Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Nodis

"Der was sum hell raisin outside my bedrum winder last nit".

I haven't written much about the island that I live on in a while.  It doesn't have but a couple of fancy estate subdivisions that are gated.  Most of the land is forested or farmed.  And the island has a large African-American population.  
These descendants of slaves speak the Gullah dialect which according to Wikipedia is:
"an English-based creole language containing many African loanwords and significant influences from African languages in grammar and sentence structure. Properly referred to as "Sea Island Creole" the Gullah language is related to Barbadian Dialect, Jamaican Creole, , Bahamian Dialect, and the Krio language of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Gullah storytelling, cuisine, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions, all exhibit strong influences from West and Central African cultures." 
Among old timers, it is still possible to hear this wonderful language.

This was an old fishing community.  Shrimping and crabbing are still actively a part of the way of life.  More people have moved here from "off" because it is possible to buy waterfront property on deep water.  Some stay for a long while as we have and others find that having to drive 10 miles to get to a grocery store is a pain.  There are a few churches.  And there are a couple of country stores.  There is one juke joint.  The island is also home to the Charleston Tea Plantation and Irving House Vineyards.  Irving House markets Firefly Vodka which is vodka mixed with sweet tea.  It makes my stomach roil to just think about that.  That's about it for commercial establishments besides the fish and shrimp houses.

I think that you have to like the solitude in order to live here.  I remember once having a barbecue at which a guest remarked, "My, you do live in Deliverance country."  Actually,  this island and the Chattooga River gorge where Deliverance was filmed, have little in common geographically or otherwise.  There are no crazed red necks trying to take hostages.  Crime is low, although there have been a couple of murders since we moved out here in 1989.  I am sure that drugs have made their way from the city out here.  But so far, things have been pretty bucolic. And if things get a little raucous, the "Nodis" goes up as a reminder.

About the most happening thing going on is the annual regatta which turns into a two day floating cocktail party.  More arrests are probably made during that for DUI's and public drunkenness than occur all the rest of the year.  We don't go to the yacht club except for an occasional oyster roast.  It is old and lovely.  It does have a great boat ramp that we use to launch the jon boat for fishing.

When I first came to the Lowcountry out of graduate school, I worked out here at a Federal marine lab.  I fell in love with the island then.  Somehow I knew that I would live here.  And luckily, now I call this special place home.

19 comments:

  1. Sometimes I pretend I live on an island. Beautiful photos.

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  2. actually it sounds like a pretty cool place syd...would be neat to hear the dialect as well...

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  3. Be careful, showing everyone how beautiful it is. The place will be overrun with bloggers.

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  4. I'm on my way there, sorry. Bringing the dog too. Where shall we all sleep?

    =p

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  5. I was just thinking tonight how much I would love to see some pictures of your home. Thank-you, Syd. It is beautiful.

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  6. I love this post and your reflections of life on your somewhat-remote island. Love that you got to retire from your job into the same community. We shall see where the winds will take us.... where we go, it needs to be agricultural as that is the part of the Fed DH works for. The one facing 20% budget cuts. I still find it amazing that our facility is one that is slated for the axe. Good work being done here. Agriculture is still important and the universities still don't get that no-till agriculture is essential in the Southeast. Ah, if only ears could hear and if only we were not in such deficits...

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  7. Beautiful place. I've heard about the language but have not ACTUALLY heard it spoken. Thanks for sharing your inside view.

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  8. Coincidentally, a couple of days ago I shot a photo very very similar to the third one you posted, with sunlight at the far end of a tunnel through tree canopy. The one you've posted can tell lots of stories.

    I can easily and hopelessly get so lost in photography - my own or others'. It's a powerful tool of diversion from what ails me, and always brings me joy. As I approached your post and now as I write, I'm finding myself so simply grateful for the devices and art of photography! Grateful for ALL of the particular loves built into me that bring me back to myself and to joy. They can be part of my recovery of self, I see, when I remember and partake.

    What a beautiful and interesting region you call home: wishing you and yours joy there.

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  9. Last week we took a boat over to Daufuskie, which makes your island look like Manhatten. Upon returning to our island I read the Water is Wide the Pat Conroy book set on Daufuskie in late 60's early 70's about his experiences teaching Gulah children. When developers arrived taxes skyrocketed forcing the Gulah to abandon their island home. A resort and development opened drawing workers, but the resort failed and development stalled leaving the former resort workers on the island as the island's primary residents. It's a strange but beautiful place, only accessible by boat.

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  10. Please put some clean sheets on the guest bed and I'll be der fer supper.

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  11. Thank you for this, Syd. It was wonderful to get a chance to look inside your life (in pictures.) I think its enchanting.

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  12. What a wonderful fascinating place.

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  13. LOVED the Nodis. Gorgeous pics. I'd keep this all under your hat, Syd. You wouldn't want us outlanders coming and mucking the place up. :)

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  14. What a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing the photos. Sounds like a wonderful place to live.

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  15. Doesn't sound isolated to me.
    Sounds absolutely beautiful, and all the pictures you have shown are peaceful, and inviting and peaceful.

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  16. Thank you for sharing the history of where you live and how you came to live there. What a beautiful place, I am putting it on my list of places to visit.

    I've lived in the desert since 1989 (fifteen miles to the grocery store!) and love the solitude, but since I lost my husband, the isolation gets to me. My long term plan is to move 'a little' closer to town. :-)

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  17. Thanks, Syd. I need to get me one of those nodises, classic. I hope your island doesn't get overrun like some other islands on the South Carolina coast. Luckily, even on those islands, you can find your own little piece of serenity. So, so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. Syd, I love when you write about your home, and especially when you post your wonderful photography. I have a friend who has a house down on the shore, south of you I think, and I hope to come down someday. I've always wanted to hear Gullah spoken.

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Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.