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This Is My Town
Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 11:44PM 
This morning I had to get up early. Seven o'clock is early for me, y'all. I had a ten o'clock deposition in downtown Columbia, which meant I had to leave the house shortly after nine. No, it does not take me two hours to get ready! It takes one hour, but I like to leave time to wake up, drink coffee, and read for awhile before preparing the remains for viewing. So I got up at seven. Or seven thirty. I honestly cannot remember. It is all a blur.
My depo was concluded by eleven o'clock and all I had planned for afterward was a smidge of shopping in preparation for going out of town on Friday. My camera was with me so I decided to do something that's needed doing for some time. On May 17th, 2008, one of my sister bloggers (and fellow Depphead), Jay at The Depp Effect, challenged me and a few others to share pictures of interesting or quirky sights in our town. She went first by taking a picture of a bell embedded in the sidewalk in front of a pub. I knew immediately what I wanted to take pictures of (they're not all quirky but I think all are interesting), but it has taken me this long to get around to actually doing it. Today was the day ... beautiful weather, job done early, all my photo-worthy places and/or things within a two-mile radius, and my camera ... locked, loaded, and ready. Jay, I'll bet you thought I forgot! You're not the first to underestimate me and I doubt you'll be the last.
That's South Carolina for you ... just make do, y'all.
Anyway, first let me say this: if you're in need of hot, we have lots to spare right here in Columbia, South Carolina. It was sweltering today. And while I know it's a pathetic cliche, it really was true that it wasn't the heat; it was the humidity. The actual temperature only reached around 90 but the humidity was 867,000 percent. Brutal. There were times today I was suffering, y'all. Suffering for my art. Mind you I was made up, coiffed, heeled, and dressed in business casual. Even sleeveless and bare-legged, I suffered. I do sound like the pitiful whiner I am in reality, don't I? I will stop.
First I went to Finlay Park with its long row of black iron bench swings overlooking the frothing tiered fountain, terraced stairways, lushly treed acreage, and best-ever view of the Columbia skyline. From there I walked across Laurel Street to the Governor's Mansion (Did you know the First Lady of South Carolina is named Jenny? No, it's not me.) and took some pictures of the house and grounds, with detail of the intricate antebellum wrought-iron fencing that surrounds it. I visited the gift shop where I bought some gifts and something for myself: a fly swatter of miniature conjoined flip-flops (a uniflop, as it were) on a handle. I have been swatting the occasional fly at my house with either a folded magazine or my own flip-flop, but that's so uncouth. Things are going to change around here.
When Jay issued her challenge back in May, the first thing I thought of was the 50-foot fire hydrant on Taylor Street, and the clever and convincing "Tunnelvision" mural at the other end of the same parking lot. Then I thought of the giant chain links suspended between Sylvan Bros. Jewelers and Rising High Bakery on Main Street. So after photographing the fire hydrant I got a precious metered parking spot on Main Street and shot the chain. You can't see it in the picture but in the middle link is embossed the words "Never Bust." Just so you know.
While there I had to add a picture of the freestanding four-sided clock on the sidewalk in front of Sylvan Bros., and also the antique leaded glass squares in the window of the venerable shop itself.
If you look at the time on the Sylvan Bros. clock you'll see it was a quarter to one when I took the pic. I still had had neither breakfast nor lunch -- only coffee at home and one peppermint at the depo -- and I was fading fast. Since Rising High (one of my favorite haunts for weekday lunch) is inconveniently closed for renovations, I headed down the street to Drake's Duck-In where you can get a quackin' good meal. I ordered a fried chicken filet sandwhich that was so fat, so crusty, so protruding from the bun it rested upon, it made a Chick-fil-A sandwich look like the mere feather of a chicken in comparison. When asked if I wanted fries, I thought, "Insult, meet injury." No, I said, let's just have some diet cola to go with that. Coke or Pepsi. I was handed my sandwich in a plain white bag together with a half-cup of ice. The sodapop spigots are not within reach of customers. No explanation was forthcoming; I was simply instructed to have myself a real nice evening. I filled the cup with sweet tea, which was available without asking. That's South Carolina for you ... just make do, y'all. So that was my lunch, which I consumed lustily while driving five blocks to my next site.
I swung by Memorial Park at the corner of Hampton and Gadsden, which has a nice free parking lot. On the way, while at a stoplight, I took a picture out my window of the Oliver Gospel Mission. Swigging the remnants of my sweet tea, I walked into the park. It's such a pretty place and there was a lovely breeze. There are memorials to South Carolinians who have served in all the wars from World War I to Vietnam. There is also a beautiful memorial to the six million victims of the Holocaust. I took pictures of everything.
You can click on the pic above to see the rest. If you choose "slideshow" it takes about four minutes to watch it.
Pictures of our beautiful South Carolina State House were not taken today becuase I took Melanie there in April and posted some pics then. You can see them here if you want.
This evening when Erica and I were paddling around in the pool talking about this and that, she noticed a tiny frog in the water. It happens a lot; I guess they fall out of the trees. I placed him on the side and, so that you could get an idea of how tiny he was, put my sunglasses in front of him. He stared at them for at least ten minutes, transfixed, as though they were a double movie screen.
He's one of the quirkiest things to be found in my town.
Reader Comments (18)
Great post, Jenny!! I loved looking at all those pictures and reading all your descriptions about everything. It's weird to think I'll most likely be living around there within the next 9 months or so!!
*Round of applause*
Well done, indeed - it was worth the wait! You do live in a very beautiful town, and you found some seriously quirky things!! The chain links are perfect - and the tunnel vision mural is incredible. The giant hydrant, with the "No dogs" sign!! ROFL!! It's pricelss! But I have to ask: why a giant fire hydrant? Or does it just not need a reason?
Love the fly swatter! Pics were very interesting. Wht's up with the gigantic fire hydrant?
@ Angi ... that is such a happy thought! I hope it works out! We can meet for lunch near the giant chain links!
@ Jay ... *bows humbly* ... why thank you, dear! I am glad you liked it. I had such fun doing that. I've never met anyone in Columbia who knew the why or wherefore of the fire hydrant. Guess I'm not asking the right folks because there must be a reason. Isn't it funny? I love it.
@ windyridge ... see above answer, LOL! I wish I knew! It's just one of our quirkinesses ...
That would be fabulous! I haven't had real sweet tea since I lived in Oklahoma - and I am a self-proclaimed iced tea addict, sweetened or no....
Angi, we'll sit down with great big bottomless glasses of sweet tea and talk about how good God is!
Wow, what a great post! That tunnel mural is amazing! The giant fire hydrant looks like the robot from "Lost In Space" in one of the shots! All the wrought iron fences and gate reminds me of Madison, IN, where I was born. The little frog in front of the sunglasses was priceless! And I have GOT to have a flipflop bug whacker!
I can't view these pictures while at work, but I'll be sure to check them out this weekend. You certainly did an excellent job describing the pictures, of course.
I'd post interesting pictures of MY home town, but -- call me biased -- I'm afraid I'd only end up taking self portraits or pictures of my cat, Smokey.
Vanity is a funny word...
Thanks for the tour. I loved the ironwork, and the hydrant is a hoot.
Great pics...Great town...I am in MS, so I can relate to your humidity.. It is wet and hot..
You can't even know how much I appreciated you taking the time to write the comments to me. The fact that you took your time to help me feel at ease meant a great deal...
Thank you again! Kayce
Sounds like a GREAT plan to me! ;)
That is an awesome picture of the chain. And, as always, you are the queen of descriptive writing. I felt as if I was there, sweating and drinking sweet tea right along with you.
And I thought Columbia was only a place to fly in and out of! I loved Finlay Park...the fountain and the swings. Loved the wrought iron fences. Why the gigantic fire hydrant? And the chain? Quirky indeed. I love frogs and yours was a cutie.
I'm confused. I know I commented on this. Maybe I didn't type the word recognition thingy right.
Anyway, I said I loved all the iron work and the giant hydrant was hilarious.
@ Rosezilla ... "Danger, Will Robinson!" Yeah ... I thought the same thing about the fire hydrant! And I don't want to have to swat any flies but at least I'm prepared ...
@ Kev ... vanity certainly is a funny word. I think you should do a whole post about your cat Smokey! And don't forget the self-portraits ...
@ Ruth ... I wanted to get pics of the beautiful wrought-iron gate in front of our new-ish Federal Courthouse, but I couldn't get a parking space near enough to do it justice! I love wrought iron, don't you? I'm sorry your comment (and the others) didn't get approved until today! I was out of town and didn't have computer access. You did everything right ... it was my fault!
@ Kayce ... why of course luv ... any time! And you sure do know what hot is down in Mississippi. That is a beautiful state. My mother was born in Brookhaven. I love the Natchez Trace!
@ Angi ... be sure and let me know when you are going to be here! We will get together.
@ JD ... LOL! A lot of sweating is involved here, that's for sure. Thanks for the compliment which I'm sure is too kind!
@ Cheryl ... I've always loved frogs too. He sat on my arm for a long time before I put him by the glasses! You really must visit Columbia sometime ... and not just the airport! I'll show you around. Finlay Park is absolutely charming.
@ Ruth ... sorry again luv! The fault was mine.
We usually have hot and dry weather, but lately, it's been humid! I'd forgotten how uncomfy humidity can be. Is it any consolation that humidity is marvelous for the complexion? (It's easy for me to say now as I sit in my cool office).
This is one of the best trips I ever took without actually being there!
@ Keli ... euphemistically speaking, the humidity certainly does tend to make one ... ehm, dewy ... LOL! And isn't everything a mite easier in the cool indoors? I'm glad you enjoyed the trip!
Dear Jenny ~~ Thanks for your comments and I am so glad
that you enjoyed the jokes. Take care, Love, Merle.