And it was that phrase “the quality of light” that brought me to a source of inspiration that those of you who follow Oh, the Places We See have picked up on: I LOVE morning on the beach.

Inspiration is that state in which mind and heart are connected.

Deepak Chopra

Because we’ve been going to Pawleys Island, South Carolina — same beach, different rentals — for over 40 years, mornings during our week in the summer have been a strong source of inspiration, thought, and planning for a long, long time. As an educator, I used summertime to rethink and repurpose some of what I had done as a classroom teacher, and it was that thinking that inspired me to plan for the coming year and recharge my bank of creative energy.

Early morning — even before sunrise — became my quiet time as I joined the few people who walked their dogs, looked for shells, or just pulled up beach chairs for God’s morning surprise.

At times, I couldn’t tell the exact location of the sunrise. Clouds and mist covered the sky. But I found the wait to be the part of the joy, the anticipation of a new day, a new school year, and a new me, in some cases.

And it was in these early-morning moments that I planned new ways of introducing books I’d taught for years — The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath — in new ways, as I tried to relate old ideas to modern times and share how today’s issues are surprisingly similar yet different from those shared in the classics.

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

Victor Hugo

Today, retired as I am now, I still love getting up before dawn, carrying my coffee and camera with me, and standing on the beach. I’m no longer waiting for the inspiration to teach, but I am still trying to figure out how life works, what my place is, and how I can contribute meaningfully to making the world a better place.

And, no surprise here, the beach is still a lovely place to be inspired!

For more entries in this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #160: Your Inspiration, check out Patti’s blog and the responses below.

And if you’re so inclined, leave me a message. I’d love to know what inspires you — naturally or otherwise!

Travel with inspiration in mind,

Rusha

In every walk in nature, one receives more than he seeks.

A week at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, wouldn’t be complete without one or more early morning walks. Since we stay in what’s called the Bird’s Nest on the South End, a walk in the historic district begins right around the corner from us along Atlantic Avenue.

On one side of the street, the marsh at Pawleys offers something extra: crab docks in the creek, some reachable only by way of far-reaching boardwalks. Most docks are private, so taking pictures requires that I stand on the side of the road and look longingly into peaceful waters where herons fly over and early-morning kayakers paddle slowly to enjoy the view.

I listen to the hum of insects and watch tiny crabs scurry along mud banks as they dip in and out cautiously but quickly while I stand still and watch the morning unfold.

It’s the peace that brings me back year after year: nature’s quiet sounds before sun-up, before the onslaught of beachgoers pulling in to set up tents on the ocean side.

On the other side of the street, I look longingly and lovingly at beach homes in the Historic District. These second- and third-generation homes, some built in the 1700’s, give Pawleys the distinction of being America’s oldest seaside resort. Today, newer houses take the place of old ones, some irreparably damaged by Hurricane Hugo (September 1989), but the blend of old and new helps Pawleys maintain its “arrogantly shabby” status.

In 2012, Liberty Lodge, for example, celebrated ownership by the same family for over 100 years. Additionally, the lodge is said to be the home of the inventor of the Pawleys Island Rope Hammock, and you can still purchase these hammocks and have them shipped to your house at The Original Hammock Shop in “downtown” Pawleys!

The LaBruce/Lemon House built on 10 acres of land in 1848 was originally owned by the LaBruce family, successful rice planters in the area. According to a historic marker on site, “two small dwellings on the property were slave cabins,” but I can’t verify which two since I avoid trespassing if at all possible! In 1952, the Lemons of Barnwell, SC purchased the properties and currently lease some of them as summer rentals.

My walk takes me past houses, possibly owned by year-long residents, with beautifully landscaped lawns, at least on the street side. Typical of this area, you can see live oak trees with their long, far-reaching branches as well as plants that can stand the summer heat.

At the edge of the historic district stands one of the original houses remaining on the island — the Pelican Inn built in the 1840s as a summer home for Plowden Charles Jenrette Wedston of Hagley Plantation. According to the Pelican’s website, “the structure is representative of the majority of the island’s original houses, which were commonly made with cypress lumber, wooden pegs, mortise and tenon joints, and hand cut nails.” The Pelican’s whole space — eight rooms — is available for rent by groups only.

My walk ends as I pass one of my all-time favorite homes on Pawleys, Maurice Cottage. This low-country house with its wide wrap-around porch, black shutters, and sideways stance to catch the ocean breeze is one I look for and photograph every summer. It reminds me of what Pawleys used to be — a summer home for owners of nearby rice plantations who needed an escape for fishing, shelling, and family time together.

And for one week every summer, Pawleys is our home as well!

Your part-time beach dweller,

Rusha

Congratulations to Pawleys Island, named #9 in the list of “25 Best Beaches in the U. S. in 2020” by TripAdvisor!

If you believe that this life is all there is and there is no greater power than man, you must walk to the end of this pier at sunset.   

Donna Calhoun

Although we’ve vacationed at Pawleys Island, SC for over 35 years, we’ve never stood on Pawleys Pier. We’ve stood around it — left side, right side — and looked up at it from the beach. We’ve stood at a distance and taken pictures of storms rolling in and of our kids standing firm as waves crashed around them. We’ve even found the best spot for catching the sunrise — just right of the pier, looking under and through the stout, sturdy poles.

But we’d never been ON the pier before this summer. Pawleys Pier is private, open only to owners of the condos at Pawleys Pier Village — and renters like us who get to “borrow” the pier for a while as we soak up the ambiance of Pawleys North End.

The pier may be at its finest in the early hours of day when aspirations of catching fish are at their loftiest. Old and young, men and women, experienced and novice — all arrive at the pier looking to catch something, anything. Or looking for a good time trying.

And the pier serves all of us — fishermen and plain ol’ watchers — with anchors for poles, benches for sitting, tables for cleaning, and rails to rest on.

When we saw one man tugging away at his line, we asked him what he was catching. His reply? “Pier Fish.” My innocence about all things fishy made me ask, thinking this was some ocean fish, maybe even a big catch, but I stood corrected: “No, ma’am. This isn’t a fish. I’ve caught the pier!”

It’s hard to believe that in seven days at the beach, we didn’t fish even once. But we took advantage of the pier each and every day — greeting the sun, talking with the guys with poles, and looking out at the North End beach.

After all, the best thing about a pier is that feeling of being out in the ocean with the world wrapped all around you!

Enjoy the pier,

Rusha & Bert

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me),

it’s always our self we find in the sea.

The North End of Pawleys Island, SC might be known as the wild child of this “blessed isle.” After all, the North End, with its wider, white sand beach, seems to stretch endlessly without boundaries, expanding even further into the sea at low tide.

Unlike the houses at the South End that now look out over a newly renourished beach, houses at the North End are set back from the ocean — and always have been. But they still access the beach. Long wooden walkways provide the connection as they stretch endlessly (it seems) toward the horizon.

In the early morning hours, people on the North End walk the beach, surf, or set up fishing poles in the hope that there will be fish a-jumpin’ between the North End of Pawleys and the southern tip of Litchfield that you can see in the distance.

At sundown, people gather on the soft white sand (remember, this end of Pawleys hasn’t been renourished yet) to play, talk with family and friends, or walk out onto sandbars at low tide.

If shelling is your game, then you must go north at Pawleys. And most people do. Shells are almost non-existent on the South End, but plentiful on the North.

Those in the know are searching for mostly one thing: the Pawleys Island shell, Imperial Venus Clam.

Recently, the South End has been renourished, which explains why shell seekers have had a hard time finding any PI shells there. According to John Henry Longmire who makes silver castings of Pawleys Island shells for his shop Longmire Jewelers, “You can’t find ’em much any more on the South End. The new sand has covered them all up!” Thus the migration to the North for those who are intent on finding these gems of the sea.

My limited shell seeking experience this year, even on the North End, netted me no PI shells — but perhaps these treasured little shells could be tied up in debris washed ashore by Hurricane Isaias. The hurricane did indeed leave its mark on the North End: debris washed up on the beach, and huge chunks of sand broke off the dunes, destroying several of the wooden walkways.

To us, the best time to visit the North End is sundown, simply because you get a better view of the golden hour there. Drive north to the end of Pawleys, park at Shell Road access, and meander the sand pathway to the beach. It’s a long, uneven route, but the panoramic view of sand, ocean, and big sky when you get there will be reward enough.

And, if you want a really good shot (which I never seem to be able to manage), set your camera so that even when you shoot into the sun, you’re able to capture the beauty of the North End bathed in the last light of day. Then, with your back to the ocean, say good night to the Blessed Isle.

Celebrate the sea,

Rusha & Bert

Please check out our other posts on Pawleys Island:

Lens-Artists Challenge #109: Under the Sun

Beach Week: Renourishing the South End of Pawleys

To go out with the setting sun on an empty beach is to truly embrace your solitude.

After publishing this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #109: Under the Sun, we felt the need to share more about the beach we love. Actually, Pawelys Island, South Carolina, is an old beach, but, as we shared, there’s a lot of “new” under the sun at Pawleys. So, for our first installment of this week-long series, please join us for a look at what began in October 2019, a result of 20 years of major fund raising and planning: the renourishment of the South End.

According to “A longer walk to the ocean” written by Charles Swenson for the Coastal Observer, the town of Pawleys recently completed the placement of 1.1 million cubic yards (comparable to 80,000 dump truck loads) of offshore sand on about 3 miles of beach from the tip of the South End to Pawleys Pier. Marinex Construction dredged the sand from the ocean and, working around the clock, covered the whole beach, including the 23 rock and timber groins, with over 100 feet of dry sand at a cost of over $14.3 million. Take a look at a 2019 picture of houses near the Birds’ Nest section revealing where, at high tide, water reaches almost to the base of the houses.

Now, in 2020, the “new” sand extends the beach many feet out, leaving the ocean a greater distance from the homes. To some (us included), the renourished beach resembles a moonscape — a sandscape, if you will — of grayish sand and shells extending nearly the length of a football field to the ocean that is only accessible past the newly-formed “edge” of sand.

Our favorite beach seemed empty when we arrived for our usual summer beach week: groins were gone, a wide expanse of coarse sand had replaced the fine white grains we were accustomed to , and we didn’t have the same crowds to dodge as we set up our tent. (Well, that last part may be a positive!)

It didn’t, however, take long for folks to find their spots, albeit a bit further from the homes, but on the beach nevertheless. On the positive side, Pawleys now has more room for social distancing with the same familiar great view of the ocean.

One night, however, ended the dry spell on the “new” beach: the night before Hurricane Isaias touched down. That night conveniently coincided with the appearance of a full moon. So when people arrived in the evening sundown hours at the public access formerly known as Broken Groin, they saw water moving slowly but surely over the new sand and up to the houses for the first time.

That event, of course, changed the landscape again, and, as one beach visitor said as he moved his beach chair to a spot further back for the third time, “The ocean wins again!” Here came the water. There went the sand. (For more on the impact of Isaias, read “Storm tests island’s renourishment project” by Charles Swenson.)

So, what do we make of the renourishment of Pawleys? First, it was definitely needed. And, second, if we had been at Pawleys this spring, we would have come by often to watch the process as one resident told us he did every day. Mainly, however, we are pleased to hear that homeowners seem relieved that their houses on this beautiful barrier island will remain intact for a few more years.

But we have to admit: it takes a little getting used to. It’s a new Pawleys in many ways.

See you at the beach,

Rusha & Bert

Photo at top: View of South End of Pawleys Island in 2019 when groins were visible.

What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Amy’s theme for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge — Under the Sun — couldn’t come at a better time. Bert and I are wrapping up a rare two-week vacation at our favorite beach in South Carolina — Pawleys Island — and each year we look forward to the same old, same old. We love the familiarity of our place.

But this year we may have to disagree with Solomon who’s credited with saying “There is nothing new under the sun.” Because this year, some things WERE new.

First Sunrise

First, I must admit that I wasn’t sure the three pre-teens staying in our beach house would get up in time to see a sunrise. But they did. Yes, there was a bit of hesitation. Grumbling even. But when they emerged onto the beach in partial darkness with only the wind and waves for accompaniment, they were hooked. With phones in hand, they waited patiently to snap their first pictures of a sun moving upward from the horizon to light the day. And I stood behind them, proud to be a mover and a shaker of sorts. It was a first, but hopefully not a last.

First Major Critter

Second, we’ve seen more critters than we can count at the beach. Some are in the ocean — like dolphins that get our attention when anyone sights an arch or two. And some on the beach, like jellyfish that wash ashore and get poked or prodded by kids curious to see what they’re made of.

But seeing a young ‘gator emerge from the ocean waters onto the beach: well, that was a first. Last week, every person on the South End of Pawleys at the Birds’ Nest section cautiously wrenched themselves out of their beach chairs to see the critter, keeping their distance but taking shot after shot at this little one who seemed as stunned as we were.

Fortunately, after about a half-hour wait, a take-charge lady from animal control arrived and lassoed the little dude like she’s probably done with others a thousand times before. For almost all of us standing and staring though, it was a first (and memorable) under-the-sun experience.

First Day on a Renourished Beach

Third, Pawleys needed new sand. With normal beach erosion and high tides threatening to flood homes and cause water-related problems that any good barrier island can expect, it was time for a renourishment. But what we got was jaw-dropping. With a shocking 1.1 million cubic yards of sand, Pawleys South End looked more like a moonscape than the soft, welcoming beach we had become accustomed to. We’ll get used to it, I suppose, but this was definitely something new under the sun for us regulars.

First Hurricane, First Surfers

Finally, we’ve both been through hurricanes before (We grew up in Louisiana!) but never at the beach. That ended with our late-night watch of Hurricane Isaias pummeling Pawleys Island. So what happened? First, lots of rain. Then flooding of the marshes, washing up tons of brown marsh grass onto highways, driveways, and lawns. But then, during the morning after the storm, an onslaught of surfers (70 maybe?) lobbied for positions at the North End near Pawleys Pier. It was a first for us to see so many, especially in a Southern state.

Lots of firsts this year, but hopefully not any “lasts.” In fact, most of us who are lucky enough to be at the beach agree on one thing: We’re happy to be under the sun for yet another day.

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Home now and using aloe for sunburn,

Rusha & Bert

Photo at top: A first shot at rain at sunrise on Pawleys Island, SC.

Be sure to check out all the entries in this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Under the Sun at Amy’s blog, The World Is a Book.

And if you like photos of beaches, stay tuned to Oh, the Places We See. We’re starting a series of posts that will make you hanker to get a little sand between your toes and some color on your cheeks. It’s BEACH WEEK on the blog, coming up!

Do what you love, and love what you do.

Guest host Sue (Mac’s Girl) who writes The Nature of Things threw down the challenge of pastimes — what we spend our time doing outside of our work lives for this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge. Since we’re at the beach for a week at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, for a little getaway (that still ensures a bit of safety during Coronavirus times) we’re sharing how we fill our days, just the two of us in a rental house on the North End of Pawleys.

Beach watching

Mornings begin early at the beach — well, most mornings — when we wake, throw on something to keep us decent and head out to watch the sunrise. Even though we’re groggy, there’s an infectious energy among morning walkers that perks us up.

And so we greet the sun, wide-eyed and waiting for more, as we take pictures and talk about the morning show.

Later in the day, you can find us under or beside a tent on the beach, celebrating the mesmerizing movement of waves up and back along the shore. (It’s just what we do when we’re not reading.)

But we also love to watch others doing what they like to do: build castles of sand, dig moats to catch the ocean, ride waves on a boogie board, surf, swim, bike, or fly kites.

Sometimes everyone on the beach watches the same event, usually in awe, before returning to life as usual doing something that requires little or no effort whatsoever.

Beach watching on cloudy days mimics what we do on sunny days unless rain threatens to shorten the time on the beach. What gets our attention? Dark clouds overhead and a rumble of thunder or two.

Then we have to weigh in on what to do. Head inside? Or stick it out under the tent to see how long the rain will last? If we think it’s just a long stretch of cloudiness, we usually tough it out. After all, cloud cover can be neat to see, and high winds are fun for bundling up and walking with the wind at our backs as long as we can.

Sometimes we think we’re on the Weather Channel imitating those crazy reporters who stay way too long out in the hurricanes! Sometimes, though, we just have to give it up for the day and head inside.

Shell seeking

This year at the beach, we were on a mission: Find a Pawleys Island shell or two. These little gems of the sea (real name: Imperial Venus Clam) populate the waters in and around Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island, North End. But try as we have, we’ve never been able to find one along the shore, even a shore littered with shells.

So, what do you do if your pastime doesn’t yield the goods you expected? You go to an expert for advice. And John Henry Whitmire who founded Whitmire Jewelers in 1972 filled the bill. He told us the name, location, and unique habitat of the shells, and how he re-creates them in silver and gold for those who want an authentic souvenir of the island.

And so it is that we are still seeking these shells, but not as ardently as we did at the first of the week. After all, Mr. Whitmire included a real one in the box with my new silver Pawleys Island Shell. (Shell seeking pays off, you see.)

Time spending

And then there are other pastimes at the beach: Working jigsaw puzzles even when you can’t find that one last border piece . . .

and cooking shrimp (from Georgetown’s Independent Seafood) and grits from Kudzu Bakery. (Check out a great recipe from Chef Frank Lee on Discover South Carolina.)

Mostly our pastimes are these: sit, read, rest, repeat.

After all, we’re on island time!

Rusha & Bert

Be sure to check other posts on Lens-Artists Challenge #97: Pastimes.

There are moments when the elixir of life rises to such over−brimming splendor that the soul spills over.

I used to sleep in on our vacations to the beach, a luxury for a working mother of two. But that was before I discovered what really happens on beaches before dawn.

Nowadays, I need no prompting to hop up early. I throw on anything that goes with flip-flops and head out with coffee in hand, camera slung over my shoulder. And I wait as the drama begins.

First, that beautiful glow from below the horizon that washes houses and sand dunes in soft pinks and pale oranges.

Then — quick before I almost miss it — the first peek of wash-over orange lights up the sky.

And suddenly, full-on light bathes the world in crimson with a tiny, brilliant yellow focal point barely, just barely, peeking out to start the day.

But quick before I might miss the ta-dah moment, the sun’s up. Just like that. And on the move.

It’s my last chance to capture the main event as full-on light floods the camera, blinding me with the elixir of dawn at the beach.

And almost with the let-down you feel when a concert has ended, I turn the other way, check out who’s out there with me, and head back inside. Smiling, of course.

That’s the way morning plays out at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Rusha

First things first: a blue rental umbrella, wooden beach chairs and a focus on the sea.

Ride up and down the beach on a rental bike? Naaaahhhhh.

It didn’t take much effort on our part to sit and watch people go by . . . like this boy skipping puddles on the wide, open spaces.

About the most exciting thing that happened all day was the afternoon drive-by of the ice cream man — well, ice cream lady, in this case — playing that cheesy music and stopping when anyone had enough change on them for something cold on a stick.

Why spoil a day like today with an active plan for the evening? We just cruised right over to Ocean Course, found two rocking chairs, and watched the sun go down from the porch.

Just another slow day at Kiawah.

Take it easy out there,

Rusha and Bert

This post is one of a series of one-word prompts for April 2020 called Discover Prompts by WordPress. Enjoy!

Sometimes being alone doesn’t literally mean ALONE.

Sometimes solitude is carving out me-time in the midst of worldly things.

For more expressions of solitude, move quietly and singularly to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitude and check ’em out.