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Lowcountry lullaby
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 02:44PM 
TG and I spent this past weekend in Charleston.
Audrey went along and we stayed at a friend's vacation house on Folly Beach.
The reason for our trip was that each year TG's alma mater, The Citadel, hosts an alumni game.
TG says he's going to play in it until he's the oldest guy out there.
This time there was a member of the Class of '65 on the court, so I think we'll be going back for a few more years.
When we arrived on Friday afternoon it was seventy-five degrees and gloriously sunny.
We didn't pause to unpack before changing our shoes and setting off on the three-minute walk to the beach.
Javier could barely contain himself when he saw the ocean. He gets emotional at such times.
It wasn't long before he'd made a friend. Sort of. Look at their tails! I think the bigger dog was mainly amused at Javier's enthusiasm.
It'd been a long while since Audrey had visited the seashore. I think she'd forgotten how interesting it can be.
The sunset was more peaceful than dramatic, but it's always special.
On Saturday morning we took another walk on the beach and up onto the pier. Pigeons there are not afraid of anything. I think this one is accustomed to close proximity with a lens.
After our walk, it was time to head over to The Citadel for the two o'clock alumni tip-off.
TG shook hands with several old friends, then took to the court for a warm-up. I caught him in mid air and yes, the ball went in.
Following the game (alumni won handily), we met up with TG's college roommate for a walk around the campus.
As the new supplier of the iconic, intricately detailed stoneless Citadel ring, in recent months Balfour has added a giant brass replica to one corner of the parade ground.
The sculpture weighs thirty-eight hundred pounds and is ninety times the size of an actual Citadel ring.
TG and Jim posed to give you an idea of its scale.
That evening we were treated to a nice meal in a window-walled area high in McAlister Field House, overlooking the arena.
We met General, the current Bulldog mascot. He was fairly bursting with personality and his mouth could not contain his tongue.
The Citadel's record being what it is, the stands weren't exactly groaning with fans when the Bulldogs took the court against the Furman Paladins.
But it was fun and I did spot a few knobs. I think they saw me too.
The Bulldogs lost to the Paladins. It's a bitter rivalry so TG and Jim were less than thrilled although not exactly surprised.
On Sunday morning we went to church, then back out to the beach. Seagulls filled the air with their cries when they weren't swooping and landing.
A lone sandpiper strutted the sandy edge as though he had the deed to the entire Atlantic stashed in a safe deposit box.
I leave you with the musical stylings of a gregarious grackle who serenaded us from his perch on the pier. I love his level of intensity and that dice-in-a-cup clacking thing he does.
Happy Monday and Happy Week!
Reader Comments (7)
what a sweet trip girly..next time I shall tag along..ha ((HUGSSSSSSSSSS)) Have a great week my friend!:-)
What a glorious getaway, and love the bird song. I'm envious of the warmth.
What a wonderful trip! Your pictures are beautiful (and so is Audrey!)
A friend's son graduated from the Citadel about 5 years ago - it's something to be proud of. So is playing with the Alumni!
There is a creepy synchronicity in our blog posts today.
What a wonderful getaway! The ocean is one of my very favorite things...Glad you got to go!
hughugs
What great pictures and looks like you all had a wonderful time.
We're home again, trying to get caught up. I will post some pictures eventually.
Aaah, the sounds and smells of the ocean. Nothing better to spend a restful and refreshing weekend. Many of our summer vacations were spent at New Smyrna Beach. Family from out of state would come and we would all rent a condo and have a wonderful family reunion. I can recall one time my son who was ten at the time wanted to rent a raft and surf, no one else would go stay down at the beach with him for hours so I volunteered. Put my beach chair right at the edge of the water and sat there for hours. Long story short, I had not put sunscreen on my lips and ended up by that night and many days after with "Ubangi" lips. Couldnt go out in public or the sun for days after that. Haha, not a pretty picture Glad you had a wonderful weekend!!