Lake Murray
While enjoying my stay in Columbia, I did make time to venture back to the lake. As much as I love the up-beat tempo of an urban area, few things compare to the water in the heat of summer.
Columbia kept me active, Lake Murray asked me to relax.
Pickleball
Yes. The sport that’s taking over the nation. I played pickleball for the first time in February. A friend of mine went with my sister and brother-in-law. We had a blast. We half listened to the rules and let competitive spirit and personal pride play the rest of the game.
While I was there I noticed that pickleball appeals to all ages. Those who’ve gotten into it are really into it. The other players informed us how much they love coming and how it’s been a game changer.
Funny enough, the same is true for my aunt’s sister. Her and her husband love the game so much, they initiated and financially backed pickleball courts in their Ohio neighborhood. They are snowbirds who decided to bring the fun to South Carolina. They painted pickleball lines (officially measured) on the street and bought a net. My aunt retaught me the official rules with another curious neighbor. We enjoyed the game until we needed reprieve from the sun.
Quality Time
My aunt and I experimented with a few recipes which was a treat for me. She’s organic and joins me in my healthy eating. :) There was a vegetable recipe we tried on the grill. A little over-done… whoops. But I didn’t mind. I was the girl scout who caught the marshmallow on fire for the char-flavored smore.
She had two of her friends come over to spend time on the boat. We kept it short because we were going straight into a rain storm. You can see the clouds and rain a few miles away which is pretty neat on the water. We decided to turn around and enjoy time on the dock.
I love when women gather, especially when I’m with ladies a generation ahead of me. It makes me happy to think of my girlfriends and how we’ll be decades down the line. Still our own unique style, laughing at life, wiser from the past and more care-free in the present. I’m a firm believer in the sexes gathering. Women with women. Men with men.
I participated in a bible study last year. Even though I don’t identify as Christian, I loved gathering and learning from women who were 30 years my senior. They all had different flavors, perspectives, sense of humors and insight. All things my friends have, but there’s something special when the wisdom of age is braided within it. My aunt is a social lady, so I love this exposure.
Purple Martins
A fascinating bird. These little globetrotters migrate across the hemispheres. One season they’ll find themselves in Brazil. In another, good ol Chapin, South Carolina. They fly as a huge flock. What’s unique is they have one location where they all roost. My aunt explained there’s an island the Purple Martins fly to every night. Millions of birds go about their day and return around 8 PM to sleep, then fly out at sunrise.
What’s interesting is the roost they’ve claimed is called “bomb island”. This piece of land was used for nuclear bombing experiments. I’m in awe of why they choose it, no theories yet. As you can imagine this is a unique phenomena of the natural world, so all the residents on the lake come in their boats to watch them fly in. The ambitious get up early to watch them fly out.
The evening was beautiful when my aunt took me. We had an odd mishap with our boat lights. Didn’t want to risk driving back at night without them, so I didn’t see the Purple Martins in masses, but I did witness micro flocks come and land. Amazing isn’t it. Only a few roosts all over the world and bomb island on Lake Murray is their pick.
Migration patterns are phenomenal to me. An incredible feat, sophisticated yet simple, mysterious on how they know where to go when… Similar to a woman on a road trip. Migrating based on preparation and intuition house sitting along the way.
