829 Southdrive

829 Southdrive

A New Jersey state of mind



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A Random Post




In this season of the onset of Presidential primaries and the 
attention that will be paid to popularity polls and the like, I heard 
the Gallup Poll mentioned the other day and immediately thought 
about my personal connection to that Ivory Tower of American
opinion research. Alec Gallup was a regular customer of ours 
for decades before I was able to say "ours".  He was a grizzly
bear of a man, but as kind and self-effacing as the day was long.
The Gallup Organization was started in Princeton in the thirties, 
and well after it was acquired in the late eighties by a Nebraskan,
with whom I am also familiar, and who insisted many times on 
smoking cigars in the restaurant by the way, Alec and his close
associates came often for lunch around 1 pm.  He did his best
to uphold the 3 Martini lunch, although if he made it past 2 it
was unusual.  Soup was the appetizer almost always, and 
entrees varied.  One thing I'll never forget was him asking about 
the accompanying vegetables on a given plate.  " I don't like sticks.
I don't want any sticks on my plate."  Julienne vegetables. 

My two favorite memories of him were these:  watching the 2000
vice presidential debate between Joe Lieberman and Dick Cheney
in the back of our bar, near the mens' room where our little TV was.
He was going back and forth between the private room where the 
Gallup Org. was having dinner and the mens' room where the TV was.
Sitting on a wine crate watching at the same time was Arthur 
Schlesinger, who was attending another PU function upstairs.
And then there was me.  Picking my nose.

The second memory is actually more meaningful, because it does
not involve politics, but flavor.  Alec was sitting at the bar waiting
for his dinner guests one night and decided to have some steamed 
clams to hold him over.  Upon finishing the clams, he asked Chris
to take the buttery broth in the bowl and pour it into a glass, and 
make a spicy bloody mary on top of it.  Chris asked him if he had a 
name for this drink and Alec quickly replied, "the clamdigger!"
This man was as old school as they come and I'm fortunate
for him to have known me, even if it was just as a servant. 


Sunday, November 27, 2011

OFD WKND '11




Sunset on Greenwich Cove, on OFD.  It's one of the many things
we do routinely that day.  Hors d'Oeuvres and drinks upon
arrival around noon, family photo around 3ish, then hem and haw
about taking a walk, then take the walk in staggered starts walking
assorted dogs, invariably winding up all together at the end of the
street down by the cove.  This year it was low tide, and the clams,
mussels, and oysters were all exposed for some neat beachcombing.




Gravlax, oysters, cheeses, smoked fish spread, tuna tartare,
dried fruits, olives, pickled herring, and candied nuts were out
for nibbling.  Every year someone says, "Next year we should 
just have hors d'Oeuvres and forget dinner."  Yeah, right.





Friday morning saw bagels just out of the oven with chive cream
cheese and the scantest amount of leftover salmon.  One look out
the back porch and we knew we'd been around the wine world
the night before.  Mojo lovingly refers to this photo as the 'class
 of 2011'. There were dogends in the ashtray, suggesting 
that we may have had a smoke or two as well.






On to Vermont the next day to recuperate from the
overindulgence of the day before.  We dressed loudly to
be easily seen by the local hunters, and ventured into
the woods to cut down fresh Christmas trees for $5
each.  Some of the garments are from the 70's.
Careful with that chainsaw, Grampa.....





Very funny.  Now put the saw away, Charlie Brown.






Four Wiener Drive.  She would have been
pissed if she were left at home.





Grampa felled his tree, then kept the top ten 
or so feet of it.  Ironically, after his tree was 
out of the way, the tree behind it was the best
specimen we'd seen all day.  




We came out of the woods about a hundred yards down the
road from where we went in.  In the process, we sank in a slushy
bog 'til our boots were filled with ice water and we had to kind of
chainsaw our way out to the road.  There was hot soup on the
stove when we got home though, and soon all hardships
were forgotten.  All that and a five dollar tree.  Priceless.


Wednesday, November 23, 2011









Travel safely and enjoy being with the those
who mean the most to you.  Happy Thanksgiving!


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

OFD '71





1971 was a weird year for me and my nuclear family,
 but come Thanksgiving, much was done to keep things 
as normal as possible.  And I'm thankful for that.  Don
became our family Father figure that day, and also 
was the consummate family videographer, way before
the word videographer became commonplace.  These few 
clips I'm sharing with you all are priceless to us and reveal
some very traditional goings on around our bunch on the 
most meaningful of days:  Thanksgiving. Way before 
Facebook, Uncle Don came up with his own acronymal
expression for Thanksgiving and spraypainted it (I'm
thinking it may have been Easy-Off) on the half-bow
window of his family room, nee garage.  What a 
creative place on which to declare the title of his 
holiday film!  Decades later,
THXG took the place of TGNG.  IKR?  LOL!







Lunch on the deck before the annual Thanksgiving
Day backyard brawl that would ensue well before 
the sandwiches were digested.  My brother and I were
literally inhaling our food, especially Hans to the right.
At one point I stood up to make a point, but was 
quickly told to sit the hell down by my cousin Mojo.
"If you're gonna talk the talk, you better
walk the walk",  he said.





And walk the walk I did.  Immediately after Mojo caught
the pass from Hans, I threw his ass down like a sack of
knob celery.  Then my long bomb to Julie, which burned 
Hans like a piece of Pumpernickel, sealed the game-
winning drive.  There's nothing like football on OFD. 




Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sailing Hats are Cooler




Helmets are for pointy and motorcycles.


Friday, November 18, 2011

The Root of our Family Tree




Celeriac, otherwise known as Knob Celery, has been
the root of our family tree longer than I've been around.
OFD  is when we all enjoy it in a salad made very much
like German Potato Salad.  In fact it's virtually identical,
except that the knobs are used in place of boiled potatoes.
And the keeper of the tradition (Mom) includes chicory 
leaves for garnish and texture.  They're tangy and add a
slight crunch.  They happen to be my favorite part.

It's a grotesque looking vegetable, with roots and knobs
protruding in all directions, and I imagine most folks are 
just plain scared to tackle the thing.  The stalks resemble 
celery, but are more tough and bitter than their cousins.
The prize is definitely the bulbous root.  The whole root
is boiled in salted water in its jacket 'til tender, cooled, 
and then peeled and cubed.  Next step is to toss the cubes
in a simple vinaigrette with thinly sliced onions and chicory
and left to sit, marinating.  Close to service is when
mayonnaise is folded in, although not too much, just enough
to coat all involved, and then salt and pepper to taste.


It's a cold side dish to an otherwise warm array of 
accompaniments (except for cranberries which I don't 
dislike but have never found a use for on THXG).
You'll find yourself raiding the fridge early Thanksgiving
Friday morning, in your underwear, eating it from the 
tupperware with a fork, alternating bites with tugs of 
cold milk straight from the jug. 

Starting to Give Thanks Early


Where do I start?  In no particular order of importance,
because that would be impossible to decide, I
present you two men.  Two men who have been in my 
life who, in somewhat similar ways, have influenced me
in their own subtle style.  I say subtle because neither
of them was ever brash or boastful, overbearing or
obnoxious,  but instead quiet, sensitive, sensible, and
responsible for the well-being of their beloved families.
My memory of them keeps me humble and focused
on being a good provider and a loving father.


\


Here's my Uncle Don, Mom's big brother, in 1949 rowing
his scull on Carnegie Lake in Princeton.  Let's not get too
excited - he was a Yale man through and through, but he
was a Jersey boy first, and I think Grampa bought 'Geridum'
from somebody around there for him.  Please correct me if
I'm wrong, Mojo.  It's too late to call and I really want to 
post this.  You'll get your 15 minutes later.  Just comment.




Joseph George Jomo came from humble beginnings, 
not unlike so many from his generation.  He worked hard 
and became successful, and in turn provided extremely 
well for his wife and two children. He always made time 
for his kids.  My mother beams when she speaks of him. 
Don couldn't have had a bigger supporter.  
I've always wanted my girls to feel the same about me.  
I think so far I'm on the right track. That dedication to his 
family carried over to the next generation, and my 
cousins, brother and sister, and I have been fortunate
to benefit from his vision and generosity.  These two men
are always missed at the table, which has now grown
tremendously big on Thanksgiving Day.   

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Assorted Penguin Guano




Okay, maybe it does blow on Cooper River.  Just goes to show 
you to keep plugging even if you don't get a bullet.





Staten Island  Penguin racing 1973.





Dad and Jill sailing 8839 in the Port half of the photo.
The cunningham is a little loose for the start, no?





Some pointers ala 'The Penguin Patter-1979'.
A couple of collegiate sailing team announcements
as well.  It's always fun to see who's going where.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Influence


Often, children of sailors don't have the choice of whether or not to 
come along on the weekend for a day on the bay, often being 
dragged by their hair or threatened by not having computer access 
later that evening. We have a couple of dear friends that we've
known for 25 years who have embraced and come to love the 
sport of sailing through windsurfing and cruising on our boats during
the course of those years.  In turn, their 14 year old daughter has 
virtually grown up around us with our daughters,  all sailing together
summer after summer.  

This fall, Rebecca had a writing assignment for her ninth grade 
Humanities/English class, and chose to write about her experience
on Chesapeake Bay a few summers ago.  Thanks to her parents 
Meghan and Dennis, she got the opportunity to learn the basics of 
sailing, and then some, through the Annapolis Sailing School.
Following is her essay describing that experience and I have to say
I'm very impressed, and even more so, honored and proud to have 
made such an impression on our great friends' daughter. 





Most people don’t usually to go to school in the summer, but then most people don’t consider sailing school an actual school. I have to admit that before my vacation in Annapolis, I hadn’t either. I’d been in a sailboat before; the one my Uncle Dave and Aunt Ellen owned since I was a toddler.  My cousin Livvie and I spent time hanging over the pulpit, doing our reenactment of the famous Titanic movie scene. We would also spend the day popping in and out of hatches, and holding onto the cables as we jumped into the water at Tices Shoal. Still, I never imagined the actual sailing of the boat was really that difficult. Uncle Dave made it look easy. That was my first mistake.

The first days in Annapolis were miserable and overshadowed by dark hazy clouds that hung like mist around the marina. I was furious with my parents at the time. Why was I in school in July? This was a vacation, really? On top of that it was an awful day, especially for sailing. The air was still, sticky, and thick enough to choke on. I pouted like a little kid and stood glaring at all the boats as if it were their fault I was here instead of on a warm sandy beach. 
To my surprise I discovered that I wouldn’t even get to go in a sailboat until I had passed an exam. It really was like school! When I first caught drift of the exam, I began to get even angrier. I admit I was also a little nervous. What if I didn’t pass? Would I still be allowed to go sailing? The questions, nerves, and frustrations bounced around in my head for a few long minutes. Then the instructor came over and introduced himself as Mark.
He looked like a high school kid, maybe nineteen. I shook his hand glumly as he grinned excitedly. I dimly wondered where all the other students were. My mom told me there was supposed to be at least four other people taking the course along with me. Paying no attention to my thoughts, Mark led me to the “classroom.” I say classroom because it was really just a glorified shed. Inside were some chalkboards and a couple of desks that looked like they might’ve been there longer than Mark had been alive. Nevertheless, I got very acquainted with that room. This was especially true because, as it happened, I was the only student in my class.
First my instructor asked me what I knew about sailing.  I told him the truth. I said that I had been on sailboats all my life and that I knew what they did, but not much else. He seemed amused, maybe at my lack of knowledge? Anyway, he told me I was going to have to learn some basics about sailing before I went out and actually got to sail. He got started putting some notes on the board while I wistfully looked out the open door and into the shimmering Chesapeake Bay, the sun was finally out and I was inside a classroom. This was going to be a long summer.
As the days went on I found the class less irritating. I was even learning most of the things he taught me. First, Mark taught me all the names of everything on a sailboat. I learned which side is starboard, what a dagger board does, how to steer a rudder, and a million other things I had never even thought about before.
After I learned about emergency procedures (such as how to turn a sailboat around if someone falls off), we were almost ready to go out on the water. I only had to pass my written boating exam before any real sailing happened. As I sat in the classroom and watched the other sailboats drift by, the cross breeze filled me with anticipation. The clear blue skies and the wind were calling me; I felt even more determined to pass that test. 
Even though I was stuck in class for weeks, I wasn’t always learning. Some days were spent on my back lazily looking at the clouds as windsurfers and jet skiers zoomed by without a care in the world. More often then not Mark and I goofed off. We played hockey with a tennis ball and some old yardsticks we found, messed with the big expensive boats, and wandered into the Wet Dog Café to get some sandwiches for lunch. When the heat got really unbearable, we even jumped in the bay!
However, I was the happiest when I finally took my test and passed with flying colors. I’d finally get to do what I’d been itching to do; go sailing. Mark laughed at my enthusiasm as I ran out on the dock gazing deliciously at all the options.  Since I was a beginner, we used a laser, but that was fine with me. Lasers were cool little boats meant for fast paced sailing.
I suddenly remembered something my Uncle Dave told me about lasers. He told me that these sailboats have their own unique number printed on them. The numbers stand for the order in which they were made. The very first one started at number 100 and the oldest one my Uncle ever owned was number 802. I glanced up at the number on the laser in front of me, 49,264.
Mark rigged the sail. We got into our bright life vests and got busy setting up the various lines.  At first it was easy going, not too fast as we eased out of the marina. When we were far enough out, Mark pulled the sail tighter and we gain some more speed. I loved the howling winds and the salty smell of bay water. My body buzzed in thrill when the boat tipped so close to the water that my face was merely inches away. Even so, the bobbing of the boat and the constant sound of the gentle waves made me feel right at home.
For a few days, I focused solely on steering the rudder. It took some time to get used to the fact that rudders steer the boat the opposite of the way I moved it. So when I turned it left, the boat turned right, and vise versa. To practice, I spent hours just aiming and running over fluorescent little buoy markers. Soon, it was like riding a bike; second nature and I hardly thought about what I was doing at all.
For the next couple of weeks, Mark would control the rudder and I would jibe and tack. I was a little nervous about messing up all the lines, but since we were using a laser there weren’t that many lines to keep track of. I was thankful for that because a lot of the time, I struggled with tangles of lines and dealt with the jittery flapping of a loose sail mocking me. Soon I got the hang of it and I didn’t need Mark to tell me what to do. I even started getting a feel for where the wind was coming from and what I needed to adjust on the boat. Every time Mark and I returned to the dock we were exhausted, but happily satisfied with the days progress.
Even though I loved sailing, there were definitely days where I hated being out on the water. Some days the blistering heat blared down on us making us sweaty and wretched. Some days the air was so humid and still the boat would hardly move an inch. There were also days where the water was rough and unforgiving, the weather stormy and cold. I distinctly remember capsizing at least once or twice.
In the middle of August, Mark had to go back to college, and I was assigned a new instructor. Her name was Anna and I really liked her. We only got a few days to sail with each other, but we laughed and joked like long lost friends. On my last day, I was really excited to get in one more good sail before I went back home. The excitement was bittersweet though, because I was also sad that I wouldn’t be able to got out sailing whenever I wanted after this.
The wind was pretty good that day and we actually went out farther than usual. Unfortunately, as night approached the wind became nonexistent and we were left drifting inch by measly inch. For a while Anna and I just laid on the boat finding our situation amusing in a cynical kind of way. We talked a while laughing, as we stared up at the moon and listened to the black waves lapping against our boat.
Soon after, we got out the oars and began paddling the long way back. During the way, I found myself thinking about how amazing this experience had been. It had been such a frustrating and exhilarating summer full of new experiences.  I would not soon forget my time in summer school. Some nights when I lie awake in bed and close my eyes, I can still feel the rocking motion of the waves and I remember that summer on the Chesapeake.  


I'm so proud.


Sailors' Helpers




I don't quite know when the name of it forever changed
from shock cord to 'bungee'.  I think it was sometime in 
the 80's when people, many of them boaters, stopped
using cotton or nylon cordage to tie their boats or kayaks
or sailboards to their roofracks.  Their granny knots didn't
always hold, and here and there you would see Laser
mast sections rolling along the shoulder of the NJ Turnpike,
often going as fast as you were. Tie-down straps, along
with bungees, became the go-to cartopping fasteners.  Feed
the end of the strap through the buckle, honk it down,
hide the loose end somewhere, and then bungee
anything else that remains.  Hooks on both ends of the 
bungee made it convenient for any schmo
 (blogger underlined in red my compound word 'roofracks'
but said nothing about the word schmo)  to quickly
secure any last minute accessory in order to make it
home without having spars rolling on the NJTP shoulder.


I'm not sure where the word 'bungee' came from.  And I
for once did not ask Mr. Google.  And please don't go
there and report back to me.  I really don't care, for a
change.  I think some Australian Outback dude invented the
word 'bungee' while wrestling a crocodile.  "Hee-yah,
hand me a bungee, mate! The bigga the betta!"
Speaking of Google, my kids have virtually no
idea of what the Dictionary is.  Oh yeah, it's that big, thick,
dusty red book on the bookshelf with the little cut-outs
on the side where the letters are.  Dictionary.com my ass.


Shock cord was and is often used to keep the bitter
ends of the traveler or barber hauler lines from getting
tangled in something else, or maintaining a taut hiking strap
or  keeping a daggerboard from slipping down the trunk
on a Laser.  We bought it from a spool, sold by the foot,
and melted the cut ends with a match. And if we didn't
have the cash to pay for it, we filled out a withdrawal
slip and walked into the bank lobby to get it.


Andy Rooney passed away this week.  I think he called
it shock cord too.  I doubt he had a debit card.
And I know for a fact he used the Dictionary.  I Googled it.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Take Two




Thanks to Tweezerman for the Music clip on
his blog.  That song instantly evoked memories of
listening to the boxed record set of the Bangladesh
concert in Madison Square Garden that I somehow
acquired and played endlessly on my Hi-Fi.  The
only images I could view of this event were on the
included album program inside the box.  Doofus
plastered half of them on his dorm room walls and then
in turn threw them away after the semester.  




This is one of the few remaining photos clinging to life in the torn
and frayed boxed album.




I put my name on the album cover in case one of my
 entrepreneurial dorm mates wanted to 
steal this future collector's item.


\

Apple label.  It would have been worth something
if the box weren't squashed and irreparable.





However, this may bring some Deutsche Marks.




Mojo will jump all over this when we show up on OFD.
I'm looking forward to the spirituals and a glass of spirits.





One more from the amazing Bangladesh concert.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Unhappy Valley




I'm speechless.  Penn State Football has been such a huge interest
of mine ever since childhood.  It started with my Dad being a 
freshman there in the 50's.  I automatically, to this day, check on 
Sunday to see how PSU did the day before if I didn't already know. 




Rosey Grier was a student/athlete there when my Dad was a
 frosh.  I don't know if he had acquired his love for needlepoint 
at that time yet, but he played well enough to become a New York 
Giant.  And he was held highly enough to be Ethel Kennedy's 
bodyguard.  Too bad he wasn't RFK's that night.





From what I understand, Lenny Moore, being a couple years older 
than Dad and living on the same floor of his dorm, bought beer for
Dad and his friends.  Stuff like that doesn't happen any more though.
The Baltimore Colts thought enough of him to give him a job.
He wound up getting the hang of football and had a decent career.





Franco Harris came to the restaurant a bunch of years ago and
sat in a very accessible area with a large group of people.  Toward 
the end of the evening, our bartender approached him to get his
autograph and mentioned that our chef was from the same
hometown as Franco in South Jersey (Rancocas Valley).
Way larger than life, Franco stood in the kitchen doorway
and shook all of our hands and made small talk that he really
didn't have to make.  I was amazed at his stature;  he never really
appeared on TV to be very tall, but he towered over me in person.
A couple years later I would be again dwarfed by Derek Jeter
at the front desk, but that is another story.


Penn State Football will never be the same.  More seriously,
it's a crime and a tragedy what happened with that assistant coach
and the bunch of boys just looking for some guidance and insight
from a man who was for so long associated with such a storied 
and legendary coach.  Joe had to go.  It had to happen. 
 Implicated or not, he knew too much not to put a stop to this
 years ago.  Actually that does implicate him.
Shame on you, Joe.  I'm speechless.


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Accidental Visitors




Once in a while I check the real-time view on Feedjit, 
just to see where readers are coming from and more 
interestingly, if and what they googled to arrive here. 
 Lately, the most popular google is 'fried chicken'. 
I actually used this photo in a post last year, and may
have mentioned fried chicken once or twice, but I
think it's kinda funny.  If you google image 'fried chicken'
you will undoubtedly have an instant craving.  Wow, 
some unbelievably enticing photos.

Some of the recent visitors have been from Ontario,
Tacoma, Brooklyn, Shreveport, and Lawrence, Kansas.
Lawrence, you're not in Kansas any more.  You're
in New Jersey.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Chowder Bowl 2011





Jake Ballard had the winning TD reception as the 
Tomato-based chowders beat the Cream-based 
chowders, 24-20.  As far as I'm concerned, there 
has not been a great game since the Giants-Patriots
Super Bowl until this game today.  It was virtually
a remake, and I freaked out accordingly. 

Volvo Tart




JP and I have been feeling Fallsy lately, both of us cooking 
with apples.  Friday night, I made apple tarts with cinnamon
 ice cream. His crumble looks divine, especially 
with the fresh cream.  So English!




This weekend we ripped out all of the mums and marigolds and
peonies.  Chucked the rotting pumpkins, pussy willow wreath,
dried basil stalks, and all of the branches that fell with the first 
snowfall.  We put the patio furniture, the hammock,  and the 
garden hoses away, and put the snowblower in the garage,
pointing outward in anticipation of the next snowfall.  One or 
two more leaf sessions and we'll be good for winter.  Now I've
just got to get the boat out of the water.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Low Country Weekend





A few hours from our destination, we stopped for a late lunch.
A plateful of the south.  Pulled pork with Carolina vinegary sauce
 (yum), fried chicken, fried livers, fried gizzards, fried okra, fried 
squash, okra and beans, broad beans, cole slaw, and sweet 
pickles and cauliflower.  I went back and got a half plateful of 
collard greens with more fried okra and pork barbecue.  I could 
eat this every day.  Just make sure I'm sitting next to the 
defibrillator machine though.  For convenience' sake.





Folly Beach, SC.  Our nest for the wedding weekend.  Not bad digs, 
and a mere crawl from the reception next door.  There's nothing like 
opening the sliding doors and getting a faceful of ocean air.  
Thanks so much, Reno and Michele.  I feel like I say that an awful lot.





Looking south toward Kiawah Island.  I love the Carolinas;
in so many ways they remind me of the New Jersey coastline.
Why are you laughing?  No, really..........





Bowen's Island Restaurant, just inland of Folly Beach.  The line went
out the door behind me and down the switchback stairway.  At first
I was skeptical about waiting, but as soon as we got drinks to nurse 
while standing in line, we were at the counter in no time.  Place your
order, find a table, and wait for the food.  It wasn't that bad a wait.





My daughters found a table, suitably right next to a large oyster 
shell garbage can.  I didn't mind.  Rather than putting my empties
on my tray, I tossed them over my shoulder.  I'm thinking of
getting one of these for our kitchen table.





They must not be tea-baggers down there, 'cause they spelled
everything correctly.  And their warning could not have been
more telling.  There was booze, shellfish, and plenty of
finger licking.  Kind of like being at home, but this time no clean-up. 





College daughter waiting for grub.  





Down in the basement where the all-you-can eaters are seated.
This way, they can watch and make sure you're not feeding the
rest of your table from your tray upstairs.  The coolest thing in my
opinion is the hole in the middle of the table where the shells go.





Spartan, yet functional accommodations.  What more do you need?





Once the oysters come out of the steaming pots, they're dumped on 
this hot flat-top until they're shoveled onto cafeteria trays.  The 
oysters spend very little time there because there's usually a line 
of hungry folks waiting just behind this camera.




My first tray.  They aren't individual oysters, but clusters of them
jutting in all directions, some open, some not yet.  It's more work
than you think.  And I guess that's how they don't go out of business
with the all-you-can-eat feature.  After a while, especially if you're 
drinking at a decent clip, you become exhausted from prying and
shucking before you start to actually get ahead of the game.





Charleston's Carolina Yacht Club, Saturday morning.  Word had it 
that a young Bahamian hotshot was to sail off the end of the dock 
early that afternoon and I went down to see if I could meet him 
before he went out. Turned out his Dad was in town and he spent 
the morning with him, as he should have.  I guess I'll just have to 
visit Charleston again.  Brent seems like a good guy and I 
look forward to being in his presence the next time around.





Charleston Community Sailing was/were holding races off the 
dock that morning.  There were/was (never quite sure) an 
awful lot of young kids out on the water. High School sailing 
is alive and well in South Carolina.





Daytime photo of Bowen's Island Restaurant.  Note aforementioned
switchback stairway.  Apparently this place is fairly recently expanded
and re-modeled.  Check out the earlier link for vintage-er photos.
On the way back from CYC, I needed to get some brighter shots of 
this place.  They serve dinner only, so the only noises I heard were 
the wind and crickets.





Sophisticate:  To make complicated or complex.
It hasn't happened here yet.




Salts of the earth.  I'm sure they don't live an
extravagant lifestyle, but when their workday 
ends, they can sleep well.  The hose guy said he's
usually asleep by 9, still likes oysters, and, well,
that's all I got out of him.  In season, those oysters
are 28-32 bucks a bushel, like those baskets in
the video.  The night before, Saturday night, the 
restaurant went through 40 bushels.  They get 5
trays from each bushel.  I had two trays from the
200 that were served.  Would I go there again?





Now I know why they call this 'Low Country'.
At times, the water is at the edge of the road.  This photo was
 taken from the mounds of shells at Bowen's.  I spotted Forrest's 
shrimper across the marsh.  Several hours later, that marsh
was a couple of feet above sea level.





Catch anything?   





Downtown Folly Beach.  I found myself becoming instantly and
scarily at home in this community.  It's not hard to imagine shifting
right into the groove of this easy-going, laid back beach town.





Ah yes, the reason why we were all here!  It was without a doubt
the most relaxing, comfortable, and natural setting for a wedding 
ceremony I've ever had the pleasure of attending.  And to think 
that folks back home were shoveling snow.





Strings attached









Our niece Loren and husband Victor.  Love them





The Goddamn cornmeal-crusted scallop was so friggin big that 
the guest had to set it down on the surfboard bar because her
arm was getting tired.  The duck nachos were a bit lighter.




The Blu Bar.  A place to which I bellied up often that night.




Has everyone signed the guestbook?




Poogan's Porch for Sunday Brunch.  College daughter
took a pass and waited painfully in the car after a long
night of beer pong and flip cup games after the reception
 'til well into the morning.  We all eventually go 
through it, and it was her turn that day. 






A bloody mary in front of the fireplace.  People that ask for
this table rarely get it.  I just wanted to sit down.





The famous biscuit with honey butter.





The omnipresent Shrimp and Grits.  The poached eggs actually
made the dish.  I thought there could have been a lot more of the
cheapest ingredient in there......Grits!  Good though.





We followed this tour carriage slowly from behind in our 
car for several minutes, craning and listening intently before
he pulled over and told us that if we were to continue sitting
in, we would need to donate some gratuities to his cup.





Gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina





The pier at Folly Beach at the end of the day.





Sunset just around to the right.  I could really get used to this.