Stupid little feathered flying reptiles

When I stepped out onto the back patio, I wasn't expecting to be smacked in the face by a bird.

Life is full of surprises. The bird probably didn't expect his flight path would be interrupted by a big fat stupid human head.

Old Sheldon Church Ruins

Near Yemassee, SC in Beaufort County are the well-preserved ruins of the Old Sheldon Church

Old Sheldon Church

Link goes to sciway.net website

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Old Sheldon Church Ruins

Originally known as Prince William's Parish Church, it was built sometime between 1745 and 1753. It was built in the Greek-Revival style, unlike the English-Bond style of Biggin Church

Biggin Church Ruins

All that remains are the crumbling walls of the church.

The graveyard however, is still in use today. , featured in another post on this blog.

The building was burned in 1779 by British troops in the revolutionary war, and rebuilt in 1826.

It was destroyed again in 1865 by William Tecumseh Sherman. One report from the time suggests they merely tore the inside of the church apart during the "March to the Sea" campaign, leaving it vandalized but repairable. The most common story (and the one told on the stone tablet at the site) is that Sherman's troops burned the building, as they had burnt nearly every structure they passed during that campaign.

In either case, the building was never repaired again. It was further gutted by the locals, as any usable materials remaining inside the church were scavenged for use in rebuilding their homes.

The Old Sheldon Church is listed in the National Register

Old Sheldon Church

Link goes to Historical Marker Database website (hmdb.org

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of Historic Places.

That was unexpected

People can tell you so much about themselves when they think they're talking about you.

Now, I already know that I'm socially retarded. Just plumb enstupidated about people in general. Even when conversing in person, I will usually miss the subtle clues that other folks seem to pick up on instinctively. Body-language, facial expressions, tones of voice, etc... All that stuff usually just whizzes right over my big fat stupid head. Over the internet it's even worse than in person.

Bird Watching

I enjoy watching the birds that come down to sample the seeds from our feeder.  Each type has its own personality. Their interactions are curious and intriguing.

The occasional painted-bunting shows up. These guys are so colorful that I'm not even sure if they're real, or some animated Disney cartoon version of a bird

Finches and titmice are timid. The black crowbirds are individually cowardly, but they invariably arrive en masse, using the 'strength in numbers' principle like an urban street-gang with a hive-mind. Bluejays are bullies.

More local wildlife

Gator at work the other night. Crawled right up from a nearby pond, and laid himself down on the pavement by the doors. Guys trying to chase him away were pretty hilarious to watch.

Two guys. Each standing ~10 meters from the gator. Scratching their heads, not wanting to get closer.

One guy grabs some orange traffic-cones. The smallish rubbery kind, used to signal minor hazards or to reserve parking stalls. I guess the idea was "If I throw things at it, it'll leave".

You need to be more specific

When the girl at the grocery store said "Strip down, facing me.", how was I supposed to know she was telling me how to swipe my credit card?

Biggin Church Ruins

Biggin Church,

Biggin Church Ruins

Link goes to sciway.net website.

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located just South of Moncks Corner, SC, was originally built in 1712 as the parish church of St. John's Berkeley parish.

Biggin graveyard & church ruins

The church was destroyed by a forest fire in 1755, but was replaced with a new building in 1761.

British troops used the church as an ammunition depot during the revolutionary war, until they were forced to retreat in 1781. As they retreated they set fire to the church, once again destroying the building along with their abandoned ammunition.

The church was promptly rebuilt, and although the role of parish church had shifted to the nearby Strawberry Chapel

Strawberry Chapel

In 1748 a 7-year-old girl was tied to a headstone in the chapel graveyard, and left there. She survived. Barely.

Then things got weird. , Biggin Church remained in use until the war between the states.

It was destroyed yet again by a forest fire sometime in the late 1800s, after which many of the remaining bricks were scavenged for other construction projects. The ruins that remain today are from the 1761 building and the restoration after the war for independence.

Stitched composite image of the ruins

All that remains of the church are two crumbling walls and a short rectangular brick outline. The surrounding graveyard, however, is still in use today.

Biggin Church is listed in the National Register

Biggin Church

Link goes to the Historical Marker Database website (hmdb.org)

(page will open in new tab/window)

of Historic Places