Dawson's Excellent Adventure

Last weekend, my sister and I went to Cumberland Island.  I told her to brace herself for a magnificent scenery of palmetto thickets, a windswept beach, gnarling massive oaks draped with spanish moss, wildlife, and crumblings ruins. What a peaceful setting and natural wonder that we will remember, forever.

It was no cool day as we docked on the island.  In fact, it was 100 degrees on Friday, so we were quite warmed up even before our scenic hike.

No tour guide for us, we took the off beaten path direct to The Cottage and their it lay.  I thought a daily jog got my heart pumping.  Well, seeing this view below for the first time was worth every penny of any oxygen debt that I had.  This concrete ruin was the duck pond at the site of The Cottage.

My sister looked at me kinda crazy when I got to giggling over this small concrete ruin. The first stop and she was stuck. Thank God that horses arrived to occupy her for a while. If that "turtle lady" on the island had had her way, their would have been no horses and she'd would have probably been going crazy! 

Below is a link to an old photo of the duck pond at The Cottage Site.

http://content.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/vg2&CISOPTR=885&CISOBOX=1&REC=17

Below is a link for The Cottage which burned down in the 1950's.

http://content.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/vg2&CISOPTR=880&CISOBOX=1&REC=17

The views of the two photos are from the Georgia Archives Collection - Vanishing Georgia Series. They are actually copies taken from a Carnegie photo album now located online at the Georgia's Virtual Vault - Carnegie Family Collection website.

Check them out on page twenty: http://content.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/carnegie&CISOPTR=475&REC=2

The Tour Begins!

I'm not gonna bore people with the typical photos of the Dungeness ruins and pergola. You'll find plenty on the web.

The Cottage Site 

   Dungeness Estate Support Structures

Another Oxygen Debt Moment

While we were checking out the west side of the kitchen building, I noticed a construction dumpster next to the woods. I knew in an instant why it was placed there. My sister and I were about to be going into the woods to a site that almost every tourist knows not a thing about, notta, no clue what so ever. At the edge, as we peered into the sunlight filtered and diffused forest, I was excited to see that the NPS had started clearing out a former site that I wanted to show her. See Below!!!

Rikart House and Play House Sites

 Check Page 3, lower right, for a photo of an early view of the Rikart House:

http://content.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/carnegie&CISOPTR=164&REC=16

Check Pages 16,17, & 18 for photos of the Play House:

http://content.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/carnegie&CISOPTR=1035&REC=9

Miles of undisturbed sand dunes,

a quiet white beach,

 and a lot of dead horseshoe crabs?

 

Wildlife

I guess on this sweltering day, all other wildlife were smart

and napped in the shade.  All we saw were wild horses that ignored us and not to smart turkeys.

Ghosts Along The Mississippi

As a child, I read many books on architecture about Mississippi and Louisiana. My interest in architecture all started on a visit to the library one day when I came across this book:

The author of the book is Clarence John Laughlin and it

includes his photography as well. 

Belle Grove Plantation

This home in Louisiana is what started my fascination with historical architecture. Check the people out on the left side of the roof.  This was one massive plantation home. I started pouring over every book and magazine I could find to absorb architectural details. Even started collecting tons of coffee table books.

Thinking back, I was constantly getting into trouble with my school teachers for drawing architectural designs in my school books and notebooks while I should had been listening and learning in the classroom.

Eighth Grade Georgia History Class

I got into trouble for drawing and Mrs. Downer required me to write the Declaration of Independence twenty five times. 
Never did it.

She'd always ask for it and I would tell her that I was on it.

The First Day of Twelfth Grade English

Mr. Littlefield, I hear that you like to draw,
your brother like to draw in my class,
you are not going to draw in my classroom
are you Mr. Littlefield?

Nooooooooo, Mrs. Kirkland

I never realized that the incredible photos in the books of old homes had a history to tell of time and place until Santa one year gave me the book:

The limited edition of this book was littered with drawings of architectural details, site plans, elevations, and floor plans of structures of every imagination. The history of architecture in this region was well represented.  This was when I realized that the grand plantation homes that survived, many of their accompanying outbuildings did not.  During the race to save "The Big House", the outlying structures lost out.

This was not the case for Moye Plantation. When I finally got my license to drive, I drove over to Moye Plantation and knocked on the front door. I explained my interest in architecture and the lady of the "Big House" let me wonder all around the property.

Let me tell ya!

They had a privy that was a five seater!

Five different sized holes.

Go figure!

At the time of my visit, a snake was inside on the floor of the old and unused privy. By a vote of 1-0, I elected not to go inside of it!

I had some wonderful pictures of the five seater looking in from the door with the snake included but the flood of 1994 in Americus and southwest Georgia took care of that.  That is another story in itself.

Soon after that visit, I started collecting more detailed regional history books on architecture to learn more about antebellum homes and their surrounding outbuildings. 

I'd like to share with you my latest find

from the publishers of The History Press.

The book chronicles the history of the home's architecture and the history of the owners in this region of Alabama.  Not much is detailed on the surrounding outbuildings, but it is a short interesting read. Probably the most unusual and interesting of these structures is Kenworthy Hall.  For southern Alabama in the late 1850's, the Italianate mansion is an unusual design for a plantation home. The reason why, famed architect Richard Upjohn of New York designed the home.

Kenwothy Hall

Upjohn was famous for his Gothic Revival architecture and his designs of many churches such as the Trinity Church in New York City. Any history major or architect will be able to tell you that one of Newport's first summer "cottages", the Kingscote Cottage, was designed by Upjohn. 
An interesting fact about the summer cottage is that Kingscote was built by George Noble Jones owner of Chemonie and El Destino Plantations in northern Florida.  Does a Noble Jones of Wormsloe Plantation near Savannah ring a bell for anyone?  Well, they are ancestors.

Check out "Kenworthy Hall" and "Belle Grove, White Castle" in the Built In America series of the Library of Congress for their drawings and pictures.  You will have to use the search box, the URL are to long to place on here.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/

Reuben Roll, Collard Greens, and Meatballs

 Now that i am back home, I need to catch up on Kris and my favorites …… Rumor is, Tyler Florence, is quite nervous about me. I just might be the next food channel star!

Here it goes:

Reuben Roll

• french loaf bread 
• sauerkraut
• swiss cheese
• sliced corn-beef
• thousand island salad for dipping
• a 4 year old "assistant executive chef"

Yep, that is all you need.
Roll out the french loaf bread, add all ingredients, fold and roll the bread, smush down and seal, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Collard Greens

• 1 1/2 quarts of water
• 1 1/2 lbs. ham hock
• 4 lbs. collard greens
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 finely chopped jalapeno, seeded and deribbbed
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

 Place ham hock and water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring water to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add collards and chopped ingredients to the pot.  Simmer covered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable oil for the last 30 minutes.

Meatballs - Hummmm, I lost the recipe.  I'll be getting back with ya!

Soccer and Heart Stopping Pork

Thank goodness for Tivo.  We had a few minor interruptions last night watching the Spain and Germany soccer match.  I believe a 4 year old was sorta kinda involved.  At least we didn't have to watch Happy Feet once again.  Kris and I ended up cooking later than we planned.
Back to the kitchen.
As you will find out, my personal cooking adventures are not to healthy, recipe wise.

 Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

These sinful sandwiches are by far, the best heart-stopping indulgence. You'll want to "slap your mama" cause they're so delicious!!!
All you need is:

• 5 spring onions
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 t of pepper
• 4 T jalapeno cilantro mustard
• 1 cup of mayo
• 2 t of lemon juice
• 2 packs of Hawaiian rolls
• sliced ham
• Swiss cheese "I prefer horseradish Swiss, Kris nixed that idea"

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add chopped onions, and pepper.  Bring heat to low, add mayo and lemon juice.  Slice the rolls in half, layer as much ham and Swiss cheese you want.  Layer sauce on top, and place bun on top. Seal with aluminum foil, place on sheet pan, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.   
Enjoy!

I've left Georgia, First Day of Vacation!

I'm visiting friends at Fayetteville for the week.  Being close to "The Research Triangle" I will be having fun researching at a few of the great ACC Universities. Go yellow jackets!!!!!!!
We all have known each other for years and have always kept in contact.  Kris and her husband Chuck have a four year old son so it will be an interesting week for me.  I can hear him now, "daddy daddy daddy daddy what is that" and "daddy daddy does he has ………"
The best part of this trip is that Kris and I always have our favorite menues that we will cook together.
Tonight, after the soccer game, I will be sharing our first creation in the kitchen.   These all were our New Year's eve favorites.
They're hollering, "come on D" gotta go watch the taped Germany and Spain soccer semifinal.

The Grange

The Grange as it appeared in the summer of 1970.

The portico is not original to the structure and it is being

held up by tree logs.

Lucy C. Carnegie built The Grange probably around the late 1890's.  The estate manager William E. Page and his wife lived in the structure until his death.

The Grange is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Dungeness Historic District.  The residence was built just behind the neglected and ruined Pool House.

An old slide of The Pool House in 1970.

The house and it's few acreages are in a Reserved Property Agreement (RPA) with Carnegie descendants.  The family has maintained the structure throughout the years and appears to be reasonably sound. I believe that they have learned that keeping a maintained roof helps to preserve a structure.

The RPA lease will expire in a few months and become property of the NPS.  Once the ownership is taken, the NPS will be responsible for maintaining and renovating the historic significant structure, forever.

The problem, and everyone knows this, no additional funding will be available for this home or any of the other 100 or so structures to be maintained on the island, especially during the state of the present economy.

I believe that the NPS should consider extending the present RPA to the present owner so that the building will be preserved for generations to come.  We are learning now that some property is deteriorating in the NPS hands because of lack of funding.  The current owner has stated they would upgrade the structure to NPS standards.

For the record, I do not know any previous or current owners of The Grange.  I'm just a concerned citizen.

Please check out these sites:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkID=371&projectId=28794

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=371&projectId=28794&documentID=30789

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=371&projectId=28794&documentID=34617

Please comment on your concerns here about The Grange and The Stafford Beach Cottage and how they need to be preserved and maintained.

http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/summary.asp
The National Park Service List of Classified Structures for Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Telling a Lie All These Years and I Never Knew It.............

I've told everyone my whole life that I have never been to the Okefenokee. Even in the boy scouts we never went to Okefenokee.  My father was a scout master of troop 27 here in town and they camped out there alot when I was a child.  I've heard more stories about canoes, alligators, Billy's Island, and raccoons than I can count.
Lately, I have been spending alot of time scanning my fathers old slides onto the computer.  Looking at these slides have brought back great old memories of trips with my family and the boyscout troop.  I'm going to be busy cause at the moment, I have twenty boxes of Kodak carousel slides trays to work on.

Below are a few slide photos of trips that I would like to share with you.

1971 Apollo 14 Launch

I wonder if that is me in the tree watching?

I do remember alot of the people in the trees waiting for the launch and when it happened, the vibrations were so strong everyone got out of them really quick.

This is probably one of my earliest memories.

This is the actual bus that got us to

Titusville and Cape Canaveral.

1972 Apollo 17 Launch

This bus still has not had it's meltdown yet!

That is me jumping from the sub loohcs.

Waiting for the night launch. 

Mama is in white and I'm sitting in front of Aunt Doris.

Uncle Joe is tuning the radio.

Not sure who she is.  Just thought it was kinda funny. 

Doesn't appear to be launch attire to me!

1973 Skylab Launch

Finally, the civitan's bought a new bus.  Oh man, makes me want a RC and salted peanuts right now!

I remember it bothering me that I couldn't see the astronaut's face.

A Sunday Trip To The Okefenokee

Is that me?  Hummm, I don't recall this! 

I guess sometimes you better watch out when you say NEVER.

Oh boy, I'm looking quite concerned here. 

Just wait until you see the next photo and then you'll know why.

Yep, your right.

That is my sister steering the boat. 

You'd understand it if you were aware of her

driving record back then!

It appears that I had seen enough.

I hope that she wasn't laughing at us because she

had the mosquito spray!?!

Check out the following sites:

http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/

http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Check out their imagery of the Gulf Oil Spill.

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo.html

A Day's Work

The other day, a dealer brought this quilt into work after a day out picking.  I do not know much about quilts.  All I do know is that the stitching is very good on it.  A few followers of mine do quilting so I wanted to show this to them.

I have know idea what I'd do with this lounge sign, but I believe that it should go home to be with me.  This item is way to cool to leave at work.

Below, is a photo of the best seating place cards that I ever laid my eyes on.  All you need is a pencil and your ready to go.

Finally, Have you ever seen a six foot rooster.  I guess we do kinda raise them big in this neck of the woods.  BTW, I do believe that my friend Sandra has the best chicken story ever!

Check Sandra's chicken story out and then browse around her blog.

 http://www.cumberlandislandquiltchick.com/2010/04/chickens-on-cumberland-island.html

You'll love her story's and her incredible art talent.