A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
We made a relatively quick trip out to Samish Island in Washington to check on our house and to see how our neighbors were doing. Most of the time was spent working around the house and relaxing. The main thing was that Laura didn’t want to be on the east coast right after graduation at … Read More “Washington Music Round-Up” »
I thought I had missed the opportunity to view the rocky shoals spider lilies for this year. I had seen social media posts about them with photos, but I was afraid peak bloom had already passed. Last weekend was Lilyfest at Landsford Canal State Park, so I hope I hadn’t missed all of the action. … Read More “Landsford Canal Lilies and the Catawba River” »
We have rested near the water, Seen the fleck and shimmering- flow, Of the waters kissed by Nature, Lovely river Tugaloo, Where the Cherokee once rambled, Sported ‘mid the scenes so wild, Where the forest and the river Have the wood-gods oft beguiled. from “Occonneechee, The Maid of the Mystic Lake” by Robert Frank Jarrett, 1916 Since I’ve gotten my new kayak … Read More “Paddling Up the Long Nose” »
This past week I had two opportunities to paddle the Bates Old River oxbow in Congaree National Park. For one trip we headed upstream into the deep cypress swamp, and for the second trip we headed downstream into the oxbow itself. Both trips were fantastic, each with their own characteristics. Each made me realize that … Read More “A Bates Old River Two-fer” »
One of the rare non-rainy days this week I found myself wandering up to Jones Gap State Park. It was a beautiful brisk day as I walked along the trail, enjoying the rush of the Middle Saluda Waters. My mind, though, was thrown back several decades into the past, when I haunted these trails as … Read More “In Search of the Road Builder” »
Every year Alan Russell and I do some sort of ramble or exploration on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This tradition started when both of us were in education and had a rare winter Monday that we didn’t have to work. This year we invited my brother, Houston, and Dwight Moffitt to come along … Read More “The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble” »
This morning I was emptying the dishwasher, putting away the cutlery, when a bunch of memories came flooding back. That sent me digging through our silverware drawers, looking for a cheap old steak knife with a plastic brown handle, now slightly melted due to an encounter with a hot stove. Sadly, I think we tossed … Read More “An Obsession with Steak Knives” »
Yesterday, January 6, is celebrated as Epiphany on the Christian calendar. It’s also Houston’s birthday. I gave him a call and briefly thought about driving down to have lunch with him. That was going to be a stretch to fit in with the rest of the day’s activities, so we just chatted for awhile. Sadly, … Read More “An Epiphany on Patriotism” »
I’ve been wanting to kayak the Bates Old River oxbow lake ever since I saw some intriguing photos of the area on Facebook. Dwight, Alan, and I scouted the area this summer and talked about paddling here when it got cooler, but we just hadn’t gotten around to it. Billy Easterbrooks posted on Facebook that … Read More “Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek” »
Wednesday’s Child Wednesday was my birthday. Coincidentally, I was born on a Wednesday. Contrary to the poem, I haven’t been full of woe. Quite the opposite. I feel that I have lived an exceedingly charmed life so far, and I try to stay mindful of just how lucky I’ve been. My birthday week started with … Read More “One Step Closer” »