Heavenly Hilton Head

It was a great getaway for several days this month to head down the coast to Hilton Head Island. It was our 35th wedding anniversary so pandemic or not we planned a special trip. A Caribbean island would have been nice but with so many travel concerns, Hilton Head made sense being in state and not too far away plus it is a world-class resort with beautiful beaches and excellent restaurants.

Monday, July 13- the dawn of a new day. Special one for us as it was our 35th wedding anniversary. The next ones I took Tuesday morning.

Down They Go...

We live in tumultuous times- possibly up there among the most difficult periods this nation has ever faced. Since early 2020 the coronavirus pandemic has killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world, inlcuding more than 132,000 in the U.S.  No end is in sight to this death toll.

Then on May 25 in Minneapolis George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, is killed on the street by a police officer who relentlessly kneeled on his neck for eight minutes, despite Floyd repeatedly saying he could not breathe. Floyd died at the scene.

The resulting protests and riots, many violent with bloodshed, fires and looting, have rocked and disrupted America. Statues of historic Americans linked with slavery and racism (accurately or not in some cases) have been vandalized, toppled, burned and destroyed.

In Charleston the tall statue in Marion Square of John C. Calhoun was recently removed by order of the mayor and City Council.

He may have been South Carolina’s most prominent political figure ever as a 19th century U.S. senator and Vice President. But his pro-slavery stance and the policies he championed to uphold and try to expand slavery have long been controversial and upsetting to Blacks.

I took this photo with my iPhone in January 2018 while sitting in the Starbucks at the Francis Marion Hotel. What I liked about it was how it is “so Charleston” with its images reflecting religion (the “Holy City” with so many church steeples), the city’s rich history represented by the Calhoun monument, and a palmetto tree, which is a state symbol and on the South Carolina flag.

Back to the Beach with Pandemic Precautions

A walk on the beach seemed like a good idea Sunday afternoon so that’s what we did yesterday. We weren’t sure what to expect weather-wise (overcast and possibly rain) or access-wise (knowing that restrictions are in effect).

The shrimp trawler Captain BTS coming into Charleston Harbor. That's St. Philip's Church on the left.

Herons Versus Frogs: Herons Win

Sometimes the small pond behind my house resembles the “Wild Kingdom” TV show I remember watching as a kid. In recent weeks I’ve been able to capture with my camera a Green Heron, then a Little Blue Heron, catch and swallow (awkwardly) large bullfrogs.

Both times it was in about the same spot near or amid tall weeds along the far bank of the pond. And both times the resident alligator kept an eye on me taking pictures.

GREEN HERON

Memorable Memorial Day Weekend Beach Visit

 Sunday we wanted to hit the beach for the first time this year but feared fierce traffic delays and mobs of fellow sun worshipers at beaches closer to Charleston.

So we made the just more than an hour drive to Edisto Island and we’re glad we did, finding the traffic light, and parking easy close to the sands.

The beach here was pretty crowded but the tide was going out so “social distancing” was not a problem.

The skies were clear with temperatures in the low 80s. Just a pleasant few hours all around. We didn’t want to get too sunburn so we’re careful not to stay too long. The large American flag near where we set up our chairs added to the positive Memorial Day vibe. And the water was very refreshing too!

ACE Basin Excursion- “At Least (Bittern) A Lifer” Bird For Me

What better way to celebrate the end of another school year- and what a strange one it has been thanks to the coronavirus pandemic- then to head south to one of my favorite Lowcountry nature preserves.

It’s a long drive (59.5 miles from my house to this entrance sign, taking about one hour 10 minutes) to the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, but well worth it to experience a vast protected preserve interesting in its layout and teeming with wildlife, especially alligators (avoid these) and multitudes of bird species.

The trip was a pleasant one as I drove with my window and sunroof wide open on a very mild mid-May day.

The time flew by as I listened to a favorite podcast (“Civil War Talk Radio”) that I hadn’t heard in a few months since school was closed as COVID-19 began to hit and shut down America.

It was only 60 degrees when I arrived at 9:30 a.m. at Bear Island (official location is TiTi Road, Green Pond, S.C.).

Birding COVID-19 Style?

It wasn’t intentionally a “shelter at home” precaution but the ongoing pandemic safety measures gave me more time to think about taking some neat bird photographs without even having to go outside.

Our new hummingbird feeder purchased at Wild Birds Unlimited is located on a window along our back porch, attached to a colorful frog figure we have had there for years.

The window is also perpendicular to our sunroom where our main television is located.  The TV is in the same line of sight (through another window) of the hummingbird feeder.

As the precious little birds started to become regulars at the feeder we would see them coming and going at all times of the day.

And soon my photographer mind hit on the idea of trying to take quality close up pictures of the male and female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

I know from experience that these tiny creatures are very fast and difficult to photograph. Previously we had a hummingbird feeder in a different back porch spot. Sitting as still as possible in a chair on the porch I patiently tried to get decent still images of these flighty birds with some success.

But I knew this new inside-to-outside shooting set up could be much more efficient and successful.  I had recently cleaned all the windows so I gave another cleaning to the window through which I would be shooting. And I took off the screen.

I was able to get a nice clear tight focus on the feeder, and steady too thanks to the tripod. I set the timer on my Canon SX50 to two seconds, knowing this would help with steadiness and focus (pressing the button to take a photo moves the camera slightly).

A Rosy Sunday Morning Thanks to Mr. Grosbeak

A casual Sunday morning, sheltering in place on the back porch, reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. Another picture-perfect spring day was unfolding.

Quickly, it got even better when this fancy fellow stopped by my all you can eat bird food buffet just 15 feet away from where I sat.

Knowing the time it can take to get through the Sunday paper I had my camera at my side. Glad of that I was!

Pandemic Pandemonium- Corona Leave Us Alone-a!

“Wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar” is the definition of pandemonium. Pandemic we all know as a worldwide epidemic.

“Pandemonium” may not be the best word for the headline of this post. The past several weeks have not been filled with wild and noisy disorder. COVID-19 has been the silent killer causing an orderly shutdown of societies around the world.

Early March appointment at my dermatologist. Just a precaution
after I said at check-in that I had recently been out of the country. I was
in Portugal in late January/early February but told the
woman I was in Italy. I don’t think she thought my joke was funny. 

But, hey, I like alliteration so I’ll stick with Pandemic Pandemonium.

It would be a sin if I didn’t post about the coronavirus crisis, the most disruptive world event since the 9/11 terror attacks 19 years ago.

So far, my family and I have been spared hardships. For that, I am grateful to God above. With our children living in New York City and Chicago, Alesia and I have worried about their well being, especially #1 son in the Big Apple.

What I want to do in this post is share my photographs that capture the big and little picture of what much of the world has been seeing and experiencing.

Alligator’s Pearly Whites

An afternoon excursion on a pretty spring day led us to the nearby King's Grant neighborhood that 

has a nice park where a golf course used to be.