Christmas Morning

It’s very early Christmas morning and all through the house…and outside…it is very quiet, as it should be. 

Soon the family will be up and the many gifts will be opened. But one gift is missing. Our younger son did not make it home from Chicago after testing positive for Covid two days ago. He says he feels fine, that it started with a cold. His brother came home with a cold but it seems to have run its course, but not before it passed on to me, apparently/allegedly. Son No. 1 did his second Covid test yesterday since being home. Both came back negative. 

Wood Stork A Nice Sight to See (Belted Kingfisher Too)

 

Since Hooded Mergansers came to my backyard pond a week ago I’ve been checking on them a few times a day. They are still here and the “Hoodie” pond population has been at 13 for a few days.

Another nice surprise was a couple days ago when I went out for my morning check and found a Wood Stork had joined the party on the pond!

Over the years I have seen Wood Storks at other golf course ponds in my neighborhood. This may be only the second time I have spotted one in “my” pond. 

It seemed to find some good eating in shallow water along the far bank (above). 

I have seen these Storks elsewhere in the Lowcountry. Here are a couple links that show other Wood Stork encounters: Magnolia Cemetery and in the ACE Basin. 

The Stork had plenty of feathered company during the visit. In this photo there’s a Great Egret (left) and a White Ibis (Middle) with its trademark long curved orange bill. 

“Hoodies” Back in the ‘Hood!

 A favorite migratory bird has been in my (the golf course actually owns it) backyard pond for almost a week now. These are Hooded Mergansers, “Hoodies” for short. This time of year (or earlier in the fall) they come south from as far away as Canada. Last Monday I counted five, four females and one male- he has the big white patches on his head. The last few days seven have been here more evenly distributed between boys and girls. 

A Little Blue Heron flies by a brace or raft (collective names) of Hooded Mergansers.

Hoodies have come to this pond in the past this time of the year. I first became aware of this unique-looking species years ago at Magnolia Cemetery. They have wintered in the ponds there for years. 

In the background are (right) a Great Egret and three White Ibis. 

Great Egret and Little Blue Heron 

The Murdaughs of Magnolia Cemetery

The prominent Murdaugh family of Hampton, S.C. has been in local then national news for a while now. But it’s for all the wrong reasons: mysterious unsolved violent deaths, fraudulent financial and legal dealings involving millions of dollars and allegations of criminal and civil cover-ups. 

If you haven’t heard about all this, here are a couple places that can help you catch up if interested: FitsNews investigative journalist Mandy Matney’s “Murdaugh Murders” podcasts or just Google “Murdaugh South Carolina” and the floodgates of coverage will pour in. 

The recent rumblings at Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery have been pinpointed to this plot. It is Murdaugh ancestors turning over in their graves! 

The Murdaughs buried here began, by virtue of one of their sons, the family’s legal dynasty in the southern part of South Carolina. 

Pictured below, Josiah Putnam Murdaugh (1830-1912) and his wife Ann Marvin Davis Murdaugh (1847-1919) had several children. One of them was Randolph who, in 1920, would become the first of three generations of Randolph Murdaughs (RM Senior, RM junior and RM the third) to be solicitors (district attorneys) of South Carolina's 14th Judicial District that encompasses five rural counties. That 86-year reign of status and power is now being scrutinized in light of the deaths, scandals and controversies that embroil today’s Murdaughs. 

Randolph Murdaugh Sr. died a violent death in 1940 when his car was struck by a train late at night at a railroad crossing in Hampton County where he lived and had begun the law firm that is today snarled in controversy.  Ironically, the firm's website has on its homepage an image of two men, backs turned to the camera, walking on railroad tracks. 

Good Eats In Orangeburg!

This being the last week of classes at South Carolina State University I treated myself to my favorite lunch place in Orangeburg. 

That would be the place with the very distinctive sign out front (though the chicken- or is it a rooster- has lost some of its luster since I last dined here pre-pandemic a few years ago.) 

Biddie Banquet is located at 220 John C. Calhoun Dr. not too far off Interstate 26 (if you're passing by).

This is a quaint place that does not seem to have a website. Unusual for the times. So I'm linking what Trip Advisor says about it. 

I first learned of Biddie Banquet three or four years ago when then Charleston Post and Courier food writer Hanna Raskiin included the establishment in a big spread she did about where to find the best fried chicken in South Carolina. 

Orangeburg Civil Rights Landmark is Being Restored

Earlier in November a group of South Carolina State University students and I had a unique opportunity to go inside the old Orangeburg bowling alley that would become the impetus for a tragedy in February 1968 that became known as the Orangeburg Massacre. 

Third from left is Ellen Zisholtz. She and her organization Center for Creative Partnerships have launched the All-Star Justice Center project to bring to light what happened at this important landmark. 

4 in the Morning? Great Time to View an Eclipse!

I was not planning to try to see the latest lunar eclipse- especially when the best viewing time is in the middle of the night. But this morning when I woke up at 4 or so I felt surprisingly well-rested. So out the door I went! This was a cool sight to see! Here are my two best shots. 

What exactly is a lunar eclipse? I will let Wikipedia explain: A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow.^[1] This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in syzygy) with Earth between the other two, and only on the night of a full moon

The Charleston newspaper today (Nov. 20) had a few eclipse photos taken by a staff photographer. I'm glad to see my picture quality is comparable with that of a professional!  

Thanks to my sister Ann who sent out some information to our family the night before the eclipse. I otherwise probably would have forgotten about it!  

In January 2019 I photographed another eclipse. Check out my post here. 

And click here to see my report about the amazing and rare 2017 daytime solar eclipse!  

Little Blue and Great Blue Herons in Flight

 I am fortunate to live by a golf course pond that is a wonderful ecosystem. It attracts a variety of wading birds (Egrets and Herons especially), turtles, frogs, alligators, and the occasional snake. And there are some fish in there too and residents and guests occasionally fish the pond. Over the years, though not lately because the pond is no longer stocked with bass, I have caught and released a number of bass, crappie and sunfish. 

The other day I photographed a Little Blue Heron that I have seen at the pond for a while. After popping off a few shots as I got closer and closer I set the camera to burst mode to see if I could capture a decent in-flight shot or two. Take note of the dragonfly in a couple of pond-side shots. 

Defending My Favorite Watering Hole!

 

Charleston’s Dewberry Hotel on Meeting Street across from historic Marion Square is an excellent example of successful real estate repurposing. The original structure was built in the 1960s as a federal building housing offices most of us would rather avoid such as the FBI and IRS. (I went there to interview an FBI official for a news story I did at Channel 5 TV back in the early 1990s). 

That building was closed and evacuated in the 1990s due to dangerous asbestos problems. After a really long time vacant the Dewberry Hotel opened several years ago. 

A real drawing card for people staying and not staying in the fine rooms here is the rooftop Citrus Club. A few weeks ago Alesia and I took there our friends from Virginia, Rodger and Tina Slate (see them above). 

Eight stories high on top of the Dewberry Hotel the Citrus Club offers majestic views of Charleston’s historic district and the sunset views from up there are very special. To me, it is easily one of Charleston's coolest places and most romantic too! 

Fort Sumter Visit- Five New Things Learned

 

Since moving to the Charleston area more than 30 years ago I have been to Fort Sumter- target of the first shots of the Civil war- maybe five times. It is always a fun place on a nice weather day to take out of town visitors. 

The ferry ride from Charleston’s Liberty Square is always very scenic. There is plenty to see in all directions. 

Old Orangeburg Cemetery Reveals Interesting Finds

 

Thursday, Sept. 23's gorgeous weather was an excellent excuse to do something I have been itching to do for a few weeks: visit Orangeburg’s First Presbyterian Cemetery. Located downtown the small cemetery is just a short drive from SC State University where I teach. 

A little harder to find was First Presbyterian Church located several blocks away. Curious to me was that the gravesite is not next to the church, hence it’s a cemetery and not a graveyard. 

Ironically, there’s a large public cemetery across the street from the beautiful white church. The Presbyterian church was organized in 1835.

The cemetery opened the same year. The grounds are well kept with many large magnolia trees and other types providing nice shade in places. 

Can’t Buy This At Sears!

 No it’s not a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ship though it looks big enough to be. 

This is a 288-foot megayacht called Fountainhead. Wow, Fountainhead even has its own Wikipedia entry! 

I took this photograph Sunday while on the beach at Sullivan’s Island. The yacht was heading into Charleston Harbor. A little online research found that this “boat” is worth a whopping $130 million. The owner is big too in the business world: the CEO of Sears Eddie Lampert. The 59-year-old is said to be a billionaire and that sounds about right. The flag flying from the stern is that of Cayman Islands. Less surprisingly, Lampert also has a Wikipedia site.

This wasn’t Lampert and Fountainhead’s first visit to the Holy City. The Post and Courier had an article and photo of the yacht in the paper in August 2017. 

Another Yacht steamed toward Charleston earlier in the day. This one is called Homecoming. She is 136 feet long. An online look did not reveal Homecoming’s owner but we did learn it was built in Taiwan.

Idyllic Labor Day Weekend at Folly Beach

 We looked for sharks teeth and other fossils at Folly Beach the day before Labor Day. No luck with the fossils but the weather and water were great, and the vibe was relaxed and family friendly. 

Back in the Classroom!

 

It has been almost a year and a half since I taught students in a classroom at South Carolina State University. 

In March 2020 I left campus for Spring Break. Who would have thought the rest of that semester then the next two would be taught remotely due to the terrible, deadly scourge that has been the Coronavirus pandemic? 

It is finally safe, or safe enough, for students and their teachers to resume face-to-face instruction. 

Other big changes have been that our communication classes and faculty/staff offices being moved out of the Harold Crawford Building due to water and mold problems.

My colleagues and I are now ensconced in Turner Hall. This is my new office that is slowly taking shape. 

I’m back to being a road warrior driving from North Charleston to Orangeburg and back. It’s 66 miles and 70 minutes each way. 

I’m again enjoying my favorite podcasts and the occasional amazing cloudscapes.

I use the free photo enhancement application called Snapseed to make these images really pop. 

Here’s to safe travels and a great school year that will also be safe for students and teachers everywhere! 

Chicago Family Gathering

GETTING THERE & MEETING UP

Dateline Chicago- The fam came together for a long weekend in August- a weekend that stretched into a couple extra days in the Windy City due to flight and weather complications. 

We, of course, flew in from Charleston to see Justin who lives in Chicago.