pat conroy | River's world…..

The Angus drawn carriage tour of Beaufort continued…

Past Spanish moss and charming antebellum homes.

You might recognize this tree if you’re a movie buff.

It’s the live oak Robert Duvall sat under during The Great Santini. They filmed it in Beaufort as the author Pat Conroy is a native son.

Beautiful homes, beautiful gardens…

And some of the most amazing Angel Oaks I’ve ever seen.

The Angel is the variety of live oak that droops it’s branches to the ground….

And in Beaufort?

The town is so enamored of their spreading glory it’s illegal to cut one down or even trim.

Thank you Beaufort.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Our guided tour was a little over an hour of immersive history and I loved every cold, wrapped in a blanket, minute of it.

There’s a strict building code near The Point that says new construction must blend with the old. I’m not sure lime green was a popular Civil War era color, but they’re charming all the same.

I wish we’d had time to explore this museum.

But when we disembarked the carriage a certain someone had to strike up a conversation with the guide.

Hint- it wasn’t me.

Though I did enjoy a little quality time with Angus.

He was a wonderful chauffeur.

And deserved his treat.

I think I may have mentioned my husband’s obsession with ~~crap~~ useless vintage items. I’ve spent nearly four decades watching him sort through dusty boxes at yard sales, flea markets and antique stores…. but last week he surprised even me.

When we moved back to Maine 20 years ago he had to start a new job before we sold our house, so I stayed down south for a few months while he bunked with a relative. Since he didn’t want to make the trip empty handed, he filled his truck with boxes and stored them in an uncle’s attic. I thought we’d collected all those boxes long ago, but after taking his uncle out to lunch last week we were told some of them were still upstairs.

Did we find the boxes? Yes, after 3 seconds of scanning from the top step I pointed them out. Did that stop my treasure hunting husband from searching someone else’s junk for a heretofore unknown copy of the constitution or a Honus Wagner rookie card? No. It did not.

I’m happy to report he found nothing but junk which thankfully stayed where it was. And after opening our leftover boxes, I would have been happy to leave some of those there as well. They were heavy as hell and mostly filled with books and clothes.

It was a bit like a time capsule. My Pat Conroy phase reared it’s head.. and 20 years later I had to wonder why I felt the need to schlepp those all the way to Maine. But it was when I examined the clothes that a little piece of me died.

Because it was at that moment I realized I am literally twice the woman I used to be, and not in a good way.

Lord Dudley Mountcatten helped me sort when we got home, though to be honest it wasn’t a tough job.

Not one single thing fit. I mean, hell… it wasn’t even close. If there’s anything more depressing than being smacked in the face with your weight gain by a box full of size sixes and eights, I don’t know what it is.

😫