Magical Land

Saturday and Sunday, September 28th-29th, 2013

Today, HD and I arrived at the Point South KOA in Point South, SC in the mid afternoon. I stopped at the McDonalds for coffee and directions and met an interested and delightful group of young people working at the land of the golden arches. They were full of questions about Henry David and one of the staff, a young lady named Teonai, came out to talk to me personally. Petite and lovely, Teonai shyly asked if she could ask a few more questions about the trek itself. After sharing my dream come true, she told me that her own dream is to go to college and study criminal justice. She is hoping to start this December/January and would like to go into forensic detective work. There is absolutely no reason why she could not follow her dreams.  She is registered to begin.

She only needs to do it.

Just Do It. 

Nike had that one right, anyway.

She gave me the greatest blessing I can imagine by telling me that she was  glad she had taken the time to overcome her fears to come to talk to me because she felt encouraged to follow her dreams and make them happen. If there is anything that I could give any one I meet on this trip, it is just that. If you have a dream, make it happen. Don’t give up, if that is what you REALLY want. 

Sometimes, we have a treasure chest full of dreams that remain locked up in that bejeweled little box: never released, never considered a possibility. If one is happy with the life they have created and have decided that their current situation is much better than the dreams they imagined in their youth, then that is a wealth beyond value. But, if on the other hand, they look at the little box and wish they could take out a dream and breathe it into existence, then maybe some deep breathing exercises are in order. 

I enjoyed my stay at Point South KOA. I took a day to write, take walks, and look for alligators!  About a mile from the campground is The Frampton Plantation, the remnants of an old plantation. The home has been converted to a museum of sorts. I must admit, I am having to rethink my idea of a plantation. This home was actually fairly small inside, with small sized rooms. Although it WAS light and airy, which I did imagine. Most of the home was closed off, so it may have been bigger than it looked from the inside. The grounds outside were nicely kept and a gazebo on the lawn held information posters about the civil war.  

Here in the Carolinas, the civil war is still a hot topic.  

On the grounds of the KOA campground, there is a small alligator preserve. It has a small still lake with a bit of forest surrounding it. Around the circumference of the lake is a grassy walking path. So, I donned my toe shoes (Vibram FiveFingers) and walked slowly and stealthily around the lake, looking for signs of alligator. Patience paid off about 45 minutes later when I saw two big eyes in the water, watching me on the shore. I looked through my camera lens but you couldn’t see it with my low res camera. After a minute or so, the gator’s head dipped down into the water in a “dive”, while his large scaly back skimmed above the surface of the water, confirming my suspicion that this was, indeed, my first live alligator seen in the wild. 

Awesome!

The Point South KOA has wine tasting on Saturday nights, but I skipped the wine tasting and went for the pizza instead. It fed me for two days. During the day, the campground office has a decent coffee shop. I worked on some writing while drinking coffee on Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, very relaxing, with good internet and alligator safari and Frampton Plantation visit. Very, very nice. 

Now. On to Hilton Head! Wahoo.

Monday, September 30th, 2013.

What a lovely day. I was sad to leave Point South KOA, but excited to go to Hilton Head Island. I cycled the frontage road of I-95 to Ridgeland. That was very nice. Fast and easy and the traffic was light enough that the narrow road served just fine. In Ridgeland, I took local highway shortcuts, again with narrow roads and some increasing traffic, but still perfectly lovely. 

When I hit 278 east of Bluffton and turned toward the Atlantic, the traffic got heavier but several miles of road construction actually provided me a lane all to myself. That’s the funny thing about construction zones. Sometimes, the crews have blocked off several miles of road but are actually only working on about 1/4 mile at a time. This gives a cyclist space to move outside of the traffic lane. It doesn’t always work like that, but today it did and I was quite pleased with the speed of travel. When I was spit back on the highway, the road was difficult in many places, forcing me to cycle on the grass. OK---so I had an easy time for a good chunk of the day, so I was willing to travel through some heavy resistance in sand and grass. 

When I approached the first bridge that starts the cross toward Hilton Head, I had to travel on a grassy ridge for maybe 1/2 mile, but the bridge itself had a nice wide bike/shoulder lane. I could see it up ahead. A man pulled over in a pickup truck, onto the grass ahead of me. He wanted to load up HD and drive me across. While I do accept rides when I need to cross a bridge or to get to a bike shop for repairs, this was a challenge I was willing, in fact, happily anticipating, to meet. So I thanked him profusely for his kindness, pointed out the wide bridge lanes ahead, and declined. 

Needless to say, I made it over the three major HH bridges and then the sky opened and the designated, beautifully paved, bike lanes began. Hilton Head Island is EXTREMELY bike friendly. Bike paths meander amongst the trees and greenery, circling and traversing the island. You can get just about anywhere on the Island and never leave the bike path except to enter the driveways of your desired destination. 

Hilton Head Island is like a leisure cyclist’s heaven: flat roads, bike paths, ocean, trees, flowers, gardens, parks, cool little stores and restaurants. 

Because it is “off season”, the room at Park Lane Inn was dirt cheap for the value. I paid the same as for a cheap Super 8, but 3 times the quality. My room had a kitchenette, two huge beds, a large flat screen tv, a couch, breakfast bar, and desk. A sliding glass door opened in the back of the room and I parked HD right in front of it, under the eaves on a little porch. There was a pool, fitness facility, and jacuzzi---I utilized the latter two! I even read a little bit by the pool, lying on my stomach and allowing the sun’s warmth to warm my bones and ease my hamstrings. The continental breakfast was extensive and they served complimentary Starbucks coffee around the clock. I could’ve moved in and stayed forever. But, even at the low rates, I wouldn’t have been able to actually afford living there. Unless I landed a fantastic PT job right there on the island. Sigh...

On my first night, I walked in the dark to the nearest grocery store, which was a health food market laid out with an eye for color and design. The prices were also a bit high. OK, a LOT high!! So, I picked up what I would need for that night and most of the next day, with a goal to find a cheaper store later. I stayed 4 nights there. So, on to a recap.

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

Another lovely day in paradise. I walked to the beach, about 2.2 miles away, wandered through the Coligny Square shopping area, bought a great cup of joe at Java Joes, yearned to try out the french pastry at a french cafe (I was able to resist), and read by the pool. I did my exercises, used the eliptical at the fitness center, and watched a few episodes of Once Upon A Time on Netflix. This kind of full relaxation day has been few and far between in my life---as they are a bit rare in most people’s lives. I’m no different. Our lives are filled with industry and work. Even this cycling trip is no vacation. I get tired and worn and weak and yearn for time to just be. Even on my day off cycling every week, I spend it writing and taking care of business---about 12 hours of it every day, with just a few hours to take or walk and exercise while I watch a program or talk to family and friends. So, this Tuesday, October 1st, was an absolute treat. I labeled some photos for about 3 hours, but most of the day was to breathe and relax and allow my muscles some true recovery time.

Can I have more days like this?

Wednesday, October 2nd. 

Red letter day, red letter day! I went to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store, exercised, labeled photos, and tried to erase some of the signs of weather damage from my skin and hair. Then Peter arrived, around 7 pm.

Thursday, October 3rd. 

Wow, another day in Paradise. We spent the morning together, taking a long walk on the beach. 

There, we met Rodger, who often goes by “Rodge”.  He had two fishing poles and was casting one into the shallow waters to see what he might catch. Rodge comes with his wife to the island 4 months of the year. They stay in the same condo every year in October, and then again in December, January, and February, avoiding the northern winters. Rodge spends many of the Hilton Head Island days fishing. He doesn’t keep the fish, but practices catch and release. Usually, he snags rays and skates. While we chatted, a stingray took his bait and he pulled the little guy in. His wingspan was about 24 to 30 inches wide. Sleek and gray, with his stinger located about midway down his tail, he was carefully flipped over while Rodge removed the hook and tossed the critter back into the water. Rodge showed us his gaping mouth and assured us that the ray was unharmed by the hook. 

When we walked back along the beach, Rodge’s little protoge had arrived. This is a local boy who spends his time on the beach as was apparent from his deep tan, thin little surfer-to-be body, and long, straight, sunbleached hair. Rodge has become like a surrogate grandpa to this young boy, who meets up with him every day to “help” him fish. He was a shy youngster, but apparently loves Rodger like family. He caught a skate when we arrived, reeling him in with some skill. This boy was proud to identify this as a skate, different from the ray in his spotty colorations and patterns, although the size was quite similar to the ray we saw earlier. The stinger is up near the base of the tail. I would think it would be almost harder for the skate to use it effectively, but maybe it would be more stable located there. They practiced their catch and release technique and the pretty skate was back in the water in a flash. 

After our lovely walk on the beach with the low tide and expansive hard packed sand, we drove to Moss Creek, just on the other side of the HH bridge, where there is a gated community hidden amongst the marshes and trees, and bordering the river which separates the mainland from Hilton Head. There, we visited Peter’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Jack Walsh. More on these wonderful people shortly...

After a tour through their lovely home and walking around their property, with a small lagoon which extends into their back yard, we went to Bluffton to hook up with Peter’s parents, George and Virginia Fischer. 

George and Virginia live in “Sun City”. This is a retirement community, part of a chain of them, really. But this is no assisted living facility. It is a resort community where residents, ages 55 and up, live in style. The homes are actually priced fairly reasonably and are constructed with aging in mind. The sizes of the homes and rooms are manageable and they are handicapped accessible.  Sun City Hilton Head has a community club house, a few golf courses, tennis and other game courts, fitness facilities, a restaurant and theater---just about everything one needs to retire and have FUN. Just outside the gated community is a medical complex, shopping, and retaurants. So, the residents of Sun City Hilton Head never have to drive far to experience all the modern conveniences of living in a large city but in a neighborhood which feels almost rural, like a small town.

After visiting a few hours, Mary and Jack went home while Peter and I went to dinner with George and Virginia to Mi Tierrita. This was a pleasant Mexican food restaurant and I enjoyed their Mexican vegetarian fare. I even had them bring me the “real” salsa. I am a New Mexican, after all. The salsas here in the east have been quite tame. It had a little kick, but not like the jalapeno, chipotle, or habanero kick I get in the southwest. This was definitely southeast coast salsa, flavorful and tasty. 

So, a little bit about George and Virginia.

George worked over 40 years, mostly for the same company, as a technical design engineer. He designed hitches and connectors for trucks and trains. This required a solid knowledge of math and physics and the physical properties of materials. Some of his designs can still be seen today. I asked him if he ever worked on his designs at home with a drafting table. The answer: No. But he did have a drafting table at home for awhile, more for the cool look of a drafting table than for another place to work. George did a great job separating work from his family life. He enjoyed playing in the ocean with his kids, taking the family on little vacations, and being the solid strength of the family. 

George is a quiet man with a kicking sense of humor. He generally allows the conversation to flow around him, but when he opens his mouth, great things come out. He reminds me of my stepdad, Russ, in that fashion. He has a sweet smile and he is like the Rock of Gibraltar. In his 80’s, George has some orthopedic challenges which have left him with a significant limp, but he doesn’t let it stop him from doing what he seems to love most: taking care of his wife, Virginia. He is such a kind man and it was a joy to watch his proprietary care of his One-and-Only. He does the cooking and most of the driving now, and helps Virginia to get around. While Jack and Peter were at the ready to assist with Virginia’s mobility, it was clear that George was the one who had things under control. In fact, it helped Peter to help his mother more than it helped to relieve George of his favorite responsibility. It was a gift to his son to allow him to help Virginia get up a curb or walk the sidewalk or go into a restaurant. George hovered and really, this job as family caretaker has been his love for about 60 years, so it has helped define and shape him.

I absolutely love George. That is what Peter will be like in his 80’s. I am a very lucky woman.

Virginia is a joyous, generous woman who has a soul full of passion. What is not to love about that?? She is passionate about her children, politics, people, swimming, and, of course, George. She can talk about a number of subjects with knowledge. This little lady keeps the news on the telly and she can let you know what is happening in our country and I bet in most parts of the world. She adores her family and she smiled so brightly the entire time we spent together that I thought the sun might get a bit jealous. If she didn’t have osteoporosis, I would’ve wanted to squeeze her tightly! Her passions are primarily her family and her daily swimming. She gets up every morning and goes to the community pool and walks in the water for close to an hour. With 3 hip joint replacements and severe scoliosis and issues with lower extremity edema, this little woman has her challenges but she meets them with grace and a smile. She cut salt out of her diet many years ago in order to help control her blood pressure. Her diet is simple and healthy and she keeps on moving. She has more spunk than she has bone density, and this slows her down but she has the confidence that she can conquer the world. She has that indomitable spirit that I so admire. 

What a truly lovely couple. Together, helping each other throughout each day. One providing physical support, and the other providing emotional sustenance. Sigh...

Friday, October 4th, 2013

Today, we checked out of Park Lane and I was a bit saddened to leave this haven near the beach. Happy and lovely memories...

Peter drove to Mary and Jack’s house and I cycled HD back to the mainland and parked in their garage. After receiving an appropriate amount of attention and adulation, Henry David settled into his new home for few days, while Peter and I continued to play vacation. We drove around Moss Creek for a great tour and it was clear that Mary and Jack are quite happy with their home choice. They moved to the area about 10 years ago, living in a condo on Hilton Head Island while they looked for a more permanent residence. They purchased this home in Moss Creek, sold their condo, and settled into a vacation life. 

Well, not exactly. 

Jack works at home, 40-70 hours a week. Not exactly retirement hours. He sells technology to corporations. He is not the computer or software designer, but has such a solid base of knowledge about how it works that he can make the software that he sells do things it is not intended to do!  

Jack reminded me a bit of the sheriff in the scyfy series “Eureka”. This sheriff, conveniently named “Jack” Carter, lives in a community of brainiacs and solves crimes which are caused by science gone awry. For any comedy/science geek lover, this is a fun, fun show. I wish they still filmed it. Anyway, although Jack (Sheriff Jack Carter) is surrounded by all of these scientists with IQ scores off the damn chart, it is Jack who can figure out the pieces of the science that went wrong, causing mayhem.

Jack Walsh does not design the computer software, but he figures out what it can actually do and regularly amazes, and stresses out, the software geeks who couldn’t see the potential in their own creation. 

I love it!!!

So, the real Jack is a top seller. He would like to retire next year, but I think the company may offer him a part time deal so they don’t lose this irreplaceable man. Whether he decides it is time to just play at retirement or to combine work and play is the mystery to be solved. Judging by the travel schedule Mary has planned, he may have no choice but to play with family and the joys of Moss Creek and Hilton Head. Will he crave the mental challenge of work? I don’t know him enough to say, but I would guess that a full retirement may last a year. On the other hand, there is so much to do in this area, that he may be able to fill every minute, and love each one. 

Jack’s passion, besides Mary, is photography. He took a course in photography while living in Chicago, where he and Mary raised their family. He has a great camera with all the bells and rings and fancy lenses. He showed me photographs on his computer and he definitely has an eye for design and context. He has plenty of subject material in this part of the country. 

If he takes glamour photos, he might want to use his wife as his muse.

Mary is a beautiful woman who is a retired 5th grade teacher. Intelligent and generous, this incredible lady keeps herself busy every minute of her retirement. Mary exercises daily, takes classes, sews, tells Jack where to dig holes in the yard, makes all the travel plans, and then, she volunteers for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program on Hilton Head Island a few days each week. This program is devoted to protecting and monitoring the Loggerhead Sea Turtle population and Mary became quite animated as she described seeing the new hatchlings scurry to the ocean. 

On Hilton Head Island, several months of the year during Loggerhead egg laying and hatching season, all beach residents have to turn off their outside lights at night. The baby turtles tear out of their soft shells, and crawl toward the light. You see, at night, the moon and starlight flickers on the ocean, and the hatchlings have the instinct to go toward the light, where the ocean is. I thought that it would be the smell of saltwater, but no, it is the visual display of light on the water. Outside lights on a patio can confuse the lil guys, so no porch or veranda lights allowed. 

So Mary helps keep count of the turtles and has been picking up knowledge about these water loving reptiles by listening to docents and scientists. She may go to “Docent College” in the future, so she can lead parties of interested visitors in observing the turtles. There is a turtle hospital where you can see adult loggerheads up close. The best chance to see them in the wild is from May through October. The adults lay about 120 eggs per nest. Generally, only one turtle of this clutch survives to adulthood, the rest being lost to preditors within the first three days. A Loggerhead generally doesn’t lay eggs til age 25. They are gorgeous, spotted turtles and a fascinating reptile to study.

So, what are Mary’s passions, besides sea-loving turtles and their 3 grown children? Learning. She spent her working years as a teacher and took pride and pleasure in working with the children and seeing the lights in their eyes when they learned a new concept. She is an educator through and through and I could’ve talked to her for hours about the things this petite woman can converse about with authority. She is a generous teacher, methinks. So, now, after the next planned year of traveling to visit her 3 children and their new families, she will take advantage of OLLI. This is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Mary says she can take classes for $85 per semester and learn just about anything she wants: local history, civil war history, current issues, art, philosphy, music, etc. 

For an artistic outlet, Mary sews. She is learning to do some quilting, but she has spent some years making machine embroidered gifts for family and friends. She has a sewing machine that will get up and play fetch for her, if she requests it. She programs in a pattern on the sewing machine software, and then changes thread colors as needed, while the machine whirrs along, spinning it’s textile magic. 

Mary keeps up on technology and uses an iPad for communications, learning, photos, etc. She took an OLLI class on iPads so she can more fully utilize this fascinating tool. Between Mary and Jack, they are keeping up with the fast paced world of electronic communications. 

That Friday night, Peter and I went on a date to The Old Oyster Factory, located on Hilton Head and overlooking the marshes and water. It was a beautiful night: we ate outside on the patio and enjoyed our moments together.

Saturday, October 5th, 2013.

This is my mother’s birthday. I was glad to spend it with Peter’s family. 

Mary and Jack enjoy friends and family coming to visit. They are rightfully proud of their beautiful home at Moss Creek and are generous with their hospitality. They drove Peter and I into “Old Bluffton”, which consists of a few blocks of artistic businesses and homes converted to shops and cafes. We visited a pottery shop where Mary had previously commissioned a coffee table top of glazed tiles. This is a gorgeous custom-made, glazed tile representation of a map of the Hilton Head Island area.  Apparently, this artist, who works on commission and partners with the shop owner, specializes in custom pottery maps---and they are hot sellers. You can tell her what map you want, where you live, and she will recreate it in clay. 

Mary and Jack introduced us to the beloved owner of the shop, Jake. 

Jake is a tall, talented craftsman who has run his shop for several decades. He is so busy that he is thinking of making an exit and retiring. He not only sculpts and makes pottery from his own ideas, but also makes sinks and functional items by order. His bakeware can go into the oven or microwave and his sinks are sturdy enough to withstand a glass falling and breaking against the sides. The ocean motif was apparent in most of the work and dolphins and turtles artfully graced his sinks and pots. 

Jake and his wife love to travel. He told the story of how he and a friend manned a sailing skiff to the Azores, crossing the Atlantic toward Portugal. The wives flew in, meeting them on the islands. They had battled some exciting storms out on the ocean and faced the high wind and waves, wondering if they would survive. They sailed the vessel in to England, where it rests. He still loves sailing and hopes for future adventures on the high seas. In the meantime, he and his wife keep fit by riding their bicycles almost daily. 

After the drive into Old Bluffton, we enjoyed a trip in the surrounding countryside as Jack gave us a tour of several miles on the road I would likely travel on Monday. It assuaged our curiosity just to know what I would be facing. That night, we all went to dinner at The Boathouse. This was another restaurant overlooking the water. We arrived close to sunset and enjoyed watching the sun glisten on the water. The “no-see-ems” and mosquitoes had a heyday on Virginia’s legs and the first 20 minutes of sitting inside were a bit miserable for her. But icewater and white vinegar reduced the itch and she was able to eat in peace. I had a delectable dish of vegetarian “sushi”, one of my favorite meals. This is basically shredded vegetables and cream cheese wrapped in seaweed. Yummmm!!

Once back at Mary and Jack’s house, we all enjoyed a glass of wine from their well stocked bar. Well, most of us did, anyway. Peter took the opportunity to practice his bartending skills and made a martini for he and his sister. This was living the life. 

Sunday, October 6th, 2013.

This predicted a sad day, but everyone contrived to make it a wonderful one, nevertheless. The family met at the restaurant at Moss Creek for an incredible brunch. Then, Peter and I took one last walk together along the marsh. Later, Peter packed his bags and we all headed for Savannah, so Peter could catch his flight back to Lubbock.

This was an example of Jack and Mary’s generosity. Again.

I hadn’t planned on going to the airport, because Peter had a rental car and I assumed he would drive off by himself. But Jack and Mary said, “No”. I would ride with Peter to the airport, where he would return the car. We would all meet inside the building, chat for a few more minutes as a family, then he would go through security and board the plane. After that, Jack and Mary had plans for me. 

So, no one let me cry.

After big hugs, Peter went through security to catch his westward flights. Mary and Jack swept me into their car and took me for a tour in historic Savannah. It is one of the cities I have wanted to visit for a long time but I wasn’t going to see it on this cycling trip. What a gift they had given me. Since Savannah is only about 30 miles from their home, they have visited this incredible city several times. Every out-of-state visitor who has come to visit them has wanted to see it, so Mary and Jack have become quite familiar with its charms. 

Savannah was originally designed on a city layout of 24 squares---these are like grassy parks surrounded by neighborhoods. Originally, these miniature parks were utilized for family fun, games, courtship, and local town meetings. Now, each one of these parks has a statue or fountain or piece of artwork that depicts some historical or memorable fact about the area. The homes are generally Victorian in style. They are simply gorgeous. Some are fantastically maintained, but they all retain their charm, regardless of condition. 

Mary and Jack pointed out numerous homes with double staircases leading to the front doors. In the Victorian era, it was a bit improper to see a lady’s ankles, so the men and women climbed a separate set of stairs, facing each other, for the sake of propriety. Of course, all those who are familiar with the Victorian era know that, for all the outward signs of propriety and “decency”, it was really quite a wild time. Kind of like Prohibition. It seems to me that the man, who could climb stairs faster than the lady in her big, heavy skirts and slippery shoes, would be at the top of the stairs waiting for the lady to catch up. Of course, she would be lifting the front of her skirt to keep from tripping over it. So, the gent, in the guise of being proper and gentlemanly, would actually see a good bit of calf, knee, and petticoat! It makes me laugh!! 

Going against nature is an exercise in futility. Trying to prevent a man from looking at a woman is a prime example.  

Telling Pandora not to open the box is another.

St John’s Basilica in Savannah was magnificent from the outside, This famous church was undergoing renovation and repair, so it was locked tight and we couldn’t go inside. Luckily, Jack had several photographs from their many trips there, so I was able to see the incredible design, paintings, and stained glass wonders--- in pictorial form. 

After driving through the streets and a short walk through a few neighborhoods, we went to the area along the Savannah River.  This tourist favorite consists of the old brick and stone river district that has been converted to a haven of cool shops and restaurants. Tourists walk along cobblestone and brick streets and enjoy the fresh seafood and delicacies along the path. There are steep staircases for the pedestrians to get from the Savannah city streets down to the river district. It is another delightful, quaint area of Savannah.

I could scratch the trip to Savannah off my bucket list now. But maybe I would like to come back for 3-4 days and really immerse myself in Savannah. Maybe Peter would like to go...

That last night in the Hilton Head area, at Moss Creek with Jack and Mary, consisted of eating trailmix, perusing photos, doing laundry, and receding into cycling mode. 

What a truly magical land.