Monthly Archives: August 2023

Congaree National Park

Did y’all know there’s a national park in South Carolina? I didn’t until I read about it on The Adventures of Grammi and Grampa. Since we spend a lot of time in South Carolina, we added Congaree to our list of places to visit and finally got to do so in March 2023.

According to the park website, Congaree is “the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States.” Knowing that Congaree is one of the least visited national parks, I was surprised to find a full parking lot the day of our visit. (This CNN report lists Congaree as number 12 out of the 15 least visited national parks in 2022.)

Congaree has a number of trails available, but since our visit occurred during a period of frequent torrential rainstorms in the southeast, we decided to stick to the elevated boardwalk. Since some portions of the boardwalk were underwater, I’m sure the other trails were probably unpassable.

Congaree boardwalk

While I love a good swamp (the Okefenokee is my favorite so far), I can understand why Congaree is one of the least visited parks – swamps aren’t for everyone. The following photo is one of my favorites because it’s hard to tell where the trees end and the reflections begin. (Can you find the squirrel in the photo?)

One of the things I didn’t expect was the caterpillars. They. Were. Everywhere. Caterpillars on the railing of the boardwalk. Caterpillars hanging from trees on silken threads. Are those raindrops pattering on the surface of the water? No, it’s caterpillars. The end of the boardwalk was a platform overlooking a lake; very few people spent any length of time there because the caterpillars were raining down from the trees like little multi-legged paratroopers. (We also got to meet Ares, Dog of War and his family at the overlook.) According to one of the park volunteers, the number of caterpillars varies from year to year, but based on the numbers present during our visit, 2023 was gearing up to be a banner year for them.

We haven’t been able to travel much this year due to all of the expensive home repairs we’ve been dealing with. However, mentally revisiting Congaree for this post has me excited about our upcoming roadtrip. I’m ready for new adventures!

So, where do you stand on the subject of caterpillars? Yea or Nay?

When Potato Chips Equal Love

As y’all know from a previous post, I finally found someone who listened to me about my ongoing gallbladder issues; I just needed to have a few tests run to make sure there was nothing else going on that might mimic gallbladder symptoms. I’m pleased to announce that all of the tests are behind me and nothing mimicking gallbladder symptoms was found. Now to get the referral to a surgeon…

My last test was my every-five-year colonoscopy; this was my third one. For each colonoscopy, the prep has been different, but never fun. The day before the procedure you can only have liquids, including broth and gelatin. An all liquid diet is hard enough but I don’t like broth and you can’t have red, purple, or orange gelatin. (Those colors could look like blood during the procedure.) However, I don’t like lemon or lime which limits my gelatin choices even further. I settled on blue “mixed berry” gelatin and Kenn found some green watermelon flavored gelatin that I was willing to try. Much to my surprise, I preferred the watermelon over the berry. I even managed to choke down a small amount of broth. I try to be a good patient but I spent most of the day complaining that I just wanted some potato chips. I love, love, love potato chips and desperately needed something salty to balance the sweetness of the gelatin. However, I was good and did NOT have any chips.

The next day, when I was back in the truck after the procedure, Kenn pulled out his insulated lunch bag and presented me with a bottle of soda and an individual serving-size bag of potato chips. Y’all, I almost cried with happiness. I also told Kenn that it’s one of the most romantic things he’s ever done for me. He found that statement amusing, but I was completely serious. It shows that he listens to me and went out of his way to do something to make me happy after a procedure he knew I was nervous about. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

Side note, if you’re over 45 and haven’t had a colonoscopy, please get on the phone and schedule one ASAP. There is no history of colon cancer in my family, yet precancerous polyps were found in my first colonoscopy (which is why I have to have one every five years). If I hadn’t had a colonoscopy as recommended, within the next several years, I would have developed colon cancer. A colonoscopy won’t be at the top of anyone’s list of Fun Things To Do, but, as the saying goes, it’s better than the alternative.

Now, what is the most romantic thing someone has done for you?