isolated year round

;

January scene on the South Carolina coast.
Undisclosed island, but here's a hint: Not a tourist destination.

Jail Tree avec fort

This is the Jail Tree. Actually several Live Oaks.
The nickname came from the unusual ring formed by the tree trunks growing in a circle around the original Grandma tree. Looks like a Cypress and its Cypress knees volunteering forth.

The 2 by 4s and platform are a recent addition, added for the sake of Grandkids.
No trees were hurt in the building of this tree fort.

Hudson's Smoke House

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This place is primarily a catering business. The only truly indoor section is for the business side of the restaurant. Walk-ins can sit on the porch which is a tin roof shed with concrete floor & picnic tables. It was windy so we felt like we earned a good lunch just by hanging on to our napkins. That's about all the work we did that afternoon, kept our napkins from blowing away and walked by the river.

Smoked Q! They have a smoke house across from the main office. As a BBQ Spy operative I tried the door to the smoke house. It was unlocked but my partner in crime got cold feet. We tried the unlawful entry post-BBQ plate so we were already satiated anyway.

Cole Slaw, hash, rice, and and green beans. I don't remember the name of these green beans, they're flat (and green). Not snaps - anyone know what a snap bean is?
All was really good but if it's just about the food, consider getting a take out. Depending on the weather the porch can be more relaxing at some times than others.
Great BBQ with a great porch on which to hang out and drink.
Iced Tea, that is.
Hudson's Smoke House
SC Hwy 378 Lexington, SC.
803-356-1070

if we were woodpeckers . . .

. . . I'd invite you over to my dead tree for some grubs and easy pecking.

Sunday Dinner

 

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A plate full on a cold Sunday.
* Smoked tenderloin medallions, cut thick like a 1970s medallion worn with a turtleneck and sportcoat.
* Turnip greens - plenty tasty when properly seasoned, and she was.
* Pinto beans - oh so well seasoned.
* Extra smoked pork to stretch the tenderloin - worked out great.
* Corn de la cob.
* And iced tea and rice, rice, of course rice is on the plate.
- We have so much in common with Asians, we eat rice daily and we worship our ancestors too.

What is dinner anyway? A big lunch? Then what is Supper? Dinner?
I know breakfast, lunch, dinner. Call me for Supper sometime, OK?

This table can be seen in the
Hollywood-blockbuster-film-event "The Prince of Tides",
it's the family table in that film.
But maybe you recognized it already.

Where to start?

 

What to say about this? Where to start?
There are so many things waiting to be said: the beauty, the planned landscape, the gate - since we're on the outside. The first step in starting down this path in the photo would be to jump the fence and that'd be a bad start.
I'm also not going to start on the path of plantations and the social injustice emails that'd lead to.

Much of the natural resources I had access to growing up is now gated. Beach access, forests, boat landings, once open land is now posted private property. In the past I knew that someone owned it, but population growth and density cause us to draw lines so we know this is for me and mine, that is for you and yours.
Look to more densely populated Japan and India, I suppose we still have plenty of wide open spaces in the USA.
But when you get right down to it, this photo is just a pretty driveway.
I'm not sure why I'm thinking of over-population and the socio-economics of haves (plantations) compared to have-nots (trailer parks).
Maybe another cuppa-Tea is in order this morning. Was I brooding?
I don't feel like I'm brooding but it's kinda early to be using some of these vocabulary words.
It's just a pretty driveway.
Enjoy the beauty. Start there.

135,000 miles

135,000 miles  

It's about 3,000 miles coast to coast.
I drove about 6,000 miles coast to coast in October and November.
Lots of loops.
Loop, loop, keep on looping.
Your Pal,
Loopy.

Hurricane tree

This live oak grew sideways after a hurricane blew it over when it was small. Hurricane Gracie? or Hazel?
The bottom limb is black now, has rotted a bit. That limb is about 5 feet over the high tide in the marsh below the tree.
Imagine being a kid and having your dog climb a tree with you (since many limbs are almost horizontal).
Laying on a tree limb and rolling off into the water.
Summertime and the living was easy.