Today was
Fall Cleanup Day outside at Church of the Palms. At 7:55 there was one car in the lot beside
our Frog and Toad- Bills. By 8, the
appointed time to gather, there were ten and by 8:15 I think there were about
20-25 people to pull weeds, trim, and place about 30 bales of pine needles
throughout the beds.
By 10 am
everything was done.
Many hands
make light work!
Mona and I
were off to Hunting Island State Park.
One of the most intriguing sea island environments in South Carolina.
The movie Forrest Gump’s Vietnam jungle scenes were filmed there. Well,
probably not the ones with napalm smothering the Viet Cong. Special Effects has
to have something to do.
On the way
we passed through Beaufort again and I asked Mona if we could stop briefly so I
could make a short visit to the town museum.
Its very small and I was sure I
would not be there long. An hour and a half later my phone rings.
Well Chris,
the docent, was so interesting, that despite the fact that there were actually
very few artifacts I learned so MUCH
about Beaufort I had never known!
Did you know
the French claimed this entire region before the British? Fort Charles, on nearby Parris Island, has
been excavated recently. Its on the Marine
golf course.
Did you know
the Spanish were here before Saint Augustine, Florida was built? In fact, their community, Santa Elena, became the name of the area's biggest island, Saint Helena. Their fort, San Salvador, whose
excavations are about 50 yards from the site of the French Fort Charles, was
the first capital of La Florida. All Eastern North America, from the Atlantic to present day New Mexico, and as far north as Virginia.
And I never
knew the Scots even had a navy! They
sent explorers to settle this area who found out the French and Spanish were
fussing with each other over it so they went a few miles north and settled
Charlestown on the south bank of the Ashley river, the first people to live in
what would soon be British Charleston.
So I knew I
was spending some extra time, but an hour and a half? Sorry Mona!
I had
promised her two things today. Hunting Island State Park Beach and Shrimp Shack
SHRIMP. And the latter close at 3! 
But we made
it, and we made it to the beach and the fascinating jungle and the beautiful
lighthouse, which I had climbed just before a lightning storm hit two years
ago.
Pelicans
diving, dolphins leaping, shrimp boats swaying. Beautiful! And quiet. Only a few people left on the
beach by 4 in the afternoon, and we stayed till near sundown.
We also pack
our suitcases in TOAD because after we drop the coach for its servicing in
savannah, 30 miles away, we head down to Baroney Beach Club on Hilton Head for our
time share week on the island.
We’ll be
back to pick up the coach and take it back to CotPUMC where they are happy to
let us keep it parked while we head north for a week or more to visit family in
North Carolina before it gets too cold up there. Then back home to enjoy the company of these
great church folk one more time. Then its south we go, ultimately heading for
the KEYS, if we can find UMC’s willing and with room for us to park down there.
And we think we just might have.
But who
knows where we’ll go between here and there? God, silly!
-Ken
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