Update on New Book Presentations

 

This new year is off to a really good start as far as things happening with my new book, "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston." 

So far I have given two presentations and several more have been set up for the months ahead.

This selfie is from Feb. 10 when I spoke to the fine folks at the Waring Senior Center in the West Ashley part of Charleton. 

Here are some of the center members who attended my talk. Afterwards, I signed and sold a bunch of books.

On Jan. 27 I presented at the Lowcountry Senior Center on James Island. That event was also fun and well attended. 

Both facilities had really good audio-visual equipment. I greatly appreciated this! 

Here are more upcoming presentations:

• Monday, March 27, 3 p.m.- Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Center, Charleston
• Wednesday, April 12, Noon- Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club (this will be in the Fellowship Hall at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church
• Thursday, April 13, 11 a.m.- Bishop Gadsden (but a different part of it)
• Sunday, May 21, 2:30 p.m.- S.C. Genealogical Society
• Friday, June 23, Noon- Bethany United Methodist Church, Summerville 

Please contact me if you are interested in my books and/or interested in me speaking to your organization. My email is birdseyeviewspublications@gmail.com. Thank you!  

Winter Bird Count

 

Baltimore Orioles 

Christmas Eve became extra joyous when my grape jelly feeder in the backyard was visited throughout the holy day by a few beautiful Baltimore Orioles! 

After snapping some photos through the window, I moved upstairs and quickly and quietly opened a bathroom window that overlooks our array of feeders. 

What a color scheme has this fine feathered fellow! 

Orioles crave the jelly, so I try to it out for them, especially in the fall and winter.

The weather was very chilly on this day, in the upper 20s-low 30s. A knowledgeable friend who owns the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Mt. Pleasant, after I posted some of these photos on Facebook, said the cold temperatures make Orioles and other birds more active (and hungry I reckon). 

Female Baltimore Orioles came by too on this day. I didn’t get any photos of the lady Os. That’s a Pine Warbler in the middle of this pix. 

Here are some more of my special Christmas Eve Orioles! 

Charleston’s Old Navy Yard: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 

An early December drive to MOMO restaurant at the old Navy Yard in North Charleston got my photography and research juices flowing. 

So we went back a few days ago to explore some more and for me to do photography for this blog post and social media possibly.  

The shipyard and U.S. Navy base (now officially called Navy Yard Charleston) date back to 1901. They played important roles in both world wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars as well. See this history link.

Peak employment surpassed 25,000 late in World War II. New vessel construction, around 200 in all, included destroyers, destroyer tenders and escorts, and landing ships. The base also repaired and retooled Navy ships (and subs). For a listing of all the ships built here see this. 

I have lived here long enough to remember occasionally seeing Navy submarines streaming in and out of local waters near the old Cooper River Bridge.

But in the 1990s the Charleston Navy Base was among the eventual 122 military installations across the country that were shut down in the post-Cold War era. 

Three decades later, much of the former base's 1,575 acres can be seen by car or foot- before you would have to go through a military checkpoint. Here are some of my images and impressions: the good, bad and ugly. 

Note: In late January 2023, the Post and Courier published this in-depth article about big plans underway here!

Time to Sign at Terrace Oaks Antiques Mall

 

With my table surrounded by old clocks, it was my time to shine and sign books. 

Many thanks to Terrace Oaks Antiques Mall owner Camille Wish (pictured) for the opportunity. 

I am also thankful to Camille for inviting me to speak on Dec. 1 to her Rotary Club of St. Andrews. 

Terrace Oaks Antiques Event Saturday, Dec. 10

 My upcoming book signing at Terrace Oaks Antiques Mall, 2037 Maybank Hwy. in Charleston, has me even more excited after seeing this large advertisement in yesterday’s Post and Courier newspaper. 

Thank you Terrace Oaks owner Camille Wish for doing this. I’m quite honored and flattered and I am sure the publicity will bring extra good sales to us on Saturday! I also have Camille to thank for my speaking event to her Rotary Club last month. I met her several years ago at Bethel United Methodist Church when she gave a talk to my College of Charleston “Beyond the Grave” class.  The below photo by Hannah Sills was taken in March 2019. 

The Post and Courier ad ran below a story about former Vice President Mike Pence visiting South Carolina. I couldn’t resist touching up the article a tad…

Terrace Oaks prides itself on being the Lowcountry’s first antiques mall. It is large and spacious with ample free parking. 

The phone number at Terrace Oaks Antiques is (843) 795-9689. 

My signing Saturday will be from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. who knows, you may just run into Mike Pence there lol! 

St. Mary of the Annunciation a Shining Signing Success!

 

Alesia and I met so many nice people at yesterday’s Sunday book signing at this beautiful old church on Hasell Street downtown. 

St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church dates to the 1830s and is the oldest Catholic church in America south of Virginia. 

The church recently received an exterior paint job. Inside, there are scaffolds behind the altar for work inside. 

“In the Arms of Angels” Magnolia Cemetery Book Delivery!

 

This day after Thanksgiving UPS delivery was a welcome sight (and placed inside my garage at that- glad the garage door happened to open on a rainy day).

 just in time for the holidays- 50 hot off the press copies of my 2014 book, “In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry.” 

I remain so proud of this book that pays tribute to Charleston’s premier Victorian necropolis that opened in 1850. Today Magnolia Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 30,000 souls. 

“In the Arms of Angels” can be ordered directly from me or through my Amazon author site. Either way, I will happily sign your copy. 

My email is birdseyeviewspublications@gmail.com. 

Many thanks to Charleston-based Palmetto Publishing and the company that printed my book, Integrated Book Tech in Dulles, Va., which is part of Books International. 

My books are always proudly Made in America! 

For more information on this book click here. 

My newest book, "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston," was released in September 2022. Click here for more information on this book that explores Charleston's rich, interesting and diverse history through the prism of its religious burial grounds. 

VCU Recognition

 

As a proud mass communication graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University I am pleased to see a mention of my new book in the new issue of the school’s flagship magazine.

Here it is in the class notes section. 

This image may be a little easier to read. I heard from a long ago classmate and fellow VCU alum who sent me a photo of the blurb. 

Whenever in Richmond, I always like to stop by campus and look around. It was a pivotal time of my life here after transferring from Radford University. 

This photo is from the summer of 2017. 

Fine Fossil Find!

 

A Sunday afternoon bicycle ride was highlighted not by the frappuccinos at Starbucks but by a tiny treasure found on the way back home. 

Alesia suggested we stop and walk around a new construction site near the clubhouse and driving range at the Wescott Golf Course off Dorchester Road in North Charleston. 

We parked our bikes and walked around the small pond you see behind me. After 10-15 minutes, I spotted a shark’s tooth. It was flat on the ground and I knew right away what it was. 

Alesia snapped a couple nice photos. Click on this image to see the jagged edges of a fossil that may be, what, thousands of years old. 

I put the tooth in a small clear bag to tell it apart from the others in our collection. Most of these shark’s teeth and vertebrae were found by my sons and me years ago when we moved to Coosaw Creek. We were early settlers in this beautiful neighborhood and would go to the back of the property where new roads were being created. 

Finding fossils is fun and challenging. Sunday’s discover makes me want to get out and look for some more…soon! 

Update: November 24- Thanksgiving Day

Alesia and I returned to the Wescott site for a little pre-dinner exercise. We spotted another fossil hunter named Nathan who had been out here for about an hour. 

Wow, he found more than two dozen pieces, mostly shark’s teeth and some vertebrae parts. 

Nathan let me see what he had in his baggie. Click on the image for a better look! 

This was his biggest find so far today. Nathan told me how he and his father are experienced fossil finders, saying they have a “mini museum” of fossils. 

He found a tiny white tooth while I walked with him. 

This encounter encourages me to return to this site even though we struck out today. 

Big Book Signing Weekend!

 

Saturday was a fun one at my neighborhood’s annual fall arts and crafts fair. I had a table to peddle my books and am so appreciative of my Coosaw Creek neighbors’ interest and support. 

Jack, a retired U.S. Army general, purchased my new “Churchyards of Charleston” book. He grew up in Charleston so I know he will appreciate the Holy City tribute. 

I’m a sucker for holiday decorations. From Eloise, I bought this really cute little sled as well as a charming Christmas sleigh shown next.