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

  Thanksgiving traditions that seemed set in stone when I was little are fond memories 70+ years later. When we were children we were dressed up in our Sunday best and taken to Grandma’s house for the day. There we sat down to a huge meal of turkey and all the trimmings served on the company china, with lots of polished silverware, and huge heavy serving dishes to pass. Dinner at 12 pm, on the dot!     After the meal, the “ladies” retired to the kitchen where they chatted, washed and dried all the “good dishes” and scrubbed the pots and pans while the grandpas an ..read more

  We had to travel a ways, but we finally found some fall color.   The trees here on the coast that do lose their leaves in autumn this year went directly from green to brown to bare. Fall is my favorite season and I was missing it! Over the weekend I saw a photo someone had taken of a beautiful tree in full fall colors, so we decided to take a drive and find it.     And we did. At Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge near McBee, SC, we had the whole 46,000-acre preserve to ourselves! Beautiful hilly roads meandered through longleaf pine woods with small lakes, a ..read more

  Midterm elections in the United States are on Tuesday. All elections are important but this one is another one that feels especially so.     Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility and just in case someone is still thinking about their vote, here is some good advice.  ..read more

  Some of the historic houses in town go all out decorating for Halloween, which is Monday night. The witches are life-sized, appropriately ugly, and looking right into each others’ eyes as they concoct their spell.    Going to be spooky to walk up here after dark!   More Dark Ladies brewing … mischief?   This house is just around the corner from us and they always have homemade decorations for each holiday. This year they have the traditional Halloween candy — candy corn — cut from wood and handpainted.    This trio of ..read more