RVing in Cheraw State Park, SC 5 '08

One of the reasons we moved to the east coast was to be able to explore a different part of the world.  We started with South Carolina.  A couple of weeks ago we drove our RV to Cherwah State Park SC.  Cherway is the sister city to our local Georgetown.  During the Civil Way all the local residents believed that Sherwin was going to burn Georgetown, so before he arrived they sent all their land deeds (dating back to land grants from King George of England) and other vital documents to Cherwah for safe keeping.  Sherwin (and some heavy rains that made the coastal pain impassable) fooled them.  He went inland to burn Columbia, then turned north and headed straight to Cherwah where he burned all of both towns’ records.   It’s hard to believe that Cherwah was the site of such devastation.  There are still four hundred year old churches, and beautiful antebellum mansions.  There is a sense of having slipped through a rift in time when one goes there.  Other than a yarn mill and a Pepsi bottling plant there is not a lot of work.  Most of the country side is taken up by State or Federal Parks which are surrounded by small family farms. The area is very pretty and very Southern.

Evening draws upon the lake

It was pretty much a last minute decision to go RV camping for three days in Cherwah State Park, SC. The park is only 130 miles Northwest of our home so, after booking our reservation online, it was a short and easy drive to get there. Most South Carolina State Parks are manicured and tame... quite different from the wilderness parks we were accustomed to in the Western United States. Cherwah combines the best of both worlds. The Park is situated on 7000 acres of wooded rolling hills with a large lake and a creek cutting through the center of the park The park's management has taken advantage of this natural barrier to create several different environments. It is designed to provide something for everyone.

The Southern side of the park is reserved for raw nature lovers. It has miles and miles of hiking trails , several small-boat launches, a separate site (for 20 ) tent campers, a horse camp with separate bridal trails, and a RV camp with 18 full hookup sites. When we arrived, only 4 of the RV sites were in use (and one of those was the resident campground host).

We set up camp right at the lake's edge. Bruce immediately had to try his hand fishing. To my relief he didn't catch anything. (I am not fond of fresh water fish) was much happier about his using his boy scout skills to grill chicken.

On Monday we took advantage of the amenities of the northern side of the park. That half has been cultivated for more civilized group activities.

 It has fully outfitted cabins, a group picnic area, a swimming beach, boardwalk nature trails along the lake, and a well maintained 18 hole championship golf course Many of the holes are both in very scenic locations, and near environmentally sensitive habitats. The State has chosen to use the park to help educate the public about environmental issues, and has done a great job of showing how man and nature can co-exist with a little planning and care.

Southern Side of the Lake

A board walk trail across a water-lily and lotus  pond section of the lake.

Pitcher plant

 The trail continues through fresh water bogs where you can see carnivorous plants like the Pitcher plants

above and below

Pitcher Plants will all red bracts

Pitcher plant with red green  bracts

Bruce has decided that he wants to try playing the golf course again, and I certainly want to kayak the lake, so we most definitely will return to this gem.

Swan lake for Mothers Day 5 '08

Last weekend we celebrated Mothers Day by going to see Swan Lake in Sumter SC. It is one of the prettiest city parks I have ever visited. The lake is a flower and bird lover's paradise. The beautiful black waters of Swan Lake form the setting for the spectacular Iris Gardens. The lake is dotted with colorful islands, and wildlife is abundant. It is the only public park in the United States to feature all eight swan species, Swan Lake-Iris Gardens is also home to some of the nation's most intensive plantings of Japanese iris, which bloom yearly in mid to late May and last until the beginning of June. The garden also boasts many other flowers including colorful camellias, azaleas, day lilies, and Japanese magnolias.  

Swan Lake-Iris Gardens began in 1927 when Hamilton Carr Bland, a local businessman was developing the 30 acres of swamp into a private fishing camp. At the same time he was landscaping the grounds of his home with Japanese iris. The iris failed miserably in the home garden, and Bland ordered his gardener to dig up the bulbs and dump them at the swamp. The following spring, they burst into bloom. The accidental garden, referred to by Southern Living magazine a "lovely mistake," has since been developed into one of the finest botanical gardens in the United States

Australian Black Swan

The magnificent swans were brought in from all over the world; representing Australia, North America, South America, Europe and Asia were originally imported by Mr. Bland in the late 1920's.  You might find it interesting that the Australian Black swans have been in residence the longest, and some of the birds living in the garden at present are their descendents.  They were definitely my favorites. Visitors are permitted to feed the swans. The swans are quite tame and friendly and will come right up to you looking for a hand out; so do the Canada geese, mallards, egrets, herons and anhinga which also call the gardens home.

 

Canada Goose

Tri color Heron

family of Pied

Hogsbill turtle

A Low Country Birthday Celebration 4 '08

Bruce was so happy he could talk me into playing golf

April 30th was Bruce's birthday. Our friends, Jim and Becky Sullivan surprised Bruce with a lunch of home-made pizza, followed by 18 holes of golf . It was a perfect birthday gift. Bruce has wanted me to play golf with him ever since we arrived. 

Friend, Jim Sullivan

Our friends, Jim and Becky joined us

Becky Sullivan

 I have to say, Par three courses are a lot quicker and more relaxed than the crowded pro  championship courses.

Even I had a grin on my face while I was playing

Since I had never so much as held a club, we decided to play at a nearby executive course in Myrtle Beach. To my surprise, I could not only hit the ball, I was able to drive it in the direction I intended it to go. It was probably little more than beginners luck, but Bruce was overjoyed. We all had such a good time that he thinks I should be playing with him all the time.

Impressionist Exhibit at the National Art Gallery 4 '08

CC in front of a Plein Air  Demonstration

The National Museum of Art was running a major exhibition of  the French Impressionist

BJ posing by / as VanGogh

We spent several hours soaking in the beauty of artworks that we had only seen in  art  history books

CC in front of a Monet

Home Improvements: Murals on the stair risers 4 '08

BJ standing by  the original stairs

I was in a curio shop a couple of weeks ago when I noticed some hand painted pagoda murals on the risers of their stairs.  How cute!  I could do that, I thought.  It would really enhance our barren stairwell.

Two of the three designs

So I set to work designing a set of low country beach theme designs drawn to the size of the stair riser..  I came up with three designs  which when reversed gave me a set of  six full size patterns.

Hand rail and finial

   Stretching out on my belly I began with the top most riser. I put the pattern on the stair and began to copy the sketch by hand onto the riser above it using burnt sienna acrylic paint and glazing compound.  Working my way down the stairs, it took me a full week  to hand paint every other riser.

  Finished stair well

Then  Bruce added a  natural oak hand rail  and a fancy Southern pineapple finial capon to the stair post  to polish it off.  We are thrilled with the results . So is everyone else.  We get nothing but compliments about it.

Home Improvements: Carolina Room 4 ' 08

Our Carolina room has been a rather sad affair. 

 The first summer we were here  my plants survived, but it was too hot for human use.  

 By early winter,  when the water froze in the fountain, we realized that it would be too cold for even the plants.

so we had some insulated windows added which made the room a bit warmer.  

 But it still had a barren rough cement floor that always looked dirty.  So we decided to have the room tiled so that I could clean the floor and add carpeting in the winter. 

Hurrah!  The room is liveable, 

the plants are happy,

  and so are we. 

Visiting with the neighbors: Piliated Woodpecker '08

This morning I was  in the Carolina Room when I heard what sounded like a jack-hammer in the woods behind us.  It didn't take me long to discover the source.  A large piliated wood-pecker was  eyeballing me from a nearby tree.   The I saw another, and another...the entire family had come to visit.  They were hanging out no more than ten feet from our back door.

The first time we saw one of these  birds we couldn't believe our  eyes.  I wondered if some prankster had slipped something into our iced teas. They look exactly like an over-sized  real life 'Woody the Woodpecker'..  But we soon learned that The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a very large North American woodpecker, roughly crow-sized,  commonly inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in the United States, excepting the possibly extinct Ivory-billed woodpecker.  Common or not it is still fascinating to  watch up close and in person.

Master's Place Block Party 4 '08

Here are some photos taken at  the Master's Place Block Party

 Jim and Gail Dowling acted as host and hostess

Jim was the grill master

The food was set up as a buffet  in the carport with everyone serving themselves

Everyone ducked inside the carport when a brief shower came up

CC and BJ with our home in the background

Gene Nemeth on right

Harry Susla on Left

Nancy Susla on Left

From left to right: Susan Butler, Gene Nemeth

Visiting with the Neighbors: Meet the Anhinga 4 '08

 Meet the Anhinga

The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), aka the Snakebird, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupo Language  and means snake bird.

It is a  courmorant -like bird with an average body length of 33 in, a wingspan of (46 in, and a mass of up to (3.0 lb.  I had never seen one before I came to south Carolina, but they are fairly common here. (Possibly because The Anhinga is protected in the US under the Mirgatory Bird Treaty of 1918) ). 

In any case they are quite commonly seen hanging out with cormorants in retaining ponds .  One can tell the two apart by darker color of the cormorant and the stiffer longer  neck of the Anhinga.

It is a dark-plumaged with a very long neck, and often swims with only the neck above water. When swimming in this style the name Snakebird is apparent, since only the colored neck appears above water the bird looks like a snake ready to strike.

Unlike ducks, the Anhinga is not able to waterproof its feathers using oil produced by the uropygial gland. Consequently, feathers can become waterlogged, making the bird barely able to float. 

 However, this allows it to dive easily and search for underwater prey, such as fish and frogs. It can stay down for significant periods.

 When necessary, the Anhinga will dry out its wings and feathers, with the resemblance of the semicircular full-spread shape of its group of tail feathers while drying them out, leading to another of its common names "water turkey" .. It will perch for long periods with its wings spread to allow the drying process, as do cormorants. 

 If it attempts to fly while its wings are wet, it has great difficulty getting off the water and takes off by flapping vigorously while "running" on the water. They are fascinating birds to watch, but hard to get close to.  No matter how slowly  and quietly one approaches, they always duck under water and disappear when I get near.

Visiting with the neighbors: Meet Big Al. 4 '08

On our morning walk we were introduced to 'Big Al" ( or maybe its "Ali."... I wasn't about to try to check).  Al  is the dominate alligator in one of the retaining ponds off of Golden Bear Road.

There's plenty of food for Al to eat in the ponds, so he is normally quite placid. Still  it is not wise to disturb a  7 foot alligator basking in the sun.  So we kept out distance and after taking a couple of pictures continued on our way.

Visiting wth the neighbors: Clapper Rails 4 "08

We are still thrilled by the sight of a clapper rail.  They were so scares and endangered in Southern California, and here the species is well established and healthy.  We can hear them calling  to one another across the marsh at the end of our street every evening, and see them running around in the mud flats at low tide. It is nice to live in a healthy thriving ecosystem.