A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
I have let things slip. Yes, it’s been another writer’s block stretch. I’ve been doing research and some exploration, but nothing that would make a whole blog post. I’ve posted things to Flickr and to Facebook, but not here. So, I’m going to do a catch-up/update post with a few miscellaneous items, then do several shorter separate posts. Continue reading Catching Up Mid-October 2019
For many years I drove over the bridge over the South Tyger River at Berry Shoals, looking longingly at the old steel trestle bridge downstream and the twin lakes of Berry Shoals Pond and Silver Lake. I wanted to explore the area. However, I was always in route to one of my schools or on some other school district business, so I never got a chance to explore…until now. Sadly, my explorations were cut short, all for want of a hat. Continue reading Exploring Berry Shoals Pond from Tygerberry
After only seven months on the job I have resigned as music director at Hopewell Methodist Church. It just didn’t work out, for lots of reasons. When I took the job my duties were to play the piano for services, direct the church choir, and oversee the other music ministries. My stated goals were to … Continue reading Maybe There’s Hope
The TV show “Finding Bigfoot” had the biggest misnomer for a title. They never found him/her. All they did was run around in the woods making noise, claiming evidence that was easily debunked. I guess “Making Fools of Ourselves While Looking for Bigfoot” wasn’t quite as catchy. Despite my skepticism, I like Bigfoot stories. I … Continue reading Finding Bigfoot in Marion
A couple of my Facebook friends regularly paddle Stumpy Pond on the Catawba River. They regularly post photos of historic ruins and lovely scenery, It’s been on my list of places I want to visit. Fellow explorer Alan Russell and I finally got a chance to do just that this week, but this unusual September … Continue reading A Hot Sample of Stumpy Pond
For many years I was music director at McCarter Presbyterian Church here in Greenville. McCarter is a small church located prominently at the intersection of Pelham Road and East North Street, a spot it has occupied for the past 123 years. It seemed a unique little church in the bustle of a major neighborhood that somehow managed to survive.
But then I found out that it wasn’t unique. Continue reading The Oeland Churches
Last spring a guy with the unusual name of Beezer Molton contacted me about a photo. It turns out that Beezer is the owner of the Half-Moon Outfitters franchise. The Greenville store would be moving into a new store and he wanted a large print of the above photo to go into the new location. … Continue reading Full Moon at Half-Moon
I worked in Spartanburg county for fifteen years. During all of that time I never got around to visiting Nazareth Presbyterian Church. I knew it was one of the first churches in the area, having been established around 1765, but for some reason I thought that the building had been updated and no longer retained its historic character. I was wrong. When I had driven by it I had seen the new Family Life Center (a.k.a “gym”) and had thought that IT was the church, somehow missing the older building right next to it. While out doing some research on another project about church architecture Alan Russell and I finally paid Nazareth a visit. Continue reading Journey to Nazareth
I usually don’t go in for Facebook memes or games. My friend J. Todd Settle tagged me in one recently and I gave it some serious thought. The idea is to post twenty albums that had some influence over you. According to the rules you’re supposed to post one album per day, then tag someone else to annoy each day. I just don’t do that sort of stuff, but I do like the idea of reflecting on the music that played a part in your life. So, rather than annoy friends on Facebook, I’m going to post the whole kit and caboodle here. Sorry, Todd. I’ve always been an iconoclast. Continue reading 20 Albums
Wilmore Camp Meeting circa 1960, Wilmore, Kentucky My Background Growing up in a Pentecostal preacher’s household, one of my earliest memories is attending camp meeting each summer at Beech Springs Campground near Pelzer, South Carolina. Those earliest memories were of an open wooden tabernacle with sawdust on the floors. The activities lasted all week with … Continue reading Finding Camp Meeting