Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Lowcountry where I live

Mark asked about the name Lowcountry which is the area where I live along the southeastern coast.  The name is both a geographic and social identifier. The geographic area extends from the mid-lands of South Carolina to the coast.  Much of the land is at or near sea level, hence the term "Lowcountry".


If you fly over this coastal area what you will immediately notice are the marshes and dendritic meandering tidal creeks.  The tidal range here is around 5 feet, and when the tide goes out,  the marshes and mud flats are devoid of water.  The dark mud on the tidal flats is sticky and thick and is known as pluff mud.  It's often a revelation to those new to the area when they get out of a boat and sink up to their butt cheeks in pluff mud.  In fact, there is a bumper sticker that says: "Pluff mud: You never forget your first time".
Rolling in the pluff mud
The land is low with cypress bogs, marsh hammock islands, roads canopied by live oaks whose arching limbs are shrouded in silvery clumps of Spanish moss. But it's the omnipresent water—tidal marshes, rivers, estuaries, and the Atlantic Ocean—that really marks the culture of the region and makes it so distinctive.

On the sea islands such as the one where I live, there is a large African-American population.  Many are descendants of slaves who speak the old Gullah dialect which 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." (from Wikipedia).


Among old timers, it is still possible to hear this wonderful language.  Here is a sample of the Lord's prayer in Gullah being spoken and written:







Baskets made by the Gullah out of pine needles and sweetgrass
 For many people in the Lowcountry, shrimping and crabbing are still actively a way of life.  More people have moved here from "off" because it is possible to buy waterfront property on deep water.  Some of the islands have become gated communities and resorts.  I'm glad to live on an island that still has the old ways and hasn't become a resort.

Shrimp boats coming in after a day on the water
Out here, you either stick it out or you find that having to drive 10 miles to get to a grocery store is a pain.  This island has a lot of churches and a couple of country stores.  There are no stop lights, no Wal-Marts, no commercial development.  Farming is still done on the island, with tomatoes being a big crop. 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.  And there are a few shrimp and fish docks that process seafood.

More and more people are coming to the Lowcountry because of the laconic life style, the beauty of the marshes and rivers, the architecture, the history, the art, the food and the southern hospitality.  So far, the island where I live is still unspoiled--close enough to town to get to great restaurants and "culture" but far enough away that most people don't want to move here.  That's a good thing.  Mine is a love affair with this place.

25 comments:

  1. So syd, do you have to take a boat to get to the mainland and do your shopping? Or is there a bridge that joins your island to "civilization?" I live about 14 miles from the high school that my kids attended....that was 28 miles round trip at least 2x a day....usually more. But we do have a Safeway grocery store about 8 miles from us.
    Thank you for describing your area to us. I loved reading this. I also love that it is "unspoiled." I wish there were more areas that were left as they used to be. Mine is still like that, but civilization is creeping its way up our mountain.

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    1. Annette, there is a bridge from the island to the next larger island. And the larger island has stores. It is about a 20 minute drive. It is a good place to live.
      Stand on top of your mountain and keep civilization out. You might be able to do that by joining a land planning committee or something of that sort.

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  2. ha it was great to listen to the lords prayer in that dialect...smiles..i could sit and listen for a while and be content...pluff mud, um, sounds like an experience...ha...

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    1. Yes, it is really good to hear. Smooth like molasses. You'll have to come down and experience pluff mud!

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  3. Thank you Syd for the glimpse into your home area. I hope it stays unspoiled always.

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  4. your last paragraph says exactly why i would want to live in a place like that. unspoiled nature with conveniences nearby is just the place i'm looking for. hey syd, hope you're doing well!

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  5. Thank you for sharing Syd. You have a good eye for seeing the world around you and describing it to us. Sounds lovely to me.

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  6. This evoked a lovely feeling of contentment.

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  7. Syd,
    Thanks for posting the Lord's prayer in Gullah. My family spent time in Charleston years ago, so I am familiar with the area. It's a special place, and you seem so blessed to have found a haven there.

    Thanks also for the posts. They really help me.
    Kathy

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    1. It is a great place to live. I am indeed fortunate.

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  8. On a morning when I am feeling less than serene, reading your post helped calm me. How wonderful your world sounds. I hope it continues to remain a place of peace and contentment for you and your family!

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  9. I love the look of the place Syd..thank you and like Brian said, that prayer actually made more sense to me than the ones I hear round here,

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    1. Yes, a lot of things that the old folks do around here makes much more sense. Fortunately, we have a good group of people on the island.

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  10. And I completely understand why you love it so.

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  11. I agree with the walking man. That prayer actually DID make more sense then the ones I've been hearing. Thanks for the post Syd, and thanks for the peace and contentment and serenity that you share with us.

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  12. I loved this post. We drove through the area once and marvelled at it. I have wanted to return ever since. A Sunday morning on the way to Miami, we were enticed off the highway by the promise of the ocean and wandered onto one of those larger islands. We encountered the most amazing sight, a group of black ladies on their way to church decked out in the most dazzling dresses with hats and shoes to match. We stopped to ask them where we could get lunch and after they stopped giggling we ended up in a little place eating crawfish and fried green tomatoes.

    It was love at first sight and I have wanted to return ever since. The Gullah dialect and way of life is a lot like my husband's people's in the Virgin Islands. As my husband would say, "Dey guh mo' chuch den wha rum-shop."(They got more church than what rum-shop) N' das a goodting.

    -invisigal

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    1. The African-Americans really dress for church. I have written about going to funeral services at the local AME churches. Very moving.

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  13. O I loved listening to the Lord's prayer in Gullah, that is so beautiful. I'll definitely be revisiting this post. Thanks for telling us about your island Syd, it sounds wonderful x

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  14. Syd I so enjoyed reading this -- the landscape, the pluff mud, the plants and the people. Right down through Africa there are so many traditions of weaving baskets from grasses, bark or reeds, often linked with beadwork and clay ceramics. Such wonderful skills to keep in one's community.

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  15. It sounds beautiful and I enjoyed this post immensely.

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  16. Ahhh, Syd - - - thank you for the lovely thumb-nail written sketch of your home, which was also mine for 53 years. It is so wonderful to see your collection of photos throughout your blog; this keeps my memories bright, and tender. I have finally accepted that the memories are my personal gift, having moved out west for health reasons. There's no place like home, though! The Lowcountry with the pluff mud and creeks and people will always be in my heart.

    I have a beautiful picture from a dear friend hanging beside my bed, showing an old wooden rowboat sitting in the marsh grass, looking over a creek at the live oaks on the island across the way. This picture is a shrine of my 53-year long home there.

    Hugs to you,
    Anonymous #1

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  17. It's really interesting to visit your locale through your vivid descriptions and the pictures. It's like night to day from how I live !! I hope my brother in law will write to you but I wonder if any of the plantings that he has on Cape Cod could survive in your area?
    I have a lovely Gullah sweetgrass basket and I treasure it.

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  18. I love this post. I may print it out to keep. Way better than any travelogue I've ever read.

    Thank you!

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