Sunday, May 31, 2015

A Roll Through the Woods

Friday was a such a gorgeous day we couldn't stay inside. We decided to borrow a golf cart and head off on a trail through the piney woods across the road.

 

 

Sadly the piney woods is scheduled to be cut for timber any day but for now it is home to many creatures -- deer, raccoons, and birds.

But that's what it was grown for, sale of the timber, and the creatures will have to adapt.

 

 

 

 

 

There is a primitive road through the sand, past an old abandoned pig farm and another farm with a very curious horse In a pasture. I don't imagine he sees many visitors back in here.

 

 

 

 

We came out into the open on the other side where once rice grew as far as the eye can see on vast plantations. The things that look like rocks in the mud are oyster beds. Did you know you can't eat oysters in the months that don't have an "r" in them?

Oysters spawn during the summer and spawning takes a lot of energy. To get enough energy oysters use what is stored in their bodies, leaving a not very appetizing mushy oyster instead of a fat, juicy one. Yuk. (Well, in all honesty oysters are yucky to me even when they're plump.)

 

 

 

This is pluff mud, what's left at low tide in the tidal flats and grassy salt marshes. It's slippery, shiny brown-gray, sucky mud and it has a nice earthy smell all its own.

 

 

 


 

And here is our destination: the old trestle bridge, now a fishing pier on the Coosawatchie River. It's a magic spot where you can feel the presence of history: Revolutionary War soldiers, plantation slaves working in the steaming hot rice fields, an old steam locomotive laboring to pull cars loaded with rice and cotton up to the markets of Charleston.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the pier you can see all the way to Beaufort. The low spot on the horizon in the center of the river is the bridge in Beaufort 20-some miles away.

 

 

 

 

 

We had lunch at a locally favorite barbecue restaurant. It is only open three days a week and when it is, cars fill the parking lot. Everything is southern fried and the menu never changes. Here, I'll show you my plate.

 

 

 

Starting at 10 o'clock: pork with a choice of hot or mild barbecue sauce, fried chicken liver, fried gizzard, fried okra, hush puppy, homemade potato chips, potato salad, coleslaw, and plenty of dill pickles. If you want to make a sandwich of of your pork, or you need a slice of (soft, white) bread to mop up your juice, there is a communal loaf on the longest table. Just help yourself!

 

 

 

 

Paul got a stomach ache that lasted all afternoon.

The fried okra and potato chips were delicious and I ate enough to last me quite a while.

And I won't be trying the gizzards and lizards, oops livers, again. But at least I can say I did!

 

14 comments:

  1. Cynthia interesing photos. I have never seen personally rice plantation.

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  2. What great photos, the woods look amazing. It will be interesting to see what they look like once the trees are felled. Great looking lunch, I am not sure I could eat friend gizzard and livers but I fancy the pork.

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  3. Interesting post and for me, some memories of visits down that way.

    I would have thought that from an economic point of view, the trees that are to be
    cut for timber, would have new trees to replace them - replacement trees growing in
    the same forest - re-forestation! I think in pine forests here, it is the law for seedlings
    of the pines to be cut, planted at some stage of the cycle.

    My stomach turned with that eating place. Fried Gizzard and your description of the oysters,
    no thank you. As for the "hush puppies", well here hush puppies are a brand of casual foot wear
    and I have never had a tasting desire for shoe eating. I'll leave that delight to the "pooches".
    It is no wonder Paul got a stomach ache.

    I love our World famous Sydney Rock oysters, but those mud oysters that you so
    brilliantly described - they can stay in the bloody paddy field mud.
    Funny come to recall ( or think about it) - as I love fresh oysters, I did on quite a few
    occasions darn near throw up when I ate US oysters - maybe they were what you describe
    here??? And it was in the Carolinas ( N and S), Georgia and Louisiana States!

    Excellent reporting of your new location, much appreciated.
    Colin (Brisbane. Australia)
    PS: June 1st. First day of winter and still in shorts in the day time
    but that for me won't last too long.

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  4. Oh - add environmental to the "economic point of view".
    Thus "environmental and economic point of view".
    Colin

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  5. That was a great little adventure with a photo story to go along with it.

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  6. I love oysters :)
    What about snakes, wonder are there any there.
    I couldn't come as some of the food on the plate..

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  7. What a shame they will cut the beautiful trees. That is a huge amount of different food on the plate. I am not a liver lover so I can imagine your friend had some difficulties afterwards.

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  8. I can certainly tell you are in the Carolinas! That piney woods looks so much like home in the Sandhills. I must say the foods looks tasty to me, but I have a hard time eating oysters any month of the year.

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  9. Gizzard and livers! Not my kind of food, but that scenery looks really interesting. Loving exploring with you.


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  10. All that beauty, history and fun and on a golf cart to boot! I have not driven a golf cart in ages! I loved driving it and I wasn't golfing! We are having okra tonight . . . in our spaghetti sauce - per GN's request. We both like it, but I wouldn't add it unless she asked. I must confess to liking a chicken gizzard from time to time, but just boiled . . . you know . . . when you cook the giblets for making gravy. I haven't had one in a long time. Beautiful woods you rolled theough.

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  11. I used to enjoy a gizzard and liver and a yummy little heart now and then when my grandmother butchered her chickens and I helped! Have not had any for many years. What a lovely adventure on the golf cart...I never knew about the "r" months for Oyster harvest...but I have never tasted an oyster either. Cold here, it froze two nights...barely hit 58 degrees as a high yesterday, hoping for 65 today...maybe. I am enjoying your southern photos...how is Rosie? :)

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  12. Ummmm... Fried gizzard and liver? It looked delicious until I saw what it was. It must be an acquired taste.

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  13. I have just trawled through your latest three posts (as I have been away), I can tell how much you are enjoying the new discoveries and nature of your new home - and so am I!

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  14. I have just trawled through your latest three posts (as I have been away), I can tell how much you are enjoying the new discoveries and nature of your new home - and so am I!

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