Gallery – Life on my Own Terms

….. continuing with the Carolinas

Our next side trip was to the Ashville area where we stayed with one of Andrea’s friends Mike and his partner Gerri.

On the way there we stopped for a bite of lunch at the southern end of Lake Lure. This was on the edge of the area devastated by hurricane Helene almost 2 years go. As we drove closer to ground zero, the remaining devastation was heartbreaking to see. Whole business areas washed away and houses dangling off cliffs where the ground just slid away underneath. Even this long after the storm, road and utility repairs are still underway. The scope of the damage that we saw was unbelievable. It must have been an incredibly frightening experience to have lived through.

Mike and Gerri were keen birdwatchers and had set up a feeder just off their second floor balcony. It was quite delightful to take a cup off coffee out there and enjoy the antics. .

Mike is an old car enthusiast ( especially jaguars). He took us to a British inspired pub that was hosting a classic car show.

Andreas‘s friend Mike, whose former house was severely inundated during the Ashville flooding, sitting in front of an old MG

Before we left the Ashville area we drove about 20 miles into the mountains on the Blue Ridge parkway. We had to stop at the museum/gift shop on the way. It was here that we saw a tool that our woodshop would enjoy: a pedal powered frett saw!

The road was closed after mount Mitchel (6688’and the highest peak east of the Mississippi) due to ongoing hurricane repairs

Landslides at over 5000‘ scarred the woke hillsides

Returning to our temporary home base with Kaija near Rock Hill we had time to explore some of the walking trails in the area despite the thunderstorms that seem to be following us since Texas.

Turtle sunning itself on a rock in the Catawba River

We were lucky enough to see rocky shoal spider Lilies in full bloom in the middle of the Catawba River. This stand of lilies is one of the larger in the US. We could see them from the hiking trails, but if I ever get back to Rock Hill it would definitely be worth renting a canoe and paddling between the clumps. The river is shallow with lots or rocks that the lilies love. The water flow is lively but not too scary.

As our time in the Carolinas drew to an end, we said goodnight to the chorus of frogs that serenaded us every night outside Kaija‘s house. The sound of the frogs, Kaija‘s wooden cabin and the lake brought back lovely memories of living lake side on Lac Bernard in Québec. I must admit to a little homesickness.

The time came for Kaija to take us to the airport for the start of the next phase of our adventure. Charlotte airport is a very modern building and despite some long lines we were able to get through all the security stuff with time to spare. The airport supports a lot of travel between Germany and the US due to the nearby BMW and Scheffler plants. Consequently the departures area has a bar that serves American brewed Düsseldorf beer. Well we couldn’t resist… my last State-side sketch was of a fellow travelled with the most unique beard.

Talk to you all soon from across the the pond.

Moving inland

Borderlands between north and South Carolina

We left the coastal area of South Carolina 21/2 weeks ago and we continue to visit places familiar to Andreas during his 9-5 working life. This is an area of the country completely new to me. The countryside is heavily wooded with pine that is clear cut from time to time. The modern houses have a very characteristic style where the roofline over the central section of the house is higher than the two side wings. This enables a covered front porch. The garage doors are not front and center. Often one of the side wings is in fact the garage and the car enters from the side. It makes a much more welcoming entrance to the house.

Not long after leaving the coastal area we drove through Lake City. A charming town with an ugly dark history of lynching. The first black post master was lynched 128 years ago because white folks didn’t want their mail delivered by black person! It is also the birthplace of Dr. Ronald McNair, a physicist and African-American astronaut who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

The town now markets itself as an arts center. Every spring it host a massive arts festival. As we drove through I was struck by the compact red brick houses that looked like a variation of the American Bungalow. Turns out that I was thinking along the right lines. According to Google, the houses are in „a South Carolina distinct variation known as the Shandon-style brick bungalow. These homes combined the classic, low-slung shape of an American bungalow with solid red-brick exteriors and prominent gabled roofs“. If we ever come back this way, I’d love to take a closer look at this town.

It is clear why the Carolinas are considered the timber source for the USA. South Carolina harvests pine for the building industry while North Carolina harvests hardwood that contributed to its leadership in furniture design. We visited the magnificent Grove Park Inn featuring Roycraft furniture and the even more spectacular Grove Park village museum that housed a wide variety of contemporary furniture inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. We were in woodworkers heaven!

One of Andreas‘s friends lives in Greenville. This is an old cotton town totally revitalized as a cosmopolitan city on a wonderful river (Reedy) with waterfalls cascading through the downtown area. It’s an iconic example of Urban renewal and long term strategic planning. Another place I’d like to come back and visit more thoroughly.

Statue near the beginning of the Swamp rabbit cycle and walking trail

Did I mention the rain? We had periods of glorious sunshine between hours of intense rain

To be continued….

Wild life, beaches and waves

The last 10 days have opened my eyes to the beauty and challenges of the south eastern US.

The coastal areas of this part of the country face immense development pressure. Waterfront private homes and resorts restrict ocean access to non-owners and residents. Waterfront State parks and state-owned properties like Jekyll Island are the only entities that allow public access. Jekyll Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_Island) has stringent building restrictions and actively protects nesting sea turtles.

As the weather cleared we were able to take a long beach walk on the seaward side of the island towards the southern tip of the island.

We were lucky enough to see where one turtle waddled up the Glory beach to lay her eggs and the nest area was already protected with a fence.

On another day we were able to walk St Andrew’s beach and settle down in the shade of dune trees. Dolphins were plentiful!

Our campsite was located at the northernmost point of the island. From there, we rented truly dreadful and excruciating bicycles to embark on a bicycle tour of the marshes, oceanfront, the residential areas of the once affluent and renowned individuals who constructed their “cottages” there, and the Sea Turtle rescue center. It was incredibly gratifying to chat with a recent graduate of an ocean studies program. It was truly inspiring to hear her unwavering passion for turtles and their preservation. There are young individuals out there who genuinely possess a profound commitment to the future.

In the evening and early morning, we strolled along the northern beaches to witness the breathtaking spectacle of the sun setting and rising. It was a truly magical time. I foolishly believed that my attempts at throat singing had somehow captivated a dolphin, causing it to swim around this fishing dock. In reality, the tide was changing, and it likely found a more suitable fishing area.

This was one of many sunrise pictures taken from the northeastern side of the island at Driftwood Beach. The light transformed gradually against the backdrop of gentle waves.

One of the most elusive creatures was the armadillo. While one sees plenty of squished ones on the road, finding a live one was a real treat. They have an intriguing hunting strategy. They run fast with their noses under the leaf debris. For the life of me I can’t figure out how they don’t smash their noses on roots or rocks!

We left Jekyll Island and headed north to Charleston. It’s a much bigger place than I expected.

One of the many beautiful homes in the historic district

We had a delightful day exploring the historic district on foot. During a house tour, I was particularly captivated by the institutional use of “Enslaved Persons” instead of “Slaves.” This linguistic shift compels us to confront the harsh reality that real individuals were subjected to enslavement by others. This linguistic change reminded me of the significant transformation that occurred in the early 1990s with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It became inappropriate to define people solely by their disability as “the disabled.” Instead, they are individuals first and their physical or cognitive status is merely one of their characteristics. I ended up ruminating on how often we use linguistic shortcuts to classify groups of people by single words that can in turn, can dehumanize their existence.

One of the things that defines Charleston is food. We splurged and had supper at one of the classic restaurants (Grill 225). Andreas assured me that this place defines Shrimp and Grits. . I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the dish. However, the true highlight of our meal was the decadent chocolate cake. We shared a slice, and I can honestly say that I can’t fathom how anyone could possibly finish an entire slice.

From Charleston we headed to Huntington Beach, South Carolina where we were camping for three nights and a beach resort for two nights.

Oh the surf was wonderful and the wildlife spectacular. We had a determined pair of Carolina wrens attempting to build a nest in our tent. I cleared out the twigs and leaves every morning and by the time we returned in the evening the nest was well on the way to being rebuilt.

The most common neighbors other than wrens were skinks, cardinals, one copper head snake and alligators. The alligators range in size from a couple of feet to well over 10 feet. They appear to have a routine crossing from one brackish pond to a less salty pond depending on the status of the tides. We were able to observe this daily migration from a very close position. They were not to be rushed and if the sidewalk felt warm they just plopped down and warmed their bellies. One morning we heard them rumbling. It’s an eerie sound somewhere between a huge bull frog and a freight train.

Contrasts

Yesterday was overcast but dry and we made our way to St Andrew’s Beach on the southern end of the island. Ghost crabs were everywhere and provided plenty of entertainment. They are almost invisible on the sand and it’s their eyes on stalks and white claws that give them away. They appear to spend the day scampering around the beach and jumping into holes at the first sign of danger. Their holes are surprisingly deep and we pondered about the labyrinth that was beneath our feet.

The southern beach area has many uprooted trees that create incredible sculptural landscapes as well as homes for oysters and crabs.

Today we were planning on leaving the hotel and go to the northern end of the island and camp for a few days. We woke up to high winds and rain so decided to stay put another day. The thought of trying to get the rain fly and ground sheet installed in high winds and rain did not appeal. We have been pushing this camping stint further and further forward hoping for better weather. So this morning we bundled up and took a beach walk. The wind and sand provided free abrasion and the ocean was warm (bathtub warm). We had the beach to ourselves and the valiant birds looking for breakfast.