Wordless Wednesday

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Campout 2009! Edisto Beach, SC- Day 4

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Day 4 of our campout on Edisto Island (see here and then here for days 1 - 3) dawned chilly again, but soon began to warm up. This was group picture day, so everyone slowly congregated as breakfasts were finished and cleaned up. My brother joined us to wait,

as did some sort of skink- an exciting discovery for all the kids!

It seems to be some type of Lined Skink- my guess is a Broadhead Skink, because it was so large.

Organizing the group picture is always a little like herding cats, but finally(!) we were all in place and our kind, patient fellow camper (a stranger before he was roped into being our photographer) took our commemorative picture. (To all of you in the photo: I haven't asked everyone's permission yet to post their picture, so if it bothers you, get over it I'm sorry! Just let me know and I can black you out.) ;)
See, I can do that to these people; they're family. :)

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Once that was done, everyone scattered to get ready and head for the beach! We met there to hang out and play together as a group. There was a great deal of running and splashing to do,

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

kite flying,

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

and of course digging in the sand!

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Babyman and Daddy had a nice long walk together along the beach while Daddy looked for shells.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Despite everyone's best efforts, the ocean of course came to reclaim her own,

and it was time to pack up and head out.

Billy and I carted the boys to camp for as fast a clean-up-dry-off-go-potty-change-clothes-getinthecar as we could muster, and we treated ourselves to dinner out at a seafood restaurant. Littleman was so exhausted, he could hardly keep his eyes open. . . but he was determined to eat all his shrimp and have ice cream for dessert.

He still had 2 shrimp left on his plate when I thought he'd gone to sleep, but then Billy heard Littleman mumble something.

Billy: "What?"
Littleman: mumble mumble
Billy: (leaning closer) "What, Littleman?"
Littleman: "Move my plate closer."

Well we cracked up over that one! He was too tired to reach for his shrimp or even lift his head, but by gosh he was going to finish eating anyway! And darned if he didn't eat all his shrimp and enjoy ice cream too, before laying down in his chair and going right to sleep at the table.

Heading out to the car, we witnessed a breathtaking night sky, with the full moon hung low over the rolling ocean waves. (I wish my camera were better able to deal with nightscapes. This was the best I could do, and it hardly approximates the dramatic panorama.) One more beautiful day finished!

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

(To read about Days 5 & 6, go here.)

Campout 2009! Edisto Beach, SC- Day 3

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Day 3 everyone was eager to check out the beach. It was a little chilly still, but we decided to ride the bikes out to the ocean anyway.
Holy sandblasters! It was windy. Relentlessly windy. Smack your face windy. Push you over windy. Cold, because it was windy.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

We stubbornly stayed to enjoy the beach for awhile, and it was a beautiful day. Mr. Sweetcheeks situated himself on the dry, sun-warmed sand near the dunes. Sitting low, the wind wasn't quite as bad. He was having a great time just playing around in the sand and looking for shells.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Babyman was thrilled to go walking on the beach, and he wasn't even fazed by the vast ocean. He loved exploring.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Littleman bravely changed into a swimsuit before exploring the rock seawall. He even ventured into the chilly surf! He didn't let me take pictures of him, though.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Soon everyone (especially the blue-lipped Littleman!) had had enough, and we dusted the sand off the kids before loading them back onto the bike. Once out of the wind we warmed up considerably, and after the kids finished their sandwiches (intended for a beach picnic), we took them out for some ice cream. They were happy campers!

Next we headed down the park trails again, this time to explore the Spanish Mount, a 4,000 yr-old shell mound on the park's property.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

We enjoyed looking out over wide Big Bay Creek, and imagining life in the salt marsh 4,000 years ago.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

By the time we rode back into camp to start dinner, the kids were worn slap out.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

After dinner and a pleasant time telling stories while we roasted marshmallows at the group campfire, the boys were more than ready for bed. The adults however were eager to try some midnight bike riding, because word got around about the marvelous ride Billy and my brother had enjoyed. While Billy tucked the boys in and a whipporwill (which, upon researching, I now think was a chuck-will's-widow) sang them to sleep, I got a turn on the mooonlit trails.

It really was a remarkable experience, zooming quietly along in a line together, alternating sparkling moonlight with deep pockets of darkness. I found it most effective to let my eyes go out of focus slightly so I could rely more on my peripheral vision to guide me. Clumps of saw palmetto hunched on the side of the trail like misshapen gnomes, startling me with sudden lifelike movement whenever the breezes blew. The shadowy maritime forest welcomed us. I tipped my head back as I rode, precariously gazing upward whilst I flew along the path. The twisted branches over my head seemed to drip with quicksilver, moonlit above and in deep shadow below. Spanish moss hung down in spooky, romantic profusion. It was peaceful and exciting.

All too soon, we returned so I could trade places with Billy. Once everyone was gone I was left in the quiet campsite with the soft snores of my children and the sounds of the salt marsh wind. I sat beneath the full moon, gazing upward in relaxed contentment. Gradually all the varied sounds of the forest became known to me- the chuck-will's-widow still calling, the tiny rustles of night creatures, the nearly metallic knocking sound of the wind in the palmetto trees. Even though I could also hear the road off in the distance, it was a vastly enriching meditation.

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

(To read my account of Day 4, go here.)

Photo Blog: Edisto Island

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

For more great pictures of Edisto Island (not mine), check out www.edistoisland.com/pictures/!

Here I am!

Well, as usual after I've neglected my poor blog for awhile, I'd first like to apologize for my lengthy absence. I'm sorry! I've just been busy- mainly, we had our big annual family campout- it was awesome. I'll tell you more about it later. Also, there were taxes due (ugh), and LAUNDRY, and a handful of other things. Plus, I've been enjoying Spring- I've just been doing more and blogging less. But I miss you all, so hopefully I won't be gone so much now. :)

Do you know how it is, when you finally get to talk to a good friend or family member that you've been out of touch with for awhile, and you find you don't know what to talk about? Those people you chat with all the time, well you could ramble on with them for hours. But with someone dear that you haven't kept up with, you just don't know where to begin? The scope of your experience, the catching up, has grown too vast to be distilled by words, and you're not sure what drops of the ocean would make the sweetest and most meaningful conversational libation. Well that's how I'm feeling now- what should I write about? What makes the cut??

* * *

Being that it's technically now Wednesday (Earth Day, as well!) I'll throw out a wordless wednesday pic for you, even though the "wordless" part is obviously out the window now. I'm tired. Hopefully I'll have a few tales (and more pictures!) for you soon. Good night!

Wordless Wednesday

From Edisto Island Campout 2009

Sand

Monday, June 05, 2006

Sand Current mood: good Ahh, sand in your shorts. But what fun it is to liberate our toes and spread them joyfully into the damp grit, to dig in and sink our soles in that curious mix of Earth and Sea. There is nothing like salty breezes, carrying kites and gulls, the smell of ocean life, sunscreen and the coconut battered fried shrimp from that bar over there. The sea is still a little cool and the current startlingly strong, but the sun is warm and the wind whips our hair as we race around the blanket. Dig a shallow pool and let the tide fill it, let the sun warm it, let the baby splash in it with delighted squeals and curious exploring fingers. What a remarkable thing, wet sand! Both liquid and solid, soft and sharp, everchanging it fascinates.