Saturday, June 11, 2016

LMS French Exchange 2016

In honor of my upcoming trip to France, I wanted to look back on the event that serves as a catalyst for my soon-to-be adventures across the ocean.

Every March, Mark participates in a French Exchange program through his school. Over the past three years, he and two other teachers have either traveled to Clermont-Ferrand, France with over 20 students or welcomed three French teachers and their 20 plus students to our hometown. Luckily for me, I've been able to tag along and take part in many of these US activities and events.

Last March, we spent one of our weekends exploring Hendersonville, Dupont State Forest, and Asheville in North Carolina. It was a blast!

View from our stellar cabin!
Our first stop was Hooker Falls. The easiest waterfall to get to in Dupont State Forest.
While the water was too cold in March, this is a popular location for swimming in the summer. 
Group shot of the American and French teachers.
Next stop, Triple Falls. If you're a fan of the 1st Hunger Games movie, you will need to check this place out! It was one of the movie's locations :)
Finally High Falls!

After a morning of hiking, we spent the rest of the day walking around Asheville, NC. We enjoyed people watching, listening to street performers, shopping, and beer tasting.

We even honey tasted at Bee Charmer!

A few of my favorite photographs from that weekend were of the numerous bridges located within Dupont State Forest. For me, those bridges perfectly embody the purpose and spirit of the French Exchange program at Mark's school. Rare experiences, like a foreign exchange, provides opportunities to celebrate and discover what makes our cultures so similar, while embracing our differences. These moments, help forge my opinion of the human experience as one of extreme diversity with no one way of life being more essential or significant than the other. We all have something of worth to offer the world. 

Perhaps we should all cross those bridges in our lives so we can meet people whose backgrounds and experiences differ from our own. Don't you think those interactions will do more to open our mindsets and expand our knowledge of the world around us than being solely focused on our own being? To cross the known into the unknown and to have faith to walk over the bridge to welcome the opportunity to learn about other ways of living is the stimulant for growth and truly amazing adventures.


Just think of all the bridges i'll cross this summer... Here I come France!


Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Country Roads and Hidden Treasures

Often when life gets busy and I begin to feel surrounded by high walls forged out of responsibilities, student loans, and a never ending to-do list, I feel a need to get away. To get lost in the serenity of my surroundings, where the peaceful and rhythmic sounds of the environment are all that matter. Recently, my need to clarify and cleanse took me not far from the hustle and bustle of my own suburban life to the quiet corners of the nearby countryside. Only here are peace and tranquility cultivated alongside fields of broccoli and strawberry patches. Highway traffic and lawnmowers were quickly replaced by the noise of a shutting screen door and the mooing of a mother cow. Croaking frogs and cawing birds joined in this harmonious melody as Mark and I drove past cow pastures, sleepy fields of tall grass and yellow wildflowers, and beside the bewitching flow of the waters of Lake Murray. Stress and anxiety quickly peeled away like the skins off an onion as I began to remember what truly mattered. It was not the items on a long list of to-do's, but rather the journey of my ordinary life through an extraordinary world. Beauty really was all around us, we just have to find the time to stop and see them.

Adventures such as these require two wheels and helmets! 



Off the beaten path, laid hidden reminders of our country's past. A past whose strength was built upon the back of the agricultural community, family traditions, fresh air, and South Carolina sunshine.

I find something so beautiful in the contrast of the aging, decaying wood and the new spring growth of chartreuse buds on pecan trees and the limber, uncut grass moving freely in the breeze. 
Can you imagine once eating pecans and sipping on sweet tea on this front porch?

Alongside these farming communities lay hidden spots of utopia. Many of these areas have yet to be developed and transformed into cookie-cutter housing developments. The value of the land not yet determined by the size of the homes built out of wood or brick, but rather the hundreds of habitats belonging to creatures of all sizes that call Lake Murray home. 






Often a reflection of the need to progress and grow, establishments once vital to a community, were sold and demolished to make room for the new. While this sign is all that remains of the memory of Hare's Mill, I selfishly do not mind this need for change. For in it's place, now lies Lake Murray. For me, the fate of Hare's Mill is a reminder that often in life, change and beauty come out of closing the door on a part of life that no longer serves as much importance as it once did. Once these doors are closed, can we finally embrace the new chapters in our lives.




In hopes of protecting vital fish populations, DNR has marked various sites on the lake with these yellow buoys to represent organic habitats. These buoys serves as a reminder to not anchor in this part of the lake.



It's crazy to think, had I decided to stay inside and finish my long list of to-dos, I would have missed out on such a meaningful and reflective adventure. Thank goodness, Mark convinced me to get out and enjoy that beautiful spring day!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Church Island Graveyard


Under the cover of the regal willows and fragrant pine trees and hidden behind the lengthy grass, their stories remain untouched, yet not forgotten. Nature has been kind to them, careful to erode very little of the memories and tributes to the people that once lived in Cross, SC. Even the creation of Lake Marion has proven to be a mighty shield protecting the tombstones on Church Island from the physical and social changes of society over the decades.

Upon beaching our kayak onto Church Island, it became evident that we were on hollow ground. Birds quieted their calls while even the waves seemed to gently brush against land, careful not to disturb the island's inhabitants. One only has to visit the island for a few minutes to see the magic in imagining the lives these South Carolinians might have once lived.

First view of the Church and graveyard from the gate.


And grand lives they must have lived! It is believed that many of these headstones belonged to people associated with the fame Swamp Fox himself, Francis Marion who once owned land nearby. Francis Marion is considered to be one of the great war heroes of the Revolutionary War and is credited as one of the fathers of modern guerilla warfare. A man of his time, Marion owned slaves and fought in campaigns against the Cherokee Indians. Yet, it was his experience in fighting against the Cherokee during the French and Indian War that influenced his battle tactics against the British. Marion noticed the Cherokee would hide themselves within the Carolina backwoods and were able to construct devastating attacks. As an officer in the Revolutionary War, Marion's militia would use those same guerilla tactics to surprise British regiments. Due to his crafty and resourceful leadership, he was able to scare the British right out of South Carolina! His legacy and myth loosely influenced Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot as well!


I bet they never thought they'd get a resting place with a view!


While Francis Marion himself is not buried here, some of the headstones date back to 1815. One of the "newer" graves belongs to Joseph Simons who lived on Pond Bluff Plantation, which was originally Marion's home. In the process of building Lake Marion, many peoples' lives were displaced. Simons refused to give up his land at the time and when Santee Cooper Project invoked eminent domain, Simons ended his life on his front porch. Read more about the building of Lake Marion in my last post about Ferguson Island Ghost Town.




While this looks like the foundation of the church, it was actually another graveyard!
This pulpit is all that remains from the Church.

While visiting Church Island, I couldn't help but be reminded that these people lived lives reflective of the time period in which they lived. Most likely their daily "normal" was very different from my own. No doubt their political and social views contrasted with my own as well. Yet, I like to think that all those things that make life worth celebrating and remembering, were the same.

For example, I'm sure "Lydia" loved playing tag like most children do. 
and I'm sure Mrs. Dwight loved her husband and laughing with friends!

This headstone touched my heart! In a time often characterized by short lifespans, these two were married for 60 years!


Unfortunately, our time for exploring the island was limited due to the impending sunset. If you are interested in going to Church Island, and I hope you are, we put our kayaks in at Spiers Landing in Cross, SC. From there, it was a 20 minute paddle to the island. We brought a GPS just in case, but it's easy enough to find!

So until we meet again, a final glance back at an amazing location and tribute to South Carolina history!


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Ferguson Island Ghost Town


Off the beaten path, just past a campground and a hot dog stand, the trees part way to form a boat landing. Upstream, behind the cypress tress and the osprey nests you will find the remains of Ferguson Island, a ghost town, both above and below the water. A token to progress and Americas pursuit for a better life. What's left of the late 18th and early 19th century town stands as a reminder that life is full of opportunity and change. Yet, those sturdy walls pay tribute to the memories and the stories of those who've came before us.

The only remaining structure is a lumber kiln.
This past weekend, Mark and I had the opportunity to adventure with friends on Lake Marion! I recently learned about Ferguson Island and was enthusiastically counting down the days until we got to explore the remains of this once logging town. Accessible only by boat or kayak, Ferguson Island was once a town, but the development of Lake Marion during World War II just about covered up what was left of it.

Ferguson's story started long before Lake Marion existed. It all began when two Chicago businessmen, purchased large amounts of forest land at bargain prices in post-Civil War South Carolina. Both men realized the potential in logging the bald cypress trees in the Santee floodplain. Thus, they built a lumber mill and town on the Santee River that they named Ferguson.

Ferguson was a self-sufficient community that did not interact much with outside villages. Logs were sent by rail to Eutawville and Cross and were later transported to other parts of the state. While Ferguson had indoor plumbing and gas lighting in the streets, employees were not paid in cash. Instead, they were paid in scrip, forcing workers to buy only from company owned stores. However, the town was short lived and the post office closed their doors by 1917.

Yet the actual fate of Ferguson, like so many other towns throughout the state, derived from the need to develop a waterway that could transport goods throughout South Carolina to Charleston. While this desire existed long before Ferguson, plans were finally put into action in 1934 when state legislation established the SC Public Service Authority which created and operated the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project. Years later, Lake Marion was built and covered up what was left of Ferguson.

Ferguson Island is located on the south shore of Lake Marion, near Eutawville and requires a quick kayak trip from the boat landing to the island. 


Finn was a little worried. He'd heard there were gators in the water!
Adventures are always better with friends :)

The bare limbs of the cypress trees add to the ghoulish atmosphere surrounding the ghost town. 
Just think, in the spring and summer these trees provide the perfect cover for gators and snakes!
Once we beached our kayak, we got out and explored the tiny island. While we didn't find any ghosts, we sure did find a lot of fish and gator skeletons!


While these may look like stumps, they're actually Cypress knees!


Where are all the ghosts?



Some of us lucky enough to have long legs actually went inside the kiln...
and got to take this really cool silhouette picture! Photo creds go to Rachel!
Besides the lumber kiln, all that is visible are the remains of various building foundations and lots of crumbling bricks! They are best seen by kayak and canoe!









As we left, I was reminded that this single lane road that brings visitors to and from Ferguson Island was once the rail bed that transported the lumber out of town to the rest of South Carolina. Just think of all the lives, towns, and cities those logs built!