Happy Birthday Ravenel Bridge!

 

Our visit Sunday, June 22 to the Ravenel Bridge coincided (somewhat) with next month’s 20th anniversary of the 2.5 mile span’s opening. The $632 million structure, with its two distinctive Diamond-shaped towers, opened to car traffic on July 16, 2005. 

What an asset the bridge is in so many ways. It replaced two outdated spans and includes four lanes for cars plus lanes for walkers and bicyclists. 

Back in 2005 I covered a big event days before the new bridge opened to car traffic. For two days people could walk on the eight-laned spanned. I produced a multi- media report using still photographs, audio interviews, music and text. I was assisted with the project by my son Joseph and Kristen Van Dyke, who was a College of Charleston student of mine back then. Kristen went on to have a successful career as a meteorologist. She is currently a meteorologist in Salt Lake City with KSLTV. My son Joseph also has a successful career in software engineering and design. Click above to see the report we produced. 

The bridge is named for Arthur Ravenel, Jr. (1927-2023). He was an iconic, impactful and colorful Lowcountry political figure from a prominent French Huguenot family. He was instrumental in securing funding for the massive construction project.

This picture commemorating the Ravenel Bridge opening in 2005 has had a spot in one of our bathrooms for two decades. The Post and Courier newspaper gave it to subscribers. 

The expanded Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, situated beneath the bridge, opened in recent weeks. I was curious to see it and on this warm early summer Sunday it was busy. 

Tragic 1913 Death of a Young Woman

 

This post shares research I conducted in 2024 on a young Jewish woman from Charleston who tragically died in a car accident in 1913 at the tender age of 19. 

I am using screenshots from presentations I have given recently to the South Carolina Genealogical Society in Charleston and on “The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast" when I was the guest last June. Check it out on YouTube! 

Gertrude Mordecai, known as Trude ("Our Trude" is inscribed on the base of the statue), is buried in Charleston at Magnolia Cemetery. I wrote about her tall mourning woman sculpture in my 2014 book, "In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston's Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry."

Upon learning that is was a car accident that took Trude's young life in 1913 I was struck by the fact that as soon as automobiles became more numerous at that time, car fatalities soon followed. 

I was always curious to learn details about Trude's fatal accident so in spring 2024 while Alesia and I were at the cemetery I stopped at her grave and took new photographs and took notes such as the Lord Tennyson poetry on the bench. 

I decided to look into the circumstances of her death in more detail than I had done for my "In the Arms of Angels" Magnolia Cemetery book. You see the questions I sought to answer. 

Marking 15 Years of Blogging!

I have always remembered that I began this blog in 2010. It came up recently in a conversation and prompted me to later look up when I did do that first post. Well, coincidentally, when on May 26, 2025 I checked my first post I was stunned to see it was exactly 15 years ago: May 26, 2010. 

Here is that modest first post “Time to Blog!” You have to start somewhere! I’m not able for some reason to edit this today. If I could I would pull up the text so it aligns better with the Great Egret photo. 

At that time I was getting into birding and the next year in 2011 I published my first book, “The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary.” 
Summer 2024 I published a second edition of that first book. 

My new blog was a great place to aggregate and share bird types I was discovering at Magnolia cemetery (I helped the superintendent set up the cemetery's website- she bought the web address so the blogspot suffix could become net). 

Photographing and identifying birds became a hobby that would culminate in that book in 2011 and in 2016 another book featuring my bird photos and anecdotes from not only Charleston but around the U.S. and the Caribbean island we visited during summers back then. 

My “BirdsEyeViews” blog helped me organize all these birds and then easily find the images when needed for my books. 

Myrtle Beach a Sandy Respite

 

An oceanfront room at a first-class hotel in Myrtle Beach! In my book, there is no better way to celebrate the end of a busy and challenging school year. 

We made the reservations a while ago so when Friday, May 16 finally arrived I couldn’t wait to hit Highway 17 north to this popular coastal attraction.

We returned to the Residence Inn Myrtle Beach Oceanfront. We must be moving up in the world! In May of 2022 our room was on the 15th floor (1508). This visit we had room 1606. 

Sunday morning I woke up at 6 a.m. in time to see this glorious sunrise. 

After snapping several photographs from our hotel room balcony I hustled down to the beach. A handful of other early birds had the same idea. 

Soon enough the yellow orb that is the sun emerged over the Atlantic Ocean. 

Bidding Farewell to the School Year at Biddie Banquet

 

Maybe this is becoming a tradition! For the second year in a row after South Carolina State University's graduation ceremony I enjoyed a fine lunch at my favorite Orangeburg restaurant. 

Biddie Banquet, bastion of down home cooking, is conveniently located for me on the way to Interstate 26 at 220 John C. Calhoun Dr.  Yelp reviews here. 

Commencement began at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9, and ended a few hours later.

I usually get the fried chicken- always so good- but since I had KFC chicken a few days ago I wanted something else. I was hoping for the chuckwagon steak with gravy but it wasn’t on the menu this day. So I went for the fried pork chop. This was by far the biggest pork chop I’ve ever had. And it was excellent, very moist and tasty. 

For $13.25 I had all this. Along with the meat, the plate comes with three sides. I chose mashed potatoes, Cajun rice, and Cole slaw. 

I misunderstood the three sides part this visit. Dessert is included in the $13.25, as is that Southern favorite- sweet tea. But dessert counts as one of the three sides.

Halfway through the meal I asked the server about dessert, a chocolate chip cookie. My past visits here dessert has been different pies or cobblers. 

She explained the three sides deal and kindly gave me the cookie at no extra charge. I gave her an extra tip for her quality customer relations. 

Green Energy Ship Turns Heads Heading Out to Sea

Most of the large container ships and chemical tankers seen entering or leaving Charleston Harbor don’t wow you with their looks other than their sheer size. 

But on April 30 while at the beach on Sullivan’s Island I witnessed an exception: this stunning vessel steaming toward the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I love this photo for capturing the ship’s bold beauty and because we see St. Philip’s Church in the background, a Holy City landmark (one of 14 downtown churches in my book “Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston").

See what I mean about turning heads? This gentleman stopped and stared, as did I. 

Stena Prosperous it says on the bow and on the port side in even larger print is Stena Proman. The former is the ship’s name and the latter the company that owns it.  

More lettering on the side spells IMOIIMeMAX. Let us try to determine what all this means! But first check out this photo of the tanker from Ships Monthly. 

Stena Prosperous is an oil and chemical products tanker built in 2022 at Guangzhou Shipyard in China.  It sails under the flag of Limassol, Cypress.

Stena Proman is a joint venture between Stena Bulk, a leading tanker operator, and Proman, a leader in natural gas-derived products and services. The two companies joined forces to build and operate a fleet of methanol-fueled tankers. 

Is a New Upscale Mexican Restaurant Worth the High Price?

 

A friend who had been a couple times to La Minerva Cocina & Tequila was skeptical about the question posed in the headline above. 

“I could go three times to Los Reyes for what I spent there,” he said about an older Mexican restaurant not far from La Minerva in North Charleston. 

Wanting to see Minerva for myself, I made a reservation for Friday at 6:45 p.m. This would be the first visit to the eatery that opened in December at 1881 Dorchester Rd. in the Cedar Grove Shopping Center near the Wescott, Coosaw Creek and other neighborhoods in the busy Dorchester and Ashley Phosphate roads area. 

The restaurant's exterior doesn’t reveal much. Not seen in this photograph is the outdoor seating. Inside, the look is glittery, spacious and, yes, upscale. 

On the far wall is an image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, war, art and justice. In Guadalajara, Mexico is a prominent statue of Minerva. From a manager (the owner's daughter) we learned that this is the hometown of one of the restaurant owners, hence the name. The restaurant's website says La Minerva is "upscale" and that the food here is “inspired by the vibrant flavors” of the Pacific coast Mexican state of Jalisco where Guadalajara is located.

Music on this night was live, provided by a saxophone player. At one point he came to the table next to us where diners were celebrating a birthday. 

Azalea Season is Better Than Ever!

For years, decades really, I have driven by this church in Summerville on the way to my church. 

In March and April, it has some of the best azaleas around. Keep reading for photos of azaleas at my house and at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. 

After my Mass ended nearby, I decided to park near this church and walk around the grounds. The service was still going on inside so I was careful to keep my distance and be quick and quiet with my photography. 

 

This is St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Built in 1857 to replace the church built nearby in 1830, it is one of Summerville’s oldest and most historic houses of worship. 

It has ties with the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site in that the church formed there in 1717, St. George's Parish Church, evolved into St. Paul's. At the park off Dorchester Road can be seen what remains of the church and its bell tower. 

St. Paul's Anglican is Summerville’s oldest extant church with the second oldest congregation. Summerville Presbyterian has the oldest congregation. 

I think it is safe to say that St. Paul’s has the most beautiful and abundant azalea bushes of perhaps any church in the Charleston area. 

Storm Gives Way to Stunning Skyline

 

“In like a lion, out like a lamb” goes the old saying about the month of March. 

Well, a few nights ago on March 31 we had one last roar from the lion. Heavy rain drenched the area for an hour or so. But then it subsided and a glance out a window had me heading outside with my iPhone 12. 

The storm clouds gave way to a pastel palette of loveliness. Looking west I quickly snapped a few photographs. It was still raining so I didn’t want to stay outside too long. 

That’s the golf course fairway and green in the foreground, then towering pine trees and at the top such beautiful clouds.

The pond near our backyard also made for a striking image. 

What gives these images extra pop is the Snapseed app. Free from Google, I’ve been using it for years. 

I shared these photos on the neighborhood Facebook site with the concise context “After the storm…” 

I’ve had more likes and positive comments than just about anything I’ve ever posted on the site! 

Backyard Birding an Ongoing Joy

 

A recent brief photo shoot in my backyard reminded me of how fortunate I am to live where I live, to have the bird feeder arrangement I have, and to have this hobby I have. 

Relaxing on the deck one morning during my recent Spring Break from teaching college, I photographed several types of birds in a short length of time, all while sitting comfortably in an Adirondack chair. 

In this photo you see the approximately 15 feet it is from the chair to the array of tube, suet and bark butter offerings hanging from the elaborate feeder station. Birds currently have 11 choices at the buffet, plus two bird baths (seen flanking the feeders). 

Alesia (who took these pictures) and I will reach a milestone 30 years in our home this June. In the backyard is where my interest in photographing birds and learning about them slowly grew and flourished. 

On the day I photographed the birds in this post, March 8 at around 11;30 a.m., I was pleased with the quality of the images, particularly how well the eyes of the different species are prominent. See if you agree. 

I try to photograph birds not just at the feeders and baths but also in the nearby trees, bushes and on the ground where lots of seeds end up after falling from the feeders. We also have a small pond at the edge of our property that attracts many larger birds such as Herons and Egrets, as well as turtles and alligators. 

                                    Brown-headed Cowbirds

Sad Occasion in a Beautiful Setting

 

My previous post tells why my family gathered in Colorado- my father’s Saturday, March 1 funeral. 

This entry is about the beauty of the Estes Park area. Alesia and I arrived on Thursday and stayed until Sunday afternoon. So the sad reason for the visit was buffered by the time we had to walk around and enjoy the scenery and geography so different from South Carolina’s Lowcountry. 

I didn’t have to go far to get these stunning images. We stayed at the Estes Park Resort, which is situated on Lake Estes. 

I just needed to step outside at around 6:30 a.m. to see the glorious dawn of a new day. 

Estes Park is located near the entrance to the popular Rocky Mountain National Park. In August 2022, my brother-in-law Paul took us up there. Wow is it a national treasure! See my post here. 

Fortunately, this winter trip offered moderate weather conditions with highs in the 50s. 

This is a view of the Estes Park Resort from across Lake Estes, an 185-acre water reservoir. Elevation here is 7,522 feet.

Our room was on the first floor, left corner of the hotel building. It was the perfect room for quick access through the back door to the lake and the parking lot too. 

The resort also offers cabins. You see some left of the hotel. 

Here are some more looks at the resort- and of us too...

The Passing of My Dad in Colorado

 

On Feb. 20 at 3:10 a.m. my dear father, Michael Sullivan Harwood, departed this life, taking the express lane to Heaven. He had a long robust life of 90 years. Dad was devoted to my mother, his wife for more than 70 years. He was devoted to his children and he was devoted to God. He worked hard during his military career then his civilian one and he found time for leadership roles in many church and civic organizations. 

We were blessed to have him our father. 

Alesia and I flew to Colorado for the March 1 funeral. In Estes Park we gathered with more than 20 relatives representing several generations of our big, widespread family. 

Ahead of the funeral, my brother Pete asked us for photos of Dad. With them he produced a beautiful montage about Dad’s life, accompanied by music his son Andy created. It was shown during a reception after Mass.

The funeral Mass program featured this lovely image of my parents taken at the beloved home they built on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. They lived there for something like 30 years after Dad retired. 

We enjoyed many wonderful Bay visits over the years. Many involved fishing. In 2008, we had a big family reunion. I’m so glad I captured the charter boat excursion that I shared at the funeral reception. 

White Delight- Rare Snowfall Blankets Our Area

 

You can hear me by clicking here

Local TV meteorologists were predicting it for several days and around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 it began. What began? SNOW! 

This is a very rare occurrence in the Charleston area. 

The last major snowfall we had was seven years ago, Jan. 3-4, 2018. Check out my post from then!

So Tuesday night it began sleeting.  Around 8:30 the temperature dipped to below freezing, and the white stuff started to fall. 

It did not take long to accumulate, covering the No. 15 fairway and green at Coosaw Creek Country Club where we live. 

For Joseph’s fiancée Tamy, just a few days removed from her native Brazil, this was her first encounter with snow. 

She had also never before seen a raccoon. This one came to our porch to eat some cat food we had out for a couple feral cats we have adopted (more or less). 

At daybreak the next morning a winter wonderland is revealed. 

Chill Start to the New Year

 

I was eager to get in an early 2025 nature outing so on Jan. 9 I cleared my schedule and headed south down to the ACE Basin.

It was clear cold day with temperatures in the 39-41 degrees range. I felt it in my hands while walking around looking for birds to photograph. 

I knew the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area might be closed, and it was for periodic hunting. 

But I also knew that I could still check out Mary’s House Pond, which is accessible after parking in the entrance area. 

Having been to Bear Island many times (see this post when we took bicycles out there!), the large pond attracts many birds, especially migratory ones in the winter. 

I would not be disappointed! Tundra Swans were the stars of the show. 

Tundras are North America’s most common swan but you don’t see them too often in the S.C. Lowcountry. They breed in Canada and Alaska and migrate to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during the winter. 

Here at Bear Island is the only place I have seen this big beauty.