Irene

Hurricane Irene has come and gone. While she was here, her outer bands stretched into the Piedmont. Here on the Coastal Plains, we sat inside all day as high winds, and even higher wind gusts, thrashed everything in their path. Large trees toppled over and branches fell. Some on the grass and in the woods, others on houses, knocking out power, and lives. NC officials have spent time and resources preparing the beaches for the upcoming holiday, but inland residents complain they're being forgotten. Three days later, many are still without power.

I couldn't take photos during the storm. Every time I opened the door, a warm blast of wind and rain chased me back. I can only share a few photos that I took before Irene's arrival. Two are of clouds that spun off from Irene's outer bands. The last shows a gorgeous (and untouched) sunset on the eve before the hurricane made landfall.

The storm has wrecked lives and property from the Carolinas to Vermont. Pray for those affected. They need, and appreciate it.

One Natural Disaster Down, One to Go

Earlier this week, the east coast experienced an earthquake that was felt throughout the Carolinas. We barely had time to ewww and ahhh over it though. A hurricane was on its way.

Irene is now knocking on our doors. The Outer Banks has been evacuated, as have places along the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula (if you're looking at a map, it's the raggedy flap in the middle of the coast.) We're a bit further inland, but white clouds are looming on the eastern horizon, and our weather radio is already bleating warnings of high winds and flash floods. We're hoping Irene will stop being a diva and turn east.

I'm following the storm on the National Hurricane Center, The Weather Channel, and Twitter, where the Carolinas organizations I follow are constantly updating their statuses with weather information, evacuation and ferry updates and more. Let's pray it's overkill, but as the old saying goes, it's best to err on the side of caution.

If you're along the coast, I hope your impact is minimal, and the rain just enough to water the land and put out a couple of wildfires.

NASA photo of the storm:

Back from Charleston

We ran down to Charleston for a few days to celebrate our anniversary. While there, we toured Boone Hall Plantation and--why not fit in a little novel research while I'm at it--the Provost Dungeon and the original city wall. We also stopped by the Old City Jail, something I didn't know existed until this weekend.

I'm still processing photos, so I'll post reports as soon as I'm finished. I am convinced that no matter how much I learn about Charleston and the Lowcountry, I'll never learn it all.

Avenue of Oaks, Boone Hall Plantation

Boone Hall Plantation, built in 1936

Rear of the Old Exchange/Provost Dungeon

Wish List: WNC and the Cherohala Skyway

There's much to see in western North Carolina. Much we missed while living in the SC Upstate: the southern portion of the Great Smoky Mountains; Cherokee; a scenic ride on a train from Bryson City; the Joyce Kilmer Forest; trails and waterfalls in Nantahala, and so much more. All of these are on our To Do list.

And while there, someday, I want to drive along the Cherohala Skyway. A scenic drive that stretches over forty miles from the far reaches of western North Carolina into the Cherokee Mountains of Tennessee. It's high on my western North Carolina wishlist, and something I'd love to do in the spring or the peak of fall.

Another fabulous way to experience the southern Appalachian Mountains. For more information, go to http://cherohala.org/index.html

State Parks Info on Social Media Sites

If you're not following North and South Carolina State Parks on Facebook or Twitter, I highly recommend it. Both organizations are great about updating their statuses with information, events, and deals. To follow, click on the links below:

Facebook:

SC State Parks
www.facebook.com/SC.State.Parks

NC State Parks
www.facebook.com/pages/North-Carolina-State-Parks-and-Recreation/143412869029

Twitter:

SC State Parks: http://twitter.com/#!/SC_State_Parks

NC State Parks: http://twitter.com/#!/NCparks

Instant access to outdoor ideas. And while my updates aren't as frequent, Carolina Towns and Trails is on both:

www.facebook.com/pages/Carolina-Towns-and-Trails/341450107228

http://twitter.com/#!/CarolinaTrails