It was going to be a beautiful Wednesday, a perfect day to head over to the Pickens Flea Market. This wouldn’t be just a random photography outing, though. I had a plan. There were things I wanted to buy, and stuff I wanted to see.
NOTE: I’ve had a very bad cough and head cold this week, so I’m a week behind with this story. Trying to write while not feeling well is almost impossible for me. Anyway, this should have been posted last Sunday…
Saturday night was a big night in Greenville. CBS was holding a debate for all of the GOP candidates at the Peace Center, so there was lots of hoopla in town. The biggest hoopla was fictional (kind of like most of the candidates’ debate points.) Frank Underwood had set up his campaign headquarters in town.
Friday morning was a beautiful day, and I was ready to get out and explore. I had an extensive trip planned for Saturday, so I decided to stick to something local. I had spotted that a new boardwalk had opened at the Cancer Survivors Park on the banks of the Reedy River, so I decided to check it out.
NOTE: I’m still catching up. All of the snow is now melted and gone, and this weekend is in stark contrast to last weekend.
I actually love snow days. There is an entire ritual of activities, soup, and pursuit of warmth that combine to make our rare winter weather a treat. Even though I no longer work for the schools and snow days have long since lost the same meaning, I still get excited when I see the first sign of flakes. This past week’s blizzard (or what passes for one in these parts) did not disappoint.
I’d been out and about, exploring a couple of historic mill locations. So far I’d spent most of my time at Glendale Shoals, but I was eager to see more. The rest of the day was spent exploring along the banks of the Pacolet river proper, through the mill villages of Converse, Clifton, and Pacolet.
I’ve got several singing gigs this holiday season, and my performance wardrobe was in dire need of an update. I had already gotten a new tuxedo, and now I was after a red sweater vest for the informal holiday gigs. That’s how I found myself in Dillards talking with one of the most fascinating people I’ve met in a long time.
I have a confession. When things get chaotic I have occasional bouts of depression. One of the best ways to combat this is to get away from the house and start exploring. Such was the case Tuesday of this past week. I needed out of the house. I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but preferably somewhere interesting where I could take some photos. I headed east. It was familiar territory, and places I had already visited and photographed, but even familiar ground can yield new discoveries. My explorations took me across Spartanburg County and to the mills along the Pacolet River Basin – Glendale, Clifton, and Pacolet itself, with a couple of outliers thrown in for good measure.
I have distinct memories of Christmas parades when I was growing up in Laurens County. Parade units would assemble on Fleming Street and march around the square. We would usually take up our spots on the corner in front of the old Winn Dixie. The smells of cigarette smoke entwined with sugary cotton candy pervaded the air. I remember the vendors – piles of inflatable crap, some related to Christmas, and some not. These came only with the aforementioned cotton candy, as well as other goodies such as candied apples.
So, with these memories, Laura and I headed out to meet Chip and Anna to enjoy watching the Greenville Christmas Parade with their little ones.
My late father-in-law had a problem with Greenville. He grew up in the wilds of Idaho along the Salmon River. However, he spent most of his adult life in large western cities, namely Los Angeles, where the streets are laid out in neat, tidy grids. Greenville’s streets always left him bewildered.
Whenever he gave me trouble about my hometown, I would reply that it makes perfect sense – Laurens Road goes to Laurens, Augusta Road goes to Augusta, etc. While that’s true, there are lots of other…questionable routes, and I could see how someone not from here would be very confused. Greenville’s streets are based on an early 19th Century design, and that pattern STILL influences our traffic.
The week had been absolutely beautiful. After the rains of last week this was a welcome change. Now we had clear October skies, the kind that make me love fall. It was also warm, and seemed like the perfect opportunity for a paddling trip.
I ran down my list of easy solo paddling venues. There were a couple that piqued my interest, but what I really wanted to do was paddle up to Hooker Falls on Cascade Lake. I was hoping that fall colors would make for some scenic kayaking.
