For some reason, my photos disappear a few days after I post them which is, of course, frustrating! I am attempting to figure out the problem, so this one is a test.    It was taken Sunday on the beautiful South Carolina Black River at Pump House Landing. The rusty old water pump was still on its foundation on the river bank with the inscription, Fairbanks Morse. That pump was manufactured at the Fairbanks factory in the small Wisconsin town I grew up in! Three of my close relatives were lifetime employees of Fairbanks Morse. Two others were my grandma and her sister wh ..read more

  This weekend an American icon stepped out of history  to make an appearance in our town.  Harriet Tubman, hero of the Underground Railroad, is known to every American for her role in leading around 70 friends and family through dangerous Slave States to sweet freedom in the North.       A bronzed monument, “Journey to Freedom” by North Carolina sculptor Wesley Wofford, is on a national tour and drew hundreds of people of every race to its unveiling in a little city park on the waterfront this weekend.    Tubman was born into slavery in Maryla ..read more

The Octopus Tree   With all their gnarly-ness, twisty branches and intricate bark, Live Oaks are one of the most interesting and plentiful of the trees in our neighborhood on the South Carolina coast. Two very old ones, home to many birds and squirrels, fill my view as I drink my tea in the sunroom every morning.    And on one of the trails we frequent along the ocean is a Live Oak so interesting and loved, it has a name.   The Octopus Tree is a living sculpture.  The sculptor — a hurricane! Everything in the photo above is ONE tree.    As you can ..read more

Sorry, I Needed a Break    I think it’s called ghosting these days, and honest — I didn’t mean to do that!  It’s just that recent journeys and adventures have been inward, physical, and nothing others would find that entertaining.    We had the most wonderful, unusual, long spring, much cooler than normal, when we should have been out traveling, hiking, camping, etc.  But no. Instead, for months every week it was a steady round of disappointing doctors’ appointments, tests and procedures, repairmen in, under, and over our home (with accompanying large bills), ru ..read more

Ocean Fish Market   Few places like this left on the South Carolina coast. The old fish market in Conway  has been in business since 1948, providing seafood for several generations of local families.    Besides the fish market, they serve the best freshly-caught fried flounder there is from a little window at the side. With your fish you get traditional sides of rice, hushpuppies, cole slaw, and a pillowy slice of plain old white bread.    Best eaten at a picnic table with the neighborhood cats at your feet, relying on  your kindness and generosit ..read more

We’ve been traveling a bit. Just for fun . . . Heavy load!    The sign says, “Every taco is hand rolled with exotic Mexican spices by genuine Mayan virgins. Or Carlos, depending on who’s available.”       Wallpaper in one of the restrooms. Don’t worry — it did have modern plumbing!   An old house decorated with oyster and clam shells being updated.  The pillars on the porch were replaced and awaiting their new shells.  Happy Valentine’s Day ..read more

Charleston Naval Base    We took advantage of a sunny 80 degree F day last week to visit a memorial to the thousands of military and civilians who worked over the years at the Naval Base in Charleston. Before I tell you about the memorial, a little history . . .    In 1899, a 1600-acre public park with beautiful gardens was created along the Cooper River on the grounds of an old plantation. Charlestonians could escape the big hot city for day trips by special trolley and enjoy a day on strolling lovely walking paths and picnicking in the landscaped gardens along the ri ..read more

Good morning, and Hello 2023!    A year ago, last January, we hiked out of the deep woods into an open area of coastal forest that had been cleared, the fallen trees and a layer of debris left to rot on the ground. Everywhere we looked, emerging from the detritus, were large, bright red, oddly-shaped, and very strange looking fungi.  Neither of us had seen anything like it before and we were pretty excited!  You can see the post and photos here.  https://wisdomforasimplerlife.blogspot.com/2021/01/fungus-fun-facts-and-feast-for-our.html.      Well, one ..read more

 Just stopping by my blog this afternoon to tell you, we are busy getting ready for Christmas. A weather surprise has turned everything decidedly wintery just in time. Tonight’s prediction of 15 degrees F is a bit concerning as our homes in the South are not built for that kind of weather. Hope we don’t wake up to frozen water pipes!    As you know we have a new addition to our family — Frank, a young cat. Everything dangly and new is a toy to him, to be stalked, pounced on, and dispatched if at all possible. As a result, our usual decorations have had to be … shall we say, mo ..read more

   Is this old water oak tree on a trail we frequent a signal or marker tree, made by  Native Americans and used as a navigational aid in the forests?  By bending a young sapling at a right angle to the ground, they altered a tree to serve as a signpost to others, indicating a trail direction or marking a point of interest, such as a natural spring or a safe river crossing.    As the tree  matured, it grew back upward toward the light, pointing the way to the desired direction to whomever passed.      We aren’t sure if this ..read more