Low Country Fall Color then and now: 11 '19

Willbrook Plantation Cypress 11 / 2019

I was looking at this photo, I took yesterday of the fall foliage colored cypress trees at Willbrook Plantation (see first attached photo. It reminds me of one of the first oil paintings I painted shortly after we moved here in 2006 (See 2nd attached photo). It was of cypress trees growing at the edge of one of Pawleys Plantation's ponds. I guess my aesthetic interests haven't changed all that much in 13 years.

Pawleys Plantation Cypress 2006

Brookgreen River Boat Tour 7 '14

I think I remember being told that the sculpture gardens, open to the public,  comprise only about 450 acres out  of Brookgreen's 9000 total acreage. Much of Brookgreen property is in preserve .  The preserved areas can only be viewed on prescheduled tours such as their riverboat cruise which takes you up and down the tidal creeks within the Brookgreen Preserve. 

As part of it's' Cool Summer Evenings' program, Brookgreen Gardens has extended its  boat cruise tour schedule into the early evening hours.  Bruce and I decided this would be the perfect time to see  this lesser known  side of Brookgreen , so we hopped on board  a 48-foot pontoon boat  for a hour long cruise along historic ricefields now home to alligators, waterfowl, and osprey.

Our tour guide, Don Spriegel,  interpreted the distinctive landscape of the rice plantations and helped us to understand the role of enslaved Africans in the cultivation of the rice crop.

Small Cyprus tree 

First,  the massive cypress trees were dug up by young male slaves from, what was at that time, a mature old forest cypress swamp.

Dykes  held back the tidal waters

Once the swamps were rid of the forest, the branches of the cypress were pounded into the mud to make  a dyke, and soil dug out of the swamp to build up the rice beds fields behind it. 

Trunk opening

Openings were left in the dykes  to called 'trunks'.  On the earliest plantations, hollowed out cypress tree trunks were place in these openings, with gates at either end, to control the flow of tidal water in and out of the fields. A later design looked like the Rice gate below..  

Rice Gates control water flow in and out of the rice fields

Shortly before the civil war, Georgetown county was the richest county in all of the colonies.  Except for the oaks in the residential areas, all of the land had been denuded of trees and converted to rice fields

Trees  grown since the civil war

After the war,  the slave labor force need to maintain this industry was no longer available, and the destitute landowners did not have the means to pay for the labor intensive farming.  The land began its slow  return to its natural form.  Today the Bald Cyprus and

Tupelo trees are once again reclaiming the land that was once theirs.

The hour went all too quickly, and soon we were seeing the sun playing peek a boo with the edges of the  horizon.  It was promising another beautiful sunset over the peaceful tidal creeks.

Great article on "Myrtle Beach sun, sand, plantations (oh, and 100 golf courses)

I found  a very thorough  online article which gives an excellent over view of the area  where we live.

  It's titled:

"Myrtle Beach sun, sand, plantations (oh, and 100 golf courses)"

by Victor Block on July 6, 2013

The article starts out:

"When I told a friend I was going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, he asked if I was taking golf clubs. After I reminded him that I don’t play golf, he inquired, “So you’re going to relax on the beach, right?” Wrong!

Most of the 15 million or so people who visit the Myrtle Beach area each year do go to golf and soak up the sun. Not surprising, because the destination has over 100 excellent golf courses and is bordered by a 60-mile stretch of inviting soft sand beaches. As I discovered, it also has history-rich towns, reminders of southern plantation life and intriguing cultural tidbits, any of which alone would be reason enough to go there."

Then continues to describe every aspect of the community .  To learn more, go to:
http://www.consumertraveler.com/traveler/myrtle-beach-sun-sand-plantations-oh-and-100-golf-courses/ 

Come on Down 7 '13

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, SC) is a short detour off Highway 17 - so if you're a history buff, you should check out their History Fair scheduled for 6 July 2013. I'll be there with the Charleston Artist Guild. Look forward to seeing y'all. It looks wonderful! For more information: http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/history_fair.html

Magnolia Gardens Photo Shoot 4'13

  The Charleston Artist Guild is collaborating with Magnolia Plantation on a  exhibition of paintings of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.  Even though the exhibition won't happen until next Fall, I though it wise to visit the plantation  to start scouting out painting locations and to collect some additional reference photos .

 

Bruce volunteered to come along as chauffeur and part time equipment caddy.  ( He is incredibly patient about pulling off the highway for me to take a photo of something I've spotted along the road, and very helpful in holding my purse and camera so I have both hands free to do a quick sketch).

The fact is I enjoy his company and he is a good photographer in his own right..

 

 He introduces  interesting and different perspectives often pointing out  subjects I would have overlooked had he not been along.  e.g. it was his idea to visit the plantation's  slave village where I got this and several other  interesting photos

It is a good thing we went when we did.  Most of the camellias were already spent, and this years rains had knock off many of the azalea blossoms.  Still we did get  some very good classic shots of the grounds in bloom taken this one taken near the Administration Center Pond.

 I  have numerous reference photos of Magnolia Plantation from visits made in the Fall and early Spring but   the  none were in quite the same weather conditions.   Today was very gray and overcast, giving an entirely different look and feel to the grounds..

.. some spots were almost ethereal and others very stark compared to the exuberant photos I had taken of the same scenes  bursting with color in fall and early spring of previous years. ( see 11/20/10  "Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Photo Shoot 11 '10")

We both got some really beautiful photos.

Blackmoor Golf Club 4 '13

Today we played the Blackmoor Golf Club,which is the only course in the Myrtle Beach area designed by legendary golfer and architect Gary Player, a former Grand Slam winner. This course was built on the historic Longwood Plantation, whose heritage as a successful antebellum rice plantation on Waccamaw River. It features lakes, moss-draped oaks, pines, and cypress.You will be sure to see wild turkeys, alligators, and other wildlife during your play here.  The tranquil atmosphere and beautiful scenery will put you face-to-face with the best that nature has to offer.  Blackmoor was recently voted the Strands Golf Course of the Year, and for good reason!

Gary Player used every natural land asset he was given when designing this course. From the historical cemetery incorporated on the 13th hole, to the low elevation and swampland, every feature he found was used to create a golfing gem. Blackmoor features a course rating of 71.1 and is home to some of the area's most challenging and creatively designed holes

Taking advantage of the natural terrain and vistas with its undulations.  Blackmoor provides golfers a unique opportunity for golfers to use every club in their bags and try shots they don't normally get the chance to do, such as bump-and-run. Featuring plenty of risk-reward opportunities, Blackmoor is a fun course because it offers golfers of all ages and abilities a friendly but true test of their games. With a layout that rewards finesse over strength, Blackmoor features narrow fairways with lots of  tight doglegs and water hazards and sand traps that call for precision over raw power. But those who play it smart can put up low scores by reaching the well-manicured greens, which aren't too undulating and provide up-and-down opportunities from any point. Definitely one of the more adventurous courses we’ve played.

'Da Big Un' 3 "13

We went for a walk around the Plantation this afternoon.  All the gators were out sunning themselves on the banks of the retaining ponds.  This guy is the "Big Un".  He's a full 10 footer and weighs several hundred pounds.  Remind me not to go fishing for lost golf balls in his pond.

Golf Game of the week at Litchfield Plantation 1 ' 13

Golf game of the week is at Litchfield Plantation. It's a pretty course, but the grass was very wet. My new golf shoes really did help my driving. I felt a lot more stable on the wet greens with the cleats..

Three Dog Night Concert '12

We went to a Three Dog Night Concert this evening.

Orchestra Seating

They  were playing to a packed house at Boons's Farm Plantation.  In addition to the  Orchestra seating you can see in these photos, the  gallery audience actually extended for a quarter mile on the grass behind where I was standing to take the pictures.

It was a beautiful summer evening for a concert.

 BJ was really excited. He says they were the first group he ever saw in concert. 

BJ

  He was 18 yrs old and playing with the Navy band in Memphis.  Of course he and the band were a lot younger then.  Here's what they both look like today

Three Dog Night Today

A few years and a few gray hairs didn't stop everyone  in the audience from turning into a teen again and  singing along with popular favorites like "Joy to the World", and "Old Fashioned Love Song " at the top of their lungs.  It was a lot of fun.  So glad we went

Going away party for snowbirding neighbors '12

Going away party at Pawleys Plantation pub

Our snow-birding neighbors are starting to head north, so now it is get togethers time to give them a warm send off. One excuse is as good as another for a party

Brookgreen Night of a Thousand Candles '11

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to visit Botanical Gardens at night.  Quite a number of them decorate with special holiday light shows and have all kinds of family oriented holiday activities .   We visited the Lewis Ginter Gardens in Richmod on this trip, but Brookgreen Gardens  in Pawleys Island SC  is still  my favorite.

 

Dec 3^rd  was the opening night of Brookgreen Gardens Night of a Thousand Candles.  I and my camera spent the evening documenting the spectacular beauty of the gardens at night.

Every year, for three weekend evenings,,  Brookgreen Gardens come to life  with holiday spirit amid the soft glow of more than 5,500 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights.

   

The sculptures are even more beautiful at night than they are by day. They almost seem alive

  The  sculptures in the pools and fountains appear to be dancing

The  heritage oak trees take on an other worldly look and seem even more ancient and massive at night

 

Pavilions with jazz musicians, gospel singers, and  classical musicians  offer cheery shelter to foot-weary garden guests

And the old kitchen offers a cheery place to relax with some warm  mulled cider

It's a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.