Last weekend, while our neighbors in North Carolina were enjoying the annual neighborhood Christmas dinner, we decided to take a stroll on the beach here in Georgia. Although, we missed out on some really great food and fun, we certainly didn’t miss the bitter cold and snow they were experiencing.

No, there was no turkey or ham on the island. But we did get our bellies full of freshly caught shrimp while watching the waves roll in. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was sunny and in the 70’s. Sorry, but I’ll take t-shirts and shorts over parkas and snow shovels any day!

 

Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the fall cane harvest festival on Oatland Island in Savannah, Ga. After a nice trek through the woods we entered a clearing where the annual festivities were already underway. A log cabin was the focal point; however, the structure was not the center of attention.

The crowd was busy sampling the wares.

Sugar cane (bottom center in front of hay bales) was available for tasting.

A horse was the sole source of power used to operate the cane grinder. A long pole (a tree trunk) was attached to the grinder and to the horse’s back. The animal then walked in large circles, pulling the log as it went. The motion turned the grinder, which reduced the cane to sweet sugar.

A large vat was used to cook the ground cane sugar. I’ve since been topping my Sunday pancakes with fresh cane syrup.

Making homemade pumpkin soup.

Apple press for making homemade cider. Delicious!

Explaining her craft.

Even the little ones had a great time without a video game in sight. Click the link below for a very brief video.

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We left the cabin area to explore. A stroll down this path revealed some pretty exciting sights and breathtaking scenery.

Standing at the edge of the marsh.

Three gray wolves.

A mud-covered alligator sunning itself on the bank of a creek.

Lazy gator floating.

This gator swam by our feet. I used the zoom for this shot. Believe me, I was NOT that close to this animal.

A cougar having a little snack of some sort of meat (another zoom shot).

A wild turkey contemplating the future. This photo was taken the first week in November.

*Due to the troubles with the site earlier this week we’ll be posting details on how to win The Closer 5th season DVD on Monday.

 

 

Sometimes it’s nice to look back at days gone by. Here are a few of mine.

Plum Island, Massachusetts

Long Wharf – Cambridge, Maryland

Panel with Hallie Ephron, Jan Burke, and Lee Lofland – Madison, Wisconsin

Outer Banks, N.C.

Sculpture in Colorado Springs

Boston skyline in winter.

Boston sidewalk. Same day as above photo.

Panel with Lee Lofland, Christopher Reich, DP Lyle, and Tod Goldberg – Salinas, California

Young’s Dairy – Yellow Springs, Ohio

Jack Reacher’s murder trial with Michele Martinez (prosecutor), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kenneth Freeman as himself, Lee Lofland as the DEA agent who arrested Reacher, and Lee Child as Jack Reacher – Dedham, Massachusetts

Salem Witch Museum – Salem, Massachusetts

Writers’ Police Academy 2009. Officer Dave Crawford and Lt. Dave Swords arrest the notorious Lee Lofland as part of a felony traffic stop demonstration – Hamilton, Ohio (in conjunction with the Mad Anthony Writers Conference)

*The top photo is at sunset in Ocean City, Maryland. I took the shot on the way home from the final day at Bouchercon in Baltimore. A fitting end to a wonderful weekend of hanging out with good friends.

 

The 2010 Powhatan Pauwau was held last Saturday at the Rocky Oak Farm in Powhatan, Virginia. The theme this year was ‘the Strength of the Bear.’

a Heritage Celebration …

a Native American Festival …

a Celebration of The People of Powhatan & our Roots!

Chief Powhatan (c. 1547-c. 1618) , whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh or (in seventeenth century English spelling) Wahunsunacock, was the leader of the Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten), a powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in Tenakomakah—which is now tidewater Virginia—at the time of the first English-Native encounters. Powhatan was the father of Pocahontas. He is said to have had over 100 wives. ~ http://www.pauwau.com/chiefpowhatan.htm

Indian Prayer

“To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget your most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.”