Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

And the house fell in

Thursday November 21, 2013
Hunting Island State Park
South Carolina

 

 

It’s another gray chilly day.

 

 

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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.

 

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

 

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

 

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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. 

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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.

 

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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.

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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.

 

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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

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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.

 

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

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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Looking South and sort of into the sun which is behind the  clouds and low in the sky.Beach Walks 076 

 

We never fail to find some beautiful natural artwork.

The horseshoe crab.

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

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29 comments:

  1. wonderful pictures!!
    Maggie

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  2. as always ... great pictures and story telling! I have never understood people building on a beach ... I know so any areas where these expensive homes just ... go... even on some lakes like in Louisiana and Florida... and well, Texas .. and well... anywhere too close to the water... and well, certainly, California...

    BUT there are lots of things I don't know... I'm still too young to know everything... coldern a well digger's butt is something I do know... jeeeeez it's cold here ... 30 degrees and it's 8pm... gonna get down to huh? says going up to 32 by 11pm ... What? .... whatever

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  3. Those houses are sure a good reason not to live so close to the ocean:(

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  4. Sherry, love the photos. You can't argue with the sea.

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  5. Looks like I need to clarify that these were State Park Cabins originally built quite a ways back but the sea, over time and disasterous storms came and got them. The park wisely did not rebuild any of them. But it does show why we should not allow any development for a good ways from the water.

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  6. You can't argue with Mother Nature, she always gets her way...

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  7. As usual, such nice pictures! It seems even with gray skies, the beauty comes out.

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  8. Sad to see the houses drift away, but your photos are beautiful in their portrayal of the power of the sea. Hunting Island is clearly a special place with its compelling wildness.

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  9. I don't think I'd want to live anywhere near the ocean. Coastal Ireland was enough with all the gales.

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  10. Interesting to see how the ebb and flow of the sea mirrors that of life, as Mother Nature gives and takes back. Those looked like great cabins...too bad they have slipped away. Beautiful pictures, Sherry. Looks like you guys are having such a wonderful time!

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  11. Hunting Island is so nice.Even gray and cold. Speaking of cold...baby, its cold here in KY! Low 20's....brrr,

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  12. What great pictures!!! Now I am cold, just going along with you :)

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  13. The sea gives and takes, woe to the man that builds too close to the water. Some people never learn.

    What an interesting tour of the beach and the houses. Looking at that weather, no wonder you were bundled up!

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  14. Ah the power of the sea. Yet it seems amazing that these cabins have been washed away. Well almost. Guess it would take a boat to get to the remaining one. Love that last shot of your beachy shadows.

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  15. Amazing how much can change in a bit of time.... Nope I like my home on wheels.....Storms come.... I go....

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  16. Hope you enjoyed your walking through the valleys in a chill climate. Things gets change as days pass by. Slit houses looks nice but now it is not...

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  17. Nice way to spend a gray day...always something interesting to see along the coast. Mother Nature has a way of changing the view everyday!! She can change it back to sunny and warm ASAP;o))

    In that last photo, you have finally gotten almost as tall as David:o))

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  18. Funny, I was going to say exactly the same thing as Nancy about the photo, but she beat me to it!! LOL! So I'll just ad that seems you'll use any method to make yourself look taller than the 5'1 I know you really are! I well remember you previous post about the cabins (and other bloggers who've written about them as well) so thoroughly enjoyed these updated photos! We know the SC and GA coastlines well, but Hunting Island is a place we realize we've never visited, so it's been added to the list. I see today is moving day, so can't wait to see where you end up next.

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  19. I really need to do a more thorough job of proofing before submitting a comment - sorry about the typos!

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  20. Enjoyed the post. Great pics, well written and informative, it was like being there.

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  21. When will people learn that barrier islands migrate over time? I can't understand the folks who choose to live at the north end who throw thousands of dollars into sand bags and sea walls, only to have them destroyed year after year, each time the sea encroaches more closely to their homes. Then they get upset. Sheesh.

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  22. Nature is beautiful and powerful! Thanks for posting those pictures with me in mind. Was it two years already? The water certainly brought a lot of change! Glad the shortcut took you somewhere pretty and you didn't get lost :) Love the shadow picture! :)

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  23. Mother Nature will take back her own, why they still let coastal development happen is beyond me. At the least the state park learned and didn't continue rebuilding the cabins.

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  24. Ref your question on safe seat, well it is not the recliner in that house photo. I do not have a belief in the safest airliner seat, just will this flight end safely like millions of others. I like to ride over the wing since it feels like I am in a Cessna or Piper and I can sense what the plane is doing.
    If the pilot makes a safe flight, everybody has a safe seat.

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  25. Such a lovely place. We were just there, also Gullah Grub! Love the Lowcountry!

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  26. Great pics , Mother Nature will eventually get it all back :)

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  27. Regardless of the gray day, the colors in some of the photos are beautiful. How lonesome that house looks stranded out in the water. We have seen ones like that in Nags Head. What kind of bird is the last bird photo? He looks disgusted. xxxooo

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