A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Winter solstice 2020 The longest night of the darkest year… I paddle out to greet the returning sun,Leaving in my wake The grief of lost loved ones,The uncertainty of unrest,And the fear of isolation, Heading toward a time when the days are not just longer,But brighter.Days of anticipation And hope,When we can once againGather closely inLove and … Read More “Winter Solstice 2020” »
I don’t know why, but this pandemic has given me the worst case of writer’s block…ever. I will try to catch up, but I make no guarantees. With writer’s block comes a loss of direction. When I’m out rambling I usually do so knowing that I’ll write about it here. It gets to be a … Read More “Back to the Santee with Lowcountry Unfiltered” »
The first Saturday of each month the Bamberg County Chamber of Commerce sponsors a trip on a section of the Edisto River. I have tried to attend as many of these as I can. The events are well-organized and I’ve met some great people. This month we did a section of the river that began … Read More “Kayaking to the Edisto Confluence” »
These past couple of weeks have been difficult with the loss of our brother-in-law. I’m trying to catch up on several posts. I was able to take a few kayaking trips during that time, mostly as a way to cope with stress. One of those trips was a full moon kayaking trip on the Saluda … Read More “Moonlight on the Saluda” »
This past week my brother-in-law, Jennings Putnam, passed away from complications of COVID-19. His passing on August 31 was sudden, and left our family with a profound sense of loss. Jennings was a native of the Warrior Creek area near Gray Court and attended high school at Gray Court-Owings while my father was principal. There … Read More “Goodbye, Jennings” »
A few summers ago several of my friends and I started doing what we called “Water Wednesdays.” We would pick a different venue each week and try to get out on the water. Since then several of my paddling friends have retired and in this time of social distancing, it seemed like a good time … Read More “Social Distancing on Water Wednesdays” »
The Second Saturday of August meant time for another adventure with my friends from Lowcountry Unfiltered. Matt and I bounced a few ideas around before settling on The Jungle, a section of Lake Moultrie featured as part of the Berkeley County Blueways. It was a new venue for us, and turned out to be a … Read More “Exploring The Jungle of Lake Moultrie” »
When I’m out exploring I’m easily distracted by roads with names that contain the words “School”, “Church”, or “Mill.” This is usually an indicator that there was, or possibly still is something historic and of interest on that road. For some reason, Parkins Mill Road in Greenville has escaped my scrutiny. Perhaps it’s because it’s … Read More “The Allen Parkins Project” »
The border between Georgia and South Carolina is made up completely by water. Most of it is the Savannah River and the lakes formed by damming said river. However, there is a small section formed by the Tugaloo and Chattooga Rivers. I’ve paddled most of these bodies – the Savannah, Clark Hill Reservoir, Lake Russell, … Read More “Border Lakes along Georgia and South Carolina” »
Here it is mid-July and I haven’t written anything on this site since late May. I seem to have lost my motivation. I actually thought about abandoning this 15-year project completely, but I’ve got too much invested in it. Part of my problem is the “can’t get caught up” syndrome. I get behind on posts … Read More “Paddling in the Time of COVID” »