What You Don't See /  by Dave Hileman

Charleston is full of beautiful homes and many of them are pre-civil war era homes. As you walk the quaint streets and peer over the walls the homes seem glamorous and I wonder what it would be like to live in some place like those homes. I toured one yesterday. The Aiken-Rhett house was built in 1820, added to in 1840 and again in 1850. It was owned for 142 years by the same family that included a former governor of South Carolina. If you peered over the fence in 1970 the impressive home, still lived in by a granddaughter of the Governor, is not one you would have found comfortable. Large drafty rooms, serious structural issues, no central heat nor air (in Charleston!), minimal bathroom facilities, poorly lighted rooms, no closets and barely functioning electric service would have been a challenge every day. And the house, a museum since 1996 is not being restored but kept as found. The contrast between what you expected it would be like and how the last occupant actually lived is striking. Yet the more intriguing part of the tour is the reminder that what made these homes elegant and sustainable in 1860 were the enslaved population. And at this house the reminders, unlike most of Charleston, are still there. In the “working yard” there are two structures a block of stables and quarters on the second floor, and the laundry and kitchen spaces with the living quarters for several enslaved families one level up. The number of people here varied from a few to 19 and it was not a pleasant place to live or work. The kitchen and laundry had fires going year round, that added significantly to the heat experienced most days of the year in the five upper level rooms, three of which have no immediate outside windows. The five rooms have a long hallway dotted with open windows, for fresh air and lot of bugs. The two end rooms have a window. Three of the five rooms have a small fire place. There would be a rough table, a chair or two, pegs on the walls to hang clothes and sleeping mats that could be rolled up for storage. The Aiken-Rhett house provides a rare glimpse of what daily life was like for the enslaved population of Charleston.

The laundry is the left door, the stairs the next, the kitchen the next two.

The upstairs hall

Stable block on the right side

No place to escape the watchful eye of someone from the main house.

Hall of Valor /  by Dave Hileman

This is the window at the museum/visitor center for the brief, sharp battle of New Market that the cadets of Virginia Military Institute were engaged in in May of 1864. The park has a new name now but it still has the focus on the 250 young men from Lexington who fought here. I think the stained glass window is very well done and lots of details can be seen if you look closely.

Big Tree /  by Dave Hileman

This is the Angel Oak on John’s Island just a bit out of Charleston, South Carolina. It is a massive tree. This is from the web site: The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.

New Old Photo /  by Dave Hileman

I have been re-doing some of the photos I edited in the past, sort of. They are photos from the same shoot but ones I did not work on at the time. For instance today’s grizzly bear is one of about 20 shots I took as he lumbered by in Katmai National Park in Alaska. This bear is as close as he appears to be, here about 15 yards away but passing us even closer, about 20 feet or so. He, an 1100 pound adult, is one of seven we saw fairly close and this is one of nearly 300 photos from the time on the beach at Katmai. So, in the compressed time of travel and posting a photo every day, lots got put off to “later.” Well, it is later as this was taken in 2019. I am going through older photos and really enjoying the process. I am off in South Carolina today, so more new work on the way but over the winter, i will be delving into lots of New/Old photos.

Self-portrait /  by Dave Hileman

This is from the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. One of the more interesting rock formations with the white and red strata occurring in stripes and layers. It was a good park for hikes with a lot of things to see as well. It was used for several western movies and there are bits and pieces of those movies all around the landscape: an old sign, the remnant of a wall, an old fence piece all props for the films.

Yes, Raleigh Does Have a Few Hills /  by Dave Hileman

This is neat. The area has miles and miles of Greenway - bike and walking and one of my favorites is Crabtree, behind the mall and west toward where I live. There is also a state park, Umsted, not too far away. There has been a gap in the trail system so you could not go from Crabtree to Umsted - where there are several more miles of trails. Until now, well, almost now. This is the next to the last section. There is still a bridge and about a half of a mile to actually connect the system. This is the interesting engineering design that scales the steep hill but keeps the incline easy to walk or ride. As you approach you can see a portion of it and there are two more switchbacks not visible further up the hill. The most striking feature is the impressive wooden structure that soars over the creek to get past the quarry that has been the hold up for years. It is a fun portion of the Greenway, Raleigh’s best feature in my opinion.

From the bridge over Crabtree Creek.

The start of the flyover section and if you look carefully at the hill on the right of the photo you can see the fence for the next incline and there are two more switchbacks beyond that one.

Natural Stained Glass /  by Dave Hileman

This is likely not a “good” photograph. It does not have a clear subject. It is chaotic. It follows no composition rules - that i know of, and I just find it fascinating. It was taken at the same place as yesterday’s photo, Merchant Mill Pond State Park, on the same trip. The park is well done and has several trails, camping, canoe rental, and a very nice Visitor Center. You had to be very careful walking on the edge of the pond/swamp and not just because you were watching for the alligator, it was hard to walk with the scores of cypress knees half hidden in the fallen leaves. But what a day. Bright blue skies, the beginnings of color in the foliage, intensely green duckweed over much of the pond, and lots of beautiful potential images everywhere. So why this one? I love the color, the randomness and the fact it reminds me of God’s stained glass, more brilliant and more gorgeous than one found in a church. Hope you enjoy as well.

Lovely Day in a Lovely Place /  by Dave Hileman

This past Thursday Dennis (the wandering lensman) and I were at Merchants Mill Pond State Park. Lots to tell about the day but I started a photo back up and this typing is lagging so far behind you will have to wait until Friday for the “rest of the story.”

Another from Luray Caverns /  by Dave Hileman

This is Tristian’s Veil deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Luray, Virginia. The cavern has been a tourist spot for decades and is well kept up and easy walking on a paved trail. It also has enough light that you can easily navigate. A pleasant 58 degrees in the summer or winter and a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

Baby Cedar /  by Dave Hileman

Once again in the Merchants Mill Pond State Park, near to the spillway, is this young cedar robed in rusty orange and surrounded by a thick coating of duckweed - in not to be believed - green. There is also an alligator in these waters two or three, at the northern edge of their range. We did not see one on this day but they are there, said the ranger, and they are pretty big full grown adults.

"They Call Me Mellow Yellow" /  by Dave Hileman

I heard this song on the way home yesterday. Sung by Donovan, it like most songs of the era, had a sexual overtone and a psychedelic touch but I, I confess, never knew that. I just liked the song and seemed like the perfect time to showcase the yellow leaves that were shinning in the sunlight at the Merchants Mill Pond State Park in Northeast North Carolina. The cypress were a brownish orange sort of color and the water in many places was thick with bright green duckweed. It made for nice contrasts. I liked this small set of yellow leaves against the moss and the grey cyprus trees. More from the park on tap most with no psychedelic hints.

Deadrise /  by Dave Hileman

The boat in the foreground is a Deadrise that is no longer sea worthy, the one across the water in Tylers Beach along the James river. These are crab boats but the same kind is also used for oysters. These old wooden boats are disappearing from the area waters.

At Speed /  by Dave Hileman

This buggy was racing across the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah. It was most unusual to see the sand that ranged from pink to a hint of red. There were also a lot of people boarding down the dunes. Took a long time to get the “red” out of our shoes!

Young Medal of Honor Recipient /  by Dave Hileman

The two cannon in the field represent USA Battery B on the morning of Antietam. The cornfield was the scene of the initial charge of the Union and a very intense morning long battle. Most of the cannoneers were shot and 15 year-old Johnny Cook, the Battery’s bugler, took the position of two men and helped load and fire the cannon with the enemy only a few yards away. For his bravery the young man from Cincinnati was awarded the Medal of Honor.