Summer Road Trip: Day 5 Visiting with Janet and David 8'13

 The next day Janet and David jointly gave us a guided tour of the area.

 First stop was the historical site of Johns Brown Farm.  Yes thet THE John Brown of John's Brown's Ferry Fame.  The National Parks Service has preserved his Adirondack farm/ homestead and burial place as a National Historic site, complete with informational placards and park rangers.

Continuing on, we visited the Lake Placid Winter Olympic facilities

and had lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking  Lake Placid.

 Janet and I especially enjoyed touring the gardens at a local resort which were at the peak of summer perfection

 The guys preferred the Lake Placid County Club with its beautifully manicured greens and magnificent vistas.

On the way home we stopped  for dinner at the Asuable Inn in Keene NY which is a B&B that Janet and David used to own

It's a welcoming place both outside and in

and in

and definitely has some of the best fare in the Adirondacks .

Summer Road Trip: Day 4 Visiting with Janet and David 8'13

Dewy  Philosophers Summer Camp

Tuesday morning was fresh and beautiful.  While Bruce and David headed off for a round of morning golf at the Lake Placid Country Club, Janet offered to give me a cultural tour of the local area.  First stop : a real Adirondack Philosophers Camp, and summer home of John Dewey.   While Dewey is best known to most of us as an educator,  he was also a well known 19th Century philosopher who traced the transition from "caring about nature" to participating in our mutual flourishing through "involvement within" or what he calls “consummatory experience". His philosophies had a heavy influence upon the culture of the area  that can still be felt today, especially with regard to environmental conservation . 

Dewey Lodge

A friend of Janet's now owns the property where Dewey and his philosopher friends stayed.  The architecture of both the Lodge and the sleeping cabins have been maintained in their original design.  I was privileged to see the interior of both.  Looking at the views from the property it is easy to see why Dewey loved these mountains so much.

Next we drove around the Keene Valley where I was collected a reference photos of beautiful barns,

 and quaint villages.

Elizabeth NY Town Hall

Church of the Good Shepard in Keene, NY

We even visited the Keene Valley Landfill which has some of the finest mountain views I have ever seen

View from the Keene Valley Landfill

Janet has lived in this Valley from childhood.  She seems to know every person in it, and seemed equally determined to introduce me to every last one of them. 

Fortunately her friends Bob and Edie threw a dinner party which allowed us to meet  and mingle with many of their friends and  neighbors (other wise we might still be meeting and greeting).

 Everyone was so warm and welcoming.  After experiencing the warmth and hospitality of the area, I can certainly understand why Janet and David call the Adirondacks home.

Philosopher John Dewey traces the transition from caring about “nature” to participating in our mutual flourishing through “involvement-within” or what he calls “consummatory experience.” - See more at: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/06/philosophy-caring-about-environmental-conservation.html#sthash.ZdXhjGsD.dpuf

Philosopher John Dewey traces the transition from caring about “nature” to participating in our mutual flourishing through “involvement-within” or what he calls “consummatory experience.” - See more at: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/06/philosophy-caring-about-environmental-conservation.html#sthash.ZdXhjGsD.dpuf

Philosopher John Dewey traces the transition from caring about “nature” to participating in our mutual flourishing through “involvement-within” or what he calls “consummatory experience.” - See more at: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/06/philosophy-caring-about-environmental-conservation.html#sthash.ZdXhjGsD.dpuf

Philosopher John Dewey traces the transition from caring about “nature” to participating in our mutual flourishing through “involvement-within” or what he calls “consummatory experience.” - See more at: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/06/philosophy-caring-about-environmental-conservation.html#sthash.ZdXhjGsD.dpuf

Summer Roadtrip: Day 3 - NJ to Lake Placid 8 '13

Most of today was spent driving.  We said goodbye to Pam, and got on the road right after she left for work,  heading off across the great state of New York toward The Adirondacks  where we planned to visit our friends Janet and David.  As we traveled upstate through the Hudson River Valley, I understood for the first time the paintings of  Hudson River School of Painters.  I had always thought their landscapes were highly romanticized, but now I see the area really is filled with grandeur.  And the vistas just kept getting better and better.  As we approached the Adirondacks, there was water and wildflowers everywhere I looked.  It reminded me of Albert Handell's woodland scenes.  

 After an eight hour drive we arrived at Janet And Davids home.  Their home in sits high on a mountain about 70 miles from the Canadian border.  It felt great to be able to stretch our legs with a walk around their woodland property. While I was exploring  the creek that runs along the base of their woods, Bruce  was taking inventory of the indigenous vegetation in their woods.  All of a sudden he started shouting for me to bring the camera.  It seems he had discovered a patch of Indian Pipes.  Apparently when he was an Eagle Scout, Monotropa uniflora (also known as the ghost plant, or Indian pipe),  was the one herbaceous perennial plant that he was unable to locate to complete a merit badge.  He was so excited at finally finding it that Janet and David were nearly ready to go online to the BSA website to buy him the badge.

Summer Roadtrip - Day 2 - Visiting with Pam 8 '13

We spent a lovely day visiting with Bruce's sister Pam.  Her beautiful back yard was the perfect place to catch upon each others' current lives and loved ones, and to reminisce about their childhood years.  Later on we took a tour of her neighborhood, and shopped the wonderful local markets for ethnic specialty products.  (Boy do I miss living in the suburbs of a big city). In the evening we went out for a delicious dinner at a Greek Restaurant, where we laughed until we had tears running down out faces.

Summer Road Trip:Day 1 SC - NJ 8'13

Today is the first day of a two week journey  which will take us to see friends and family all over  New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.  But first we have to get there.  M.s Garmin says it will take  13 hours to get to our first stop in Piscataway NJ.  I think that is a bit optimistic.  Add in rest stops, and traffic in  Richmond and Wash DC, I predict it will take more like fifteen hours to get to upper NJ...  ETA 10 pm

We're Off!

Visiting with the Neighbors: Blacktip Shark 8 '13

Bruce went down to the North end of Pawleys Island Beach at low tide this morning and found a five foot+  long black tip shark swimming in the new tide pool.

Please welcome, Vincent Jacobs 7 '13

Great news, our 4th grandson, Vincent Jacobs was born to his parents, Bo and James Jacobs, on July 25th. Both Mother and child are doing well at their home in Sweden. Their first born, Valerie Victoria is thrilled to be a Big Sister. We will post a photo when we get one.

Oh the Joys of Summer 7 '13

Boy are the 'skeeters thick this year.  Bruce says he is going to buy me a haz-mat suit for my next birthday present, just so I can safely go for walks with him

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/ 

If the Beach Erosion keeps up.... 7'13

This is how the far northern end of Pawleys Island looked a year ago last August ( 2012) at low tide.

This is how it looked this afternoon  at low tide.  Notice anything missing?

 Like a lot of sand?

Ever since the last Super Moon (3/19/13)  brought in a super tidal surge,  the North end of Pawleys Island Beach has been eroding away .  This is very odd.  Normally beach erodes from the South end of the barrier islands, is carried around  the backside of the islands by the tidal creek, and deposited on the north end.  In effect, the barrier islands inch northward a a tiny bit each each.  But this year, it is the north end of the island  that is dissolving. 

Here's another picture of the north end beach taken 1/6/12 at low tide.  At the far left  near the lower corner of the photo, you can see the jetty and the wide amount of beach in front of it.  The area has always had a small depression which sometimes left a very shallow tide pool ( seen on the right)  which was closed off from the tidal creek by a sand bar.. Usually the water dissipated quickly within the tide pool

This is that same area, but the sand bar barrier is gone, the beach is open to the outgoing tidal creek  waters and the-pool is now filled constantly with chest deep ( or higher) water.

The dunes themselves are also being effected, as are at least thirteen mansions on the north end that have had the barrier dunes  the sit upon being eaten away at high tide.

It appears that much of the sand that used to be deposited from the south end onto the north end by  tidal creek, is now being placed on a small sand bar that is building in the channel between Pawleys Island and Litchfield Island.  So far the sand bar is barely high enough to break the surface and allow a resting place for the sea birds.  But it has forced the channel on the Pawleys Island side to deepen and become swifter, which will only speed up the erosion.

If this keeps up, all it would take is one good tropical storm, and our barrier island could be no more, and we might find our home on beach front property.

Big Sky Day at Pawleys Island 7"13

We took a walk on the South end of Pawleys Island this  morning.  

The dunes and sand looked healthy at the south end entrance, but one could see from the moment we arrived, the real story today was going to be about the drama in the sky.

It was filled with  huge with sweeping lines of cumulus nimbus which led your eye on forever.  I've never seen the south end look so elongated.

The clouds were capturing so much of my attention I almost missed seeing the pelicans sitting on a sandbar in the channel entrance.

Even the creek-side of the island was picture perfect.

Dinner at Hog Heaven 7'13

We had dinner at Hog  in Pawleys Island  last night.  Hog Heaven is widely know for having some of the best Barbque in the low country. Neither Bruce nor I are a big BBQ fans. Yet WE BOTH LOVED THIS PLACE.

Trust me it is not for the ambiance,,,On the outside, it looks like a  red-neck biker bar, and during  Myrtle Beach's motorcycle rally weekends it really is one..  The interior looks like a county western bar,  complete with a bandstand / dance area  and parking lot that spills over into the woods.  The tables are loaded with plastic squirt bottles of barbque sauces and a roll of rough paper towels for use as napkins. On the weekends, when the bands are playing, its a setting straight out of a Clint Eastwood meets Blues Brothers flick.

Despite its honkey-tonk appearance, the place  is packed every night with locals of every class and color. And huge crowds queue up around it's big mobile smoker at every local out of door festival.

 Each loyal  fan will  claim on of the menu item is the reason for Hog Heaven's success.  (Although in all fairness to other Southern eateries, I 've never heard anyone mention any of the Hog's side dishes). Some fans name the Barbque  pulled pork or the ribs; others cite one of the Hog's local seafood specialties . 

For Bruce it is their all you can eat shrimp dishes.  Last night he ordered a plate of it blackened, then another barbqued, and then some  buffaloed shrimp to go.

For me, its always the fried chicken. They ran out  just as we arrived and I had to wait for them to fry up another batch.  Bruce was working on his third plate of shrimp before the chicken was cooked. By then I had eaten a heaping plate of vegetables ( collards, black eyed peas, mashed sweet potatoes, succatash) and  I could only eat two pieces, but I swear it was worth the wait.   Hog Heaven makes THE BEST SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN I've ever eaten. 

Dinner at Quigleys

Dinner at Quigleys with the neighbors

Wilting at Willbrook 7 '13

 We played the last 9-18th holes  at Willbrook Plantation in 90 degree (+) temps  & 90 % (+) humidity, and we both scored exceptionally well.  Could it be we just wanted to get it over with and find the 19th hole?

In Appreciation 7 '13

Boy did CC  get a pleasant surprise at the July 7^th SAG General Membership Meeting. Our Guild's President, Woody Bower presented  out-going SAG Board Members, Eugenia Tribett  and CC each with a Certificate of Appreciation in expression of the Guild’s  appreciation for all of the hard work, long hours and late nights they put in to  making out Guild a success.