Day One at Hunting Island

Monday November 19, 2012
Site 59 Hunting Island State Park
Hunting Island, South Carolina

 

We’re up and out on the beach just after sunrise.  Granted, these days, sunrise is not all that early.

Carrie and I head for the path to the ocean just steps from our front door.   SO SWEET!!

 

 

It’s a cloudy day but this natural beach front with so few people is just perfect in my eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a nice brisk walk on the ocean front, it’s back to Winnona to have some oatmeal pecan pancakes.  Oh my, SO GOOD!  But the dishwasher is going to have a real job cleaning up after this messy cook.

 

We meet Nancy and Bill at the Fishing pier at 1:30 and follow our leaders over bridges and along marshes to take in more of the natural beauty of this wonderful park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still trying to get that illusive Kingfisher picture.  He gave me his opinion of my efforts.

 

 

Those who are lucky enough to go hiking or paddling with Nancy know that she is a super scout.  She has amazing eyes.

And today was no exception.  While we are standing on the bridge she spotted what we think is an osprey but then we see the white tail.

 

Across the bridge and into the woods … we find him? her?

 

 

And then TWO.  Two eagles.  WOW!

 

After we ooohhed and ahhhhhed and took hundreds of pictures while they just sat around relaxing, we went on to the shoreline where there had once been a road and a dozen cabins.  We were here about this time in 2010 and 3 or 4 of the houses were in the water on their stilts.  This year only one remained.

 

 

 

 

Mother Nature still has the upper hand whether we wish to accept it or not.

 

 

 

Hmmm, what does she know?  What makes David smile?  Is Bill in awe??

 

We return through the woods back to the bridge and have to stop to take more pictures of this gorgeous bird.

 

 

Crossing the bridge this time Nancy decides she wants to see a dolphin she had noticed earlier swimming up the lagoon.  She thinks it would be about right if s/he would just come on back down now.  So she calls him.  SERIOUSLY.  She calls him and our jaws drop.

Here he comes.

 

 

Carrie coined the term DPSW since Nancy wasn’t sure what she’d seen earlier and referred to it as a “Dolphin/porpoise/small whale”.
We were all sure it wasn’t a small whale and I was pretty sure it was a dolphin.  While writing the blog I asked the great google about the difference between dolphins and porpoise.
NOAA.gov gave me the following information.

All the large marine mammals belong to the order Cetacea (from the Greek work ketos, “large sea creature). The orca, or killer whale is actually the largest member of the dolphin family.

The main reason I was pretty sure we are seeing a dolphin is that Dolphins are by far more prevalent than porpoises. Most scientists agree that there are 32 dolphin species (plus five closely related species of river dolphin) and only six porpoise species.

So what is the difference? It comes down to their faces (who can forget Flipper’s famous “grin”?), their fins, and their figures. But who gets a look that close unless you are at Marineland??

Dolphins tend to have prominent, elongated “beaks” and cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have smaller mouths and spade-shaped teeth. The dolphin’s hooked or curved dorsal fin (the one in the middle of the animal’s back) also differs from the porpoise’s triangular dorsal fin. Generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, and porpoises’ are portly.

Dolphins are also more talkative than porpoises. Dolphins make whistling sounds through their blowholes to communicate with one another underwater. Scientists are pretty sure that porpoises do not do this, and some think this may be due to structural differences in the porpoise’s blowhole.

Dolphins and porpoises have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. Both have large, complex brains and a structure in their foreheads, called the melon, with which they generate sonar (sound waves) to navigate their underwater world.

 

And a guy in Scotland had a cool chart I’ve incorporated.  Thanks to
http://thewesternisles.co.uk/differencedolphinporpoise.htm  for the following:

 

Feature
Dolphin Characteristic
Difference in a Porpoise

The nose

A dolphin usually has a pointed snout
(beak)

A porpoise snout is short and blunt like a cartoon fish sketch
(never strongly pointed)

 

The fin

(Some species of both have no fin on their back)

The leading edge of the fin on a dolphin's back is shaped like a curling wave
(Called the dorsal fin)

The leading edge of a porpoise's back fin is straight.
The porpoise's fin is also triangular like a shark's

 

The teeth

(The difference in teeth between dolphins and porpoises reflects the difference in the fish that they catch)

Dolphins have pointed cone-shaped teeth

Porpoise teeth are flat, spade shaped, with upper edges that are long and sharp

 

Size
Dolphins grow up to 12 feet long
Porpoises are usually less than 7 feet long

Shape
Dolphins are longer and sleeker in shape
Porpoises are shorter and more compact

 

Sounds
Dolphins produce sounds we can hear (and are talkative!)
Porpoise sounds are inaudible to us

Behavior
Dolphins have much less fear of humans - will ride the waves alongside boats
Porpoises are shy - you are much less likely to see one - wild or captive.
Rarely seen at surface unless up to breathe.

Groups
Dolphins live in large groups
Porpoises live in pods of 2 - 4

Lifespan
Dolphins can live for more than 50 years
Porpoises do not live long past the age of 15

 

If there is reincarnation, this may be my choice.  But I’d also like to be a pelican or an otter.  Maybe I can get reincarnated three times.

 

 

 

We stop at the lighthouse …

which was AGAIN closed for maintenance.  Apparently November isn’t the time of year to come if you want to actually go inside the lighthouse.  .  In 2010 in November they were doing outside maintenance and this time it’s painting the inside.  SO we’ll have to try again maybe next year.
 YY  I do LOVE hunting island.  YY

 

  

 

 

 

 

We stop at the boardwalk on the way to the lighthouse.  This is a great spot to watch the sunset.

 

 

 

Thanks Nancy and Bill for a great day and spectacular sightings!

Picking up groceries and daughter

Sunday November 18, 2012
Site 59 Hunting Island State Park
Hunting Island, South Carolina

 

 

  We’re up and getting started with our departure lists when I look out the window and see the 60’s Vanagon I mentioned in yesterday’s post pulling out.  That’s what I get for not opening our shades first thing.  Now I’ve missed talking to these interesting people.  SHOOT!

With full hook ups and no need to stop by the dump station, we are on our way in record time.  We’ve decided that David will take Winnona straight to Walkabout Campground in Georgia -117 miles and I will stop by Whole Foods in Jacksonville to get all the food provisions for Thanksgiving and 16 days on an island 20 miles from the closest town.

As you can imagine, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Whole Foods is packed.  I’m too busy trying to locate all the things on my list to take pictures but here’s a shot of the receipt for groceries for 3.  OUCH!!  But I’m not complaining.  Safe nutritious food is one of the most important things we spend our money on and yet it is still, in a year,  less than 10% of our income.

 

 

We get to Walkabout which is still the perfect stop over in Georgia just off I95.  We’ve stopped here every time we come up or down 95 for the past 3 years.  Nice pull through, full hook ups.  This time we are in site #2 at the far end.  Not my favorite spot since it’s closer to the highway noise but still for $16.50 no complaints.  We’ll be back here after our days at Hunting Island on our return to Florida.

 

Up bright and early this morning.  I go out running, we get the coach ready to roll and again split up.  This time David goes straight to Hunting Island State Park with Winnona and I stop at the Savannah Airport and pick up Carrie.  Both decisions, not to take Winnona to Whole Foods and not to take her to the small but beautiful Savannah Airport turn out to be good ones.

Carrie’s 1:51pm flight is right on time and we are soon out of the airport and on our way.  Really sorry I didn’t take more pictures of the airport since it is really nice.  It’s the kind of airport I like, small.  And this one really is beautiful.  Of course it is the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.  J   This is the courtyard between the airport and the parking garage.

 

 

 

It’s 62 miles from the airport to Hunting Island.  You pass through the town of Beaufort and drive right by……….guess where

 

 

So of course we stop.  And you should too.  Check HERE and see where the Bruster’s closest to you is located.  I suggest that you enter a state in the search box and check out all the locations so you can plan your route accordingly.  J  But if you only want to know if there is one within 15 miles of you, you can plug in your current zip code.

 

We arrive in Site #59 which we have taken for two nights since Carrie could get a much better airfare coming and leaving earlier than our original 2 week reservation.  Our two week site, #83, was of course booked for the Sunday and Monday we needed to extend.  But #59 is quite fine.  We have a view of the water which is about 500 steps or less from our door.  MIGHTY FINE!!

 

 

Shortly after we arrive, Nancy and Bill stop by to welcome us and we make plans to do some hiking together tomorrow.  It is their last day as they are moving on to Buck Hall on Tuesday.  We’re so happy we have over lapped at least one day with them.

 

It’s really great to have Carrie with us to share all this.  The only draw back is she can read and I get to do the dishes.

 

Moving On

Friday November 16, 2012
Site 81 Salt Springs Recreation Area
Salt Springs, Florida

 

 

Friday is our final day at Salt Springs.  We just kept extending and extending.  But now we have to move on to Walkabout Campground in Georgia tomorrow night and then to pick up Carrie at the Savannah Airport on our way to Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina on Sunday.

 

There are some fun things happening on our last day though.

 

We walk over to Square Meal for one last visit.  Along the way we pass a GIANT elephant ear.  These things amaze me.  Maybe Adam and Eve actually used these and not fig leaves.  You could fashion an entire outfit. I swear the leaves are bigger than me.

 

 

 

 

We find more interesting things as we walk through the parking lot.
You gotta love small towns.  No wonder some folks come and stay at Salt Springs for up to 6 months in the winter.  The library comes to you.
My kind of place.

 

 

 

This time we sit in The Square Meal’s “back room”

 

 

 

 

where we read the latest and our last issue of The Coffee News

 

We’ve come for a taste of their home made peanut butter pie drizzled with chocolate and a taste is all that is left by the time I get out my camera. 
It is WAY GOOD!

 

 

 

After all that fuel, David decides he is ready to take his first trip up on the roof in over 10 months.  He’s going to clean off the slide toppers which have gotten rather green sitting under the live oaks for a month.  Another testimony to how far he’s come and how close to “normal” he’s feeling.

 

 

 

 

Our neighbors are out exercising.

 

 

And look who moves in across the way just before dark.  Can’t wait to go out and meet them but it is fully dark by the time they get their set up done.  Hope to catch them in the morning. 

 

 

We finish our day with the usual dishes and reading routine.  The reading is Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s Cross Creek.  All is definitely well.