SC – Page 5

Peach blossom season in SC

Every couple of years I like to take a road trip up to the Ridge Spring, Johnston, Monetta areas of South Carolina – huge peach growing country. As with crops everywhere, farmers hold their collective breaths as winter transitions into Spring, praying that a late frost won’t blast all the tender new buds and ruin the new crop. The best orchards are to be found in the backroads. The trees are not particularly attractive, but the blossoms are a sight to behold, and every so often a city girl has to inhale some country air.

Super Moon or Worm Moon Rise

The March 9th full moon (also called the Worm Moon by the Old Farmer’s Almanac) is this year’s second-closest full moon. According to Earthsky.org, these are the distances between Earth and the moon for the three upcoming full moon supermoons; March 9 222,081 miles away, April 8th 221,851 miles away (the closest this year), and May 7th 224,429 miles away. By contrast, the smallest and most distant full moon of the year will fall on October 31st at a distance of 252,380 miles away.

A New Family Member to Celebrate

A new baby is always a reason to celebrate. This is my son & daughter-in-law’s first child, Elena Mary. She arrived after 24+ hours of hard labor by her mom and had a few minor health challenges to overcome. All is now well and she is beautiful. Welcome to the family little one.

A Lowcountry Oyster Roast

One of the markers that sets the rhythm for the changing seasons of Lowcountry life is the classic Southern oyster roast. This is an eagerly anticipated annual event at the company where I work, but we started to get a little concerned at the weather forecasts that all predicted 100% rain for last Friday. No scattered showers here, rather a messy front making its way up from Florida. We hastily ordered bigger tents and made some other contingency plans, and although we had some anxious moments around lunchtime as we bailed out water from inside the tent, the rain let up towards the evening, and it turned into one of the best yet! Whew!

Charleston from the Sky

So I can’t stay on the ground for long before the sky draws me like a magnet again. Yesterday morning we took off in the little R22 for a short flight to photograph a few targeted buildings, one of which is the new MUSC Childrens Hospital. Unfortunately the sun hid behind the clouds for a lot of the time, but that’s just the way it goes. Not every flight gives you perfect light, but sometimes it comes as a gift when you least expect it. That’s half the fun; you just never know.

Shawn Jenkins MUSC Childrens Hospital, Calhoun Street

Charleston City Gallery and Waterfront Park

Brick ruins and coal tipple, Cooper River, North Charleston

Kapstone (now WestRock) Paper Mill, North Charleston

The Calm After the Storm

Well Dorian took it’s sweet time to get here, after decimating the Bahama Islands. So grateful that we didn’t suffer the same damage, and so grieved for all those whose loss is incomprehensible.

Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, Folly Island

I visited the Folly Beach area yesterday evening to see what erosion damage had been done by the seasonal king tides combined with the hurricane, and found nothing too shocking. This little barrier island is morphing all the time, its shape determined by natural forces, and this was just another small adjustment. It will always be beautiful.

The Calm Before the Storm

So today a mandatory evacuation order goes into effect for pretty much the entire southeastern coast ahead of monster storm Dorian, still a powerful category 5 hurricane after roaring through the Bahamas. As I start to pack stuff up and move things to more secure locations on higher ground, I thought I would post these images taken a couple of evenings ago out at Charleston’s Folly Beach. A few clouds scudding across the sky, but a beautiful balmy summer’s night, the calm ahead of the storm. The last stars we will probably see until the storm passes. Prayers for safety for all.

The Wild Side of Folly

Some of my favorite times to experience Folly Beach are when it’s wild and gray and gusty. Sunny days with children paddling and colorful beach umbrellas are great, but so are the days when storm squalls race across the sand and you know you have no chance to outrun them. The clouds are unruly and the sand is stinging, but it’s wonderfully beautiful all the same. This was such a day.

Hurrying Home Before Dark

These are the last images from the recent Savannah flight that I will post on this blog. If you want to see a wider selection, please visit www.charlestonaerials.com

Harbour Town and the Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island

There is a lot that is addictive about buzzing around in the warm summer air, pretending you are a bird and looking at the world from a completely different perspective. I am already looking forward to and planning my next flight.

Hwy174 and the Dawhoo Bridge, Edisto Island

Coming in to land after sunset at Charleston International Airport

Port Royal & Parris Island

One of my aerial targets on the recent trip down to Savannah was the Beaufort area. These images specifically cover the area of Port Royal and Parris Island. The sun was setting as we circled and the flooded marshes and creeks reflected the sky. What a privilege to live in the lowcountry!