A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Local items of interest from Greenville and Upstate SC.
Lots happening, and not much time to write about it. Laura and I discussed this, and we blame Furman. Since they have gone on a semester schedule their term is ending much earlier, and that’s thrown us off completely. I think, “Oh, Furman’s commencement is next weekend, so my school must be winding down” when we actually have a month more to go. With the compressed schedule, it seems like more is happening each weekend, and this past one was no exception.
NOTE: This location is now closed. We were on our own for lunch today. Laura had stuff to do at Furman, and I had a rehearsal this morning. I’d planned on something quick after rehearsal, so was en route to Taco Hell when I saw that Belgian Delights was now open. I had to give it a … Read More “Belgian Delights” »
As Laura put it, it was a weekend for puttering, not for heavy lifting. We started with some yard work Saturday morning, raking, blowing away pollen, spreading mulch, planting flowers, and even taking a few photos of said flowers.
I had gotten a message from my blogging friend Laura Llew that John Boyanoski would be signing copies of his books, Ghosts of Upstate South Carolina and More Ghosts of Upstate South Carolina, at Poor Richard’s Bookstore in Easley. I thought it might be fun to meet John, and to finally meet Laura L in person, so we headed out that way.
NOTE: This restaurant is now closed. Laura had a picnic with students, so I was left to my own devices for the evening. I had dropped by the iPlace store at RiverPlace to further confuse my new computer search, when across the road I spotted Oysters on the West End. Since it was time for … Read More “Oysters on the West End” »
On this Earth Day, 2009, I thought it would be nice to take a sandwich down to my new favorite lunch spot and contemplate nature with the sounds of the Middle Tyger flowing in the background. This is twice this week I’ve been out here, and I think I came down here at least twice … Read More “Lunchtime Earth Day Encounter” »
This weekend I took part in a “Town and Country Photo Hike” class taught through Furman University’s Continuing Education program. The course was taught be photographer Diane Hopkins-Hughs, and I was looking forward to getting some new tips on photo composition, and learning about new places to shoot in Greenville. Ann Martin also helped lead the class. This session was the “town” portion, and we would be exploring the downtown Greenville area. Next session will be the “country” portion, where we head out into the Upstate somewhere.
In most of the classes I’ve taken there is a wide range of abilities and skills. You have some folks that really are just starting out, and you’ve got some that seem like they are taking the class just to show off how much they already know. Even if the class turns out to be a very beginner class, as this one did, I try my best to stay out of that latter category. I just don’t want to be that guy. Even when a class doesn’t turn out to be quite what I expect, I always try to find something to take back from it.
This Saturday our Lowcountry Unfiltered group gathered for its monthly outing. We rendezvoused just southwest of Columbia to explore the Peachtree Rock Nature Preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy and the South Carolina Department of Natural Services. Dr. John Nelson, botanist at USC, director of the state’s Herbarium, and member of our group would serve as our guide for the day.
In addition to John and myself, five others joined us. We gathered at the entrance to the preserve at about 9:00, and got some preliminary information from John. The area is one of the first set aside by the Nature Conservancy, and contains several unique habitat areas, including a long-leaf pine ecosystem. The geology is also unusual. A hard layer of rock called ironstone covers softer layers of sandstone. The sandstone has been eroding out from under the resistant upper layer, creating unique geological formations such as the namesake Peachtree Rock.
Peachtree Rock: The Rock (photo by Matt Richardson) I committed a major faux pas. I stole harvested an excellent Google Earth resource, but I forgot where I got it. I want to give credit to the proper people for this gem, but I can’t for the life of me remember where the file came from. … Read More “South Carolina Nature Preserves” »
NOTE: This restaurant is now closed. I was in the mood for good New Orleans food. Unfortunately, that seems to be in short supply in Greenville since the demise of Betty Pearle’s on Main. There’s Chop’s, which has excellent Cajun cuisine, but is a bit cramped and out of the way. A quick scan of … Read More “London’s Restaurant” »
Yesterday we got word that Groce Rd, next to our office, would be closed while a new pedestrian bridge was being moved into place across the Middle Tyger River. Later in the afternoon things had slowed down enough that I decided to wander down and see what was going on. I got there just as the bridge was being lifted into place, and decided to stay and watch it happen.
The new pedestrian bridge is part of a grant-funded project called “Middle Tyger Connected.” Funding has been provided by the Mary Black Foundation, with additional funding from the Middle Tyger Chamber of Commerce and District Five Schools of Spartanburg. The project will connect the town of Lyman with the district’s S.C.A.L.E outdoor classroom and the new Stoneledge Park in Duncan.