And the house fell in

Thursday November 21, 2013
Hunting Island State Park
South Carolina

 

 

It’s another gray chilly day.

 

 

 

After breakfast we head over to the Nature Center to walk down to the southern tip of the island.  First a walk  out the pier where only two people are fishing today and  they say they aren’t catching anything so they are moving over to the lagoon.   But the views of the marsh are beautiful.

 

 

This  is where we intend to go.  Over there to the tip of the island, that gray piece of sand before the trees.

 

 

And this is the road we walk down toward the beach from the Nature Center.

 

 

And this is where the road to the cabins used to go.  Now it goes just this far and disappears  into the  sand  and  sea. 

 

 

Only one house remains standing.  We are very surprised to see it still  standing on its pilings  out in the water as we  come around the bend.  When we first came to Hunting Island six of the original dozen cabins remained and some were still  being occupied.  But the last time we came, only 3 remained and none was occupied.

 

 

 

I find  it amazing that this cabin still  stands out in the sea now and its deck is still  attached.  It was  once up on high ground overlooking the water.

 

This  year two of the three we saw last time have fallen into the  sea. The one above is the only one remaining.  Notice my  clothing,  polar fleece and a hooded sweatshirt.  It’s a cold  gray day  as I photograph the house that fell in.  Notice the size of the trees undermined by the sea and their roots.   This is the way of things on a barrier island.

 

 

Now there is only the one house and these remains.  I’ve included a lot of pictures of this one for Carrie who saw it with us when we could actually still go up and  stand on the porch.  I think that was two years ago.

 

 

 

 

David took these from the beach.  The house used to be on the high ground above the beach. You can see what remains of that high ground behind the fallen house.

 

 

 

These were the steps up to the house from the road.  And  the view  now of the house from the top of those stairs.   Last time, we walked up the stairs to stand  on the deck and try to peek  in the windows.  Not any more.

 

   

 

I’m  behind  the house taking this picture  of David on  the beach

 

And here is the driveway where those who rented this cabin  in years past would park their cars.   Now it’s the driveway to no where.   I suspect this is the last we’ll see of this cabin.  In another two years  there will be  hardly a trace.   The sea is mighty, the land  ever changing.

 

 

 

 

As we reach the tip of the island where we can see the bridge we  also see this gathering.

 

 

 

There must be a school  of fish here because the dolphins are swimming back and forth right next to the shore.  Six or eight of them.  We spend a long time watching them and several times see them splash and race after whatever is there.   It’s always shocking when they make such splashing sounds and fly through the water.

 

 

They were really close to the shore.  It seems it would be too shallow for them unless there is a serious drop off right there.  But the beaches on the rest of the island  are very wide and  very flat for a long way out.

 

 

 

While we are there the gray clouds turn to rain clouds.  We are a long way from the Nature Center and our car.  So we  start heading back.  We see a road that appears to lead to the bridge.  That’s the direction we are going.  Perhaps it’s a short cut,  we take it.

 

 

But silly us.  We know there is a wetland marsh along the coast between the end  of  the  island and  the nature center.  Remember the pictures at the beginning of this blog.    And sure enough.  We reach a beautiful dead end  and have to turn around and  go back the long way.

 

 

 

The rain is only a short shower and we don’t get all  that wet.  We are back  in time to eat dinner and go for one more shorter walk  down the beach before  the early 5:15 sunset.  Boy that sure seems WAY too early to me.   This time we walk North along the beach and see some  of the water pools left by the  recent high tide.

 

Looking North

 

Looking South and sort of into the sun which is behind the  clouds and low in the sky. 

 

We never fail to find some beautiful natural artwork.

The horseshoe crab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gray or not,  it’s been another wonderful day in this life we so lucky to be living.