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. 

Pondering the Ships at Sea

 

Massive cargo ships daily enter and leave Charleston’s harbor near Sullivan’s Island. 

This beach is truly and literally the intersection of commerce and recreation. 

Charleston’s state-of-the-art ports are among the busiest in the nation. 

And tourism, especially the thousands of people who flock to the fine and family-friendly Atlantic Ocean beaches in the area, is another key to the region’s economy. 

Nature Nuggets Out West Near San Digeo

 

July 9-12 was a busy wedding weekend across the country near San Diego. My nephew David and his lovely lady Sophia tied the knot during a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Milagro Winery in Ramona, Calif. I will share a few wedding photos later in this post. 

This West Coast getaway was also a chance to enjoy some different scenery. And that included photographing Acorn Woodpeckers, a lifer bird for me. 

It wasn’t long after we settled into our resort room that I noticed a few of these birds up in palm trees around the property. It took a day for me to get some decent photographs. I thought and hoped this was a different type of woodpecker than what I see regularly in South Carolina (Red-bellied, Downy, Pileated, even Yellow-bellied Sapsucker).

Some bird websites describe the Acorn Woodpecker as "clown-faced." I don't think he likes that description! 

Edisto Beach Offers 4th of July Fun

 

You can’t beat the beach for a relaxing and patriotic Independence Day! 

We headed to Edisto Beach where the sun was out and so were American flags as far as the eye could see. 

We did our part by bringing a small flag. 

The rules at this beach allow people to bring alcoholic beverages, unlike the ones closer to Charleston. Many people on this day were drinking beer held in koozies. 

Edisto Beach does prohibit glass containers. Plastic bottles of water are allowed, again unlike other area beaches. 

Flags also adorned some of the pleasure craft that cruised along the beach. 

Special Red Bird Highlights ACE Basin Trek

 

Our trip Saturday, June 26 to the Hollings National Wildlife Refuge didn’t start well. As soon as we parked here a downpour began. Would we have to turn around and go home after the hour-plus drive? 

We took cover and waited for a bit in hopes the rain would cease. And it did before too long. This photo was taken a few hours later after our nearly four-mile hike around the ACE Basin sanctuary. 

A fortunate decision was to begin our walk through these woods that served as a canopy protecting us from rain that continued for several minutes once we got going on the trail. 

Fortunate also because within minutes a red bird caught my eye off to the left. 

At first I thought it was “only” a Northern Cardinal. 

I quickly realized through my camera lens that this was no Cardinal. This is a Summer Tanager. Not your every day bird, though some folks have had them at their backyard feeders, 

One tell is the light-colored Bill. A Cardinal's is black.