The Legacy of The Prince of Wales

OK gang, we're gonna take a step back in time to get a 'running start' for this post.  I'll give you a sneak preview - it's about a beautiful church we visited on our last trip to beautiful Litchfield Beach.  But, it's also much more.  It's a bit about how we got to where we are today.  It begins in the early years of our state when the political subdivisions were "Parishes."  In 1721, as the population spread East and North from Charleston it became necessary to create a new parish and it was named in honor of the Prince of Wales at the time - Frederick Lewis of Hanover who would ultimately become "George II."  Thus, the birth of Prince George Parish in our state.  By 1737 the growing population created the need for additional churches and a subscription campaign was begun to establish an Episcopal congregation on the shores of Winyah Bay.  The resulting Prince George Winyah Parish is now one of the oldest churches with one of the oldest continuous congregations in our state.  Historical events that shaped the growth of the parish were enormous, including occupation by British troops during the American Revolution and occupation by Union troops during the War Between The States.

Originally built of English red brick and oyster shell mortar, the building is stately and elegant but has not remained static over the years.  There are five bays in the nave (main interior portion of the church) with side doors and fanlights in the two center ones and windows with fanlights in the others.  The architecture is impressive - and even more so when you realize that it has been severely damaged, rebuilt, renovated and expanded all without losing the original elegance.  The layout of the worship space has been subtly modified as renovations were done with the current chancel and semi-eliptical apse added around 1809 and a stunning Mohler organ added in 1850.  Seating in the church has evolved over the years as the nature of the congregation and the technology of the times have changed.  In early years the seating bays were enclosed for privacy and individual heating was brought in for comfort.  As more people came to worship - eventually including slaves from area plantations - other arrangements had to be made.  Although the style of that early seating has been preserved, it is no longer possible to "reserve" your pew!  The churchyard has been the final resting place for some of the most prominent religious, political, military, artistic, civic and business leaders in the history of our state.  The pride and love demonstrated by the members of the congregation for their state, their city and for their neighbors is inspiring.  If you have a chance to visit Prince George Winyah Parish please go.  I think you will find the beauty and serenity of this place refreshing no matter what your philosophical leanings.

As best I can figure, there have been approximately twenty two or twenty three actual "Princes of Wales" and they have been some very interesting characters.  It is fun to look back in time at the activities of those early princes and to compare them to more recent bearers of the title.  Turns out that, although they were from dramatically different times, they were a lot alike in many ways.  I suppose that's the way it is with all of us.  We tend to think that just because we live in a different time we are somehow not as susceptible to 'human shortcomings' as folks were in the past.  Naahhhhh .... people are people, folks.  Sometimes - at some times - we might act a little better than one of our neighbors but at other times we're worse.  In my view, we need to work hard to understand each other, emphasize our similarities rather than our differences and maybe, just maybe, we'll wind up with a world that gets along a little better whether we're princes or paupers.  I think ol' Prince Chuck might find that he has quite a bit in common with George II.  Maybe he and Camila (who, by the way, does not use the title "Princess of Wales") will come visit us one day.  I hope so.  See ya.

A True Miracle - With A Very Odd Name

Hey gang!!  First, I want to apologize for not sending more posts from our recent trip but I was having a hard time getting things done on the iPad with "Blogspot" the program I use on the road and the one I have been very complimentary of in the past.  But - we had a great trip and a
lot of fun with some friends Hugh and Julie - who joined us this time.  The weather was nice (most of the time) and we spent a lot of time laughing and eating - and - thinking about the wonders of the coastal estuaries we woke up to each morning.  For those of us who grew up with the South Carolina coast as an integral part of our lives - or - for those of us who have adopted this wonderful place and are still getting to know it's wonders, there is one feature of the beach that is inescapable - the smell of the "pluff mud."  For those of us who would like to claim the Gullah title of "Binyas" as opposed to the pejorative "Comeyas" that means we have "been here" and didn't just "come here" from some frosty location way up north like North Carolina or Tennessee - the distinct smell of the estuarine marshes along our coast is incomparable.  Let's set the stage first.  Our planet is blessed with some of the most magical phenomena that could be imagined in the cosmic catalog of ecological processes - including the ebb and flow of the tides based on the lunar cycle.  That cycle causes areas along the coasts of our continents to experience periodic flooding and draining and the margin of this activity is a place of incredible importance.  Where the salty water of the ocean meets the fresh water of incoming rivers and streams there is a place of unimaginable fertility - the salt marsh estuaries.  It is here thatMother Nature works her magic and establishes a place of absolutely extraordinary fertility.  Here the marsh grass (often referred to as "Cord Grass" or "Spartina" creates both a filter and source of nutrients that is astonishing.  As the tides ebb and flood their currents bring with them the ingredients of life on our planet.  Deteriorating grasses, infinitesimal animal life and residue from other life-forms that have completed their cycle on earth flow gently into the creeks and settle to the earth as the waters recede creating a mystic soup we call "Pluff Mud."  It is here that the shrimp, clams, oysters, snails and countless other denizens of the coast are nurtured creating a bounty for the myriad fish, birds and mammals that inhabit the coasts.  And - creating the distinctive smell that the uninitiated might describe in negative terms but what, in actuality, is the smell of creation.  For it is here that the absolute miracle of our planet occurs - the place where death is defeated by life - where resurrection is proven.  But it is much, much more than a simple description like that above could adequately explain.  This is the place that assures our own existence on earth.  It is here that the processes that protect our oceans, our fresh water supplies and even the food chain upon which we depend are safeguarded.  This is it, guys!!!  But, here's the deal.  Once you have been here;  once you have smelled the fragrance of the marsh at low tide; once you have stepped into this incredible goo and felt it slide between your toes, once you have seen the creatures scurrying around on it's gelatinous surface - you are hooked.  You are a citizen of the coast forever.  And - we welcome you!!!  It is ours, folks.  Yours, mine, everyone's!!!  We just have to be smart enough to understand, appreciate and protect it.  It is a wonderful, wonderful thing and I am glad we share it.  See ya.

Permanence ...

I suppose all of us, from time to time, reflect on the precarious nature of our
existence and how even things that appear sturdy are actually quite fragile. We have talked in the past about the importance of maintaining constant awareness of those things we hold dear because in an instant we might find them forever lost. And sometimes we know - at the moment we experience something or see a unique sight - that it is a fleeting, but priceless treasure.


Such was the case with a place you have visited with us before, a section of historic downtown Georgetown, S.C. You have strolled the sidewalks of Front Street in our state's third oldest city, visited the shops and restaurants there and embarked from the docks on the river for some of our most delightful excursions. The spot we're talking about housed some of our favorite businesses including a great book store and some great restaurants. It was at one of those ("Limp'n Jane's") where events began on September 25, 2013 that would challenge the character of this charming place.


At a little after 5:00 a.m. that morning, an early morning stroller spotted flames at the back of the building and sounded the alarm. Although the response was immediate, by the time they arrived firefighters found seven buildings engulfed in flames an an eighth, The S. C. Maritime Museum, perilously close to becoming consumed. (It was later learned that the old sprinkler system in the museum valiantly protected the museum until firefighters got things under control!)


When things settled down about five hours later, Front street had been dramatically changed. The immense job of fighting the fire had been replaced with the mammoth rebuilding task now facing Georgetown. But, life has always had it's challenges for the hardy coastal folks around here and they have already set about making the point of this post.


Here's the deal, gang, everything around us is essentially temporary! Long or short, it has it's allotted time. But the things that endure are even more amazing - the indomitable and lasting spirit of faithful and courageous folks, the legacy of love that is passed on from loved one to loved one and the power generated by the commitment of those whose belief in a way of life transcends pain, setbacks, destruction and, yes, even death.


Those are the things that live within the permanent current of the cosmos, things to which we can connect even in the darkest times. Sometimes we spend a lot of time raging against fate or the transience we talked about above. Sometimes we are almost consumed in lamenting the loss of something physical that we knew we couldn't hold forever.


And we very frequently try to create things that will last forever - all the while neglecting to treasure and nurture the inspiration, the love and the dedication that inspired our creativity in the first place. Simply put, I suppose, the message would be - "Nurture your heart, your spirit, your soul. Love with abandon, give of yourself when the time is right and have faith that your dreams can come true."


Above all, remember that while things do pass away, their indelible imprint lives on. That is what we are seeing in the re-building of places like downtown Georgetown, S.C., New Orleans, Sandy Hook, the World Trade Center, the lives of families in Newtown, Aurora, Columbine and, hopefully, along Khreschatyk Street in Kiev. Our world is truly a beautiful place, it's just that we humans tend to go "off track" on occasion and forget what it is that we are really supposed to be doing. We'll be back soon with some adventures and reflections that are not so somber. See ya.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

On The Road (In Beautiful S.C.) Again

Hey gang - just a quick "heads up" ... we're heading out to beautiful Litchfield Beach again for a short "time-out" from winter.  Yep - we "sprung forward" yesterday and are in the throes of "time adjustment" which makes it just about a perfect time to head down to the coast for some R&R.  We'll be looking for some new adventures along our wonderful shoreline so we hope you'll come along as we explore.  Some new friends will be joining us during the week and it should be a lot of fun sharing our coastal adventures. 
In the meantime, spring has brought some absolutely gorgeous weather to the Palmetto State and we have had several "Chamber of Commerce" days this week-end.  And ... what better way to spend an early spring Sunday afternoon than watching the University of South Carolina baseball team continue their winning ways with a clean sweep of the Bears of Brown University.  The Gamecocks - right up there at the top in virtually every poll - are a spectacular bunch of young people and attending one of their games is a treat you really

Gamecock Basketball Star Jamel Bradley & Family

should take advantage of if you have the chance.  The Carolina stadium is absolutely beautiful and seeing so many people enjoying "America's past-time" on a picture-perfect day refreshes your spirit in a unique way.  We were at the stadium to kick off one of our fund raisers in support of speech and hearing health programs.  It was a wonderful day with terrific friends and it doesn't get much better than that!!!  But - with all that wonderful weather we had, Mother Nature is supposed to throw some cold water (pun definitely intended) on the spring weather later in the week but, until then, we'll take what we can get of the sunshine and warm temperatures!!!  Anyway - just wanted to let you know that we're cranking up for a short local trip in preparation for longer journeys coming up soon.  We'll be back shortly with more so put on a little sun-tan lotion and get out the shorts.  We're headed South!!! See ya.