Just chilling right now with a half-empty bottle of Rolling Rock beer thinking about the awesome seafood dinner from earlier tonight that now is just a very fond memory. When we arrived this afternoon the tide was high with a nice, steady breeze coming from the west bringing with it the scent of the marsh that, while this might sound trite, felt like like seeing an old friend again.
I don't really like Hilton Head. It is severely over development and the majority of its "upper crust" inhabitants like to claim with a straight face and more than a little arrogance of being long-time locals while completely ignoring the African-American guy bagging their groceries who can trace his roots back to the Civil War.
But, this place still has little spots set aside from all the commercialism, golf courses, and outlet malls that still have some small echo of what this place was before it was invaded and overran. If you look closely at the picture and see the small pier in the center right that is where Miss Wiggles and I spent the last minutes of daylight. Clouds had moved in and a soft mist swirled around us with the breeze that greeted us earlier turning a little chilly. It was very peaceful and if I tried very hard I could ignore the huge mansions across the creek.
In the morning Wiggles and I will cross the main highway and sneak into the the beach house crossing over to the beach to watch the sunrise. On past morning excursions we have seen a pod of dolphins paralleling the shore; carefully inspected the path a Loggerhead turtle mama took crawling from the ocean to dig an underground nest in the sand for her eggs, only to leave her children to return back to Mother Ocean; and we have met lots of interesting people from all over the country and world.
Even with the little pocket of this island we have carved out for ourselves, mostly ignoring what has been spoiled Sunday will come all too soon requiring us to return home. So all I can say is if you ever get down around this area there is much that is still good, holding onto the history and culture that once flourished here. There are countless Civil War era sights stretching from Charleston down to Savannah. The rich Gullah culture of the sea islands can still be found despite the best efforts of the developers to make the area lily white. And places like Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge and Savannah Wildlife Refuge offer glimpses of what this place was like before Europeans came and brought all the blessing and curses of progress.
My beer bottle is empty now and I hear persistent whispers of its buddies calling me, so good night and see y'all again in a little while.
16 comments:
Have fun with Wiggles bro.
I'm not much for seafood but once in awhile. Mmmm. :) It sure sounds good right now.
"bringing with it the scent of the marsh that, while this might sound trite, felt like like seeing an old friend again."
I thought that this sentence was beautiful.
Sounds like a really nice place. It was fun being able to see where you and Miss Wiggles watched the sunset. I was in my van driving when that happened. I looked over to the west and there it was.. the last moments of the day.
Enjoy your beer. I'll let you have it as I think it tastes like piss. Not that I've ever tasted piss before but if I had, I'd imagine it's a lot like beer....
Enjoy your day with your family tomorrow. :) I'm sure Spoilboy will be fine with his friends. :)
((Hugs))
Laura
"33"
Oso: As I was planning I jumped up and headed out to the beach house to see the sunrise and my daughter wimped out completely. Hilton Head has long passed the point of having any real hope of being alone of the beach but as I strolled in the cold surf I did have it all to myself.
Sunshine: I'm a big seafood fan including, much to my wife's chagrin, raw oysters. I realized what I wrote was conflicted by not generally liking the Hilton Head but yet finding good spots among the overdone and oversold aspects but that's just me.
As for Spoilboy, given that he broke the brand new television a few weeks ago he better keep his nose clean or I'll ground him until after his honeymoon.
MRMacrum: I'm sorry sir, but as usual I'm completely lost.
As a college student in Baltimore in the early 1970s, beer was more than just a food group. We determined it was indeed heaven sent nectar that once ingested could lead one to true happiness and fulfillment. And since Rolling Rock was basically just up the road a piece in Latrobe PA, we naturally made irregular pilgrimages to that fair city and knelt before one of the many gods of beer.
It was then we became aware of the mystical number "33" that was emblazoned on the back of every 8 oz bottle of Rolling Rock we consumed. We were sure the number meant something. More so once the third or fourth case of pony bottles had been broken into. I even handpainted a tie dyed T shirt with "33" in bold graphics on the front and back. So whenever you tip back a bottle of Rolling Rock think of that number "33". Somewhere out in the heavens, a beer god will hear you.
Photos! Photos! Where are the photos! I need to see more of the water! Photos!
Don't listen to that guy, where are the photos of lily-white mansions, of the golf courses? Now that's heaven! (remember, today is Halloween)
OK OK. I'll go halfies. I'll look at one photo of landscape for every two photos of seascape. (I hate halloween.)
MRMacrum: I had no idea. I dropped by your site and explained it far better but I usually drink Corona or Bud Lite but Rolling Rock was the cheapest beer last night at the upper crust grocery store we stopped at. I really liked it and will get more, especially since my wife has thrown away the bottles from last night that gave their lives to my enjoyment.
Vigil: I have a few, but nothing out the ordinary.
Randal: I wanted to take a picture of the smoking hot MILF sitting by the pool earlier but Dragonwife would not go away.
Vigil: Heading out back to the beach in a minute, got a few of the sunrise this morning but it was cloudy.
I have always liked the coast, to visit. Always a place to go to.
I heard recently that 90% of the US population lives within 50 miles of a coastline. Could this be true? What then if the global warming raises the sea by, say, 1 foot.
I guess I visit the higher sand dunes at Port St. Joe, Florida . . .
What the frig?
I've been waiting two days for pictures dammit!
There had better not be any smokin hot milf's in the bunch! I'm a jealous follower you know. :P
((Hugs))
Laura
I want to see the "smoking hot milfs!" I've seen plenty of regular scenery, and sadly Hilton Head is like Key West in that it is build completely out.
Goatman: Yeah, that percentage living on the coast sound about right. What will be especially funny is when they start oil drilling off the South Carolina coast and that residue starts washing ashore on the ultra-expensive properties and condos of those who believed all that crap about oil drilling being clean.
Sunshine: No worries, despite my best attempts the smoking hot MILF lounging next the pool up and left, not to return. As to be expected as soon as the MILF left my wife, who normally does not have any problem with my oogling, left to go back to the room as well.
I should have at least a video posted Tuesday afternoon,, things have been crazy at the house since we got back and time has been real short.
Madmike: Damn straight on Hilton Head development and just like a hungry voracious virus once Hilton Head was done the developers moved onto the adjacent mainland. When I was dating Dragonwife the little town of Bluffton was so untouched a great many of the Hilton Head residents didn't know about it, they completely drove past without noticing it.
One time while coming off the island going back to my future in-laws house I found out the hard way that all but one of my headlights were blown. It was so dark, with no traffic or light coming from other buildings that it was next to impossible to drive at normal highway speed.
Now that same territory is so bright from subdivisions and commercial developments you don't need headlights at night.
I first visited Key West in 1977 and found it to be a peaceful little island. No hustle or bustle, a nice slow paced environment with reasonable prices. Ten years later that started to change and quickly. Ten years after that the place was unrecognizable. It was hotels, gas stations, fast food restaurants, and a New Orleans Bourbon Street style downtown (Duvall Street). English was a second language and it was sometimes faster to make a right turn and then pull around because the traffic is so heavy during tourist season it could take up to 10 minutes to make a left turn. It became so bad Newsweek did a cover story on it. It was titled: Key West: They Paved Paradise....
Beautifully written.
These are the memories Wiggles will keep in her heart and mind when she's grown.
:)
Is it your trademark not to throw more than one good picture? You deprive me from a visual treat!
Post a Comment