Images of Charleston Trip

Visiting the only place in the USA where tea is grown.

The Angel Oak on John's Island-300-400 yrs old, limbs are supported by poles and posts cables. This species is a Live Oak,common in the southern part of the country.

The back porch of the cottage where we stayed. Set on two acres of  quiet and peaceful land.

A Morning Mist dancing over the pond.

Spanish Moss hanging from a tree in the yard. We saw a lot of this. Having seen pictures only in the past, and thinking it was soft, I was surprised that it is dry and grass-like to the touch.

More pictures tomorrow.

A Cottage Near the Pond II

A few weeks back, I spoke of the hope that we'd go on our long-awaited trip to Charleston, and where we'd stay if/when we finally made that four-hour drive.  I also promised that I'd let you know what decided on for accommodations. Here I am to fulfill a promise!

After locating a place on-line, and corresponding via email with the owner, we decided to take the risk and book the place on the pond. I say 'risk' because you never know exactly what anything will be like when you see only photos and talk on the phone or emails.  I'll tell you what, in this case, we were not disappointed!

We arrived at the Cottage on a Saturday afternoon after a drive on a 4-lane highway through endless miles of nothing but trees and cars. (One dufus driver was texting as he was towing a jet ski, heading for the beach I imagine. I hope he made it)  We got only a bit detoured, following directions and a map, we found ourselves on 17A instead of Rt 17. Ending up in Summerville, and we easily found our way from there, through more miles of trees on rural roads, to our destination.  Pulling into the driveway, we noticed how neat the little brick cottage and front porch were.  Discovering the key in its hidden spot, we opended the door to a lovely, spacious and open room which ran front to back of the building, housing the full kitchen on one end and the living room and fireplace on the other end.

We were impressed immediately on the cleanliness of the place. The wide pine floors gleamed, the glass and appliances shone! On the desk was a delicious, homemade cake and fresh cut bouquet of flowers. Also, there was a welcome note and a couple of manilla folders marked 'Maps', 'Charleston', 'North Charleston' etc. Within each was stacks of information on sites to see and places to eat in each area, and so forth. Those, as well as the owner's handwritten comments on the brochures and menus, directions, and the like proved to be invaluable on our first trip to the 'Low Country.'

We wandered through the house and found the two bedrooms and two full baths. We examined the book case and found that much of the reading material was pertaining to the area in some way. On the tv was a VHS tape of Charleston..perhaps a documentary, maybe a movie. We didn't get around to watching it, so I'm not sure.  We chose to go out the back door and look at the yard and the pond before we unloaded the van.

We sat in the colorful rocking chairs on the large back porch where we could watch the local birds come to snack on their seeds. Over the coarse of the week there, we spent many hours in those chairs...watching the mist dance over the pond in the mornings as we drank our coffee, and watching the Canadian geese as they fought and swam,took flight and landed every day.  It was a lovely spot and so relaxing!  I can't count the number of times that one or the other of us remarked about how much better it was to be there than in a stuff motel surrounded by city noises.

Granted, we had to drive 20-30 minutes to get to Charleston city, and more to other places, but it was worth the drives! The serene surroundings, the cleanliness, the comfort, the friendly hostess/owner who went out of her way to daily provide new info (which she placed outside the door under a rock so as not to disturb us)  all worked together to provide us with an unforgettable vacation stay.   We look forward to another time or two there in years to come!

Back Again With A Word..Maybe Two

When I signed on a moment ago,  I was surprised to see how long it's been since I've written on this blog. I must endeavor to be more faithful to writing.

Writing is actually the subject today. No, not creative writing, but the actual, physical action of writing with a pen or pencil.  One day someone is going to read this and  remark, "Boy...that was an old essay! Noone has sold pens and pencils in decades!"  Unfortunately, I think that really will happen.

'Why?', you ask. (probably you don't because you already know.)  It's because electronic devices are taking over, and you don't have to do much writing with such utensils as ink pens or lead pencils. There will come a day in the near future when anyone...not just the handicapped...but anyone who can afford it, will be able to have a device into which they will speak, and the words will be printed onto something that can be read or printed out. I hate to think of what this means.

It's bad enough now, I think, that so many have given up hand-writing tools in exchange for keyboards.  I'm one of them who uses email and keyboards for transposing ideas to print. I will never give up my pens and pencils, though, as long as I have breath in my body.  I've got such a collection of them, I shan't run out of them, though the ink may dry up in the pens before I use it up! 

I like to write, doodle, scribble, draw, compose, practice calligraphy and place words on paper.  It's unfortunate, in my opinion, that many schools have given up teaching cursive penmanship...and worse yet, that many are not grading children on their handwriting. That is a travesty!  If a person can't print so that someone can read it any more than they can a doctor's hen scratch, what will become of them?

Sadly, so many schools have opted to allow, even force, students to bring electronic devices to the classroom. No longer are they required to have multiple, hands-on, text books...or a long list of specific school supplies which will break a young back. Now they are asked, while still in elementary school, to bring in their own 'internet access' electronic devices. Great. Now kids can not only take photos in school, text each other and play games when they are supposed to be learning, they can squint all day long at little screens while the teacher feeds them web pages to learn from. 

Not only is that a potential problem from a parent's economic stand point, but it could be a problem for teachers. How many educators does it take to say to a class, 'search for www.blahblah.com'.  One teacher could get a microphone and speak it before a school gymnasium full of children who would be taking that class. There are many teachers now, due to the numbers in classrooms, but how many teachers does it take to bark a website address?

These are just some of my thoughts on these subjects. What are yours?

Today I'm Thankful....

Though I spent sleepless hours last night due to back pain, and I am tired, I am grateful for this day. I'm blessed to see another rising sun in pretty  good health, all things considered.

I'm grateful for Ben Gay, that wonderful, warm ointment that penetrates pain and gives some relief to the areas that get so achey sometimes. When that isn't enough, there is Tylenol or Aleve....which I try not to take often. Also a blessing is the creation of those throw-away heat belts and patches that have no odor, so I can go to places where I couldn't if I was chained to a chair with an electric heating pad.
This may sound silly, but I'm thankful for our straight-backed wooden counter stools and my kitchen island. When things are too painful to be able to stand longer than a few minutes at a time, I can sit and chop and mix whatever creation I've a mind to.  Today it was using up the last of our Italian tomatoes and some of the peppers and eggplant from our now-dead garden.  As we speak, the fresh sauce is simmering on a low heat, and the smell is permeating the house, making me hungry!

I'm glad for our church which records our morning and evening worship services on cds, which are available just for the asking. On days like this, when I feel that I am too uncomfortable to join the congregation, I know I won't miss the service,the music and the sermons.  I do, however, feel the desire for the fellowship of my friends there.

There are so many things that we could complain about in this life, but I choose, today, to count my blessings instead.

Oddities

Because things I've seen are not always what we'd call 'normal', I entitle them 'oddities'.  I will share a few here today, things I've seen recently that have caught my attention.

Yesterday we went over to the church to drop off some things for today's BBQ fundraiser. On the return trip, we stopped at a gas station that we frequent from time to time.  I noticed a man who was pumping gas two pumps to my right. I paid him no attention until he was pulling out of  the service station lot. He was driving a fairly new pick-up truck, with a double cab and a good sized bed on it. He was towing an old, rusty,small utility trailer.  Nothing unusual about that in these parts. But, as he pulled out unto the road,I noticed that the right rear wheel had an shredded tire that was flopping around as he drove. Cartoon-like.  He stopped at the traffic light, and when he started on his route again, he turned left on the same road we take to our house.  As he turned, there was a good deal of clunking going on, and I noticed that the wheel wasn't turning at all! The rim was dragging along the blacktop...leaving a trail. We could have followed the guy home by what he left behind him.  I have no idea where he was headed...hopefully to a junk yard!

At the same gas stop some months ago, we were parked in front of the convenience store. I was in the van,waiting for  Mike to pay for gas, when a Jeep pulled in next to me. It was one of the big,square, SUV types, not an open military-type of vehicle.  The driver got out of the car and went inside. When he came outside, my window was open. He spoke to me, as is quite common in  this area.  He joked, "Watch your arm, I'm going to get into the car."   I say,'joked' because there was absolutely NO door on the driver's area!  I asked him if that was legal. He told me that the police had stopped him and let him off without a ticket, but said it wasn't illegal,although it wasn't very safe.   I'm still scratching my  head about that one.  When the young man left I offered him a farewell and added, 'be safe!'

On another note,the other day we visited our grocery store.  While walking to the door, a gentleman stepped out, from between two parked cars, into our path. I immediately gave him a big smile, which he returned. Mike and I exchanged short conversation with him on our way into the store, and once inside, we watched people's reactions as he passed them. Some smiled. Some looked confused. Some totally ignored him. Children flocked to look at him or to speak to him.  We were amused at the reactions.  What's more fun than people-watching, especially when one of them is a nice, older gentleman who stopped on his way home from a birthday party to buy his dinner?  By the way, the man's name tag read 'Buttons' and he was dressed in the full regalia of  a circus clown...huge, funny shoes, white face paint and all!

It is the 'oddities' of life that make it all so interesting!

A Cottage Near the Pond

We've been hoping to get to see Charleston for five years now. Somehow, it hasn't come to fruition. But, be that as it may, this is the year!  We've been, correction....I've been ....searching out places to see and where to stay.

In the past, our vacation accommodations involved tents and sleeping bags. As age has crept up on us, waking from a lumpy, hard ground and attempting to work out the body's kinks and aches in the morning has lost it's glamor. So...we 'graduated' to KOA cabins. While they are comfortable enough for sleeping, there aren't 'facilities' in the smaller ones, which means waking and marching along a dark route to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Between the two of us, that might mean multiple trips. (yes, I'm being brutally honest....aging has it's advantages...and disadvantages. Frequent potty breaks is one of them!)

So...we're in the market for a different sort of option for accommodation for this trip.  We both abhor motels....so I began to seek out rental homes for our one week stay.  I have found what I believe to be the perfect spot.  It is a two bedroom cottage, set on seven acres, with a nice porch that overlooks a huge pond. It is a short drive to Charleston and surrounded by many attractions and  beaches.  The best part is, it is affordable!

I spoke on the phone to the owner, and though she said she's 'very picky' about the tenants she accepts, she sounds as if she's a friendly and sweet woman. I've read all of the former tenants comments about their stays, and they are all complimentary and positive.  Today is the day when I will call and firm up our  reservations! In a few weeks or so, I'll let you know what we thought of our trip and our "home away from home!"

Closed for the Season

On Friday, our granddaughter left for her aunt and uncle's house to spend a few days before she's driven home to her Mom and sister in NY. Just after waving our goodbyes, we closed the door to Camp Waygood and closed down for the season.

Having Rebecca here for a month was good for so many reasons. She celebrated her twelfth birthday earlier in the year, and because she was a little older, things were a little easier for us. She was a big help to us when our backs were in pain during the last two weeks, and willingly did some of the things that we were having trouble with like getting to the phone before the machine picked up. Becca is a good girl and a good worker if she's doing things  she enjoys.  She arrived too late to plant the garden,but she enjoyed checking the plants for things to pick. She was careful not step on the vines of the squashes, and gentle about lifting leaves and picking tomatoes. She was excited about the cucumbers, as she loves to eat those, and when our corn was ripe, she was thrilled to shuck it for supper. She was faithful to put water in the birdbath, and to give the plants a drink when they looked thirsty.

Becca likes to work in the kitchen...not so fond of the cleaning up (who is?) but she  certainly enjoys creating things to eat.  She was attentive when we made pickles together, and enjoyed eating them. She loves to bake,and we were treated to her offerings of Supreme Bars,which she made twice, all on her own.  She also made white bread, three loaves of braided yeast bread, which was delicious! I think she will meet her hoped-for occupation as an adult baker!

My granddaughter has a bit of my DNA, the artistic bit. She wanted to spend much time in the sunroom, where we crafted for hours. If she wasn't painting canvases or watercolor paper, she was snipping,cropping, taping,framing and begging for more photos to put in her scrapbook. She's learning to exercise her freedoms of  page 'decor' and placing photos in unusual positions on the papers,rather than equally spaced in rows. We shared laughter and stories and special time together.
We took her to a nearby orchard where there are goats to  feed and gems to mine. It was a favorite spot when she and her sister visited a few years ago, and she requested a return visit there.

Though the old people in this house were slowed down during her last days with us, and we were unable to take her camping for the weekend or fishing at the catfish pond, she understood, and had no complaint.We'll save that for another time, which I hope will come for us in the future. I fear those visits will be fewer as she grows older. She will probably want to get a summer job in a year or so, as her fifteen year old sister did this year. I hate knowing this might have been our last summer visit from Becca, but I hope that whatever memories  we made will stay with  each of us for the rest of our lives.

There are two younger grandchildren who may end up being future campers at Camp Waygood. If not, there may come a time when I'll open that long-awaited 'sleep-away camp for Moms"!