Sunday, December 30, 2007

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Little Boys and Trains

Jack, William and Ethan playing with grandpa's Lionel train - a Christmas tradition.



Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Ibis in Flight

Ibises are characterized by their curved bills. This one is an immature White Ibis whose coloring will become whiter as an adult.

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Led Zeppelin

Yesterday afternoon they had the first public test run of the new Led Zeppelin roller coaster. Giant water jugs weighing 170 pounds were strapped in the seats. From the talk of people watching, there were quite a few that would have volunteered to be a test dummy.

The coaster was christened not by champagne, but by breaking a guitar to pieces on one of the concrete supports.






Over the moon

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Friday, December 14, 2007

Mr. Reindeer

This is the first of a series of photos to capture the sights of the Christmas season in Myrtle Beach.

Broadway at the Beach

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Monday, December 10, 2007

Testing the Led Zeppelin

Late yesterday afternoon they were testing the new Led Zeppelin roller coaster at the Hard Rock Park scheduled to open this spring.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Sugar Cane Syrup - Video

Making the sugar cane syrup at Freewoods Farm
like they did over 100 years ago.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Sugar Cane Syrup - 3

Visiting the cooking shed.




Ten gallons of juice yields about a gallon of syrup.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Sugar Cane Syrup - 2

An old cane mill manufactured by the Chattanooga Plow Co. in the late 1800s is used to crush the juice from the cane.



A mule named Pete turns the cane mill.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Sugar Cane Syrup - 1

They are making sugar cane syrup this week at Freewoods Farm. This is a living farm museum which duplicates African American farm life from 1865 to 1900.

The process begins with the harvesting and shucking of the sugar cane.





Tomorrow we will meet Pete and see how they process the cane.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Last Butterfly ??

Yesterday a sulphur passed through the backyard quickly, but this gulf fritillary lingered long enough for a few photos. The rosemary bush is one of the few plants in the backyard with blooms. Butterfly season can't last much longer due to the colder nights and diminishing food source.



Sunday, December 02, 2007

German Baden Band Organ

The organ was built by A. Ruth & Sohn in Waldkirch Baden, Germany and was first exhibited at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. After the exposition, it was moved from town to town in Europe on a wagon pulled by a team of six horses. The Myrtle Beach Pavilion amusement park acquired the organ in 1957. When the park closed in 2006, the organ was moved a couple of miles to Broadway at the Beach.

The two-ton pipe organ features 98 keys and 400 pipes. The elaborately carved machine is adorned with 18 lifelike figures with 12 of them spinning and dancing to each tune.

It still runs on what it did more than 100 years ago ... hand-fed cardboard sheet music.




Saturday, December 01, 2007