A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
The past several days have been a marathon of kayaking trips. I’ve done three paddles in five days for a total of 21 miles. Each of these trips had some similarities, but there were some significant differences. The first trip was on Thursday of last week to Sparkleberry Swamp with the Tri-County Blueway Paddlers.
We only have two more sessions left in our Lost Communities course, and I have been remiss in posting the information for the last several sessions. In these past sessions we’ve traveled along the Broad River, looked at what’s under the state’s lakes, examined some railroad towns, and explored some Native American sites. Session 4 … Read More “Lost Communities – Sessions 4, 5 &6” »
During our Lost Communities course for OLLI someone said that they wanted to got with Scott Withrow, my co-teacher, and me on one of our adventures. We confessed that we had never actually gone on an adventure together, but independently had been exploring many of the same areas. We decided that it was time for that to change. We had both wanted to explore the Broad River area for the following class, so we decided to do that together.
I have missed our Second Saturday trips with Lowcountry Unfiltered. For one reason or another we’ve had conflicts with trips, or the weather wasn’t right, or the plans just fell through. It was great to get back together with the guys. This time we ventured into the Land of Unpronounceable Names in the heart of Berkeley County with a kayak trek from Huger Creek to Cooper River, a stop at the historic Pompion Hill Chapel, then back along the Cooper to Quinby Creek.
I’ve been remiss in my blogging lately. I’ve had a series of technical glitches (to be elaborated upon in a future post) and I’ve gotten completely wrapped up in my new endeavors. That means I’ve also missed one of our Lost Communities classes, so we’re up to Session Three. I’ve promised to post links to the class materials on this website, so here we go…
It’s been far too long since I’ve posted something here. The long and short of it is that I’ve been crazy busy getting things ready for my OLLI course and getting things ready for church. I’ve played with probably a dozen musical groups, but I’m even having to scale that back with my other obligations. Since the course seems to be taking so much time, I thought I’d give a quick rundown of what’s happening there.
Last week it was announced that a new preserve has been established under control of SC Department of Natural Resources. The new public space, called the Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area, will be open to hunting, fishing, and hiking. Located in Northern Greenville County along the banks of of the South Saluda River, the property … Read More “Buried in the Tall Pines” »
Early settlers seemed to have a fascination with reusing old names. The US is full of place names with the word “New” appended. In some places they didn’t even bother with the “New.” This longing for a hint of European homeland was the case with several of the ghost towns along the Savannah River – Hamburg, South Hampton Lisbon, Petersburg, New Bordeaux, and Vienna. On this unseasonably warm February day I decided to paddle out and see if I could find any remnants of the tri-city area of Lisbon, Petersburg, and Vienna, now located under Strom Thurmond Lake.
I had done the research. I’d read the book. I was ready to head out and find the angels sold by William Oliver Wolfe’s monument shop in Asheville, made famous by his son, Thomas Wolfe, in his novel Look Homeward Angel. Joining me would be fellow explorer Alan Russell.
Look homeward Angel now, and melt with ruth.
And, O ye Dolphins, waft the hapless youth.