The Hermits' Rest

Shiny and Stormy Seas

I’ve been enjoying the weather here in South Carolina. It’s hot, but “normal” hot, and things change! It’s sunny, then it rains, then it cools off, then it’s steamy. I wish I could bring my Texas friends and neighbors with me!

I had to stay inside most of the day, because I had meetings and work to do, but I certainly enjoyed looking out at the sparkling waves and cheerful blue sea and sky. I think it was the prettiest I’ve ever seen it here.

I watch hundreds of tourist helicopters fly by every day, and now that I’m here in summer, there are boats pulling parachutes, sailboats, and those planes that tow banners. But the banner plane crashed today and onlookers had to rescue the pilot and plane! Eek! I didn’t see it, but it was on the local and national news.

I did finally get to go out and enjoy the water later this afternoon. The riptide wasn’t there, so I even swam around a little, but since Lee was with me, I made it brief. He can’t do groups of people, and there were some beach goers, though nowhere near what there was Saturday. At least I got out!

After we ate dinner from our grocery shopping loot, we heard it would rain in a half hour. Sure enough, we could see it coming. I think I’m becoming obsessed with watching rain. We do have a good view!

It rained hard, and Lee thought there might have been a water spout, because people were shouting to get off the beach. It rained really hard for even longer last night. I’m glad there are lightning rods all over this building. It’s the tallest one around and we’re on the top floor!

The rods don’t show up in this, but they are right above that roof.

Hoping tomorrow gets us out of the building at some point. It would take my mind off things back home, where I have some sick and hurting folks on my mind.

Ooh, We Did Activities

Today Lee and I made up for yesterday and engaged in vacation-like activities, which is sort of unlike us. We even got out of the condo before noon, which may be a Lee record. I say this lovingly, of course.

We just knew if we left we’d discover something as fascinating as this plant, called pumpkin on a stick. I want one!

First we headed off to our favorite local spot, Brookgreen Gardens, which I have written about before but am too lazy to link to it. It’s an amazing old plantation that has been painstakingly turned into a wonderland of sculptures surrounded by gardens that set each sculpture off perfectly. We were disappointed to find that the main indoor exhibit area was closed, because they were switching out exhibits, but happy to learn the new exhibit opens next Saturday, so we can go then.

Luckily my childhood favorite poem is still here to see.

Instead, we walked over to the permanent sculpture exhibit, the Offner Sculpture Center, which we’d never been to before. That was wonderful! There were many studies for the larger works on display in the gardens, plus interesting bronze medals, and many other works by a variety of mostly 20th Century American artists. There were many by Anna Huntington who started the collection, and also a great many by Richard McDermott Miller, who had many fascinating self portraits and human figures. There was also a film about how bronze sculptures are made, featuring him. Quite interesting.

Anna Hyatt Huntington liked statues of horses a lot, so there are many here (and many large ones in the gardens for horse people like me to enjoy.)

After the sculptures, we ate in what was once the plantation’s old kitchen. Everything was fresh and delicious, and we had a nice conversation with the woman who was working there. This is a very out-of-the-way spot, so it was quite serene. And there were brazen birds who wanted to share our food.

We will be going back there for a night exhibit, perhaps, and also to see the zoo, which has a new red wolf exhibit. That will be interesting. Yeah, I can come up here and just go to this one place repeatedly and be adequately entertained!

After a bit of a rest and some sun gazing, we went to Topgolf, which was our reward for doing the annual tedious sales presentation. (This is a building you go in where you eat, drink, and try to hit golf balls into targets.) We lucked out and got a reasonable, fun couple to play with and ended up having a good time. Whew—I was worried my obnoxious new acquaintance, Steve, who crops up everywhere I go, would be paired with us and I’d drink too much. I was a bit concerned when I saw the couple brought their own clubs, but I ended up second, because the husbands were trying too hard. Kathy, the wife, had paid attention at her one lesson and drove straight and true. Of course, I was so busy watching that I didn’t get any photos of her.

I was glad that rain held off until this evening. We got a full day of fun in before I have to go back to work. I always feel better when I get to surround myself with art, gardens, and really cool insects..just look at this immense grasshopper!

Eastern lubber grasshopper
(*Romalea microptera*) which can be three inches long!

Hey, It Rains on the East Coast

Yep, it’s lush, green, and moist here in coastal South Carolina. I enjoyed watching the rain and being out in it, even though it made us have to delay fun outdoor activities.

We got a bunch of groceries at a Publix, which is like a tourist attraction for me. So much lovely and fresh food! Plus we got to see large flocks of annoying birds, including grackles, crows, and Canada geese. Sorry, no grackle photos, so you’ll have to imagine groups of black and brown birds descending on patches of grass.

Our drive took us by some nice parts of Myrtle Beach, away from seedy tourist areas and run-down businesses. It looks like a lot is being done to make this a more pleasant area. There is lots of affordable housing in good condition, and that makes me happy. There are so many people working at restaurants, hotels, and attractions—and they need good housing, too.

I did get to spend some time walking on the beach in the afternoon, and Lee and I walked on the boardwalk later. I found some plants, of course. I didn’t get many beach photos because it was incredibly crowded (I heard so many languages!) and the water was scary so I had to pay attention. Those rip tides try to suck you in!

I gave myself Beach nails and that’s about it for the day. I’m still a little tired. Tomorrow will feature activities!

Another Day Exploring: Swamp Edition

Today was another day exploring the southeastern USA. We went from Valdosta, Georgia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was supposed to be a 6-hour drive, but we quickly tired of taking the big highways and diverted ourselves to more backroads and small towns. That made the drive a lot easier for Lee, even though it was rainy much of the time.

Valdosta, Georgia, Homerville, Georgia, and Walterboro, South Carolina. Examples of small towns.

To be honest, it was good to see rain, swamps, and wetness after the dry month we’ve had back in Texas. It was cool to see steam rising from the roofs of houses after the rain.

You may have heard that I love swamps and marshlands. It’s true. And today we drove through a very wet part of the US, the Okeefenokee swamp and its environs. There were so many canals, streams, rivers, and lakes today, which of course meant lots and lots of birds.

Did I get any good photos? No, but we did see a large group of Canada geese in one town we went through, and many, many cattle egrets and other herons in the waterways. I loved it.

Sample bird. Great blue heron on the side of the road.

One town we went through, Summerville, was particularly pretty. It reminded me of High Point, NC with its endless stream of patrician homes and well-tended gardens. No photos, due to being tired.

I got pretty worn out toward the end of the ride. I probably knitted too much, which made my eyes hurt. But, we eventually made it to the South Carolina shore area with its familiar sights.

After a bit of trouble checking in (we were a day late since I just couldn’t leave until Wednesday, due to my work schedule), we were happy to arrive to our room, which is even better than last year’s room. I do wish I’d remembered to book adjoining rooms, though.

We went down to the sports bar area to eat, only to find some guys being loud and obnoxious. The server was having to be very patient with them. It turned out that my friend Sarah, who had been working downstairs, had put the obnoxious guys up to it—to see if they could get the server in the sports bar to lose her cool. It all became quite funny when we realized we all sorta knew each other. In the end, all was well. The obnoxious guy, though, he was something else. I guess we will see more of him later.

I’m looking forward to some nature stuff and grocery shopping tomorrow. I did enjoy our drive through many small towns in southern states. It reminds me how beautiful it is in the USA, and makes me want to protect it even more.

Just one drink and I get all disoriented.

Through the Woods We Go

Today’s travel day took me and Lee from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Valdosta, Georgia. Before we left, I got in a walk to a park behind the hotel, where I saw a couple of interesting plants, many non-native. I also enjoyed watching dozens of high school baseball players getting ready for a national tournament. No wonder it was loud last night.

Much of the day featured interstate highways through commercial forests. It took longer than we expected, because there was construction and a big delay due to a horrible accident where a semi truck appeared to have slid sideways a long way off the road. Not a happy start.

Occasionally I got to see some non-forests, like in Mobile and other coastal places. Mostly it was trees. Good thing I like them.

I worked much of the day, including before and after the drive, but I got a lot of knitting done, too. This little jumping spider decided to join me and hop all over my project. I sure enjoyed watching it moving its eyes and mouth and checking things out with all those legs. I think it was a paradise jumping spider (Habronattus coecatus) but I’m not sure.

The trip got more interesting when the GPS took us off the interstate near Quincy, Florida. We then embarked on a magical hour or so traveling through small towns and beautiful rural properties of north Florida and South Georgia.

We went through long stretches of road where it seemed like the trees were reaching out toward us to envelop us in green. With the draping moss, the overgrown old homesteads being taken over by immense crape myrtles, and the wooden fences…I felt like I was in one of my dreams of being home. I was so entranced in the deep woods that I forgot I had a camera. It was so Gothic. There was even mist rising from bogs. This is some beautiful country.

It’s places like this, far from my everyday world, that remind me of why the Deep South is so beloved by people from there, despite the legacy of hardship for so many, despite societal changes. It’s so peaceful, quiet, and still. It engulfs you.

And here we are in small-town civilization (Valdosta)

Tomorrow we see more of Georgia before heading through South Carolina. Some of the trip will feature back roads. But today created plenty of moody memories to get me through boring highways and lookalike suburbs.

Non-Controversial Travel Day

Thanks to all who read my entry from yesterday. It got the most “likes” since I started the blog, but no comments. How weird! And I only got supportive comments on other platforms. I appreciate it. But today I’m not controversial.

I saw many more great egrets today. What a great start.

It’s time for our annual trip to our condo in South Carolina, the one where I forgot to get a two-bedroom unit. Oops. We decided to try a new route and drive three days of equal length. That’s a lot easier on Lee. I took today off from work, so I knitted and enjoyed the scenery, which consisted of many small towns, forests, rivers, and fields.

The highlight of the trip for me came after we hit Interstate 10 in Louisiana. That means we got to cross the Atchafalaya swamp. It’s my favorite. My second favorite sight was getting to see rice being harvested and all the birds following the harvester. There were WAY more great egrets than the dozen I saw at home this morning, plus large green of what appeared to be white-faced ibis in the mud flats. It was gorgeous, but you’ll have to accept my egrets and herons from this morning, because I didn’t take photos.

When we got to Baton Rouge there was a traffic jam, so we took surface roads to our hotel. We saw many fixer uppers (I think we were actually in a low-income part of town), then fixed up houses, and suddenly were in a good neighborhood. Fascinating.

The hotel is fine. It’s one with a big central courtyard that echoes a lot, but I enjoyed the nice landscaping and creole stylings. We enjoyed the overly generous free happy hour drinks then had a darned good meal for hotel food! Salmon and shrimp pasta. The staff were all so dang friendly, too.

Plus it rained a little! I hadn’t seen rain in well over a month. It was a fine day. My car is wonderful to ride in. No controversy.

What I’d Change Today

What would you change about modern society?

I looked at this question at just the right moment. I’m not my usual disappointed but quiet self on this particular topic. I’m actually feeling nauseated after reading that a nearby university has fired professors for criticizing the Governor of this fascist-leaning state and leading a liberal arts group. Fuck that. So, here’s what I’d change about modern society:

End the encouragement of divisiveness and distrust of fellow citizens. It does indeed distract folks from what’s actually going on. Not good.
Stop the headlong slide into fascism and dictatorship here and abroad. My Goddess, World War II wasn’t THAT long ago. I remember people making fun of Germans for following an obviously crazed and dangerous leader. Why is it cool now? Just because you’re pissed off that the gays, blacks, and others who were always here now get a voice, too? It doesn’t have to be us or them. We can ALL have a right to a good life.
End gun worship. Guns aren’t your children, best friends, or deities. They are tools that improperly used by people who hate their fellow humans to kill your children and best friends.
Make lying bad again. Let’s value truth and other positive character traits in our leaders, not lies and cruelty to others.
Remind “Christians” of what Jesus actually taught or find another word for the faction that’s giving Christianity a bad name. The Trumpians do not love their neighbors, care for the least among them, or welcome people different from themselves.
Stop censorship. Period. You can share your anti-human crap all you want, but let us share our thoughts, too.
Give women the autonomy to make my their own decisions. After all, we all used to live inside someone with a uterus.
Value life. Yes, even after conception. Care for our children, our elders, those of us with special needs, city dwellers, rural people…you know, people who are alive. I still can’t figure out why protecting children ends after they are born, leaving them to be abused, shot at, or worse.
Care about the planet we live on and protect its residents. I’m not saying don’t eat food. Just treat animals and plants well and manage them in positive ways.

Other than that, everything is fine.

I’d love to just fly away to somewhere peaceful. Where would that be, though?

I know I don’t live in a place where my dreams will come true. But I’ll do my part.

Remember I care about you even if you disagree with me. I’ve been patiently unfollowing people and snoozing others. I’ve deleted comments I know won’t make a difference. But I beg you, readers, to consider that someone from a different background may not be evil, and that there are many good, kind, and morally upright folks out there that may not share your spiritual or political beliefs.

Some glad morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away…

Keep your beliefs and convictions. It’s your right. But. Please stop belittling others. You may be belittling someone you love.

Listening?

What do you listen to while you work?

The prompt for today was easy. I listen to things at work, but not music or podcasts. Here are the things in the background when I’m working from home:

Dogs barking. The most annoying sound. Love the dogs, not as fond of being notified every time a cow moves.
The ice maker. This went away for a while when it moved up to my bedroom (and was turned off at night) and in winter, when the residents don’t need so much ice for basic survival. It hums, whirs, and clatters along quite briskly.
Swallows. They may not be breeding, but they are still swooping into the semi-enclosed area outside my office and yelling at each other.

That’s not so bad. I like to write in quiet, so I think I’m pretty lucky.

Today, however, I worked to the sound of music on hold, as I patiently waited AT&T out. I knew if I just let them yammer on and try to sell me shit, they’d eventually realize they’d been charging me for a broken modem that they no longer service and come groveling back. I did a lot of deep breathing, attended an online conversation with friends, and just kept saying Okay when I was put on brief holds for 2.5 hours. I ended up getting refunds for the broken equipment back to the beginning of the year, no charge for my hotspot that I use in the RV because it’s no good at home, and $55 a month off our satellite tv for a year. HA!

I was so busy today the only photo I took was my fingernails.

I’m glad that went well, since I messed a bunch of other stuff up and was displeased with my lack of attention to detail. I messed up an Airbnb reservation, but if I PAY ATTENTION I can end up making money. I just need to wait two months.

Then I realized my reservation for my next Myrtle Beach trip was for only a one-bedroom condo. I was just sure it was two, because I didn’t look hard enough. There goes my visit with my stepsister, who needs a good bed. I’m gonna visit with them somehow in the not-too-distant future. Or else. And I doubt my other friends will want to visit either. Not much privacy.

There’s a reason I’m not in charge of business stuff usually. I can’t keep all the details straight.

In better news, the reason I skipped blogging yesterday was that I drove over to the ever-expanding suburbs to see my friends Susan and Brian, who were in Texas to meet their newest grandchild. That was a happy reunion. The baby was doing well and had bright, white hair. Really cool. We ate at a nearby Pan Asian restaurant. I got phô and sushi both. Heavenly.

Susan and I are trying to look friendly across a table.

Mostly we talked and talked. It was good to talk and talk in person rather than on Zoom. Susan and I are old friends with much history and much in common, so there’s much to cram in during just one meal. Brian did get in a few stories, too. It was quite cathartic. New grandparents have to do a lot of tongue biting, you know. I did do listening last night, so I’m barely sticking to my topic.

I did take another photo. Spotted Cucumber beetle (*Diabrotica undecimpunctata*) — a major agricultural pest.

Other than that, I’m still having trouble with the heat, as are the animals. The horses are very jealous of shade patches and are grumpy. Fiona is especially full of territorial kicks. No listening there. At least the Zyrtec is helping Apache.

All Is Well in the Bird Kingdom

This morning when I went out, the black vulture was still on top of the rock pile. It looked like some of the water that had been left after Drew messed with it was gone. Good sign.

The rocks, the bird, and the water dish.

I watched the bird a while. It’s black eyes were bright and it kept stretching its wings. They both looked more similar than last night. Still, I was worried about it.

While the bits of flight were a good sign, I still decided to call the folks at All Things Wild. The woman I spoke with said we could catch to trap it and bring it in, but that would be traumatic. She suggested we keep offering water and give it some raw chicken necks or backs. I put those on the grocery list.

Meanwhile, I did find Billie Idyll under the tack room. She is not as good with heat as the other hens. Poor dear. They all just hunker down near water in the heat of the day and run around around sunrise and sunset. seems smart.

The great blue heron, as you can see a above, was stretching himself into interesting positions all morning. I wondered if he was showing off for the female, but I didn’t see her.

It was very hard to get a cow-free photo.

I went back out to check on the vulture around noon, and I was relieved to see it had flown off. I guess its injuries were better and it could go seek a tree or deeper cover. I called off the order for chicken parts, and was glad I didn’t have to throw a blanket over it and stick it in a box to go to Georgetown.

The heron wants nothing to do with that!

All is well with the birds, at least. Dogs and horses are fine, too. And the fish. Yep, they’re just fine, because they are in the shade.

My Conspiracy Theory

Today I went out to work with the horses and saw a black vulture sitting on our rock pile. That confused me.

Bird, leftover limestone, and sunflowers gone to seed.

Why was it there, I wondered? Then I noticed I didn’t see any of the chickens. Usually they’re over by the pens that time of day, scratching at horse poop, taking dirt baths, and drinking out of the troughs. Living the grand chicken life, for certain. No chickens, just vulture.

When I went back to cool off in the pool, I looked under all the trailers, under the motorhome, and in the garage. No chickens. I started developing conspiracy theories. Something ate all my hens and the vulture was there to snack on remains. Was it a fox? Coyotes? Owls? Hawks? A Bad Person?

Lee thought I was very funny. But something had to have enticed the vulture. But why just one? When the roadrunner got bonked in the windstorm, there were a dozen vultures. Hmm. I did my usual wild imagination of the worst-case scenario. When will I learn?

I went back out to feed the horses and was so distracted that I forgot Apache’s Zyrtec. Oops. As they ate, I went to the back of the pile of rocks and found nothing dead. Just the vulture hopping around. Then I saw this.

Out from under the tack room came these four.

There went my conspiracy theory. Nothing wiped out the hen population. Around the corner, under the air conditioner condensation, I found Bertie Lee. So only Billie Idyll was still hiding. I think she was behind Bertie Lee. Whew.

So, I still wondered what was up with the vulture. That mystery was solved later, when I found out an injured vulture had been seen across the road. Sure enough, when I tried to take it some water (Drew drank it), I saw it had a hurt wing and couldn’t fly well.

So, if it’s still there tomorrow, I’ll call the animal rescue folks near Georgetown and get their recommendations. It’s doing well enough to get food and can hop up enough to get water from the trough once the horses aren’t gathered there, so I’m not too worried. It may just need to rest and heal a bit, and the rock pike is a good place for it.

I need to rest and heal, too. The heat is making me queasy, so I’ve had to cut back on horse stuff. Even this morning I couldn’t do much other than groom some. I think we all need to take it easy.