A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
As we were driving out to Samish Island back last August we passed through a couple of old towns. Especially in Montana as we passed ranches and old abandoned farmsteads I had flashes of the Old West. The first line of a set of lyrics popped into my head. When we got to the island … Read More “Jeremiah Jones” »
Woke up this morning to an early barrage of leaf blowers. As much as I love this time of year there are some downsides. I decided to make breakfast. I’m about halfway through a box of cheap grits I bought last week. When I’ve told folks that I like the Quaker Instant Grits I’ve gotten … Read More “Cheap Grits” »
I’d seen an announcement about a musician’s circle at a flea market in Winterville. I knew that was close to Houston’s place and that he wanted to learn about local music jams, so I sent the info to him. I had nothing to do one recent Sunday, so I decided to meet him there and … Read More “Jamming at the Rabbit Hole” »
Homecoming at Furman has always been a special time for us. It was when Laura and I first met and we’ve always treated it like a second anniversary. This one was doubly special. It was my 40 year reunion and it was Laura’s big retirement celebration. When planning for Laura’s retirement things got a bit…confused. … Read More “Furman Homecoming 2023 and Laura’s Retirement Bash” »
For me, autumn evokes more strong emotions than any other season. Most of my life has been tied to the academic calendar, first as a student then later as an educator. Some see fall as a sign of endings, but it seems like a time of beginnings. Not just for school, but for other groups … Read More “Forever Autumn” »
Even though I’ve not been singing in the Greenville Chorale, some of my close friends are still participating. A couple of weeks ago I got a disturbing text message. Bing Vick was not at rehearsal because he had to take his wife, Judy, to the ER. There was no more information. However, the next day … Read More “Goodbye, Judy” »
A long, long time ago, in a world before X, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, or even MySpace, this blog came into being. It started as a travel journal to document a trip across country to Samish Island, Washington, then evolved into a personal journal. The blog entries were short and were just my personal observations of … Read More “Catching Up and Rethinking My Purpose” »
This past weekend I joined two fellow paddlers for an excursion out to Bomb Island on Lake Murray to watch the purple martins. The trip also included camping on Wessinger Island. Parts of the weekend were absolutely amazing. Some parts, not so much. Chapin Burgess had set up the trip as a two-night event. Folks … Read More “Purple Martins on Lake Murray” »
The following comment was made on Facebook group called “Dedicated to Old Time Music”… How to play backup guitar for old time, traditional bluegrass, Celtic , contra dance, Cajun and progressive bluegrass… For traditional Bluegrass, simply play the chords you naturally want to play.For old time, don’t change chords unless absolute necessary.For contra dance, play … Read More “A Session on Sessions” »
I hadn’t been to Lake Jocassee all season and I really wanted to head up there. At the last minute I decided to go this past Sunday. I had planned for a simple trip – no GoPro, no deck back, and not even any lunch. It turned out to be simpler than I though, but … Read More “Exploring the Wall at Jocassee” »