Tag Archives: history

look at the evidence…

Posted on by under Christianity, Culture, History, Thoughts

When I first read the most recent flier for my Seabrook Conference, I remember thinking that the topic for the meetings looked very interesting, and also, that I’d never heard Rob S. speak before. By the time the conference started, though, I had forgotten what the topic was, but just had a feeling that the weekend of meetings would be awesome. Of course, they always are.

While I was thrilled by the first session, on absolute truth, and how the modern world tends to think it doesn’t exist (it does!), I just about fell out of my chair with excitement, when he explained what the rest of the meetings would be about. Why?

Because we were going to be studying how SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE firmly upholds the reliability of the Bible. Think you heard me wrong? You didn’t. We were going to go through six sessions on all the “ologies” of science (well, as many as we had time for), and how they support the Scripture.

As I enjoy reading books like Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution; The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus; and The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God, this was right up my alley. I might not have been good at science class when I was in school, but I like to learn about science from the books that I read.

I especially like books that challenge consensus, because “consensus”, as it’s known today, seems to be an excuse for accepting what others tell you, without looking into it further. Whether it’s challenging the “consensus” of global warming or evolution, or just something that’s politically correct, I want to learn more about it. For another example, on history, modern consensus, or political correctness, is starting to tell us that Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator and a saint, while Thomas Jefferson was the lowest of the low, because he was a slave owner. But do you believe everything you read? Have you read the books that are referenced in the bibliographies, or even checked to see if they HAVE references?

Back to scientific evidence and the Bible… many agnostics and atheists believe that the Bible and science are antithetical to each other, and that a true scientist can’t believe in the “fairytales” that exist in the Bible. But what if, the more you study the world around you, the more it confirms that the Bible is true? What if the Scriptures KNEW many things about the sciences, long before any scientists had hypothesized on these subjects, much less proved the truth of the matter?

I am not a note-taker, in general, and I rarely go back and look at them again, but for once in my life, I took a million notes. And for once, I was at a conference without my notebook (even though I rarely use it) and had to use the notebook paper provided in my camp folder. I used all the pages provided, and more, because I couldn’t take notes fast enough to keep up with our speaker. And when I got home from the weekend, I started to tell my dad about what we’d learned.

You should’ve seen me. After a few minutes, I went and grabbed my notes, then seated myself on the back of the couch. From my perch there, I kept saying, “Did you know this? You did? What about this? You didn’t? Oh, let me tell you about this…”, and so on. I went through all my notes, excited as could be. Some of the things I heard that weekend, I had already known. But MANY things I hadn’t. And because we’re talking about evidence, these things can be looked up, and weighed in the balance. By you, and by me.

John 3:12 (KJV) says, “If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”. Basically, if you don’t believe the things that the Bible says about our physical universe, how will you ever believe those things that are of a spiritual nature? To sum up, for all you scientists, if you disbelieve what the Bible says about science itself, why should you even think of trusting what it says about spiritual explanations?

So, as I meander through some notes, let’s talk about a few different “ologies”. I’ll start with astronomy.

Isaiah 40:22 (KJV) says, “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in”.

Did you see that? Isaiah was written in 720 B.C., approximately. The translation of “circle of the earth” refers to the earth being round, like a ball that a child plays with. And in 1992, it was mathematically demonstrated that we live in an expanding universe, which is constantly stretching out. So, in 720 B.C., the writer of the Bible wrote that the Lord “stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain”… a long time before it was scientifically proven!

I have several other notes on astronomy, but they’re much more cryptic, so I’m going to head on into biology. If you are interested in seeing Rob’s website, it is http://www.christianevidences.org. You will find references for all the subjects he covers, and he covers archaeological, manuscript, scientific, and prophetic evidence. The sciences listings are still being updated, so if you’re looking for an “ology” that isn’t there, it should be up in the next month or two.

When we reached the subject of biology, we talked about the verses in Genesis 1, about the Lord creating all the creatures and plants “according to their kind”. Rob went on to talk about a study that was done on the Siberian gray wolf, which carries all the genetic information to create ALL the types and breeds of dogs. From Great Danes to chihuahuas, they’re all there, and you can breed that wolf down, eventually. But you can’t take a chihuahua and breed it UP, so to speak. It doesn’t carry the genetic information for any dogs but chihuahuas. So, if you think about it, the Siberian gray wolf was probably on the Ark, but the Great Dane was not.  : )

Did you know there are bugs mentioned in the Bible? I actually did, but I’d never thought of them as being serious references to the subject of entomology. But Proverbs 6 refers to the ant, and tells us to consider the ant for “her” wisdom. In the 1740′s, it was discovered that most ants are girls, and they’re extremely hard working. The male ants are lazy and basically there for reproductive purposes.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.” –Proverbs 6:6-8 (NKJV)

It was also discovered that the ants have no leader giving the orders. They use pheromones to direct other ants to come and help them, when they find some food that they can’t lift on their own.

When it came to chemistry, I thought of some of my friends in the Chemistry department, at Clemson. In Genesis 2:7 (NKJV), it says that “…God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”. So, research was done on this, and the human body has 59 elements in its makeup. All of these elements are found in the earth’s crust (everyday dirt).

Also, in 2 Peter 3:5 (KJV) says, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.”, which refers to how the earth was formed. If it was formed from water, the earth’s crust will also share the same elements that are found in sea water, right? Yes, it does. Exactly the same elements.

Then, we headed into meteorology. Job 38:22 speaks of “the treasures of the snow”. Have you ever seen an image of snow flakes, from under a microscope? They’re beautiful, right? And we’re told that no two are alike. Now, have you ever seen an image of man-made snow, under a microscope? They just look like lumps, nothing of beauty about them. Man cannot recreate the beauteous treasure which are snow flakes.

Why again, are we considering this? Before the world began, Satan challenged the Lord, and lost. He wanted to be “like God”, but couldn’t. So, he turned his thoughts to disrupting the beauty of creation. And he continues, to this day. For, if he can get people to challenge the Bible on its SCIENCE, again, why would certain people be willing to consider the evidence of faith and spiritual things? I am not saying that you can’t come to the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ without knowledge of science, but many scientists throughout the ages were only MORE convinced of the truth of Scripture, BECAUSE of the science that they study. Their studies confirmed their faith!

Continuing on in meteorology, the Bible confirms the weather cycle, long before anyone could explain how it worked. Ecclesiastes 1:7 (NKJV) speaks of how “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again”. You may think that this is so obvious, why even mention it. But remember, this book was written back before any scientist knew how the weather worked. Those that didn’t believe in the God of Israel, they believed that thunderstorms were sent by angry weather gods, not that ocean water evaporated, to go up into the sky, where it would eventually pour out on the earth again.

With the subject of paleontology, things got REALLY interesting. Okay, I find all of this to be fascinating, but this was really a subject that I didn’t know anything about. Have you ever wondered why children seem to be reaching puberty, earlier and earlier? Now, did you know that the human skull keeps growing, for the rest of your life, which is why you get sunken eyes and the hats of your youth don’t fit, when you get old? What do those two have to do with each other?

Back in the 1700′s, there was an orphanage in one of the Northern colonies that burned to the ground. Sadly, a number of children died. In recent years, there have been studies done of their remains. My notes are a little cryptic, but I think the key thing was that these children didn’t even have all their baby teeth yet, though in our day and age, they would have had most of their adult teeth by then.

Have you ever heard of cephalometric imaging? Jack Cuozzo pioneered the method of telling how old someone was when they died, just by using this method to examine their teeth. He began to use this method to examine Neanderthal remains in Europe, which many scientist think aren’t human. But what if they ARE human, they’re just from a time when men lived to be hundreds of years old? You know, like when Genesis talks about the “generations of Shem”, and how Noah’s sons lived to WAY old?

Le Moustier was a Neanderthal skeleton found in 1909, and contrary to what carbon dating suggests, cephalometric imaging suggests that this man was 18 years old when he died. And had a full set of baby teeth. Whereas, La Ferrassie was 267 when he died, and La Chapelle au Saints was 283. Consider this, the next time you think about the Neanderthal man… they’re just us, living to be REALLY old, only getting their adult teeth WAY late, and their skulls are strange and huge, because the human skull keeps growing, as long as you’re alive!

So, basically, we ARE hitting puberty, earlier and earlier… but back in the time of Noah, they were a lot older than we were, when they reached that state of life. And after they got out of teenager-hood (were they in their 30′s, by then?), they got older and older, while their skulls got bigger and bigger…

The fossil record also supports the idea of catastrophism. In the Bible, this would be the Great Flood. How about the fossils that have pterodactyls that seem to have died in agony? Or the fossilized remains of a protoceratops fighting a velociraptor… and they must have been buried instantly! For those of us that were raised on The Land Before Time, and dinosaurs being hatched from eggs, I find the fossil of an icthyosaur giving birth to be fascinating. Yep, the baby’s half in and half out, with several more still in the mother. And this isn’t even getting into the remains of T-rexes in Hell’s Creek, MT.

I’ll just mention anthropology, briefly, and how every culture on earth has a distant memory of a shared history. That shared history would include Creation, the Fall and the Garden of Eden, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. Up until the mixing of the languages at the Tower of Babel, the people of the world spoke the same language. Obviously, I’m not providing verses for this, as I’ve been writing long enough on this whole post. But if you ever hear the creation stories from ANY culture, look for the shared history. There’s a reason they have their similarities.

The rest of our sessions went into evidence of Christ’s resurrection and the CSI test given to the reliability of the history of the Bible. Rather than write another mile-long post about them, I will suggest you look up Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ, which covers these in detail. I can’t do this subject justice, and if I don’t put this post up soon, I never will.

Please remember, I am not a serious scholar of all these subjects, I am only trying to share what I learned and enjoyed. Everyone, including myself, would do well to keep looking up these subjects for themselves. If I have shared something incorrectly, or there is still more to learn on that subject (and I KNOW there definitely is!), I am open to doing so.

I think I have only given you the slightest taste of what our wonderful weekend of meetings covered, but if you have any interest in the above topics, please check out Rob’s website (www.christianevidences.org). He also recommended several other books that cover some of the sciences in depth, so if you’re interested, I can look those up. I hope you’ve enjoyed what I was able to share with you, and I hope you’ll look into it more, yourself!

the edge of a hero…

Posted on by under America, Clemson, History, Thoughts

He always has a big smile on his face, when he comes into my workplace. Today was no different, in that regard. But instead of his usual Clemson orange polo shirt, he was wearing a dress shirt covered in pictures of the U.S. flag and the Statue of Liberty. I told him he looked very patriotic, as he walked past me, grinning, and greeting all of my co-workers. My supervisor, whom he loves to tease, wasn’t there to see his cheerful smile, because she had left the building, on an errand.DSC_0789

I knew that he had been in the military at some point, as well as having been an ROTC member before he graduated from Clemson University. I suspect he served in Vietnam, but I’m not completely sure. Since he never mentioned his military past, I didn’t find out about it, until I found his bootprints on the Military Heritage Plaza, below Tillman Hall. The tiger print inside the heel of one of the footprints is supposed to represent that he continues to teach at Clemson, his alma mater, even to this day.

When he arrived at the cash register, I thanked him for his service, but he neatly turned it on me, thanking ME for my everyday service in the cafe. But then, he assured me that he would do it again, today, if he was needed. He would serve gladly, just as he did before. And when I mentioned seeing his bootprints on the plaza, he protested that it had been his wife’s idea to have those done.  : )

DSC_0032I know that Memorial Day is a day to remember all that have lost their lives, serving their country, in every war of our nation’s history. But while we take the time to remember those that fell in service to their country, who sacrificed their lives to protect the freedoms that we love, remember those that live on. They don’t ask for praise, just as this veteran doesn’t. They’re humble about their service, and proud to have been able to serve.

And even when they don’t ask for it, we can still thank them for it. May God continue to bless our troops, wherever they are, and give thanks for all our military heroes, both past and present.

 

a historic piece of jewelry…

Posted on by under America, Crafts, History, Photos

My special order that I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived in the mail. It may not be an heirloom, but there’s definitely some history behind this bracelet. And, of course, that’s why I was suckered into buying it. Most of us ladies understood that feeling, going to a mall or craft show, with the intention of being good, and not buying anything. But I wasn’t kidding when I said I ran across this “I’ve-gotta-have-it-no-ifs-ands-or-buts” at the Pendleton Spring Jubilee.DSC_0762

Tia Turco’s booth was home to bracelets and necklaces made from stamps from all over the world. I particularly enjoyed watching some grandparents let their granddaughter pick out a colorful pink stamp charm, to wear on a necklace. But I was only glancing around, and tripped over the unexpected.DSC_0763

Back in the 1950′s, there was a stamp series featuring quotes from some of our Founding Fathers, Francis Scott Key, and Abraham Lincoln. Perhaps there were other stamp quotes, but these were the only ones I saw featured. Tia had turned them into two pieces of unique jewelry (or at least, those were the only two on display), complete with quotes from Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Patrick Henry.DSC_0764

Narrowing the choice down to two, I found that one bracelet had the Francis Scott Key quote, “And this be our Motto, in GOD is our TRUST”, while the other had Patrick Henry’s “Give me LIBERTY or give me DEATH”. Both of the display bracelets had the Abraham Lincoln quote. Don’t ask me what it was, for I don’t remember. It was a good quote, but I can fill you in some other time on why Abraham Lincoln is not my favorite person. He may have had a way with words, but he didn’t actually live up to them.DSC_0770

Nevertheless, I wanted both the Key and the Henry quotes, even though I knew that each bracelet represented a lot of hard work, and it wasn’t likely that Tia could just cut them up and make a new one, right before my eyes. I never want to be a difficult customer, since I’ve been on the other side of things, both in a craft show booth and in a store. But, because of this dilemma, I couldn’t choose.DSC_0771

She solved the problem for me by suggesting that if I liked, I could special order what I wanted, and then she could mail it to me, in a few weeks. Problem solved! How delightful. And by the way, if anyone would like to get in touch with her, let me know, and I’ll get you her e-mail. I won’t post it here. She also has an Etsy site, (as you can see on her card) but it’s used more for custom orders. DSC_0772

I was so excited when I received my box in the mail! I was surprised that it wasn’t packaged in layers and layers of bubble wrap, but whatever the stamps are covered in must be a hard plastic, not glass. No fears of breakage. And there were extra loops on the bracelet, for those with larger wrist, but I removed two of them. Also, I have not adjusted the color in the photos, not even a smidgen, so this is what the stamps in the bracelet really look like. DSC_0773

Immediately, I wore my bracelet to work, not caring that no one would notice it but me, though I did show it off to my fellow cashiers. I got my arm into some awkward positions, trying to show it to the cashier on my right, while standing on her left… and wearing it on my left wrist. She was trying to read it, when I had the words turned towards myself. Eventually, we had a pause between customers again, and tried it again, with me on her RIGHT, so she could just read it like normal. Yes, we were distracted and not thinking straight. Stop laughing.DSC_0774

When I was first looking at Tia’s jewelry, once she figured out which ones I was drooling over, she immediately asked if I’m a history buff. Oh, yes, I am, and what girl that loves reading about our Founding Fathers, the American Revolution, and the creation of the Constitution wouldn’t love having this piece of history dangling from her wrist? DSC_0775

In case someone decides I’ve mistyped anything, Francis Scott Key was not a Founding Father, and I’ve double-checked to make sure I didn’t imply that he was. He was born in 1779, which would do something to prevent being considered as such.  : )  But he is most famous, of course, for writing the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner”. I was taught, somewhere along the line, that the tune we sing it to was a common tune for drinking songs… now, what drinking songs could possibly be sung to that tune? I can’t imagine. DSC_0776

The other names are much better known, but I won’t dwell on their historical significance here. I love reading about these famous men who had such a great and profound effect on our country. So, having a small piece of jewelry to remind me of our history is wonderful to me, if to no one else. DSC_0777

time for the jubilee!

Posted on by under America, Crafts, Family, History, Memories, Photos

It was a weekend for festivals, with the Pendleton Spring Jubilee on Saturday, and the Clemson International Festival on Sunday. Of course, I got my blog posts out of order, but hey, I’m in charge of this blog, so I’m allowed. Besides, I was in blogger mode for the Int’l Festival on Sunday, and it’s taken me longer to get my thoughts together for this one.DSC_0018

DSC_0017The Spring Jubilee is a tradition for all the locals, though not as much for the college students. The students haven’t been raised to go to it, from childhood on up, so I suppose that’s what makes the difference. But for all those people that flinch at the words “craft show”, it’s much more than that. DSC_0016

DSC_0024My family moved south when I was eight years old, and it didn’t take us too long to find the Jubilee, so I’m pretty sure we were attending it by the time I was ten. Held on the first weekend of April, for the last 36 years, it’s supposed to take advantage of the (usually) gorgeous spring weather, with the flowers just beginning to bloom. This year was no exception, with the weather almost reaching the 70′s, and I was able to start getting back my tan.DSC_0022

DSC_0023When we were children, the excitement was all about seeing the toys and games that were for sale in some booths, seeing how much food Mom and Dad would allow us to have, and spending our allowances on candy at The Mercantile. While my appreciation of the arts and crafts available has changed, over the years, my appreciation of the food has not lessened. I arrived at the show with big plans to have my first funnel cake in two years, because they don’t have them in Australia, and I haven’t been anywhere that has them, during my time in the U.S..DSC_0027

DSC_0026But I’m getting ahead of myself! Driving to Pendleton, I parked alongside the road on the approach to the square, where it doesn’t cost anything to park. I was shocked to find that people were paying $4-5 to park, closer to the square, when they could’ve walked a few extra yards for nothing. How crazy is that?DSC_0030

DSC_0033When you reach the traffic light, the first thing you hear is all the noise from the food wagons, because they have all their motors running behind them, to keep all the fridges and food makers going. Once you cross over to the square, you begin to hear the music from the stage in front of Farmer’s Hall. But you don’t actually go further, because there’s food nearby, and you have to stop.DSC_0035

DSC_0036Every year, the Knights of Columbus Kraut Haus sets up a booth to serve brats, kielbasa, and hotdogs, with sauerkraut and chili. Once I was within range, I smelled the ash from the grills (and got it all over my camera) and the smell of kraut in the pots. Despite my Pennsylvania Dutch background, I don’t actually like sauerkraut, though I love the smell. Comes of having it mixed into Thanksgiving smells, over the years. It’s homey, somehow.DSC_0034

DSC_0037But it being Saturday, I had slept late, and hadn’t eaten either breakfast or lunch, yet. So, I ordered a chili dog, just to be different. I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually had a chili dog, because I usually like hotdogs plain. Just felt like trying something new, I guess. It was yummy, even with the decorative pine needle (which I ate), though it was tricky to eat and keep it off my clothes. DSC_0039

DSC_0040When you see all my pictures of food, I don’t know if you realize how difficult it is to take pictures of food that’s in a cardboard boat or on a flimsy paper plate. You’re trying to balance the food in one hand and using a DSLR camera with the other. When you’re trying to hold onto a funnel cake that’s covered with powdered sugar, it’s even harder, because you don’t want to drop the cake or get sugar on yourself. So, don’t sneeze! I had this same trouble at the Int’l Festival, trying to balance the camera and the food, with no extra hand to change the focus. The trick is to hang the camera off your shoulder, adjust the focus with the same hand, and then pick it back up again.DSC_0044

DSC_0047After eating my chili dog, I crossed the street to visit The Mercantile. I’ve talked about this store before, but if you’ve never been there, you should go. Friends of my family own it (they knew my grandpa before he married my grandma), and it’s fun for crafty adults, as well as kids. Or anyone that likes candy or coffee. DSC_0048

DSC_0049If you’re in the market for flavored coffee, candy of every type, or supplies for scrapbooking and jewelry-making, then this is the place for you. When we were little, we would come and hand over our accumulated allowance money in order to get sticks of strawberry and watermelon flavored candy, or small bags of Swedish fish, Sour Patch Kids, and non-pareils. This is also where I had my very first job, when I was 17.DSC_0051

DSC_0052After leaving The Mercantile, I made my way down the line of foodmobiles, trying to decide whether to get my funnel cake, or go look at the booths. I made a quick stop at the front of the booths, to check out the bluegrass group playing in front of Farmer’s Hall, and then made my way to get my funnel cake. I was almost sidetracked by the food options, as I’ve never heard of a red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese icing. Talk about decadent! I thought regular funnel cakes were already awesome, though I do love the pumpkin funnel cakes that I can get at the Apple Fest in Pennsylvania.DSC_0054

DSC_0056And then another lady walked by me with one of those sweet tater wraps. I wished I’d brought someone else with me, so they could get one, and we could share our treats. But no one else would have been so patient about my camera wanderings, so I went to the show by myself. Don’t worry, I still had fun! And as hard as I’ve tried to explain funnel cakes to my Aussie friends, here are some good pictures, at last! The dough is put through something like a sifter (or something resembling a small badminton racquet), straight into the fryer, and then lifted out and coated with powdered sugar. Some parts are crispier than others, some are softer. Yum!DSC_0059

DSC_0058After cleaning all the sugar off my hands (didn’t want a sticky camera!), I began to go through the booths. The problem here is that some artisans are picky about having photos taken of their work. Understandable, because they don’t want people ripping off their work, whether it’s a child’s toy or a framed piece of art. Also, it’s troublesome to ask for permission, and I was really aiming to show off pictures of the SHOW, rather than all the individual artwork. So, I attempted to take some long shots, in the aisles between the booths, that would allow a glimpse of the artisans’ work, and make you wish you’d gone, so you could see a bit closer.DSC_0061

DSC_0062Everything from quirky yard ornaments to framed photos and paintings, glass ornaments and chimes, pottery of every type, and jewelry (and much more) were available. I’m much more of a cruiser, when I’m visiting a show like this. I go down the aisles, perusing the merchandise at a distance, and then go into the ones that I really like. You see, we’ve worked craft shows before, and I always feel badly after you look closely, compliment the artist… and then leave. Whereas, when I used to follow my grandma around the shows, I could loop the shows several times before she’d seen everything once. She would go see every booth, and take her time at it.  : )DSC_0063

DSC_0064One booth, you may notice, belongs to Tia Turco (Our Attic Arts), was home to my one “I-shouldn’t-have-but-I-had-to” purchase. With jewelry made from old stamps from all over the world, I was suckered in at sight of two bracelets. No, not because I’m a sucker for jewelry (I’m cheap, I like to get jewelry at Claire’s). But back in the 50′s, there was a series of stamps made with quotes from famous Americans, and these had been turned into jewelry. A bracelet made just for an American history buff, who loves reading about the Founding Fathers and the writing of the Constitution? Yes, please!DSC_0066

DSC_0067I have no pictures of my bracelet, because I had to special order it. So, I’ll tell you more about it when it arrives in a few weeks. Suffice it to say, I was really interested in having two of the stamps that were on different bracelets, so I inquired whether changes could be made, or if she had extras. I know, I’m pitiful.DSC_0068

DSC_0069I loved how the oak trees of the Town Square framed some of my pictures. Just beginning to show green, as the leaves start to arrive (and right before the pollen gets going full blast). If you’ve never been to Pendleton Square, it’s all slightly downhill from the sidewalk, with occasional stairways leading down. A few benches are scattered here and there, but as you can see, people of all ages just settled themselves on the grass, when they wanted to rest or enjoy their snacks. For many of these folks, coming to the Jubilee is a tradition, and they wouldn’t miss it for the world.DSC_0070

DSC_0073And since this is a historical location, as the Farmer’s Hall was built in 1826, you will find interesting bits and pieces here and there, like the cannon. The kids, being shorter, are more likely to take notice of these. And the earlier building, displaying the Spring Jubilee sign, originally known as Hunter’s Store, now houses the Historical, Recreational, and Tourism Commission for Pendleton. You might’ve noticed the saggy brick in the front wall, in front of the building. I always want to take pictures of those, up close, but I’m afraid I’ll get run over in the process.  : )DSC_0072

DSC_0074The Kettle Korn Peanuts booth was working hard, keeping up with the demand. Everybody wanted peanuts of some sort, though I’m hoping it wasn’t so much for the “bald” peanuts. Yuck. I have friends that love boiled peanuts, but try as I might (and I do, now and then!), I can’t stand them. I’ll even eat them with the shell on, hoping to improve the flavor.DSC_0077

DSC_0079From there, I made a short stop at Mountain Made, a favorite store of mine, and then worked my way down the last row of craft booths. A lady was playing guitar and singing her song “Rag Man”, as I made my way up the square.DSC_0080

DSC_0081When I crossed back to the food side, I saw that some of the food stands were doing such a rockin’ business that they had to cross off some of the menu items. Oh well, too bad I didn’t want a gyro. Instead, I wanted some Italian Ice, so I went and ordered a strawberry lemonade flavored one. As good as it was, and as nice as it was to eat something cold while walking back to my car, I hadn’t finished it before I reached my house. So, I handed the rest of it over to one of my brothers to finish. That’s what brothers are for, to finish the food you don’t have room for.DSC_0083

DSC_0085DSC_0086Perhaps I haven’t done a good job of explaining why visiting the Jubilee is such fun, but I did try. Everyone should try it at least once, so if you’re going to be in town next April, you should make your way over. And have a funnel cake, while you’re at it.DSC_0087DSC_0089

a charleston reconnaissance… waterfront park

Posted on by under America, Friends, History, Memories, Photos

During our time in Charleston, I had a strange obsession with the cobblestone streets and the stone sidewalks. Probably because I kept tripping on the uneven sidewalks, and then the cobbles were beautiful, but uncomfortable to walk on for any period of time. And I wasn’t even wearing flip-flops! I am not normally this clumsy, but when you’re looking for the next photo opportunity, you just don’t watch where you’re putting your feet, and then having trippy walkways just isn’t fair.DSC_0616

DSC_0613The cobblestone roads are a well-known feature of the backstreets by the waterfront, and I always drive over them to reach our usual parking garage. And then, Waterfront Park is only one block away. Built in the late 1980′s, its completion date was slightly after Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, but it sounds like they still managed to open on time, even with the hurricane damage.DSC_0614

DSC_0617Some of my first Charleston memories involved driving a friend down for the Cooper River Bridge Run and staying overnight in a hotel. That weekend, one friend got a ticket for not using her blinker when she changed lanes twice in a row (the cops were out in force, that weekend), and getting pulled over by that cop scared the daylights out of us. I think I was eighteen, at the time (before anyone asks, there was no alcohol involved on this weekend, because my friends and I don’t drink). DSC_0628

That same weekend, I let my friends cut and layer my hair, in the hotel bathroom, and they actually did a pretty good job. It only took them several hours, though. And that was probably the first time I ever let my friends put makeup on me, and they did a nice job of that, too. My parents still have  a picture, taken in front of the Pineapple Fountain, from the next day, with haircut and makeup.DSC_0629

When my mom and I reached Waterfront Park, I stopped to look at a small amphitheater looking area, which I’ve seen before, but never stopped to examine closely. There were no signs explaining its purpose. Did people give speeches and impromptu Shakespeare performances from the big granite circle? I climbed up to take a look, and let my mom take some pictures. But while I was hollering directions at her, concerning the camera, I realized my voice was amplified once I stood in the center square. Or at least, it sounded like it was.DSC_0633

Mom said my voice went down in volume, after that, but it might have been because I thought I was shouting. Surely, it was actually amplifying my voice, so that anyone nearby would be able to hear it easily? I’ve looked online, and can’t find anything about it. I hopped down to let my mom come up and try, and she was surprised by the effect, as well. Maybe someone who knows about amphitheaters and acoustics could explain it to me. It was quite intriguing.DSC_0637

We took a break on the lovely benches facing Charleston Harbor. From there, you can see the U.S.S. Yorktown, which now houses the Medal of Honor museum, as well as a whole museum of old-school airplanes. I’ve toured the ship several times in recent years, one memorable visit right after I had injured both knees, and then had to climb numerous steep stairs on board the ship.DSC_0639

But when I was in elementary school, we went on an overnight trip to Charleston, and slept on the Yorktown.  I wonder if schools can still do this? I remember sleeping in the triple or quadruple high bunk beds, which hang on chains. And during the night, we heard a loud crash from above us, which was one of the boys falling off the very top bunk. Ouch.DSC_0638

Also, from the Waterfront Park benches, you can see the rest of Patriot’s Point (where the Yorktown is located), the new Cooper River Bridge, and even, Fort Sumter in the distance. Over the years, we’ve walked the new bridge, seen all the other ships and submarines at Patriot’s Point, and toured Fort Sumter many times. With my ever-growing interest in photography, I’d be interested to see them all again, to see if there’s anything new that I haven’t photographed before.  : )DSC_0640

DSC_0641Even the marshy area by the pier, with the marsh grasses, has memories for me. One year, there were so many of us visiting the area, that we got divided into two groups, accidentally. My cousin was in the group that was throwing a frisbee back and forth on the waterfront, and it went over the railing into the marshy area, at low tide. She climbed over the railing (I’ve seen the pictures), dropped into the muck while wearing her flip-flops, retrieved the frisbee, and then had to be hauled back up by the guys. I wish I could’ve actually seen it happen.DSC_0642

After a decent break, we walked over to the Pineapple Fountain, which is always visually stunning, in person, and in pictures. Another incident that I missed, one year, was a guy friend of mine deciding to climb it, while still wearing his rollerblades. Frankly, I don’t think anyone’s allowed to climb that fountain, but he never got caught. I still don’t know how you climb ANYTHING, while wearing rollerblades. But if anyone would do it, Kelvin would.DSC_0643

DSC_0645Some self-portraits were necessary by the Pineapple Fountain, with no one around to take them for us, and then we went down the lovely tree-lined walkway to the main fountain, in front of Vendue Wharf (which we usually just call the Pier). The Pier is a nice location, especially in summer, for sitting on the swings and hanging out, or for racing up and down the floating dock, at the end of the Pier.DSC_0647

DSC_0658Last time I was there, the “maps” were full of water, since it had just rained, and there was even water under the teeny-tiny bridge. Several blocks are covered in these maps, showing what the layout of Charleston was like, in each different century.DSC_0657

DSC_0651But the fountain (I don’t know if it has a name) is the main attraction, during the summer, for kids. I think I’ll call it the Entrance Fountain, for lack of a better title. Well, I think anyone would love to play in it, even the grownups. Just throw the swimsuits and sunscreen on the kids, take them downtown, and let them play in the Entrance Fountain until they’re worn out. Wouldn’t you like to? Just remember, no lifeguards.DSC_0652

DSC_0653And so, after a long day in Charleston, we walked back to our parking garage, by way of the Art Gallery, which is right behind Waterfront Park. I’ve never been inside, though. Come on, on a nice day in Charleston, would you rather be inside or outside? But while I was careful to not trip any more than necessary on the brick sidewalks, I admired some of the decor outside of the gallery. And you can see how high up we are, on the roof of our parking garage, judging by how far below us the Art Gallery is.DSC_0650

DSC_0660Yes, I know it took me a long time to go through one whole day in Charleston. Usually, I don’t take quite so many pictures, because I’m trying to keep up with my friends, and some of them are fast and determined walkers (Dave! Tom! Slow down!). DSC_0670

DSC_0668But my mom was very understanding, and let me take as many pictures as I wanted to. You’ll have to wait until May, for my next trip down there. I’ll have fewer pics, probably, but maybe we’ll go see something new, or something I haven’t seen in a while!DSC_0671DSC_0674

a charleston reconnaissance… the market

Posted on by under America, Food, Friends, History, Memories, Photos

As soon as we reached the Custom House on East Bay Street, we could see the City Market on our left. I have a tendency to think of this side of the Market as the front, because it’s closest to the waterfront, and my friends and I always go in this way. But technically, the front entrance is on Meeting Street, where the Market Hall building is located.DSC_0540

The City Market stretches for four blocks, from Meeting Street to East Bay Street, and has occupied this location since the 1790′s. In two hundred years, the Market has been restored several times and damaged by fires, hurricanes, and even earthquakes. Originally, it was a meeting place for the locals, as well as a meat and produce market. In recent history, it’s where tourists go to buy handmade sweetgrass baskets, paintings and photographs of Charleston scenery, Charleston tea, and all sorts of souvenirs and crafts.DSC_0538

I have been to the Market so many times that I’ve lost count, but I still never get tired of visiting it. So, I was thrilled to take my mom through there, for the first time. It’s a bit like a craft fair, with the variety of items for sale. You drool over the stands with snacks, wish you could decide what Charleston t-shirt to take home, the girls try on the jewelry (and take home spoon rings, more often than not), and admire the beauty of the sweetgrass baskets. This time, the only thing I bought at the market was some cinnamon roasted cashews. So yummy.DSC_0544

When I first began visiting the Market, back in 1999 (or somewhere around there), the market section attached to Market Hall was divided into separate shops, with a long winding hallway running down the middle. You could easily bypass any shop that didn’t look interesting, because you didn’t have to go inside. Not anymore. The new renovations have changed all that, and not only with the clean white paint and black fans and lighting fixtures. DSC_0687

DSC_0692The new renovations took that old section, shut it in with glass doors on both ends (which allows for air-conditioning), and added two cafes on one side. I have never eaten at either Food for the Southern Soul or Caviar & Bananas, but I’m sure that I will, someday. Once you pass the food, there’s a long, hallway running down between actual shops, except none of them are enclosed. Short walls on the sides of them show where one shop ends and another begins, and that’s about it. One minute, you’re looking at bags of dried okra (and wondering WHY someone would eat that), and the next, you’re in a baby clothing store.DSC_0545

And always, there’s the hat shop. This one was where we always lost the guys in our group, and that hasn’t changed in recent years. If you check out my post from my last Seabrook weekend (“a weekend away…”), you’ll find a closeup of one of the hats a friend bought. Also, the group picture in front of the pineapple fountain has another one. They’re very classy looking hats, the ones my friends bought.DSC_0546

DSC_0549This hat shop carries everything from Stetsons to fedoras to the Dickensian styles (even a few top hats). It’s mostly hats for the guys, though they’ve expanded to carry a few more of the fancy ones for the ladies. Ten years ago, we were visiting that shop, and my guy friends were coming out with all sorts of headgear. Such good fun.DSC_0547

DSC_0548Market Hall used to house a Confederate Museum, but I believe that ended many years ago, because of damage caused by Hurricane Hugo. I know that my friends and I have had several photo ops in front of it, over the years, but we’ve never been inside the upper level. I suppose people ARE allowed in there? I have no idea.DSC_0550

When you’re done visiting the Market itself, both sides of it are lined with shops and places to eat on North and South Market Street. These include several restaurants, another hat shop, Black Market Minerals (the awesomest shop full of rocks!), and numerous souvenir shops. Also, Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs will fulfill your cravings for ice cream, while merely walking by Kilwin’s Chocolates will make you gain weight… just from breathing in the smell of chocolate.DSC_0551

DSC_0553Rather than stop at fancier (or more expensive place), my mom and I stopped for lunch at A.W. Shucks. You’ve probably seen the t-shirts (“Big Mussels, Great Legs, & Fantastic Tails”), owned by every college student that’s been anywhere on spring break. We didn’t go there for the clothing, we just went there for the food, and enjoyed it immensely. My brother thinks we could’ve gone somewhere better than a restaurant chain, but if they have good food and you’re with good company, what more could you ask for?DSC_0555

While Mom tried the hush puppies (which came with cinnamon butter), I enjoyed the she-crab soup. Charleston is the only place I ever get she-crab soup. I have some hilarious memories (from years ago) of “serious” discussions about what happened to the he-crabs, after the she-crabs are taken away to be made into dinner. And why are the lady crabs tastier than the man crabs? We had a waiter explain it to us, once.  : )DSC_0558

DSC_0559I decided to be brave and try the fish tacos, because a friend once made them for me, and I really liked them. Maybe you’re thinking, why wouldn’t you? Well, they’re usually served with lime salsa, which is full of onions and tomatoes, and I do NOT like raw onions or tomatoes. But I ate those fish tacos up, the first time, and asked for more. So, I did the same, this time, too. Funny how that works. Maybe certain flavors make them tolerable, because I won’t eat them on salads or just about anything else.DSC_0561

DSC_0565And so, we enjoyed our time at the Market and our lunch, after which, we would head for King Street.

a charleston reconnaissance… east bay street

Posted on by under America, History, Memories, Photos

East Bay Street extends down to the point of the Battery, but I’m starting these pictures from the spot where I got past Rainbow Row, headed in the direction of the Provost Dungeon, and eventually, the Market. Strangely enough, our advance down this end of East Bay Street began with window boxes, flowers, and a cat. DSC_0506

DSC_0507There were a lot of beautiful window boxes, full of colorful flowers, scattered all along the streets. Just as I was examining this particular one, the inner shutters opened, and a cat peered out at me. Well, I’m not sure how much he could see, because the sun was so bright, his pupils almost disappeared. But I could imagine this cat demanding why we were looking at HIS flowers. DSC_0508

DSC_0509Then, suddenly, he stuck his head (but not his body) back through the shutters, as if someone was calling to him. I figured they were telling him that it was okay for people to look at the flowers, and he was responding with, “Oh. Ok, well, fine then. They can just LOOK, but that’s all!”. I wasn’t the only passerby taking pictures of the cat, though I wish my camera hadn’t focused on the flowers. I had meant to get a good picture of the cat, with the flowers on the outer edges. He’s a bit blurry, as you’ll notice.DSC_0511

DSC_0519Shortly after that, we passed another building that I like which holds a jewelry store, but I’m much more interested in the ivy-draped brick and the cupboard-style wooden contraption built onto the front. I’m guessing that isn’t original, or maybe it’s a copy of an original design. It really does look like a wardrobe built onto the outside of the building, though.DSC_0521

DSC_0512The Provost Dungeon was next, but we didn’t go inside to look. I have been there many times, with my friends. There’s a lovely gift shop upstairs, but the tour takes you down below where they even have Pirates of the Caribbean ride-style robotic pirates that narrate some parts of the dungeon. Or was the parrot the narrator? It’s been a while. They really concentrate on the Revolutionary War era and the early years of Charleston, rather than on the Civil War.DSC_0524

DSC_0526We made a brief stop back at our parking garage, to exchange our heavier jackets for some lighter ones, as the sun was finally starting to warm things up. But if you got caught in the shade when the wind blew… ooh, it was chilly. But since we had parked on the roof of the garage, I was able to get some nice photos of the surrounding area, including a church steeple (I think) and the top of the Provost Dungeon.DSC_0527

DSC_0525The building with all the stable doors, I’m not sure what the building is, aside from being next to the garage, but I have some fun memories of a year when a friend and I took multiple photos of ourselves in those doorways. I really need to find those pictures.DSC_0528

I continued to take in more of the architecture of East Bay Street as we got closer and closer to the Market. One of them, the Southern Brewery, is not just an old brewery but a restaurant. We’ve eaten in there, and they have a huge old-fashioned brewing machine right in the middle of the restaurant. We had a wonderful time, on that visit (and again, I have pictures somewhere), but mostly I remember that being the last time a certain new friend was with us. Some of us were only just getting to know him, when he was shot and killed in Atlanta. Now, he’s playing cello in heaven, waiting for us to join him.DSC_0530

DSC_0531Most people are probably familiar with the S.N.O.B. shirts that people bring back from Charleston, just like with the A.W. Shucks shirts. But did you know where they came from? I’ve been by there many times, but I’ve still never been inside.DSC_0533

And last, but not least, right before reaching the Market, we walked past the United States Custom House of Charleston. It was started before the Civil War (prior to 1861), but not finished until after the war, around 1870. I always have the tendency to want to call it the State House, though I know perfectly well that the South Carolina State House is in Columbia. It has that look that most Capitol buildings do, whether in DC or in Columbia. DSC_0534

I believe the Custom House has quite an illustrious history, but I just realized that I’ve never been inside it. I suppose it’s because it is still used as a Custom House, and is not just a tourist attraction. There are probably tours inside, though, wouldn’t you think? Maybe we’ll find out and make that our next trip for “Mondays in Charleston”. I’ll have to mention it to my friends.DSC_0537

a charleston reconnaissance… the battery

Posted on by under America, History, Photos, Travel

As we stepped onto the Battery promenade (sometimes called the High Battery), we were glad of our heavier jackets, as the wind was fierce. Eventually, though, the sunny skies would warm us up. The Battery was named for the artillery battery that was placed on the point, where White Point Gardens now stand.DSC_0393

DSC_0398I had already been tripping over the uneven cobbles and stone walkways, and this didn’t change once I reached the Battery. I have a tendency to assume that walkways will be smooth, so I pay more attention to my surroundings than where I’m putting my feet. But all bets are off, in Charleston, because most sidewalks are made of stones that wobble and jut up in unexpected places.DSC_0401

The first house you see in my pictures of the Battery seems to be a miniature White House, with a railed off section on the roof that made me wish I could go up there and see the view. Maybe they have a good spot for sunbathing in the summer weather… then again, I suppose Southern belles didn’t do that.DSC_0403

The next house could be called the Pink Gingerbread house, I suppose, or even the Owl House. I wouldn’t know, but if you look on the upper front porch (way at the top of the house), there’s a fake owl that sits on the railing. I have no idea why, but it’s been there for years and years. I don’t know if the upper side porch counts as a gabled porch, or what, but I love how it seems to have grown right up and out of the roof.DSC_0406

DSC_0409The next couple of houses all resemble each other a bit, with a more rectangular shape and similar styles to their side porches. I love the side porches of Charleston homes, but I always know that they’d never look that cool, set off on a piece of property in the boonies. The narrow style would look odd anywhere else.DSC_0488

DSC_0489I got a closer angle on the next house, when we walked down the Battery on the other side of the road, later that morning. The pale pink house, with its delicate iron porch railings out front, has a long, shady brick driveway, guarded by a large magnolia tree. That shade just beckoned to you, but many of these are private homes, so you can’t just invade their yards (though I’m sure there are obnoxious people that do).DSC_0412

DSC_0413Their purple neighbor (about the color of black cherry ice cream, wouldn’t you say?) was less interesting, but at least it had a different color to tell it apart with. I can’t be certain, but it almost looks like the door color matches the rocking chair on the second story porch. Gives the main color scheme of the house a bigger punch, wouldn’t you say?DSC_0414

DSC_0479The brick follow-up to that one, with the green trim and a tilted porch brought another detail of some of the porches to my attention. Assuming they didn’t have modern ways of draining off the water that might accumulate after a bad storm, many porches have a bit of a tilt to them, making the houses look slightly unbalanced. I was having a hard enough time taking pictures that didn’t make the houses look crooked, but the slanted porches made this worse. But they have no need for gutters, since any rainwater will just slide off.DSC_0416

I paused to see how far down the Battery we had come. You may recognize that small brick building from my previous post, as its across the street from Rainbow Row. Also, these large stone “tiles” that make up the battery, some are not very steady, and if you step on a corner, they’ll shift underfoot. Of course, you’d have to put some serious weight on one end to get it to come up like a see-saw, but it’s disconcerting to feel one of those move under you.DSC_0417

DSC_0418Another pink house came next, but this one captured my attention just because of the winding metal staircase in the middle of the second story porch, which leads to the third story porch. I love winding staircases, whether they’re hid in corners or way out in the open. I am just as fascinated by the one in the library of The Music Man movie as with the one in the library of the Biltmore House.DSC_0421

The house that stands on the corner, right before White Point Gardens (what I formerly would have called Battery Park), is extremely pretty, and not just because it’s easier to see from the corner. Each story of this house seems to have a different design to the iron guard rails in front of the windows. My favorites are the ones on the second floor. This one also has the slanted porches on all levels, for rain run-off.DSC_0419

DSC_0420After visiting White Point Gardens (Battery Park), we walked back on the side closest to the antebellum houses. But first, we passed a bed-and-breakfast with a beautiful wrought iron fence and a live oak that draped over everything, loaded with Spanish moss and ferns. If I could afford it, I would stay in that bed-and-breakfast, just to get a closer look at its front garden and the live oak. Of course, the house was lovely as well, but it was harder to see, that close to the fence.DSC_0474

DSC_0478Many times along our walk, we saw the large pieces of granite that were probably used to mount a horse, rather than find someone to give you a hand up. Often, these stones were accompanied by the horse-head hitching posts. Also, from this angle, you can see the steps that help you get up to the Battery promenade from the street. If they’ve been there since before the Civil War, that would explain the double staircase on each one. I remember a tour guide telling me that the double staircases were so that the men could go up one side, and the ladies on the other, so the guys wouldn’t glimpse the ankles of the women. Shocking, you know!DSC_0480

DSC_0483I had passed the yellow brick house, earlier, but it had large hedges blocking much of the view, and I found it uglier than most. However, it IS for sale, if anyone really wants to buy a place on the Battery. And once I was that close to the house, I could take a picture through the fence. We were surprised to see those large evergreen tree/shrubs are held up by wires… maybe the wind could easily bring them down?DSC_0486

DSC_0491And another joy of walking along the fence-line is to be closer to all the flowers. Many fences were thickly wound with wisteria vines, which are thick and woody like the branches of a tree. They’re only beginning to flower and let out little whiffs of their wonderful scent. Most Southerners, in other areas of the state, look on the wisteria vines as weeds, or something little better, as they wind their way into trees and only bloom in the spring. The rest of the year, they’re either unnoticeable or uninteresting.DSC_0494

DSC_0496I was unsurprised to find the azaleas blooming in Charleston, while they’re only budding in the Upstate. But I can tell you honestly that I did not “improve” the colors on these pink ones. The southern sunshine did that, all by itself.DSC_0499

DSC_0501Next up, I’ll be backtracking to Battery Park (White Point Gardens).DSC_0505

a charleston reconnaissance… rainbow row

Posted on by under America, History, Photos, Travel

My head is starting to hurt. Did you know that you could go visit a location SO many times that you were certain you knew it very well… and then, you find out you were wrong about a good portion of it? That’s what happened after getting back from visiting Charleston with my mom.

You see, I go to Charleston, South Carolina at least twice a year, if not more. Mondays in Charleston, after  a conference at the beach, with lots of friends… what could be better? Sometimes we visit the Battery, the old churches, or go on a Fort Sumter tour. Several of us insist we go to the Market, even when others are completely tired of it. We always managed to revisit old haunts and explore some new ones. I thought I knew some of it so well.DSC_0385

During the last 14 years or so of visiting Charleston, my mom has only been there once, so I figured it was about time she went. We set aside some time during spring break, and drove down to stay with friends of ours. Thursday morning was quite cold but brilliantly sunny, so we headed straight downtown, with our first goal of going to the Battery and seeing Rainbow Row.

It wasn’t until I got back home and started doing some general research that I realized I had several locations mixed up. I always thought Rainbow Row encompassed all the old antebellum houses on the Battery, but every site I look at identifies them as the 5-7 buildings on East Bay Street, right before you step onto the Battery Wall. Their colors range from pink to yellow, blue, and green, and most normal people would wonder why any sane person would want to live in a house that color. But these homes are a Charleston landmark, and fit in with the colorful nature of downtown Charleston.DSC_0386

So, I had to completely rearrange some of my upcoming Charleston posts, realizing that I was misidentifying some of the locations. From there, the confusion got a bit worse when I tried to figure out whether what I thought was Battery Park… was actually Battery Park! I will try and explain the problem and what I came up with, and anyone who knows the area better can feel free to correct me.

I have always thought of Battery Park as the park and gardens that are on the end of East Bay Street, right on the corner of the peninsula, and the edge of the Battery itself. But it is also known as White Point Gardens, and sometimes, websites refer to the antebellum houses as being part of Battery Park. I have finally concluded that White Point Gardens is probably the official name of the corner park, and Battery Park the unofficial, and I will consider the antebellum houses to be part of The Battery, but not the park. You know, a park is a park, and a neighborhood is a neighborhood, to my way of thinking. And if this isn’t making any sense, it will over the next few days. Call this a prologue, if you will.

[Since writing this, I've found that Battery Park is an unofficial designation for the Battery, the homes, and the gardens, found in many guidebooks, but not in any official historical registries.]DSC_0388

If I had known some of this in advance (you know, like I thought I did), I probably would have taken more pictures of the Rainbow Row houses to show you. And less pictures of the opposite brick buildings. After this one, I will continue with our day’s journey, hopefully with no more confusing explanations. DSC_0394

What little I know about Rainbow Row, aside from the eye-catching colors is that after the destruction of the Civil War, the houses on East Bay Street were derelicts or slum housing. Not a nice place to live. Sometime in the early 1900′s, a woman named Dorothy Porcher Legge remodeled them and began the tradition of painting them in pastel colors. It sounds like the light colors help keep the homes cool, just like wearing pale colors would for a person, on a summer day.

Though, there do seem to be a number of legends involving other strange reasons those buildings are painted those colors. But now, the bright colors are their badge of honor, and what makes them famous. That’s quite a way for a derelict house to come, wouldn’t you say?DSC_0502

While walking on the waterfront side of East Bay Street, approaching the Battery, I was also admiring the old brick buildings on our side of the street. They were quite a contrast to the brightly colored buildings on the other side of the road. Also, I made a habit of taking pictures of the cobbled streets, throughout the day. These are not only of interesting patterns and colors, but worn smooth from all the cars and buggies that have driven over them in the last century or two. Driving on those cobbles, even in a car with good shocks was rattling, I can’t imagine driving on them in a wagon. Even on foot, your feet take a beating from them.

Stay with me as we continue down the waterfront towards the Battery of Charleston!DSC_0387

a building fascination… hunter & riggs

Posted on by under America, Clemson, History, Photos

As my recent wandering session on the Clemson campus drew to a close, I walked down the path to Riggs Hall. And stopped to take a look at all the names of the Class of 1966, imprinted in the walkway. There are several other walks like this, scattered around the campus… I’m pretty sure there’s one on the other side of Fort Hill, but I’d have to go look again.DSC_0141

These names have been walked and rained on, so many times, that they’ve become very worn down.  I was really wishing I had some water to dribble on them, in order to highlight them better. But if it had been rainy, I wouldn’t be out, perusing the grounds. So much history, in the buildings and even under our feet.

As I continued on towards Riggs Hall, I saw several students (or maybe prospective students) having a photo op in one of the trees. Some of those trees are just dying to be climbed, so I understood giving in to that urge. But these beautiful trees are way out in the open. I’m more of a tree-climber-when-no-one-can-see-me type of person. One day, I’m going to go for it, and climb that tree near Hunter.DSC_0143

DSC_0142Back at Riggs, I was looking at the strange-looking heads on the side of the building. Again. My camera zoom isn’t good enough to get them in great detail, so I used Picasa to try and punch up the color. The bricks are really not that color, in real life. I suppose you’d need a cherry-picker to actually get close to them and capture major details. I still remember asking an electrical engineering grad student about them, and he didn’t know what I was talking about. He had never noticed them before.DSC_0144

DSC_0827-002While I had considered whether they might be gargoyles, I know that gargoyles are supposed to be waterspouts. Instead, these are called grotesques. While Clemson legend suggests the grotesques were created by students, and modeled on their least favorite professors, Jerry Reel’s book, The High Seminary, says otherwise. Apparently, Rudolph Lee, who designed Riggs Hall, also hand-molded the grotesques. (If you’re interested, this is a great article on Riggs Hall, and talks about Reel’s book.)DSC_0827-001

DSC_0149They were modeled on professors, but there’s nothing to suggest that they were of teachers that the students disliked. Grotesques, per their name, are designed to be just that. Grotesque. I’m glad there aren’t any female grotesques up there (at least, I don’t think there are). If there were, that poor lady professor might not have ever gotten over it.DSC_0148

DSC_0147After leaving Riggs, I passed a group of prospective students who were touring the outside of Sirrine Hall, and headed for the bypass through the buildings of the Hunter Chemistry Laboratory. As I walked between the main building and the auditorium building, I was thinking that Hunter’s a bit dull after all the other locations. Not too much exciting about its design, it seemed. And then, I realized that over-familiarity might be blinding me to some more interesting details. DSC_0150

And then, something that had been percolating in my brain for the last few weeks, finally came to fruition. Hunter Hall, which I obviously can’t see from the top, reminds me of a tangram puzzle.

Every morning, I walk around such a sharp corner to go up the steps, and there’s a sharp corner on the other side, too. I already knew the auditorium building 300px-Tangram_set_00is a triangle, which made me wonder if the main building was also a triangle (it’s a triangle with an additional strip added, kind of like a really fat arrowhead). It almost looks like you could shove it up against the main building and form a square (completing the tangram).

Now, having seen an overhead view of the buildings, I know it wouldn’t really form a square, but will you look at those corners! Can you blame me for thinking it might? Those are some sharp-cornered bricks they had to use in the building process.DSC_0151

I think I will always wonder, though, if Hunter’s architect had children that played with tangrams. DSC_0152