Float Your Boat

The pic above was taken by the Divine Miss N along Shem Creek. Yes, that's just over the high bridge and an island hop. Please notice the name of the yellow boat. You just gotta love that attitude.

As we head into another weekend, this time with no particular plans and no money to particularly blow, I'll keep that yellow boat attitude in mind, and enjoy whatever opportunities and abilities I have.

It's easy to sit on the docks of the creek in awe and envy while watching the big yachts motor in and out of their slips, or come in from the sea and tie up to one of the restaurant docks for a meal. But, when you stop to think about it all and put it in perspective, just having that little yellow fishing boat on the creek and being able to take home a few fresh croaker or spot, or maybe speckled sea trout when they are running, would be sweet.

Don't get me wrong, I love being out on the open sea, and hauling up a big fish from a ledge or drop off, but those tidal creeks and backwaters that hold the secrets of the rhythms of nature, require a wealth of skill and knowledge to successfully navigate and return with a meal. There's flounder to be had, shrimp, and as with everything, in their season, oysters, blue and stone crab.

There's only one minimum requirement for a fishing boat. It floats. From there, it's what you do with it that counts. Yep, I like the attitude of that little yellow boat. It floats.

Posted by Dread, who wonders if the line needs replacing on his fishing rods.

Midnight In the Jungle Garden

A while back I dropped a comment about the new garden, and said I would get back to that later. Well, now is later, and that jungle pic above is the new garden. Not being a total idiot, I plan for it to be a semi natural/cultivated area. In other words, I'm going to leave a lot of the native plants and trees in place and clear the rubbish, planting more native plants and bringing in a few exotics. I plan walking paths, open areas, and sitting spots. I've already started clearing away some of the briars, brambles and kudzu. I don't have a formal drawn diagram as yet, nor a complete plan in my head, but have some ideas.

This is going to be a lot of work. It has already been a lot of work and you can't tell I've done anything yet. I figure this will be a labor of love spread out over several years. It will be like a fine wine aging, getting better with each year. Anyway, wish me luck. Any time you go up against the vine that ate the south, kudzu, you are in for a battle. That stuff grows a foot a day on poor soil with no water. On good soil with warmth and water it can grow three feet overnight. For you metric types, that's about a meter.

The ivy I plan to keep, since it is fairly easy to keep tamed and contained. There seems to be a strong colony of grey squirrels here also. As long as they leave the house alone, they will be welcomed, along with their half sized, striped cousins ,the ground squirrels.

Birds seem to love to visit and keep a songfest going from just before sun up until the last ray slips below the tree line. It's really a beautiful place just as it is, unless you are standing in the middle of it, up to your butt in kudzu and poison oak. I hope to fix that part without ruining the beautiful parts. Wish me luck. With a little luck and God's blessing, we'll have another beautiful garden, inviting to stroll either to escape the midday sun and heat or to meander through beneath the Carolina moon.

It shall be a romance garden. Gardens must be walkable by moonlight to be a romance garden. The next question is whether to name the garden now, or wait until it has a path and at least one area to sit? So what do you think? Start naming or wait?

Posted by Dread who has learned the kudzu killer's tricks.

Tying Off The Weekend

Sunday afternoon, after birthday partying and lunch, the Divine Miss N and I headed for Folly Beach. Yes, I'm still talking about the weekend past. It wasn't over yet, so I'm not finished with it here yet. We walked on the beach for a while, smiled a lot at the people and things we saw, laughed, and enjoying the air, waded in the edge of the water.

The water at Folly for some reason was much warmer than the water out on Isle of Palms. Of course, IOP is a bit north and around the other side of the Ashley River, the Charleston Peninsula, and Cooper River. It's not that far by latitude, but the Gulf Stream currents, winds, and depth of the nearby waters, any or all could have something to do with the temperature variance. Who knows? it could just be some of that southern mystery that exists beneath the Carolina moon.

After the beach we pointed GG north, had a prayer of thanks for the trip and asked to be blessed safely home, then meandered the back roads home. We drove through, goofing off all the way, without stopping for anything. By the interstate highway, it usually takes me around two hours and twenty minutes, but this trip took around four hours. We were in no hurry and enjoying the countryside views. We arrived back home, safe, totally refreshed, and relaxed.

Having to go to work on Monday could have been rotten, but we both were so relaxed and unwound by the trip that not only was Monday easy and laid back, but so was most of the rest of the week. I had a speaking engagement this morning at 9:30. Something I usually would have fretted over, made notes, revised and researched statistics for support, etc. But, I felt so laid back that I just made mental notes all week, yesterday worked up a hand out and printed out copies, then winged my talk to the group without notes. It went really well, and I had loads of questions and answers afterward, and even after leaving, some people in the parking lot were thanking me for the talk.

I think I'll keep that in mind in the future if I have to speak. Instead of getting all anal about it, I'll just relax, arrange a mental three or four points to make, and just wing it. Anyhow, life seems to work best for me that way. Just offer a prayer and wing it.

And that winds up last weekend, and this week, here beneath the Carolina moon. Now, I'm all caught up and can begin this weekend. Who knows what it will bring? I don't, but like the gulls on the beach, I'm ready to wing it.

Posted by Dread, who often has found himself existing only on the wings of a prayer.

PS. The pic above if clicked is 1024X768, perfect for wallpaper.

Spontaneity and Planning Mesh

The world is made up of "i" dotters, "t" crossers, and then people sort of like me. I fly by the seat of the pants a great deal of the time, and when I do make plans, I usually change them at the last minute. That is, if something hasn't already happened to change them for me. Usually, that's the way it goes. The best laid plans of mice and men often... But, not this past weekend.

The spontaneous road trip to the Charleston coastal area, went smooth as silk and was marked by synchrocity. Of course I have become so accustomed to rolling with the punches, that it's hard for me to distinguish between when something goes according to plan, and when it goes off plan but isn't any trouble. When it goes off plan, or plays off plan, and is a bonus, I call it synchrocity. This weekend was a synchronous bonus!

As it turns out, Baby Davis' Dad had planned a surprise birthday party for Baby Davis' Mom for Sunday afternoon, and we were invited. What a coincidence that the Divine Miss N and I chose this weekend, just out of the blue, to pay a visit to the coast, particularly the Charleston area. There we were, with no plans that couldn't be re-juggled, so after treating ourselves to a huge breakfast bar buffet, we did a bit of shopping then, we joined the group of family and friends for lunch to wish Mrs. Davis a happy birthday.

That pic up there is Mrs. Davis having a surprise happy birthday with Baby Davis. I think Mr. Davis was busy taking more pix. He planned the whole thing, from reservations, trickery to divert his Mrs., flowers, guest list and invitations, decorations, on and on. And, then he added our spontaneous trip and presence to the plans. And so, spontaneity and planning meshed, and worked out wonderfully. But, I'm glad there are planners in this world. They give punch rollers, like the Divine Miss N and myself, a purpose, for being here. Or, maybe it's more like a challenge. Whatever! I'll take it as it comes; ever how you plan it.

Oh; and the day wasn't over yet! There was plenty of Sunday afternoon left, beneath the Carolina moon. More to come.

Posted by Dread, who figured it was time to stop writing for today.

Spontaneity Pays Off

Saturday around midday, G.G. (the car) was gassed up and aimed toward the coast. The Divine Miss N and I were all strapped in, armed with snacks, and eager optimism. We offered a prayer of thanks and asked for a safe trip.

By early afternoon the room was settled and we were dining on the upper veranda of R.B.'s at Shem Creek. Way before dark, we were strolling the beach on the Isle of Palms.

From a nearby open air club, drifted strains of oldies and not so oldies, played by a very talented band. A cool breeze blew in off the sea, balmy, with fresh scents, as we walked the beach hand in hand. For a while we sat on a park bench along the street, just off the beach, and sipped coffee, watching the passersby, as the cool of the night begin to swirl in the breeze, rustling the overhead fronds of the palmetto trees. Later we wandered through a couple of shops, then called it an early night.

It was a wonderful afternoon and evening beneath the, almost full, Carolina moon. I felt 100% full and offered another prayer of thanks. Sunday was still ahead.

Posted by Dread, who is so glad to be a spontaneous person.

Summer or Not; Here I Come!

Honeysuckle vines, Magnolia and Catalpa trees, and every Tea Rose known to man are all blooming. It's the sweet breath of a Carolina summer begining. I don't know when the official first day of summer is, but magnolia blooms are enough of a sign for me to say, it's here! I feel a trip to the coast coming on!

Boys and girls can you spell R O A D T R I P ?

I wanna feel sand between my toes, and dance on the beach, beneath the Carolina moon.

I wanna smell fresh shrimp cooking, just off the boat.

I wanna feel the balmy breeze, sent from the Bahamas wafting of tropical blooms, and palm blossoms.

I wanna taste low country food, authentic and rich, with back room kitchen, family secret, ingredients.

I want local roasted coffee that is the best in the world.

I want to stand flat footed on earth that holds over 300 years of MY heritage.

Only there between the sky and the sea, and the land, and the hills, do I feel all the bloods that course my veins.

It takes a special place for a part Native American, part Scott, part Georgia convict, and part alligator, to feel at home. On the coast, beneath the Carolina moon, barefoot among the sea oats, I feel at home. Someday, I'm going to the coast and not come back until the day after doomsday!

Posted by Dread, who's charging up the digi-cam and packing shorts. More when I return.

Official Endorsement

Today, I officially endorse John McCain for the office of President of the United States. It is a day I will proudly mark on my calendar. Privately, I have held him as my favorite since John Edwards dropped out of the race, but today I go public.

I was saddened to see John Edwards sell out to Obama, in an obvious late bid to replace Hillary as Obama's vice-president candidate. We saw this sad path when Al Gore sold out to the Clintons. What followed was anguish, depression, self-loathing; all rightly so. And, today Al Gore is only the shell of the man he once was and his apologetic life is sad. Now we'll see the talented Edwards crumble under the same mantle of corrupt misdirection. I hate it for him. The best thing he could have done was to just walk away from this election.

On the other hand, I have a strong feeling, that those of us, who lock our support behind John McCain, will have reason to continue to hold our heads high and see our efforts to strengthen this country pay off. Unlike his shell of rhetoric opponents, John McCain is a man of character, substantive experience, and purposeful action. I look forward to his serving as President of the United States of America.

Posted by Dread who has gone out to get bumper stickers and yard signs.

It's All Puke!

This low-life, slovenly, scumbag, character assasin, now backs, and has publicly endorsed, Barak "H." Obama. (It's not PC to actually use the middle name now you know!) Doesn't that pretty much paint a picture for you? As far as I'm concerned, this is the cherry on top. I hope all his supporters' teeth rot out, which they will because it will spread from their brain rot they already have.

This country is sick, and in need of a real cure; not more bleeding, quackery, and puke. Michael Moore backs Obama. That is puke; pure puke. They deserve each other. Where's Michael's sister Rosie? I can't believe she hasn't jumped on this band wagon for a ride. Maybe when Michael and Opra slide their butts over and make some room for her, she'll join them. Then we can invite Dr. Feel to tell us why America is falling for the most shallow marketing ploy ever imagined. CHANGE! YAY!

What are we going to do about Iraq? CHANGE! YAY!

What are we going to do about gasoline prices? CHANGE! YAY!

What are we gong to do about cost prohibitive health care? CHANGE! YAY!

What are we going to do about failing education in the US? CHANGE! YAY!

What are we going to do about the sagging economy in the US? CHANGE! YAY!

What are we going to do about the raging substance abuse epidemic in the US? CHANGE! YAY!

Obama doesn't have the audacity of hope. He simply hopes his audacity will carry him through. His all hot air and no substance strategy seems to be working though. Reality doesn't have to be dealt with, just spew more empty platitudes.

CHANGE! YAY! CHANGE! YAAY! CHANGE YAAAY! CHANGE! YAAAAAY! WHOOPIE! CHANGE!

Michael! Obama! Opra! YAAAY CHANGE! Our country is saved!

This quote comes straight from Michael Moore's web site:

"I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama? I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name."

From the web site Micheal Moore Exposed moreexposed.com ( http://www.mooreexposed.com/ ) I quot the following:

"Should a person who thought that Enron was a great investment, that Ralph Nader, Wesley Clark and John Kerry would win, and that North Korea's Kim Jong was changing for the better, advise us on ANYTHING?"

Where will we bury the survivors? Will the freaking idiot half of America please WAKE UP? Our lakes and streams are polluted with your puke. Stop it now! It's not safe to even swim in the water, much less drink it! Stop it you pukes! Do you hear? I've never seen anything beneath the Carolina moon that would beat this political swill spew season!

Posted by Dread who is fed up with the political puke.

A Southern Mystery (Just not exciting)

We southerners don't always let on right up front with everything we know. Keeping a little something in reserve frequently proves useful, and lets those who would be your enemy perhaps underestimate your potential. Yes, we do sometimes lead damnyankees on to think we're rather stupid, and then have a good snicker after they leave. It's not an admirable thing to do, but you gotta find entertainment wherever you can.

At any rate, and not to be mean spirited or smug, I decided to not tell what this bloom is. Why not let people guess or look it up? Yes, I know what it is, I have them on the property, and have grown up with them. You don't usually see them near the ground like this one though. Normally they are 50 to 75 feet up in the top of a tree. That's your hint. The question is what kind of common tree, that grows here beneath the Carolina moon, has this spring flower?

Posted by Dread who's hunting a new part for the Borg HVAC unit in the house, to get it cooling again.

Mom's Day 2008

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, your Mom, their Mom, and everyone who is a Mom at heart! I shot this coming out of my doctor's office a little over a week ago, after getting my annual physical. I saved it for today, because Moms deserve just tons of beautiful roses.
(As with all pix on this site, you can click the roses for the full size version.)

Posted by Dread who is ramping up for summer!

Small Giants

This giant red clover (some of it around 18 inches tall) grows in patches and strips all along a portion of the new four lane bypass highway. Why do cities build bypass highways and then whine and complain that business falls off? Maybe they should just plant giant red clover in the city and stop there.

Posted by Dread who is headed out of town for a couple of days. No, it's work and not vacation...yet.

Your Basic Relic

I took this pic out the passenger window from the driver's seat. Yeah, a few horns blew and stuff. It's a pretty typical snowball bush, but I wanted a pic. There used to be a lot of these in gardens of the south. Now, because they get rather large, you don't see as many folks keeping them in their yards and gardens. Sooner or later, everything changes, even here beneath the Carolina moon. Even with pieces of the past still around, the south is not the old south. It's the deep south; no kidding! But, its not the old south, hasn't been since, and never will be again. Don't come here expecting to find it, except for relics, like this snowball bush.

Posted by Dread, who although he admires the snowball bush, doesn't really want one in his garden either.

Southern Sidewalk Sideline

This row of late bloomers was along the curb on my route to work.

Have the best day you can today. What else can I say? It's Monday. It was a really nice easy weekender though, and I actually got a few things done.

Posted by Dread who's trying to figure in a vacation to his schedule and budget.

Pretty Things

I don't know the name of these flowers, or even remember where I saw them over the past couple of weeks, but I thought they were pretty things and took the shot.

Yesterday's post was lengthy, more like my old blog. Today's post is brief, like most of this blog has been. I seem to be finding my voice again though, and if I do, no doubt more of my musings and philosophizing will find its way in here. Those posts, when they do find their way here, may be more than a blurb and a pic. Brace yourself.

Posted by Dread just to share a spot of beauty from beneath the Carolina moon.

Life's Fine Print

I don't remember where the title of this post came from when I started writing it. If it seems a little irrelevant, just overlook it. If you think about it some, it may fit, but don't strain your brain. After all, it's the weekender!

I've just passed up joining a web-ring group thingy of associated Carolina web sites and another of deep south sites. It seem that according to the fine print of their definition of "Child Friendly" that philosophically, I'm not. Now, I always considered myself to be very child friendly. I like most kids, even some of the ones that are brats, and I really resent their idea of what child friendly is. Their idea of child friendly is that your site passes the standards of uptight adults. Well, I doubt that I will ever do that. Naive me, thought child friendly meant that you wrote at a 5th grade reading level, and pointed out interesting things about the word.

I'm probably very very much way to open about real life and not complicating it, and just appreciating who and what we are and our place in the world as humans. I doubt I will ever pass the uptight parents test. My own kid developed his own uptightness way after he was grown. It certainly wasn't impressed on him by me. His mother, well maybe yeah.

Anywho, I just passed on being boxed in to someone else's idea of what's appropriate for my blog and what's not. I'll decide that, thank you very much. For example, I have in the past made a post about breast feeding, replete with picture. I sometimes make controversial political points and statements. So what? We are supposed to voice our opinions and exercise our rights. And, I'm a fan of breast feeding. I think it's good for kids. In fact I am pretty much an unabashed breast fan period. That's all a part of being human and being male, and I don't apologize for it.

I'm also a fan of art and beauty and find the combination of human art and human beauty, in one form or another, is magical and beautiful. I saved this quote when I came across it because it says a whole lot in a few words. I hate that I've lost the name of the author. But anyway I just came across this a few weeks ago. I saved the quote because it says so very very much in just a few words. I think it a master piece of writing. It says, "I was once sitting at a table in a bar when a young woman came up to the bar window, lifted her shirt and pressed her breasts against the window. When she left, there were perfect imprints of her breasts on the dusty glass. I didn't think of it as art at the time. If only I had known." Great quip, erh?

Then while scrolling through an odd blog this morning, I came across this article of interest from across the pond in the UK.

"Women in a County Durham village are painting plates with their breasts to raise money for charity. They cover their breasts with paint and make imprints on the plates which are then glazed and fired."We decided on Breast Cancer Care plates because we have customers who are going through breast cancer. You just want to help, " Joanne Scott, of the Buttercups Ceramic Studio in Hurworth, near Darlington, said. "And this is a fun way to raise money for a good cause."The women do several designs, including pandas, cherries, Christmas puddings and bumble bees." I think that's a neat thing they're doing. The plates are a bit whimsical for my decor, but still, it's a fine thing to do, and see the illustration for today's post up there. (Now you know what the picture is about.)

I also loudly, supported a bunch of local high school kids who were raising money for the fight against breast cancer, by selling pink T shirts that said "Save Second Base". The school board stopped them from doing this as a student project on campus, so they took it outside of school, and put it on the web. It was a stellar fund raiser! And, if you think about it, we were all 16 and 17 once, and second base always has been a reality. It's being human for crying out loud! It's part of our culture. Get over it!

I think women are beautiful, particularly southern women. I'm a southern male and find it incredible that it would be child unfriendly to admit that breasts are beautiful female attributes. And yes, they make a really great second base! Breasts feed children! So, why would writing about breasts be child unfriendly? I'm not going to worry about it. I'm not joining the web-ring or association linky thingys. I'm just going to keep enjoying and writing about everything I find beautiful here beneath the Carolina moon. If your children will grow up in a breastless world, then for heaven sake, keep them away from this blog! This probably won't be the last time I touch on this subject.

Posted by Dread, who's off to go dig in the garden and make something beautiful before the day heats up.

Old Friend

This rose was already well established just outside my office window when I arrived 18 years ago. Today, I've moved on, and now supervise this office, but the rose remains. From the best sources I can get half reliable memories from, I believe the rose was set out, somewhere around 1981 or 82. That makes this rose older than a lot of people who will read this. It also probably looks a lot better than a lot of people who will read this. Well, it's prettier than me anyway, even if it does have blackspot, which I don't have; just age spots.

Posted by Dread who is off to enjoy a weekender beneath the Carolina moon.