If it’s Fall, it must be the Mountains

Every time October rolls around, I am irresistibly called back to the mountains. This year, it will be twice. Right now I am in the far western part of North Carolina, crossing here and there into Tennessee, and in a couple of weeks it will be the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. Today I explored the area around Robbinsville. Here are a couple of diverse snapshots from the area. The image of mountain layers was taken from the Sunset Overlook on the Cherohala Skyway; the waterfall is Yellow Creek Falls on Hwy NC-219, and the bridge is also on Hwy NC-219.

The Seas are definitely Rising

Charleston is not the only city with a flooding problem. I believe that there is definitely enough evidence to support climate change, I just don’t think that we have a whole lot to do with it. Climates have always changed over time, and they always will. These photos are of streets in Carolina Beach, NC at high tide. This has nothing to do with the storm that came ashore and dumped 18″ of rain in the space of 24 hours. This is what the residents deal with on a regular basis. Police block off certain roads, and if you live there, or if you are a DHL, Fedex or UPS driver, you just have to plan your schedules very meticulously!

Kure Beach, NC

This will be a season of quick “break-aways” from Charleston. The weather is changing, fall is coming, and this weekend I am in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. This trip has been on my calendar for months, but only last week, they had an unnamed storm come through here, dumping 18″ of rain in the space of 12 hours! The event was unexpected to say the least, and a week later there are areas that are still flooded, sections of Highway 17 are still closed, and piles of debris testify to the ferocity of the storm. The beaches suffered their usual battering and resulting erosion, but that is nothing new for this part of the world. One beloved landmark still stands, and that is the Kure Beach Pier, an historic wooden structure that has been destroyed, damaged, and rebuilt over the years, but continues to be enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. That’s where I was at sunrise this morning.

Flooding from Tropical Storm Debby

I had to travel down to Walterboro today from Charleston, and my route took me down Highway 17A South through Ridgeville. As I neared the bridge over the Edisto River, I suddenly noticed water, deep water on either side of the road. It was unbelievable, and I was so broken hearted for the folks who live in these houses, for the mess, for the expense, for the total upheaval this event must represent in their lives. This is days after the storm had passed. Fortunately the Edisto River floodwaters are receding after having reached record breaking levels of 17 feet. These images hardly do justice to the actual devastation.

Kalk Bay Harbour, Cape, SA

On one of my last days in Cape Town, my sister Judy and I drove to the little fishing village of Kalk Bay. We were looking to buy some fresh fish off the boats, and found some Yellowtail for dinner. We had lunch in a wonderful little restaurant on the railway line, overlooking the bay, and explored the quaint shops full of all kinds of tempting treasures before heading home in the afternoon.

The Southernmost Tip of Africa

I just spent a few days in the Cape Agulhas / Struisbaai area at the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. This part of the country is renowned for being unpredictable, with quick changes in the weather ,and wild seas, as evidenced by the many shipwrecked vessels littered along the rugged coastline. It is remote from the larger cities (a three hour drive from Cape Town, for example) and mainly comes alive during the summer, when holiday makers flock to its shores. Here are some photos that I took during my visit. What a beautiful place!

Back in South Africa

Every year I spend a few weeks in South Africa visiting my family. The first two weeks I spent in Durban with my mom, and we spent many hours sitting on her sunny verandah watching the garden birds as well as other random visitors. Here are some pics that I snapped during that time. Next on to Cape Town and a five day stay at Struisbaai, a beautiful little town near Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

Dixie Dude Ranch, Bandera TX

I had the good fortune to spend a few days here in April, 2024. I randomly picked it as a result of a search for Texas locations within the path of the April 8th total solar eclipse. It seemed to meet all my criteria for an authentic Texas ranch experience as an aside to the eclipse event, and I went ahead and made a reservation. The reservation was in itself a miracle, since they were technically full and had been for a couple of years. Anyway, suffice it to say that the eclipse was a bust since we had heavy cloud cover on that day, but it didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things, because the entire experience was one that I wouldn’t have missed for anything. Great place, great people, great food. Loved every minute. More info here : https://dixieduderanch.com/

Spring at Middleton Place

I have photographed the onset of Spring at this location many times over the years, so this year I tried something a little different. There is a genre of photography called ICM (Intentional Camera Movement), which I have been playing with. It involves using longer shutter speeds and moving the camera intentionally while the shutter is open. It’s kinda hit and miss at the moment for me, but I’m enjoying the new challenge. Here are a few examples.