Ruminating on Enumerating: My 2020 U.S. Census Work

 

This shadowy figure appeared at hundreds of Charleston area doorways during the past few months. 

I was among a legion of U.S Census “enumerators” or “door knockers” as some called us. Our job was to go to residences in which the occupants, for whatever reasons, had yet to fill out the 2020 Census questionnaire. 

This despite the ease of completing the form by mail, online, and telephone. And despite the millions of multi-media dollars Uncle Sam spent to advertise and remind Americans to do so and why to do so is important. 

Here's a quick summary why the decennial (every 10 years) U.S. Census is important. 

American Redstart a Startling Backyard Discovery!

 

It is rare these days when a bird comes to my backyard feeders that I do not recognize. But in recent weeks a visitor has had me doing double takes. And triple takes. (See story update below!)

What is with the yellow feathers at the end of this bird? I thought they were at the tip of its wings. Now I know these are yellow tail feathers. 

Now I know this is an American Redstart, a “New World Warbler” according to Wikipedia (OK maybe not the best source for ornithology). 

Curious name for this yellow-tinged bird. Redstart. Well, the name comes more from the male version  that has a “Halloween-themed color scheme,” as described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

Contest Winner: Magnolia Cemetery Sunrise

 When I saw that the weekly Charleston Post and Courier photography contest topic was graveyards and cemeteries, I thought this is one I have to enter. Deciding which photo to submit was the hard part. 

I thought about the pictures I took last November when Magnolia Cemetery superintendent and fellow Carolinas Nature Photography Association (CNPA) member Beverly Donald opened the gates pre-dawn for our club members to take sunrise photos. 

Those of us who came out so early enjoyed a glorious sunrise in the dramatic setting of beautiful and historic Magnolia Cemetery.

I posted my ten favorite photos from the day (good example of a "listicle" list article that I have shared with my college students) and this is where I found the image I entered in the newspaper's contest. 

Edisto Island Fixer Upper- Glass Half Full or Empty?

This may be the saddest mailbox I’ve ever seen! 

Its “mouth” is open as if saying “I deserve better than this.”

The location is 7944 Steamboat Landing Rd. off Highway 174 on Edisto Island. 

The poor mailbox caught my eye a few weeks after a beach visit. Saturday during a drive out this way we stopped by so I could photograph this box and the property behind it. 

The old red house and trailer next to it are not much to look at either. 

Vacant and seemingly abandoned the property has been neglected for who knows how many years. 

The house is barely visible from the road. If not safe from the growth devouring it, a strong fence offers some protection.