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Checking out the Doodle Trail

Posted on April 23, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Checking out the Doodle Trail
Local, Miscellaneous

Doodle Trail from Pickens-10

It was a beautiful day and I decided I needed to be outside. While I’ve done lots of paddling lately, I have done very little pedaling, so I decided to take my bike over to Pickens and check out the Doodle Trail.

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Hymns and Hops

Posted on April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 By Tom 3 Comments on Hymns and Hops
Local, Music

Hymns and Hops-6

I was intrigued by this idea of a Beer and Hymns event. When I found one in Columbia I sent a note to my friend Dwight saying that he and his wife Sue should check it out. He responded that there was already such a thing in Greenville. After doing some digging, I found Hymns and Hops would be holding its next event at What’s on Tap, a bar on Woodruff Road. I contacted my partner in this endeavor, Don Kirkindoll, and we made arrangements to attend.

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Beer and Hymns

Posted on April 20, 2017 By Tom 6 Comments on Beer and Hymns
Music, Rants

Say the words “drinking songs” and what pops to mind is probably a group of swaying revelers, mugs in hand, slurring away off-key in an Irish pub or German biergarten. Asked to name a drinking song, most could probably only come up with “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” Lately, though, a new phenomenon seems to be popping up – drinking beer while singing hymns. Sounds kind of strange, a bit sacrilegious, and right up my alley.

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Easter Sunrise Service on Lake Oconee

Posted on April 19, 2017 By Tom 2 Comments on Easter Sunrise Service on Lake Oconee
Paddling, Photography

Easter Sunrise at Dyar Pasture and Lake Oconee-53

There’s one really good thing about being a member of the Church of the Double-Bladed Paddle. Services can be spectacular. Such was the Easter Sunrise Service Houston and I shared on Lake Oconee.

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Paddling Oconee River from Dyar Pasture

Posted on April 19, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Paddling Oconee River from Dyar Pasture
Paddling, Photography

Dyar Pasture and Lake Oconee-112

Laura was in Florida for the Easter Weekend visiting her mother and sister, and I was spending time with my brother Houston at his home in Georgia. Every time we get together Houston tells me about all the paddling opportunities near his house, but I’d never had a chance to try them out…until now. On this Saturday before Easter we decided to launch from the Dyar Pasture Recreation Area and explore Lake Oconee and the Oconee River.

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The Unknown Rosenwald

Posted on April 19, 2017 By Tom 5 Comments on The Unknown Rosenwald
History and Genealogy, Rambling

Unknown Rosenwald School in Butts County-004

A follow-up to the previous post’s mystery Rosenwald School. Fellow explorer Mark Elbrecht left a comment on that post with some clues as to the identity of the school we found in Butts County, Georgia. Unfortunately, that opened up an additional can of worms and conflicting info.

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Good Friday Rambles – Warm Springs

Posted on April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 By Tom 4 Comments on Good Friday Rambles – Warm Springs
Photography, Rambling

FDR Little White House-019

I was visiting my brother, Houston, and his wife, Lynda. We were on a ramble across mid-Georgia, hoping to visit Warm Springs and tour the “Little White House.” We’d had several distractions along the way, and whether or not we would actually make it to Warm Springs was in question. Spoiler alert – we did make it. But not without a few more distractions, both coming and going.

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Good Friday Rambles – Madison to Monticello

Posted on April 17, 2017April 17, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Good Friday Rambles – Madison to Monticello
Photography, Rambling

Madison Graded School and Museum-001

Easter weekend. Laura had Friday and Monday off from Furman and decided that she needed to head back down to Florida to check on her mom. She decided that she needed some “sister time” with Amy to talk about how their mother’s care was going. That being the case, I decided to needed some “brother time” with Houston, so for the holiday weekend we headed in different directions.

I arrived at Houston’s farm below Watkinsville, Georgia about mid-morning on Friday. I was loaded to the gills with every toy we might need – kites, cameras, banjo, drums, recording gear, computers, and paddling gear. I was set for any eventuality. We would actually use quite a bit of that gear.

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Abandoned Dolly Cooper

Posted on April 17, 2017 By Tom 1 Comment on Abandoned Dolly Cooper
Local, Paddling

Dolly Cooper Park and Kayak Launch-016

After our Water Wednesday excursion to check out the new ADA kayak launch on the Saluda River in Pelzer I’d mentioned that it was a shame that the one upriver at the Dolly Cooper Park near Powdersville was no longer available. It was my understanding that the park had closed. Turns out I was only partially correct.

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Water Wednesday – The Saluda River at Pelzer

Posted on April 13, 2017 By Tom 3 Comments on Water Wednesday – The Saluda River at Pelzer
Local, Paddling, Photography

Saluda River at Pelzer-10

It started with a fortune cookie found by Gregg Davis.

Boat Fortune

Boats and water are in your future.

I told Gregg that we had to make that a reality, and so Water Wednesday was born.

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