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A Wing And A Prayer Trip Day 3


Little did I know that when Tina took a picture of me sitting by a toad it be one of a few dry moments we would have today.

Thankfully, my Four-H leader taught me to always be prepared. Tina’s experience as a Girl Scout leader came in handy, too. So when we saw the weather forecast we took raincoats with us.

The first thing on our agenda was to visit Fort Sumter before the storms hit. My friend, Tommy, had encouraged me to get there early so I could witness the raising of the flag. He mentioned that they may even let a guy from Mississippi pull the rope that lifts it to the top of the pole.

Before we disembarked, the boat’s Captain announced, “Due to a chance of lightning today no one will be allowed near the flagpole.”

So I scratched that off my to-do list.

We made it inside the fort and I was able to take a few pictures before the wind picked up. What began as a nice little breeze turned into rain pouring sideways.

We put on our raincoats and sought shelter in the gun turrets hoping it would slack up. It did not.

We decided after forty minutes to get back to the boat before everyone else did so we could find a seat below deck.

We took seats near the front of the boat and watched as others became aware the boat was the best place to take refuge in the storm.

I was amused that the rain didn’t bother any of the children in the least. They were running around, jumping in puddles and having a blast. Only us older folks were concerned about our underwear crawling into forbidden crevices.

Looking like drowned rats, the rest of the crowd filed onboard. We were among the few that were mostly dry.

One older lady boarding said, “We ought to have a wet tee shirt contest,” and everyone laughed.

That reminded me of a guy I worked with when I was younger. He said his wife entered a wet t-shirt contest and won. She came in first and third.

Tip of the day: You can inflate and dry out your drawers if stand below those hot air hand blowers in the Whole Food Market restrooms. You may have to suck in your tummy and tug out your pants a bit for the air to get down there, but it works.

Thinking no one else in their right mind would be up for an outside adventure we drove to Johns Island searching for the Angel Oak, probably the oldest known tree east of the Mississippi River. Some speculate it may be 500 years old.

I discovered there were other crazy people afoot in the rain , but not too many.

When we saw the redwoods on the west coast a few years ago it was almost a spiritual experience. Walking among giants would be the closest thing I can say that would describe how I felt. Old, massive, tall and eerily quiet.

That same feeling returned when I gazed upon the Angel Oak today.

Its trunk was huge, twenty eight feet in diameter. Its limbs were thicker and longer than many trees I have seen. The tree is sixty five feet tall and its limbs shade 17,000 square feet.

It was definitely worth a walk in the rain to see.

After leaving there we traveled to Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island. By then the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds.

If my memory serves me correctly it began its life in 1776 when it was hastily constructed from palmetto logs and earth to defend Charleston from the British.

When the British fired their cannons upon the fort they bounced off the green and flexible timber. The men survived that battle and lived to see another day.

Over the years Fort Moultrie was rebuilt several times until it was decommissioned in 1947.

I know of one occupant still residing there. A large snake another tourist near us spotted along the path.

Buried a few feet from the entrance of the fort is Osceola, a Seminole, who had fought to remain in Florida.

He was captured and remained in the fort until he passed away in 1838. He so endeared himself to the men there that when he died they buried him just outside the wall with full honors. A monument now marks his gravesite.

Our Wing And A Prayer Tour has come to an end unless something catches our eye on our trip home.

As always, it’s been an adventure. And as an old buddy of mine used to say, “If you’re not living on the edge you’ve not living.”

To infinity and beyond!

_______________
Rick Algood
June 28, 2022

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