Tag Archives: photos

Pre storm morning beach walk…

February 18, 2024 Rivergirl 26 Comments

Not wanting to waste any precious time on our week long vacation, day four threw a monkey wrench in my carefully planned trip.

We woke to overcast skies, an egret in the pond and a forecast of what turned out to be a mini hurricane. Heavy rain, high winds and dangerous surf are not prime beach resort conditions.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, I burned breakfast. Again…. due to the stupid flat surface stove that had two burners in one.

High level heat if you turned right, high level heat if you turned left. This proved too much for my under caffeinated morning brain to handle and henceforth, the husband was on his own when it came to eggs.

But at least the dish sponge was happy.

Not having walked the beach since we got there, I forced my spouse onto the sand before the storm arrived. That’s his arm to the right of the photo, pointing out which unit was ours. I’m not sure why as we had just exited it and I was unlikely to forget that quickly.

My husband is not a beach guy, not an idle walker. He needs a destination and purpose…

I told him pleasing his wife of 40 years should be motivation enough.

😉

We had the beach to ourselves, but it was cool, dark, damp and hellaciously windy.

As proved by my epic hairspray fail.

On the far right side…

The marina.

In between?

Lots of marvelous shore birds.

Even my husband likes to watch those.

It’s hard not to smile.

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And then there was snow.

February 17, 2024 Rivergirl 9 Comments

We haven’t had a lot of snow this year.

Or last year or the year before that unfortunately … so when the pretty white fluffy stuff does fall and stick?

I wake up early to photograph it in that lovely pinkish blue morning light.

And while I do enjoy it…

Our contractor who still has to replace the siding from the bedroom window replacement does not.

Can’t say I blame him.

🥴

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Windy beaches, selfies and fake stars.

February 17, 2024 Rivergirl 17 Comments

After discovering the lighthouse we’d come to see was closed, we decided to walk the Hunting Island beach instead.

Following the rubber highway across the dunes we hit the sand and were just about blown away.

I packed for the south, where it’s supposed to be warm…. and I swear the week we spent in South Carolina was colder than Maine.

The beach was lovely.

But to be honest it was too cold and windy to enjoy.

The husband was less than thrilled to be walking in arctic wind, but I persevered.

For a little while anyway.

You know it’s windy when the sea foam is bouncing down the sand.

We left before frostbite set in and continued on.

Past a shrimping fleet and towards Fripp Island which we were told was lovely.

It might have been, but we’ll never know because it’s a gated private island where we were told to turn around and leave in no uncertain terms.

Didn’t they realize the rental vehicle we were driving cost $100k? That should have counted for something.

I mean really… it had a dashboard star display.

What more could they want?

🥴

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Where we go to Hunting Island but don’t hunt.

February 16, 2024 Rivergirl 11 Comments

We’d heard quite a few locals mention Hunting Island lighthouse (which is the only lighthouse in South Carolina open to the public) and since we were in the area, we decided to check it out.

Paying the unexpected entry fee at the gate, we drove down the twisting, turning road.

It felt a bit like the forest primeval with dense vegetation and palms lining both sides.

At the end there was a parking lot and our first glimpse of the lighthouse.

The views of the Sea Islands were supposed to be great from the top and I was anxious to climb.

We approached…

Entered the gated area….

Took the required wind blown selfie…

And after climbing the entry steps to the door… read the sign saying it was closed.

Of course it was.

Thank you Mr. Gatekeeper for taking our money but not sharing that fact. Grr. 😡

Was it worth the $20? Sure.

See there? That used to be the light keeper’s house.

And my husband found a fascinating rail contraption used to move the lamp oil.

Totally worth it.

🥴

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Beautiful Beaufort.

February 14, 2024 Rivergirl 6 Comments

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.

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I had to throw him a bone.

February 12, 2024 Rivergirl 15 Comments

After forcing my husband to endure hours of fabric selection, I offered him a reward for good behavior.

And we headed northwest from Waterville to Bigelow Brewing in Skowhegan.

Housed in a barn on the owner’s property ….

The feel is down home rustic Maine.

We’d never been here before, but as soon as I saw who was helping keep an eye on things….

I felt right at home.

We did an assorted flight…

And my husband liked the Lying Bastard. Make of that what you will.

The tasting room has live music on weekend nights…

And table supports shaped like beer bottles.

The only food on offer is from a brick pizza oven out back.

And while my crust was burnt, the garlicky chicken broccoli Alfredo pie was quite good.

Upon leaving we noticed the Xmas decorations were still out.

But the beer was good enough to bring home, so I’ll forgive them the transgression.

😉

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Botany Bay birds… and yes, a few trees.

February 11, 2024 Rivergirl 18 Comments

Living in Maine, we see our share of shorebirds. But one we don’t have up here in the north is the pelican.

I don’t know why they fascinate us, but they do.

So bear with me while I share our pelican watching at Botany Bay.

The low country provides ideal habitat and fishing opportunities for these guys and they take full advantage of the bounty.

Herons as well.

Though they often show a flagrant disregard for the rules.

I could honestly have stayed and watched them fish all day.

But we had reservations for a tour in Beaufort and had to get back on the road.

Not having nearly enough time to finish exploring, we vowed to return.

And be careful of snakes.

Saying goodbye to the glorious oaks…

We made our way out.

Down that marvelous canopied road.

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Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve… are you ready for some trees?

February 10, 2024 Rivergirl 20 Comments

We woke up on day 3 of vacation with a lovely pink beach sunrise.

I have to say it’s not a bad way to start the day.

Our first adventure found us at Botany Bay Heritage Preserve. A 4,000 acre property, open everyday and free to the public. Originally two cotton and timber plantations, it’s now a haven for wildlife and a wonderful place to explore by car, on foot or horseback.

Upon entry, it’s all about the trees.

A mile long dirt road of nothing but glorious live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

In spots they form a stunning canopy…

And it feels like you’re stepping back in time.

When I think of the south?

This is the image I see.

They truly are magnificent things.

Driving the loop trail through ruins and fields, we eventually found the water.

Where oaks gave way to palms.

And pelicans…

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The one where we run out of daylight because my husband won’t stop talking.

February 9, 2024 Rivergirl 17 Comments

Next to the cypress wetlands was the Port Royal museum. We love small local museums run by resident volunteers and always try to support them when we can.

This local didn’t share any history with us, but he was all about a good neck scratch.

Not St. Augustine, Florida.

Nope. That’s a common misconception. The Spanish actually settled Port Royal first, but it was abandoned a few years later due to lack of funds.

This museum was tiny but filled with interesting things.

Megalodon teeth… that you can apparently scavenge for on local beaches. Sign me up!

15 million year old clam? That too.

The docent had absolutely no idea what this was, but I’m there for it as well.

We’d had a busy day, and since I had one more waterfront walk on the schedule for the late afternoon I tried to hurry the husband along.

I think you can guess how that went.

Just when I almost had him out the door, the lovely lady who runs the museum suggested he might want to look at some military photo albums donated by a resident.

Yes, they were interesting.

Filled with heart warming pics…

As well as the horrors of war.

Most were taken during WWII and Korea. And while I appreciated her sharing them with us, I wasn’t as thrilled with the hour long conversation that followed.

Vacation time is limited!

Schedules must be kept.

As the sun was going down, I finally dragged him out of the building and we headed for the boardwalk.