stole the show and many hearts.

Holiday excitement isn’t the only kind of excitement being generated in our area.  There is a renaissance evolving and it is impacting our real estate industry.  The smart money has been buying property while prices were down, specifically low-priced lots in upscale communities for investment or for the construction of a “forever” home or for “spec” houses, which are selling nicely.  Buyers like new construction.

You might have seen a recent segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes, filmed on Kiawah Island Golf Resort at The Sanctuary, a 255-room oceanfront hotel reminiscent of a grand seaside mansion.  It has been called the finest oceanfront hotel built on the East Coast in the past 20 years.  On the segment several of America’s billionaires were filmed, holding a meeting there to discuss giving most of their billions to charity.  Some involved were Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates.

The owner of Sea Pines Resort, Bill Goodwin’s Riverstone Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Goodwin’s CCA Industries, bought Kiawah several years ago and has invested strongly there.  The hotel site was raised 20-feet to allow unobstructed views of the ocean.  Over 400 trees were planted using the world’s largest mechanical spade, including 160 50-foot tall Live Oak trees, creating an entrance with a centuries old ambience.  You can imagine how the millions spent have impacted surrounding properties.  Similar types of capital improvements are being made in Sea Pines Resort, the millions invested are not costing property owners a penny.

Some of the capital improvements in Sea Pines include the new golf club (formerly the Plantation Club site near the ocean) where tons of fill dirt have been brought in to create a 17-foot elevation which means very dramatic views of the golf course, lagoons and swaths of tropical palmettoes.  The handsome facility is now under roof and landscaping has begun.

The new nearby oceanfront Beach Club is being framed.  The building will have 15,000 square feet plus 11,000 square feet of outdoor area.  This is in addition to the new Harbour Town Clubhouse, a three-story facility that will have 18,000 square feet and cost an estimated $20 million.  It is to be built after the April 2014 PGA Tour event, the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.  The current clubhouse will be torn down.

Hilton Head is full of construction activity.  Everywhere we go there is new construction.  In my beachside neighborhood alone there are three new homes under construction, one a “spec” house that will be priced around $1.9 million.  Nearby, another lot is being prepared for a large “spec” house that is currently on the drawing board.

While prices are still relatively low (although they are edging up), good inventory is still available and even Jumbo loan rates (Jumbo being those that exceed the $417,000 conforming loan limit) are less expensive than 30-year conventional loans, this has to be the time to take advantage of an unusual and unique time in history for “smart money” investing and beautiful Hilton Head Island is the place to include in your portfolio.

To you, gentle reader, happy holidays and a healthy 2014. . .this will be my last blog for a while.  After writing it monthly for two years I am taking a hiatus.  However, the blogs will still be available on www.diannwilkinson.blogspot.com for readers interested in the Hilton Head Island lifestyle, which was the purpose in writing it.  The impetus was a call from a reporter from Bloomberg News who asked why people bought property on Hilton Head Island.  I hope I’ve answered the question.

Contact Diann at: diannwilk@roadrunner.com

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY – on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Just before a full Carolina moon illuminated the old sea islands strung along our coastal area, a young girl from St. Helena Island near the small, historic town of Beaufort, S.C., took center stage in Los Angeles, California to win the title of “American Idol.”  The tall, 23-year old African American with a powerful voice, natural beauty and a quiet dignity, captured the hearts of thousands who followed her journey to the title.

Her name is Candice Glover, the first born of Carole and John Glover of St. Helena Island.  Her middle name should be “Perseverance”.  It was her third try at the title, this girl who never gave up her dream, who honed her powerhouse voice in the Oaks True Holiness Church, who grew up in a modest home on a dirt road bordered by a forest where wild blackberries grew and the smell of fresh pine and jasmine permeated the air.  It was here she was nurtured and influenced by the rhythms of life that pulsed in the marshes and streams, where her courage grew with the ebb and flow of the tides, who ended up on a stage with Aretha Franklin and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson.

Before the big win in Los Angeles, she flew home for a gala “Homecoming” in Beaufort, once called the “Newport of the South”, where there was a parade in her honor. Venerable antebellum homes with huge oak trees trailing weeping moss graced a true old south background for the cameras that came from Los Angeles to follow the newly minted star.  She gave a concert there for hundreds of fans.  One nearby mansion had been the setting for “The Big Chill”, now a cult film, one of many motion pictures filmed in the area where directors and producers love Beaufort’s soft light.  It is currently for sale for over $4 million.  Why not?  People come from all over the world to this area (especially to Hilton Head Island) to pay millions of dollars for a small piece of what Candice grew up with.  Pluff mud is probably in her DNA.  It is in mine; I am also a native of the Carolina Lowcountry.

She worked on Fripp Island, renting golf carts and scooters, traveling to work through the tiny hamlet of Frogmore, not far from Penn Center, where Dr. Martin Luther King held strategy sessions early on.  Part of the Gullah Geeche Cultural Heritage Corridor, this area was accepted as a National Heritage Area by the U.S. Department of the Interior.  It is the only one of 49 National Heritage Areas that specifically deals with African American history.

The road that is traveled here, leading to Dataw Island and Fripp Island, was once so deserted that exuberant teenagers would park their cars on the shoulders where wildflowers grew, turn up their radios and dance in the empty lanes.  They then continued on to the beach at Hunting Island State Park, climbed up tall sand dunes (now washed away) and slid down from the top toward the ocean.  The beach was bordered by a Palmetto forest which was the setting for war scenes in the film “Forest Gump”.  The shrimp boat scenes were shot in St. Helena Sound.  In certain areas of these old sea islands one can still find small wooden cottages with shutters painted blue, to keep “haints” away.  A Dr. Buzzard lived here and worked his voodoo magic.  If you believe, as many do, that Candice Glover has magic in her voice, she comes by it naturally. Then suddenly, she was singing the National Anthem at The Capital in Washington, D.C. for the Memorial Day Celebration! Proud, we feel so proud of her.

Toward the end of May, before summer set in, the annual Hilton Head U Savannah Equestrian Exposition, presented by Equus Ventures, LLC and chaired by a name etched in racing halls of fame, the great jockey Eddie Maple, who rode the famous racehorse Secretariat to victory (among many others) was held at Rose Hill Plantation.  White tents lined the sides of the playing field flanked by urns of flowers and hanging baskets filled with colorful blossoms.

Dr. Sandy Termotto (the Founder and President of Equus Ventures) was on the announcer’s stand describing the various equestrian events and later, a polo match.  Iva Welton, a petite dynamo who was responsible for placing the Gothic-Revival style Rose Hill mansion on the National Register of Historic Places and the Marketing Director for the event, watched from the VIP tent where a buffet of delectable edibles was arranged, the linen-covered table decorated with flowers.

Nearby was the Maples tent (Eddie and his wife, Karen, run the Rose Hill Equestrian Center).  Eddie greeted fans who were seeking his autograph or just wanting to shake his hand, always calm, friendly and well-mannered.  At the Termotto tent, Sandy’s wife, Linda (she with the beautiful eyes) charmed friends and guests and made sure they enjoyed a gourmet repast.  Interesting guests here were Dr. John Clements and his wife, Lyne.  He is a member of the Scottish American Military Society and was wearing a kilt!  There is always something unusual to see at these fun and exciting events that contribute so much to local charities.

To contact Diann: diannwilk@roadrunner.com

In December, Hilton Head Island's Forests are Decorated for Christmas

There are garlands of gold grape leaves and cascades of red-leafed Virginia Creeper vines, adding drama to nature's holiday scene. At sunset, white egrets roost in groups on tree limbs, positioned like so many Christmas tree ornaments. For much of this month, the air has been warm and balmy with temperatures in the low 70's. The holidays are filled with twinkling lights, high spirits, gifts to the needy, parties for the more fortunate.

In Hilton Head Plantation at the Old Fort Pub, it is quiet in the evening along Skull Creek as dusk approaches. If you listen carefully, you might hear echoes of cannon fire from the historic Fort Mitchell Civil War shore battery site adjacent to the restaurant. The echoes linger over the marshes where diners, serious about creative cuisine, choose to go.

For one party in a private room, a fully decorated Christmas tree glittered, surrounded by fairy lights. Guests watched a spectacular sunset over Skull Creek as trays of hors d'oeuvres were passed. The menu included Butternut Squash Soup, Pan-seared Salmon Spoons with Saffron Risotto, Apple Cider Pork Medallions with Crispy Potato Galettes, Margret Duck Breast with Sugar Plum on Pumpkin Pancakes, Naked Roasted Brie with Apricot Chili Glaze and Beef Tenderloin Forks with Fois Gras Whipped Potatoes. Braised Peaches with Chambord accented with Vanilla Tapioca was featured for dessert.

When you live on Hilton Head, you live with history. Not far from Fort Mitchell, in Port Royal Plantation, Fort Walker was built during the Civil War. It was built by Confederate soldiers but was captured by Union troops and became a city of over 50,000 Union soldiers. The ruins of a large cannon site are still there, overlooking Port Royal Sound.

After the Civil War, Northern money poured into Southern land. Money has always found the Hilton Head area. Hilton Head Plantation and Honey Horn Plantation were bought by friends Landon Thorne and Alfred Loomis in 1931, consisting of eleven thousand acres. Adding to the acreage over time, they eventually owned some 20,000 acres or 80% of the island. The eighteen hundred acre Fort Walker site was part of this, purchased from the government for $12,500.00. They came to the island for a month or so each year to hunt, both families staying in the main house at Honey Horn after adding a number of rooms.

The grandeur of their shoots (duck, quail, venison and fresh oysters on the half-shell were favorites) and dinners have been well documented in various publications. Black men in livery, white linen tablecloths with china and silver place settings set the tone for the elaborate dinners.

Thorne and Loomis had permanent residences in New York state. Landon Thorne had Thornham, a 230-acre estate on the Great South Bay in Bay Shore, Long Island, purchased in 1928. There, a 30-room Tudor mansion was surrounded by masterpiece gardens, fields for pheasant hunting, a croquet court, indoor tennis court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools. In 1930, he bought a fifteen-room simplex at 740 Park in New York City which came to be known as the richest building in the world. There were a number of homes, yachts, Bentleys, even Romanov emeralds to wear to splendid parties they hosted. Loomis also had an apartment at 740 Park. They eventually sold their Hilton Head land in 1950 and 1951. The south end of eighty-four hundred acres sold to timbermen from Georgia for $450,000 in 1950. The buyers were Fred C. Hack, General Joseph B. Fraser and C.C. Stebbins. In 1951, Hack, Stebbins and Olin T. McIntosh purchased the remaining eleven thousand acres from Thorne and Loomis for $600,000. Several years ago, the Town of Hilton Head paid $7 million dollars for the Honey Horn property.

By the early 1950's, General Fraser's son Charles had Sea Pines Plantation on the drawing board, assisted by the finest land planner in the country, Hideo Sasaki, chairman of Harvard University's landscape architecture department. From these careful beginnings and great respect for the land, Charles Fraser developed one of the most notable resort communities in the United States.

In the nearby Ridgeland area, a twenty thousand acre parcel was the setting for one of many hunt clubs in the south, the Chelsea Plantation Club. Thirteen thousand acres of this land was sold to one of the richest men in the country, Marshall Field, of New York. His permanent residence was on Long Island, New York's North Shore. It was a $6 million dollar replica of a family home in England. There was a private hunting preserve, a golf course, an air strip, a polo field, a private beach, tennis courts and a staff of eighty-five. (In 1943, his grandson Marshall Field, III turned fifty and inherited the remainder of his grandfather's fortune, $75 million dollars).

Chelsea Plantation became known for its hunting parties. Before a quail shoot, the extensive lawns at the rear of the regency-designed faded white brick manse (a special silicone paint was used on the exterior to produce the "look") were seeded with winter rye and tons of white sand poured on meandering paths that led out to the nearby river. When houseguests arrived for a shoot, the quail were let out of cages and driven over a velvet lawn of green toward the rear of the house where the hunters stood, waiting.

Real estate sales have continued to be strong on Hilton Head Island, especially now as the end of the year approaches. There has been a scramble for properties with buyers wanting to close on a purchase before the end of the year in order to obtain a better price from a seller before a possible tax increase goes into effect. This has created many multiple offers, an increase in the sale of lots as well as many large home sales. A 2.5 acre estate lot that I mentioned in the November blog, is under contract, to close before the end of the year. The buyer doesn't plan to build for about four more years. Villa sales are up almost 20%; home sales prices are increasing. Home prices in many states rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. As inventory clears out, we expect more price increases. The Wall Street Journal has published three articles recently calling this the time to buy!

We've seen some serious money come to our shores through the years. Northern money continues to pour into Southern land, as does money from all over the country, Europe and other countries. People breathe the same soft, salty rarefied air that the very rich have breathed and enjoy a lot of the same things. Most of the dirt roads have been paved now and the island is a little more crowded but property owners and visitors alike share the same admiration for the natural beauty of the Lowcountry and the same respect for the land.

Make your holidays bright and plan a visit to beautiful Hilton Head Island and take a step back into history. Have a happy and healthy 2013!

A FULL CAROLINA MOON, A SKY FILLED WITH STARS. . .HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN NOVEMBER 2012

A full Carolina moon lit up the sky over Hilton Head Island going into November.  It bathed haunted hayrides, painted pumpkins and fuzzy, white-blooming swamp myrtle in a soft glow.

Island living is never better than in early fall when red pyracantha berries decorate the landscape and white camellia petals litter still-green lawns.

This is the beginning of the holiday season, opened in early November by the highly regarded Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance held at beautiful Honey Horn Plantation.  The honorary chairman, Bob Lutz, former vice-chairman of General Motors as well as former executive vice-president of sales for BMW, head of Chrysler’s global production development and a member of the board of directors at Ford Motor Company, added to the excitement.

Driving his 1971 Monteverdi, a car made in Switzerland with an Italian body and American mechanicals , he joined thousands who came to the event from 47 states and 10 countries.  Commenting on the antique cars he said, “It’s basically, to me, an historical preservation event for one of the most important artifacts of any society. . .a manifestation of folk art, of the period in question and its reflection of the economy of the time and the psychology of the time.”  He likened cars to rolling sculptures that are artifacts from history.

Concours Judge John Carlson said, “Hilton Head has become one of the truly unique Concours in the U.S.A.; in my view it has become a benchmark for other Concours throughout North America.”  It was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events list.

Another signature event is the annual Hilton Head Heroes gala, held this year at the elegant TidePoiinte retirement and assisted living community on the island.  The date is November 9th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with an exquisite array of fine food prepared by Chef Stephens Steward.  Wine tasting and a silent auction will highlight the evening.

The organization was formed by popular singer Gregg Russell and his wife Lindy Ellison Russell in 1998.  The mission is to bring children between the ages of four and eighteen suffering from life-threatening illnesses to Hilton Head for a resort vacation.

To that end a home in Sea Pines was purchased in March of 2005 where families can stay.  Hilton Head Heroes is in the business of helping children gracefully become angels, while unselfish acts of love and kindness help everyday people become heroes.   The organization was honored by the Chamber of Commerce as the Organization of the Year in 2009. Over the years Hilton Head Heroes has had hundreds of families as guests. (www.HHHeroes.com).

Long known for his concerts under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town, Gregg arrived in Sea Pines from Disney World in 1976.  Gregg Russell has traveled around the globe for the past 35 years, entertaining.  He has experienced over 1,000 cruises and has been asked such questions as “What time is the midnight buffet?” and “What do they do with the ice carvings after they melt?”  He and Lindy are caring, contributing members of our unique island community.

The fall season on-island revved up not only with a wide variety of festivals, the Concours d’Elegance, and the 31st season of the 2012-2013 Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s opening performance on November 12th at 8 p.m. featuring three masterworks of Bach’s orchestral oeuvre led at the harpsichord by one of North America’s foremost specialist in Baroque music (www.hhso.org), The South Carolina Repertory Company offered a production of “RED.”

When the play went from London’s West End to Broadway it won six Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction.  In this group’s intimate theatre on Beach City Road, it gives unusual insight into the abstract-expressionist artist Mark Rothko and his color-field work.

2013 is looking very positive for housing and overall economic growth, which should lead to rising home prices and possibly rising mortgage lending rates.  On the island NFL star Chris Canty’s new 13,000 square foot waterfront home is still getting a lot of attention.  There is another waterfront lot available for sale nearby with 183-feet of water frontage as well as an expansive dock with a covered pier.  From this site it is an easy walk to the club, tennis, golf and pool.

Agents are talking about an unusually good buy on Twin Pines Court in Sea Pines.  The house has over 4,000 heated square feet with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half-baths, a spacious living room with double-sided fireplace, and lofted ceiling.  The eat-in-kitchen is open to a large great room.  The rear deck is huge and has a heated swimming pool.  There is a sizeable 5th bedroom or office over the 2-car garage.  Rental income this year has been around $46,000.  It is priced at $849,000 F.

On Sandhill Crane there is an oceanfront home for sale for only $3,745,000 UF.  This home has 5 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms and 1 half-bath.  It has over 5,000 square feet, a private, heated oceanfront pool, hardwood flooring and a dramatic wrought iron staircase in the foyer.  In the front courtyard there is a grapefruit tree, laden with golden fruit.  Nearby are blue plumbago and miniature rose bushes where yellow butterflies flutter.  It is an idyllic setting.

Financial guru Warren Buffet is the most bullish indicator for U.S. housing.  He is buying up real-estate brokerages around the country, betting on a housing turnaround.  He has partnered with Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian real-estate investor, which more than doubles the size of his brokerage business.

Berkshire’s Home Services of America, Inc. unit will be the majority owner of the venture.  It will manage a U.S. residential real-estate affiliate network.  A press release said the brokerages that will make up the new company did a combined $72 billion in sales in 2011.  That is more than twice the $32 billion in sales that Berkshire did in 2011 without the new brokerages.

Fall Festivities on Hilton Head Island

Early fall on Hilton Head is a series of festivals, oyster roasts, art exhibits, polo matches, chili cook-offs, Latin music festivals, fiery sunrises and sunsets, Salty Dog Fish Fries, a Craft Beer and BBQ Festival and the week-long annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival with music, entertainment and a boat parade complete with a blessing of the fleet...an event that draws islanders and visitors from near and far to the quaint town of Bluffton, located across the bridge from Hilton Head, nestled by the May River. This historic hamlet is a favorite of many who favor the laid-back lifestyle and the smell of wood smoke as cooling breezes stroke the land.

Many buyers of real estate prefer to focus their efforts on property searches in the fall after the summer crowds have left. As inventory decreases and prices begin to edge upward, smart buyers are looking for their dream home or villa before selection is further diminished, while mortgage rates are still low. They are finding success. There have been more oceanfront homes and lot sales in Sea Pines this year than in 2009, 2010 and 2011 combined. Villa sales are ahead of 2011 sales by more than 40%. Rising building optimism along with rising buyer demand is creating a surge in building activity.

One NFL champ, Chris Canty, has chosen Hilton Head for his new 13,000 square foot, six bedroom, six bathroom home that is now under construction on a beautiful waterfront lot where a 3,254 square foot home has been demolished. The new structure will have a limestone facade and a lighting, heating, security and home-theater system that can be controlled by the owner from anywhere on the planet via his iPhone. Nearby is a waterfront home of 18,000 square feet once appraised at $17 million.

For the buyer who revels in stunning water views and spectacular sunsets, an executive-owner with a leading internationally known financial firm is offering his almost 5,000 square foot penthouse in Harbour Town, overlooking the 18th fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links, for $2 million, furnished. Like some other prime-property owners who have found a safe harbor here for their money during high earning years, he is retiring and downsizing. From the penthouse, it is an easy stroll to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin where an owner can board his yacht and enjoy a sunset cruise all the way to Costa Rica.

Another interesting offering are two adjacent estate-size lots, 2.5 acres each, in a  former plantation area in Sea Pines bordered by a large, sparkling lagoon, with enough space on the far side of the lagoon for a small guest house or two. The plantation once grew fields of rice that surrounded a large plantation house. The fields were flooded with water carried through Lawton Canal from Calibogue Sound. The rich rice harvest was called "Carolina Gold" by planters.

This area is only a short walk to Lawton Stables, a state-of-the-art facility across from Heritage Farms where residents park their Land Rovers, Jaguars and BMW SUV's and work their plots in old Gucci loafers and stained jeans. Instead of growing vegetables, some grow roses. At Lawton Stables, the revered American Saddlebred horse, known as the "Peacock of the house show world" is bred. Long a favorite of riders, General Robert E. Lee rode a Saddlebred named "Traveller" (General Ulysses S. Grant and Stonewall Jackson also rode Saddlebreds). After the American Civil War ended, breeders began promoting the breed as a show horse. The two adjacent estate lots near Lawton Stables present an unusual opportunity for a buyer with a sense of history and vision, especially if his or her family appreciates horses. It is a dream location for grandchildren. They can also ride their bikes to the beach or to Harbour Town.

Last week there was a final party at the Plantation Club in Sea Pines - a once-elegant private club where members kept their liquor in lockers and chefs were imported from Europe to serve fine foods and wines "at table". It was a final farewell before the structure is torn down to make way for a new $12 million dollar golf club. On a personal note, our family joined the Plantation Club in the 1960's when we were stationed in Seoul, Korea. We were charter members of the club. My then husband, a Marine officer, accompanied the first ROC battalion to Vietnam where they were valiant fighters. It was the first time the Koreans had fought outside of their country. Later, I arranged for our home to be built in Sea Pines near the beach while said-husband was under siege at Khe Sanh, Vietnam, commanding the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines.

For the last party at the Plantation Club, former chef Franz Meier and his former captain Klaus Jackel joined a number of early members, all gave nostalgic, short speeches while some admired one of the most beautiful tropical views on the island, long vistas from the rear of the club's large dining room windows of green golf fairways fringed by tall palmettos and lagoons. One speaker mentioned Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser, the genius behind our internationally known resort, being photographed for the Saturday Evening Post in the early days walking a 13-foot alligator on a leash. A short time later, while in Italy, he came across a foundry where various animals had been cast. Having a photograph with him of the alligator on a leash, he commissioned an alligator to be cast. It has served as a water fountain near the front of the Plantation Club ever since.

Stan Smith, our resident celebrity (an American Wimbledon champion whom I've written about before in this blog) was one of the speakers. He remembered the club as being the original home of the Renaissance Weekends that brought some of the most famous names in the country to the island, including Bill and Hillary Clinton. Stan and his family have lived on Hilton Head for 41 years. He is tall, handsome and dignified - a true all-American that all who know him are proud of.

When the club was built, the interior was designed by Elizabeth Gordon, the influential editor of House Beautiful magazine. Klaus Jacket told the crowd the club was known up and down the East Coast as the finest of dining establishments. One of the best and most popular speakers was "Happy" Mitchell, a slender, energetic African American who worked at the club and arranged parties for members for over 45 years. Happy retired a couple of years ago from the Harbour Town clubhouse where he continued arranging parties for residents and where he ended his career with Sea Pines. During his speech, he said that when he decided to retire, he wanted to go home, to go back to the river and to spend time with his "grands". He said they go all over the island and almost every day the grands ask him, "Where we goin today, Pappy? Do we have any money?" Happy likes going home, to the river.

The sun was setting over Calibogue Sound as the party ended. Numerous widows and widowers departed the club for the last time, leaving with their memories of happier times, wrapped like gifts and placed forever in their minds. Some were guided in their wheelchairs to waiting cars. Only the alligator from Italy remained.