Uncle Kracker says.....

Follow me and everything is alright.....

I think I'll keep my day job. Uncle Kracker is probably very happy about that. Actually, this post is not about Uncle Kracker at all. I just needed to tell you that in light of Google Reader shutting down as of July 1st, you now have a new option to follow my blog.

You can follow me at the link below or by clicking the 'follow this blog with bloglovin' icon in the upper right hand corner.

http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5455541/?claim=dzfxsphwb8x

I really am enamored with bloglovin. It keeps all your favorite blogs in one place and if you choose, it will send you a daily email with any new posts from your favorite bloggers.

Go ahead and explore. I think you'll be pleased.

Have a good weekend,
Laurie

A So-called Fishing Trip

Load up, y'all. We're going to the river. I'm about to take you on a little trip. A so-called fishing trip.

But first, no fishing trip is complete without food. Oh yeah, we'll have a picnic...right there in the boat. And since it was still early morning, I whipped up a couple of our favorite fried egg sandwiches, packed a couple apples and some granola bars and then we were ready to go.

Cliff hooked up the boat and we headed down to the Garden City Bait and Tackle shop. The no frills kind...the mom and pop kind....the kind that has ice, a few drinks and crickets.

Kind of nostalgic, don't you think? We like to shop at the mom and pop stores.

 

Anyway, with crickets and drinks and a cooler full of ice, next stop was the Waccamaw river.   

 

 

Cliff's been exploring a few creeks shooting off from the main river and thinks he's found a nice one to fish.  So he pulls out his cane, baits it up........

 

 

........and starts the slow paddle along the creek's edge. I, on the other hand, had brought my neighbor's camera. She's brave. She probably didn't remember that I dropped my iPhone in the creek last year. I didn't say anything. I learned a lesson and I was sure I could take good care of her camera. We have been comparing our cameras. Joyce's has more mega pixels than mine and I just wanted to see the difference...up close and personal.

 

And then, there was the hope that we didn't have a repeat of the incident that happened a few weeks ago in Black River.  Cliff had pulled the boat up to the bank under a tree branch hanging out over the water. And of all the trees on Black River, OMG!!!! With a capital OMG!!! There was a big ole fat snake stretched out on it... hovering just above my head. I nearly walked on water. I didn't want to scream, fearing I would spook the snake and he, she or the devil incarnate would fall on me. So, I high tailed it to the back of the boat whispering very loudly for Cliff to "BACK UP! BACK UP! BACK UP!"

 

Lord, my heart hurt for 15 minutes after that incident. I mean, seriously, I've been scarred. I can't even go to the river anymore with coming home with a neck ache.

  

OK, back to the present and after a little while, with no luck yet on catching any fish, we decided to have our sandwiches. I pulled a nice cold bottle of water out of the cooler for me and for Cliff, a canned Pepsi. He has this excessive concern about his drinks. They have to be cold...ice cold. So, he asked me to put some ice in his Pepsi can. What? How the heck am I gonna put ice through that little bitty hole? "There's the ice pick", he says. It was a ding dang knife that could have taken off any one of my ten fingers. But to be the nice, accommodating wife that I am....I commence to stab the one inch cylindrical shaped cubes of ice with the knife - just so he could have an ice cold Pepsi. It took me ten minutes. I think he may have just been messing with me. He can do that with a straight face. But none-the-less, I completed the task at hand and iced his Pepsi. 

 

On with the fishing....and nothing happening. Cliff's fishing patience was wearing thin. He decided to call it quits. But for me, the picture taking was good. So, what started out as a nice little fishing trip turned into a........

 

"Waccamaw River Photo Shoot"

 

Warning: Picture Heavy

Disclaimer: I used my neighbor, Joyce's camera. Thanks, Joyce! Girl, you and your camera rock! I love the close-ups. The distant ones........well let's just say that I needed to read the manual and practice a little more. But hey, have you ever noticed how much flora and fauna is right in your own back yard?  

 

Well come on...let's just see what lovelies showed up through the lens of Joyce's camera.

(Remember that you can click on the photo to see the actual size.)

 

 

Oooh look, a purple flower. I just love, love purple flowers of all kinds...

 

Nice close-up of oak leaves...

 

Sun filtering through the canopy of trees...

 

The grasses along the edge makes a great home and hiding place for the alligators...

 

Interesting tree branch..... 

 

Yellow flowers dotted the banks here and there... 

 

Watch out! Wasps...

 

What do you know...blackberries growing wild along the river bank.

I can just imagine the native Waccamaw Indians snacking on these, back in the day...

 

Cliff's hand after placing the blackberries in mine...

Sweet!

 

Foraged blackberries with a couple of unripe red ones thrown in for color.

Quite tasty...

 

Osprey with a fish dinner in his talons...

 

The Osprey's nest. Can you see the baby Osprey heads sticking up?

 

The stately Cypress tree...

 

And, another leaning towards the river...

I love trees...can't you tell?

 

Not sure what this is called, but do you see the purple flowers among the leaves?

 

Not so much in the main river, but a common site in the creeks is the alligator...

And as luck would have it, we saw one taking a leisurely swim. It's in the middle of the photo just under the hanging limb. If you look closely, the gator appears white...just on the surface of the water.

 

Lastly, one of our usual stops for lunch or dinner when out on the river....Bucksport Marina.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the Waccamaw River Photo Shoot! This just makes me want to go home to our stomping grounds - Black River - for a photo shoot there.

 

Oh, by the way, keep checking back...there may be a kayaking trip coming soon.

 

And just for good measure......

 

 

I want to wish my baby sister a Happy Birthday!

 

 

Laurie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitter Shenanigans....

Kitter

 

Well, not much happening on the home front. Summer usually slows down for us, considerably. Too hot and humid most of the time to do much. Know what I mean? I have definitely been exercising a lot. I'll do a month end exercise stats post in a couple days. I know you can't wait to read that one.....I've been astonishing myself. Ha!

 

The latest: Whitney came home for ten days and then her husband, Jason, surprised us by flying in three days later. We had a great time, just hanging out. I was hoping we would be able to get a run in together, but she twisted her ankle at a mud run the week before so she was recouping from that. We actually spent all of our time at the beach. Whitney has been missing the sand, the sun and the sea. I took pictures and was duly threatened, if I posted any of them. Although, she looks great. She's been doing Shaun T's Insanity workout and has lost a few inches. If she loses anymore, she's going to dry up and blow away. But you know how it is with us girls....if said photos don't make us look drop dead gorgeous, then you better burn them. Ha!

 

Anyway, Kitter was left home with a sitter. She didn't like it. Whitney reports that Kitter paced the floors until her return. So, I thought it was time for another Kitter post. Maybe that will make up for Kitter's duress of being left alone for 10 days. So here, in no particular order, are the latest Kitter shenanigans.

 

 

Whitney: She's not happy with me.

Me: I reckon not.

 

Whitney: Your grand-kitty needs to be punished for this crap.

 

Jason rescuing Kitter.

 

Whitney: She gets on the counter (cringe). Then walks across the stove (double cringe). Jumps on top of the refrigerator and then jumps on top of the cabinets. She is in timeout. Solitary confinement is the worst punishment for her.

 

Two seconds later, she almost ripped up the carpet....tearing out of there because the voices in her head told her to.

 

Whitney: Ripple Kitter.

Now, this is quality Kitter blog material right here. LOL!

 

 

Whitney via text message:   I have some great Kitter blog material including her tornado shelter and meeting her cat cousin, Zara.  We took Kitter to meet Jason's cousin Tim's cat, Zara. That didn't go well. On the way there, Kitter crapped and peed in her tornado shelter a.k.a. cat carrier. Car trips stress her out. So, for the first time ever,  we had to bathe her at Tim's apartment. Tim's cat kept hissing and growling, so then Kitter started. Eventually, Kitter backed herself up behind the toilet and stayed there because she was scared of Zara. Needless to say, Kitter and her cat cousin, Zara, don't get along. And now, Kitter needs a new tornado shelter.

 

 

Kitter's new playhouse. It has disco balls hanging from the ceiling.

 

Whitney: It's a Kitters only disco club...3+ years old admitted.

Me: Does she boogie down?

Whitney: Of course!

 

 

And last but not least.........

Whitney: The lights drive her bat crap crazy.

 

Love me some Kitter.

 

Be back soon,

Laurie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anatomy Of The Run

 

THE RUN

 

The sun rises and peaks through the window. The non-morning person rolls over. The sun with all it's might and infinite power can be heard saying...."wakey, wakey".

 

Pre-run inner dialog with imagined voice of the sun:

 

NMP (Non-morning person): Well, how annoying is that? Wakey, wakey? That's the best you can do?

 

SUN: Good grief. It's your day to run. Must we do this every time?

 

NMP: I can't. I'll get nauseated.

 

SUN: I'm getting hotttter by the minute.....Humidity is coming for an extended visit. Betttter get uuuppp.

 

NMP: Oh, alright. But first, I need some coffee. No, wait...green tea. Let me just check my emails. Hummmm, wonder what's happening on Facebook? Need to look at the Weather Channel for a minute. Gotta iron a shirt for Cliff. Good grief, now I'm hungry. What can I eat? Oh yeah, a banana. Sip a little water. Put on my running clothes. Don't forget my race belt with a water bottle this time. Stretch a little.

 

SUN: Come on already, time's a wasting.

 

NMP: Geez, I'm coming....just let me tie my shoes.

 

Finally, out the door. That took 2 hours. I have got to get better at this. Wave to my neighbor, Ms. Joyous, as Sawyer calls her. Start Garmin watch, start music and start running.

 

0-1 Mile: Oooh-wee. I feel good. Check Garmin watch. Oh Lord, started too fast. Just gonna keep running this pace, though. If I'm ever gonna get faster, need to push the limits occasionally. First mile....the mind can only think about how the body feels. Warming up those sleepy muscles takes a little while.

 

1-2 Miles: OK, at 1.5 miles you start to get into a rhythm. The muscles have warmed up and it's starting to feel good. The mind is starting to wander now.....making a to-do list for the day. Working out any decisions that needs to be made as in; what color curtains am I going with at the beach? I need a Target trip. What the heck...traffic is picking up. Cars, golf carts, foot traffic and dogs on leashes.  Cut the block to avoid the stinky trash truck. Stay focused.

 

2-2.5 Miles: You come to realize that dogs don't like runners. You may have to take a side step. Happened twice this week, already. You wonder what the owner on the other side of the leash, the one that's letting their dog get just close enough that it scares the bejeebies out of you would think if, I just hauled off and pepper sprayed their varmint?  Disclaimer: I like dogs. I just don't like the ones that want to bite me and I don't like them to lick me, either. That's just pure Gross! Getting tired now. Pace slows. The mind now slips into a state of catatonia (not really, just messing with you), only to be brought back to reality with one of your favorite smells....Coppertone Suntan Lotion.

 

2.5-3 Miles: You are most definitely tired now. You are not beyond asking the little blond headed boy riding a three-wheeled bike with a basket on the back for a ride home. He says, "No, you won't fit". Sigh. You carry on. The finish line is in sight. Your step gets a little extra pep. And, you're done. Hallelujah! You say a quick prayer thanking the Lord for the ability to run.....because there are so many that can't and would love to be in my tired shoes. Amen!

 

Post-run: Stretch, water, record time and distance, shower, left over sushi (California Roll) from last night. Get on with your day having the most exhilarating feeling of accomplishing "The Run".

 

Your turn!

 

Go get your run on!

 

Oh wait, if you're not one of my Facebook friends, then you don't know that I rode my first ever 20-mile bike ride yesterday. Holler!

 

Later,

Laurie

 

 

The Target Trip



.....would prove to be my entertainment for the afternoon. So, back at Chuck and Emily's from the Simpsonville 8K Sunrise Run....breakfast was done and naps were done. Cliff and Chuck needed to prepare for their Tri in Greenwood. So, while they took their bikes to Greenwood to be placed in the transition area for the next day, Emily, the girls and I went to Target. Emily needed to pick up a few items that Claire needed for camp next week.  Remember the girls? Claire is 6 years old and Charlie and Cloe, the twins, are three years old. This should be epic. HeHe!!

Apparently, the girls used the car ride to Target to think about their shopping trip. They were all excited.....making mental notes of what they needed, I'm sure. Once inside, Emily had to get the giant buggy so all the girls had a place to sit. First stop, popcorn and icees. Two blues and one pink. ~Giggle~

Now you have to picture this....Three little blondes all hyped up on shopping. Claire was intent on her list for camp and looking forward to spending her $7 that she brought along for a notebook and colored pens. The twins....long blond hair, dainty and petite, binkies in mouth and wide eyed to the wonders that Target would provide for these little shoppers.

The girls began chattering, oohing and ahhing over the things they saw. Charlie was contained in the child's seat of the buggy, but Claire and Cloe could move about freely. Cloe, one of the twins, needed everything...so she thought! ~Giggle~

She needed a bathing suit for the pool, a chair for the beach....no, wait....for the pool, no...yeah, for the pool. ~Giggle~  She needed sunglasses for the pool. She needed fruit gummies and crackers for snacks. You get the picture. I laughed at Cloe every few minutes. I couldn't help myself.  Really it's because the last time I saw the twins, they were barely talking and now they were not only making full sentences but, could carry on conversations.....and most definitely shop with the best of them.

Cloe lost her flip flop 3 or 4 times and just when we thought we had that under control, Claire lost one of hers. ~Giggle~  Charlie wanted to walk a bit and ended up stumping her toe on the buggy. Bless it...melt down. I know Emily must have thought I was sadistic or something, because I couldn't help myself....I just giggled. Charlie was back in the buggy now and Cloe was back to shopping and needed a water bottle. It's just the way she says it......~Giggle, Giggle~

Now, I don't know if Charlie had just had enough of the laughing or she really thought I was somehow making a mockery of her sister, Cloe. Because all of a sudden, Charlie threw me a look and said, "Don't laugh at my sister"!

Put in my place! That just made it worse! ~Giggle, Giggle~ 

Well, two hours later and the Target shopping trip was done. I proceeded straight to Starbucks and two Grande Iced White Mocha coffees later, we were on our way home.

Bless her, giggle!!!

 

Later,

Laurie

 

 

Run with the Sun!

  



Our plan for this past weekend was to spend it with our friends Chuck and Emily. Cliff and Chuck were doing a triathlon in Greenwood on Sunday and then all of us were running the Simpsonville Sunrise 8K Run on Saturday, except Chuck's wife, Emily. She had good reasons. You'll see why in a minute.

Tropical storm Andrea sort of followed us up the coast, Friday, until we turned west and arrived at our destination in the upstate. Our friends Chuck and Emily live in Clinton, SC. A very pretty area. Lots of green countryside and slightly hilly. Chuck and Emily are the proud parents of three pretty little blonds. Claire is six and the twins, Charlie and Cloe, are three.

Chuck and Emily had planned for us to have lunch at a quaint little diner in town called, Jitters.....known for their sandwiches and the cute little gift shop that was also housed there. We were surrounded by Beanie Babies. Before leaving the diner, the twins scored two of them...... because Charlie needed a sheep but, settled for a kitty named Mimi. The sandwiches were awesome....I had the veggie wrap. Yum!

Plato was one smart cookie! His quote "Necessity is the mother of invention" couldn't have rang truer for Emily, mother of twin 3-year-olds. Although she didn't invent it, the concept is awesome. Have potty...will travel.

Sometime during the ride back to the house to put the left over sandwiches in the fridge, one of the twins needed to go. Well, veteran moms and especially those of twins have to be organized and anticipate events well. Emily? She's one of the best of them. She travels with potty in tow. Twin #1 sat on the potty and proceeded to.....well, you know....go. All of a sudden, seemingly oblivious to the fact that one of his girls was going potty, Chuck sniffs and says, "Charlie? Did you go poo?" And yes, of course, Charlie did. So Emily informs him that he has to pull over to empty it. We couldn't be bothered with odors and such. So Chuck stopped in a gravel driveway in an out of the way area and as luck would have it, in a puddle of water. This puddle of water proved to be a life saver because Chuck had to not only empty, but rinse the potty out.  We laughed! Well, Chuck didn't. So, we just laughed at him.  If you've ever been the parent of small children, then you know that certain events creates trends. Sort of like monkey see, monkey do. And BINGO! We got almost back to the house and Twin #2 had to go potty. Which she did just as Chuck pulled into his driveway. Emily asked him to grab some diaper wipes, when he took the sandwiches inside. After getting back to the car, Emily told Chuck to empty the potty a second time. He did and it didn't go far this time....as a matter of fact....it landed on the driveway. Chuck said, "Dang, good thing I got the diaper wipes. That just splashed back up on my leg". He's a good daddy sport. The saying about "what happens in the car, stays in the car".....well, not so much. Ha! We laughed again!!

Next, we headed over to Simpsonville to pick up our race packets. Chuck drove the race course so that we could get a feel of what to expect the next day. Oh boy, I sure didn't know what I signed up for. This was going to be a hilly race. Heart palpitations began to manifest. Emily quickly bowed out due to the fact that she wasn't sure if she would have a sitter. She gave a strong argument. But, I really think it was those hills that had her stomach churning. She was the smart one.

Emily's mom came over to watch the girls that evening as we headed out to our pre-race dinner. Dinner was on the porch of a lovely Country Club restaurant overlooking the greens of the golf course there. In addition to the beautiful scenery that surrounded us, the porch ceilings hit a chord with me. They were painted sort of a robin's egg blue, much like those you see in the row houses of Charleston. The ceiling was dotted with ceiling fans that were the perfect accompaniment to the nice cool evening we were enjoying. We talked about our plans for the next couple of days and tried again to talk Emily in to running the 8K with us. But, with three little ones and in particular twin three-year-olds. She found it rather impossible, especially knowing that we had to get up at 4:45 the next morning. The race was about a 30 minute drive from their home and began promptly at 6:30 am on Saturday.

Chuck and Emily

Said Country Club

Well, anyone who knows me knows that I just don't do early mornings so well. But by His wonderful grace, I would do my best. The alarm went off and my first thoughts were..."What was I thinking? Can I back out and just go back to bed?" And, I didn't feel nervous, but the gut did. The nerves showed up just as I was trying to choke down a little oatmeal. A rebellion was going on in the alimentary canal, y'all. It didn't want any part of that oatmeal! As usual, I mustered up everything I had and finished the task of dressing and gathering my race things. Somewhere on the drive over, the nerves decided to calm down, but wanted one more stop before lining up for the race. All that taken care of, we lined up and were off. Adrenaline is my best friend at races. It gets me started way too fast at times, though. But today, I needed it. And I was depending on adrenaline to carry me for much of the race. A sunrise race is just that, it began at 6:30 am. It probably took me a couple of miles to wake up and get my muscles warmed up. And then there were those hills. Living in the low country, hills are few and far between. However, at Lakewood, there is one and albeit short, a fairly steep hill. So, I have incorporated it into my runs. Good thing. Because that little bit of hill training came in handy Saturday.

A few highlights:
Mile 1:   I passed a man that was grunting and moaning so bad that I had to keep looking back to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack.

Mile 2:   We started downhill. Hallelujah, oh but wait....if there is a downhill then that means there's an uphill. And there would be several. Thank heavens....a water break. Walked through it, but only for about 10 seconds.

Mile 2.5: Someone had a sprinkler set up at the edge of their driveway for us. Quick run-through shower....awesome!

Mile 3:   Had to take a 15-20 second walk break uphill. Took the opportunity to take a GU Gel. Chocolate. Yuck!! Sweet!! Downed it with some Gatorade. The taste lasted only a second or two...the hopes that it would give me enough energy to make the rest of the hills lasted for the last 2 miles.

Mile 4:   Another big hill, walked it for about 10-15 seconds. And then we were in the home stretch. I think I felt the GU Gel kick in about this time. I sped up slightly and started passing people that had been playing the "cat and mouse" game with me for pretty much the whole race.

Mile 5: The finish line..... Cliff was there with a few cheerleaders, cheering the runners in. He told them to look for me. As you can imagine, I was surprised to hear them chanting my name as I ran to the finish. Made me run even faster! Never underestimate the power of encouraging words!

Approaching the finish line.....Cheerleaders on the side.....

 

 And there it is, Hallelujah!

The finish to a Good run!

Overall Race results:
Chuck finished 127 out of 874 runners - Time: 36:13 min.
Cliff          "      461 out of 874 runners - Time: 46:16 min.
Laurie       "      806 out of 874 runners - Time: 1:03 hr./min.

Stay tuned for Part 2: The Target trip

Come back soon,

Laurie

Month of May's Rundown

Daisy from my flower garden.

 

I am well aware that this post will not be for everyone. It is to capture moments and memories for me and my family. BUT.......

 

In case you were wondering:

 

May 2013:

Ran:                38.58 miles

Best Pace:      12:20 avg./4.87 mph avg.

Bike:               62.68 miles

Best mph:       11:32 mph avg.

Longest run:   7 miles

Longest bike:  15 miles (twice)

Races:             Capers Island Eco Run 10 K and Brookgreen Gardens 5K

 

I am a list maker and a calendar keeper so it's no surprise that I keep all this data.  It helps me look back and see where I've faltered and need to make corrections or where I've excelled and just keep on keeping on. May was an extremely busy month for me. I see that my run miles are down. That is partly due to increasing my bike miles. And, I am well aware that my pace is down. Could be the heat and the fact that I know I am not pushing myself. I'm just not feeling the need right now. It's hot and humid out.

 

I've had a decision to make this week regarding biking vs. running. If you remember, a new goal of mine was to ride with the Woman's Tour Group in Michigan this summer. Unfortunately, it has become clear to me that I will not be ready for this tour ride at the rate I'm going. Too many obstacles. I could definitely be ready if I trained more but, I have already made a commitment to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in October. So, I think the half-marathon will trump the bike tour this year. However, I am not counting it out. I am putting it on the schedule for next summer. We'll see how it goes. For now, the running will continue as I train for the half-marathon. But, I will also keep riding the bike. It is great cross training. Need to sneak a couple of swims in there, too. Boring! But, it's a great lung building exercise. I'm running an 8K Saturday in Simpsonville and Cliff has another triathlon on Sunday in Greenwood..... It's gonna be another busy week and weekend. Ran 5 miles Sunday and the rest of my runs this week will be 5 miles in preparation for the 8K Saturday.

 

Oh wait, I didn't tell you the good news. Whitney is coming home, Wednesday, for 10 days. Yippee!!!! It's gonna be beach time for the Cox family. She is bringing me Kitter tales and photos. Can't wait. It's time for another Kitter post. She's been having all sorts of experiences.

 

Gotta go run...hope to beat some of the humidity...then biking this evening. Yikes! Lungs get ready.

 

Later,

Laurie

 

 

 

 

 

Lowcountry Splash - Get Under It

View from Daniel Island of the Wando River

Cliff had a 5-mile open water swim race in Charleston called the Lowcountry Splash - Get under it, this weekend. We headed over there Friday to begin the festivities. But first, we met a friend for lunch at the Tomato Shed Café on Johns Island. The Café and the Stono Market is owned by the Ambrose family. Their description of the farm is as follows:

"Stono Market-a real farmer's market near Charleston, SC. We carry the organically grown produce we grow on our farm as well as a full line of other fruits and veggies year 'round. We have a country/garden gift shop and the best little Lunch Café in Charleston-Tomato Shed Café-within our walls." 

Cliff and I have been to the Tomato Shed Café a few times and I always get the veggie plate. They do not disappoint. And like the description said, they have a cute little gift shop right inside.

Tomato Shed Café and Stono Market on Johns Island, SC

Out front,

They have these cute little tin bugs, fish, etc. for sale.

How cute is this?

Inside the café....with the gift shop in back.

Wouldn't this look cute in your garden?

After lunch, we headed over to Daniel Island to have a look see. Daniel Island is where the Lowcountry Splash 5-mile swim begins. From there, they will swim down the Wando River which merges with the Cooper River and empties into the Charleston Harbor. Ambitious doesn't even come close to describing this swim. Anyway, we had a look around the starting area/dock. It was mind boggling to think he had to swim so far. The good news: The tides will be in his favor. The water temperature was warm enough that he would not need his wet suit. He was ready. As part of his training, he even swam in Black River with me riding along beside him in the boat. He's Scared....with a capital S....of alligators, so I'm there to be a look out and to get him in the boat in case we saw one. Never did, although I'm sure all these things were running through his mind as he stood there contemplating his swim the next morning.

The starting point/dock.

 

A view from the dock towards the Charleston Harbor. What you see in the distance are cranes used at one of the port's terminals to load ships. Cliff will swim by them.

Cliff is pointing to the Ravenel Bridge off in the distance. He will swim beneath it and continue on past the USS Yorktown in the Charleston Harbor.

Another view of the dock with one of our gorgeous oak trees.

Palmettos and Oaks on Daniel Island.

Later that evening we met a friend, who was also swimming the 5-mile race, and his wife for dinner. And then it was off to bed. Cliff had to rise pretty early Saturday morning to get his breakfast before catching the shuttle at 5:30 a.m. to Daniel Island.

The USS Yorktown,

 

The Ravenel Bridge,

And Old Glory at Patriot's Point.

 

A little later, I headed over to the finish line at Patriot's Point. A new rule this year prevents spectators from going down on the docks at the water level to watch the swimmers come in. We could either go on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown or stay on the main walkway/docks.

Since we were told that we could watch from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown, I decided what the heck. A little adventure never hurt anybody. Who knows, maybe I would be able to spot Cliff from there. I knew his swimmer's number. It was written on his swim cap. Couldn't hurt to try. So, I went inside the Yorktown and was pretty much alone. That thing is Huge...with a capital H! I was smart enough to ask directions before entering. Otherwise, I would have been lost for days. I located and entered the elevator and pressed "F" for the flight deck. No biggie. After arriving to the flight deck, I headed over to the edge so that I could watch the swimmers. What? Where are the swimmers? I see specks. Is that them? Heck with this, I'm going back down to the docks.

Got back on the elevator and.....OMG!....with a capital OMG, what button do I push? I had forgotten to look when I first got on the thang. Oh great, I can see it now.....Headlines of the News and Courier..... "Lowcountry Splash spectator, missing. Feared lost on board the USS Yorktown. We may not find her for days".

So I pressed "D" for docks. The door opened and I didn't recognize a thing. This was starting to feel like The Twilight Zone. I hurried and got back on the elevator and then pressed another button. I don't even know what it was. I was close to panicking. Crazy things starting going through my mind. What if this thing stalls or gets stuck? I'm stuck on a ship the size of a small city and NO ONE knows I'm here. I could starve to death. Or my kidneys could burst. Is there an emergency button. I can't tell!!!! I didn't wear my glasses! Let me look in my pocketbook for something to bang on the pipes with. Oh Lord, please help me get out of this elevator! I'm claustrophobic! About that time, the door opened and praise be....it was the right deck. Near elevator melt down, Averted....with a capital A. Good land, I'm never getting on that thing again. I high tailed it out of there and back down to the docks.

View of the Harbor with Fort Sumter in the background.

Kayaks, boats and swimmers beneath the Ravenel Bridge.

Kayakers spotting the swimmers. The last leg of the swim...

A view of the Charleston sky line. Here you see just a couple of church steeples.

Some of the 2.4 miles swimmers having finished their swim.

Found a good spot to see Cliff, when he got out of the water and walked down the long walkway to where the spectators were waiting.

 

Oh wait, I see him. That's Cliff. He threw his hands up as if to say, "I made it".

Here he comes......

And here he is....grinning like a Cheshire Cat, with a capital C.

Cliff and his friend, Alan, who also swam the 5-miler and is also grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

All in the day of a triathlete.

On the way home, Cliff recounted some of his swim to me. Let's see......maybe 5 minutes before entering the water at the start, he saw a dolphin surface. It may have been a porpoise...I don't know the difference. Neither does Cliff. Ha! Anyway, he wasn't too crazy about that. I, however, would love to swim with the dolphins. It's on my bucket list. But, he says it's a wild animal and not to be trusted. Whatever. Let's see.....Salt water got in his mouth and he swallowed it. That made him puke.  He got to the point where the Cooper and Wando Rivers merged and said it took him 20 minutes to cross it to get into the harbor. After getting close enough to the Ravenel Bridge and feeling like it was on top of him, took another 30 minutes to swim to the other side. And right at the end, he was passed by a man that easily weighed 100 pounds more than him. Well, I think that was a pretty productive day, don't you? We stuck around for the awards. He didn't win anything other than bragging rights of swimming 5 miles from Daniel Island to the Charleston Harbor. He had a great day.

 

And to end a great weekend, Cliff and I spent today running and biking. These puppies just ran 5 miles. They need Gatorade. Mango flavored. They need a massage and a bath. They need a pedicure and to go work on getting rid of that runner's tan. Later, rode the bike 5 miles and I could have gone further, but I wanted to save some energy for tomorrow. It's getting easier all the time.

Hasta luego,

Laurie