Charleston SC Part 5 - Drayton Hall (Grounds)

Still plugging through photos from our trip to Charleston, SC at the beginning of October.  Sorry, but this month was a rather busy and "dynamic" month.  Thanks for your patience.  Meanwhile, you can see all of the posts related to the trip here: https://lsqrd.blogspot.com/search/label/Charleston201810

Today's post is more from Drayton Hall.  This time various shots around the grounds.  Stately trees, Spanish moss, and the Ashley River behind the property.

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Charleston SC Part 4 - Drayton Hall (Interior)

Still plugging through photos from our trip to Charleston, SC at the beginning of October.  Sorry, but October was a rather busy and "dynamic" month.  Thanks for your patience.  Meanwhile, you can see all of the posts related to the trip here: https://lsqrd.blogspot.com/search/label/Charleston201810

Today's post is interior scenes from Drayton Hall, to go with the recent post of exterior images.  More info on the site there.  But I'd recommend it.

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Album Review - Outlaws - Hurry Sundown

Artist:  Outlaws

Album:  Hurry Sundown

Date: 1977

After last weekend's review (Jules and The Polar Bears), i got to thinking about other promotional albums I own, and where I got them.  Which lead me to Hurry Sundown, from the Outlaws.  I'm pretty certain this was the first promotional album I got, and I won it in a radio station contest.  

So, we'll start with the story of how I won it.  One of the radio station I listened to* had a contest where listeners would suggest a playlist of 3 songs.  If they selected your playlist, you'd win a record.  Now this was nefore email, and facebook and web-pages.... It was either snail-mail, or call and leave a message**.  Anyway, I submitted a playlist that included southern rock opuses.  Prtty sure it was Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See (live version), Charlie Daniels Band - Saddle Tramp, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird.  At 26.5 minutes, it was certainly long enough.  Bottom line, it won!  I actually wasn't around a radio that Saturday, so I didn't hear it, but one of my friend did, and let me know. And a couple of weeks later, this album showed up in the mail!

* probably WDVE, but possible WYDD.  I really don't remember.

**  Again, I don't remember, but I think it was snail mail.

So, about the album:  This was the 3 album by the Outlaws, after the eponymous first album, and its follow-up, Lady In Waiting.  The first is a classic, one of my favorites from the genre.  the second is good, but a notable step down (IMHO).  So, where would the 3rd album land?  I place it somewhere between the two.  There are no low points, every song is solid.  But there's no "There Goes Another" Love Song" of "Song In The Breeze"...  But is is a very listenable album, full of great guitars.  Still carrying a lot of the more country / bluegrass influence.

High points (IMHO):  Gunsmoke, Hurry Sundown, So Afraid, Heavenly Blues.  

Note:  As the band's 3rd album, it features the first lineup change, as Harvey Dalton Arnold replacing Frank O'Keefe on bass. It is also the last album with Henry Paul, after which they moved into a more generic hard rock sound.  The first 3 Outlaws albums are the ones to own.....

Aside:  The Outlaws were the opening act for the first concert I attended as a teenager:  Outlaws, Steve Marriott's All Stars and Lynyrd Skynyrd in spring of 1976.  Excellent show.  I've seen then at least 4 times, as much or more than any other act....

Back cover:

And the record sleeve  front and back:

10/27/2018

I managed a little walk today, Schon Park, Greenspace North, a little but of Nickel Plate Trail.  Maybe 2.5 miles, nothing dramatic.  But fall was in the air.  It was 49 degrees when I left the car, and 53 when I got back.  but sunny and no wind, so it was comfortable.  I managed a few photos that please me.

Here ya go:

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Sunday drive - 10/21/2018

Beautiful day, we decided on an outing.  Up to Grafton, lunch at the winery & brewhaus, then up to Pere Marquette.  And some back road wandering.  Just a  few photos:

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The river seemed quite high...  looking online, it was about 24 feet, which is on the edge between minor and moderate flooding.  That's about 6 feet above the edge threshold for minor flooding.   This house was an island, the woman seemed to have her personal water taxi service...

Just a few feet upstream from the prior photo, looking upstream.

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Eagle Roost overlook from the Scenic Drive behind Pere Marquette lodge, and the associated view:

Wateshed Nature Center - 10/20/2018

A few images from a Saturday walk at Watershed Nature Center....  Really nice day, quite windy, though.

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Lots of effects here:

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I was near the back of the watershed when I heard a train, so I hustled out to see it:

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And lest anyone worry about such things, I did NOT pass the no-trespassing sign.  Even though it seems to be a little  ... ...  unclear.  That train was rocking, I was close enough for my tastes anyway.

Charleston SC Part 3 - Drayton Hall (Exterior)

On eof our day trips during our Charleston SC trip was to Drayton Hall.  Drayton Hall is an un-restored 18th century estate.  As noted at  National Trust for Historic Preservation site:  "Established in 1738, Drayton Hall is an icon of colonial America architecture and identity. After seven generations of family ownership, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and devastating hurricanes and earthquakes, the main house remains in nearly original condition. Never modernized with electric lighting, plumbing, or central heating or air conditioning, the main house is unfurnished, allowing the beauty of the architectural details to become the focus for visitors. Surrounded by ancient live oaks and bordered by the historic Ashley River, the entire site—including the historic grounds with its broad vistas, vanished structures, and rare period features—serves as a testimony to America’s heritage"

We really enjoyed this place.  Very fascinating place, beautiful grounds, great stories.  One interesting thing:  The interior of the house is not restored.  Bare wallsopen spaces.  I gather some folk don't really like that, but it really allowed me to feel the space.  Look for another post of interior photos.

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Album Review - Jules And The Polar Bears - Got No Breeding

Artist:  Jules And The polar Bears
Album:  Got No Breeding
Released:  1978


Jules and the Polar Bears was a short lived band from the late 70's.  I have a promo version of this album, which was given to me by my freshman year (college) roommate.  I think his girlfriend got it from the Duke newspaper, or maybe the radio station.  They gave me a couple of albums back then, stuff they didn't like.  And all of which I did!

The promo package, besides the gold stamp, includes an 8x10 promo photo of the band, and a 2 page typed bio from Columbia records.  Rather cool.  

Jules and The Polar Bears was centered on songwriter Jules Shears.  He's probably best known for writing the Cyndi Lauper hit "All Through The Night". 

This is a really strong album, very very good.  A little hard to describe, which may be part of the reason they didn't catch on.  Some of the songs kind of remind me ever so slightly of early Police, but not the "white reggae" stuff.  Think "Next To You" or  "No Time This Time".  Or maybe it's just the semi-similarity of vocal style between Jules Shear and Sting.  Or maybe not...  Anyway, here's how Allmusic describes it:

Jules and the Polar Bears' debut album, Got No Breeding, fell into a commercial twilight zone shortly after its release in 1978; the music was too quirky and the wit of the lyrics was too curious for the mainstream rock audience, but the band's approach was too firmly rooted in mainstream pop for the new wave crowd, who Columbia thought would be the record's likely target audience (and the shaggy picture of Jules Shear and his band-mates on the cover wasn't likely to encourage the skinny-tie wearing record buyer). However, in time Got No Breeding became a cult favorite, and with good reason -- it's a superlative collection of smart, well-crafted pop tunes played with enthusiasm and élan by a great band.

It has been one of my favorite records since I got it.  Or at least one of my favorite obscure records! 
My favorite songs include: Driftwood From Disaster, Shadows Break, You Just Don't Wanna Know, Convict, Got No Breeding.  There are no weak songs.


Back Cover:

Inner sleeve:

Charleston SC - Part 2, Waterford Park

Way, way, way behind on processing photos from our South Carolina trip...

Here's a few more from 10/1/2018, our fist evening in town.  We walked from the hotel down Market Street, then wandered the historic area for a bit.  After sunset, we walked back up King Street to our hotel.  The photos below are from the north end of Waterfront Park.

Looking from the pier at the north entrance of Waterfront Park, looking south across a marshy area.  The larger building on the right is (I think) Charleston Branch Pilots Assn. and the slightly smaller building is (I think) Carolina Yacht Club.

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Last light.  The sun was setting off to the right, illuminating the clouds over Charleston Harbor.

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Looking from the pier towards Charleston, as the light fades.

Beaver Dam State Park

Last Saturday, we were looking for an excursion.  Not too far from home, but someplace we hadn't already been 1,000 times.  Looking at the map on my phone, I noticed a small-ish splotch of green about 45 minutes north of us.  Scrolling in, I see Beaver Dam State Park in Plainview, IL.  Quick google, and it looks like a good candidate.  And close enough to Staunton for a quilt shop side trip.

A nice drive, and a nice park.  Not huge, but calm and peaceful.  And a few photos to boot.  Click for larger versions.

We spent a while wandering the site, enjoying the (rather cool) October day.  I want to go back sometime and check out all of the trail around the lake, they said (at the concession stand) it is about 3 miles.  And the concession stand even had a wine tasting from Plainview Vinyard and Winery.  So we had a few tastes, and picked up a bottle to go with our evening meal.

This one is from just 1.5 miles or so northest of the park....

Charleston, SC - 10/01/2018 - Architecture

I'm running rather slow on processing images from our recent trip to Charleston, but working on it.  Here's a few from Monday, October 1st, the day we arrived.

Citadel Squared Baptist Church. 

Originally opened in 1856, though it seems the steeple was rebuilt after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.  Still an active establishment.  We did a lot of walking during our week, and this church was on the way between the hotel and the historic section of town.  So we passed it a lot.

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Confederate Museum

Pretty cool building.  The building was built in 1841, and has been home of the Confederate Museum sine 1899.  Underneath is an open air market area that runs several blocks.  We didn't go in the building, but thought it looked cool from the outside.

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St. Phillips Church

The city's oldest congregation, dating back to 1680.  Looks like the current building dates to 1836 and the tower to 1850.

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