James Island County Park, Charleston, SC
At first, it was our intention to go to church nearby at 9 AM so we could go to the beach, but after waking to cloudy, cooler weather we decided to change plans. Penny remembered the great choir at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, so we opted for the 11:15 AM Mass.
Coming into the city an hour early, we parked near the church and walked to Battery Park (now known as White Point Gardens), where cannons were used to defend the town. Two interesting things happened there. First of all, while walking the edges of the park there was a small group (20) on the water side of the road waving confederate flags. On the park side of the road was a similar sized group holding signs rejecting racism and hate. We walked between the two groups. It didn’t seem confrontational, so we weren’t scared, but it was sad to see. And, yes, we looked away from the haters and gave our support to the lovers!
Secondly, as we were nearly all the way around the park we saw a huge red tailed hawk swoop in and perch in one of the many live oak trees in the park. It seemed so odd to see a raptor in this urban setting amongst all these people. It was well camouflaged naturally and because it was backlit by the sky, I had a hard time getting any detail of its features. It paid us no mind as we followed it from perch to perch. Then it happened! The bird was hunting, watching for prey in the trees, not on the ground. Boom! It surprised a squirrel and had captured its lunch.
On our way through the 300 year old neighborhood, the delightful gates, balconies and gardens were very interesting. Of course, these homes pre date automobiles, so the need for fences and gates was utilitarian, to keep the horses and other livestock in. Balconies gave relief from sweltering heat. And, the gardens were likely for produce more than for ornamentation.
After church, the smell of the sea beckoned so we strolled downtown past the multicolored buildings to Waterfront Park.
We found the heron while walking along the waterfront park. Returning “home” for lunch, we heard this guy tapping the tree above the ITLDO.
As you should know by now, Penny and I are Live Oak geeks. There is a large specimen near us, the Angel Oak, we saw once before through the chain link fence that protects it. Today it is open until 5 PM, so here we go! It is only 65′ tall, but it shades 17,000 sq. ft.! Its longest limb is 89′ long having a circumference of 11.25′. The trunk is 25.5′ in circumference; it is estimated to be over 400 years old.
I must say these pictures cannot capture the enormous size of this tree, but hopefully they give a glimpse of it.
What a day!