Polar greeting

Goat Island, S.C.

What an odd sight to find on Goat Island! A polar bear and a kayak in the same scene make for a good December shot even if I did take it earlier this year.

How did it get to be 11 pm already? I need a few more hours in my day, no doubt. I made a few stops on the way home from work and spent a lot more money than I had intended. By the time you add pretty little holiday gifty bags and tissue paper to a present it costs more than the original gift and postage is a killer. All good stuff.

Happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish friends!

Like a shoe on a wire

Shoes on a wire, Goat Island, S.C.

There are pages of suggestions for the meaning of shoes hanging from a power line, although I expect for the most part it is just fun to sling them in the air and see if they catch.  If the third fact is correct then there are some lucky gentlemen on Goat Island. This picture also answers the question of whether there is electricity on Goat Island.

  

Just The Facts

1. Shoes hanging from power lines are also known as 'Shoefiti'.
2. Shoe Tossing may indicate gang activity, but the practice has been found in rural areas where there's not even enough people for a gang.
3. Shoes hanging from power lines in Scotland may indicate that a man has lost his virginity somewhere close.

A couple of shoes on a wire are nothing compared to what I found in related searches. Check out the images on Shoe Trees! Wowza. We are slacking. These seem to be popular out west. We need a shoe tree!

The Loneliest Highway in America

Kids do it just because it's fun. And besides, what else are you going to do with a worn-out pair of sneakers other than tie the laces together and toss them high?
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp#ote2OUE7OQliIMwm.99

Who put the shoes there and why? The list of explanations goes on. Suggestions include:

• It's the work of gangs marking the boundaries of their territory.
• Bullies take them off defenseless kids, then sling them up out of reach as the ultimate taunt.
• Gang members create an informal memorial at the spot where a friend lost his life.

• Crack dealers festoon wires to advertise their presence in the neighborhood.
• The shoes increase wire visibility for low-flying aircraft.
• Overly puffed-up boys who have just lost their virginity or otherwise passed a sexual milestone look to signal the event to others.
• Graduating seniors mark this transition in their lives by leaving something of themselves behind; namely, their shoes.
• Kids do it just because it's fun. And besides, what else are you going to do with a worn-out pair of sneakers other than tie the laces together and toss them high?

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp#ote2OUE7OQliIMwm.99

Who put the shoes there and why? The list of explanations goes on. Suggestions include:

• It's the work of gangs marking the boundaries of their territory.
• Bullies take them off defenseless kids, then sling them up out of reach as the ultimate taunt.
• Gang members create an informal memorial at the spot where a friend lost his life.

• Crack dealers festoon wires to advertise their presence in the neighborhood.
• The shoes increase wire visibility for low-flying aircraft.
• Overly puffed-up boys who have just lost their virginity or otherwise passed a sexual milestone look to signal the event to others.
• Graduating seniors mark this transition in their lives by leaving something of themselves behind; namely, their shoes.
• Kids do it just because it's fun. And besides, what else are you going to do with a worn-out pair of sneakers other than tie the laces together and toss them high?

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp#ote2OUE7OQliIMwm.99

Hope on Goat 2014

Hope on Goat, Goat Island, S.C.

I caught a boat for a short ride and stepped on Goat Island for the first time. Today was Hope on Goat, a benefit for Louie's Kids and the ticket included oysters, hot dogs, fish stew, music and a silent auction. What wasn't mentioned in the publicity was the delightful quirkiness of the place. My friend Josephine and I walked the length of the island grinning at all the fun signs and artsy odds and ends. We even found a few goats!

Louie's Kids is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that raises funds to help treat childhood obesity, which afflicts 25 million American children today. Louie's Kids works to find the best treatment options to meet the needs of each child. We find the fix that fits, one kid at a time.