10
No.
9
Number
Skyscapes
Of all the things I love about
Kiawah, its gorgeous skyscapes
capture the number one place in
my heart. Mountains of cumulus
clouds thrown against a cobalt sky
make me drop whatever I am doing
so I can watch them move across
the sky.
One summer evening I was
standing in the middle of Terrapin
Island, watching an amazing color
display after the sun sank below the
horizon. I happened to turn around
and there behind me was this
gorgeous cumulus cloud reflecting
the sun’s final rays. I will never
forget.
- Jane Iwan
A Balm for My Soul
Marshall Mize
Days end slowly on Kiawah, especially those with blue sky and few clouds.
So it was was one evening I cherish with vivid memory. Days that I travel to
Kiawah begin with a torrid pace. I am focused on arrival while accomplishing
all the tasks that stand in my way. Finally I settled into a favorite chair on the
deck overlooking the ocean and the golf course at Turtle Point. The stress of
the day melted away and the restful scene provided a balm for my soul. It
always does. The only noise was the ever-present sound of the waves and the
occasional cry of a gull.
I sat for at least two hours watching the day fade into night. First the sun
was a fiery ball just above the horizon. It slowly slipped from view and the
colors changed to orange, pink and purple until only the deep blue of the sky
remained. Soon it too would be gone, replaced by greens and grays that would
vanish into darkness.
I watched a hawk fly overhead, looking for a last morsel before heading for its
roost. Then, out past the breakers, a lone dolphin swam from east to west as if
going home to the cut between Kiawah and Seabrook. A buck appeared. He
was soon joined by two friends. They grazed along the fairway and cautiously
stood watching and listening. Suddenly their ears stood up and all three trotted
out of sight. The reason? A pair of bobcats walked onto the fairway. I had
seen them before. With total freedom and playful delight, they frolicked on
the green, retreating into the understory after tiring of their unbridled exercise.
The day was ending; dusk had arrived. With it, an almost full moon rose in
the east, bringing another source of light and grandeur to the dunes and sea.
A gentle breeze came from the south, floating in the nighttime aroma of the
dunes. It is a special fragrance that never exists in daylight, so poignant one
can almost taste it. I continued my reverie for a while longer, then retired
inside to await tomorrow, knowing that the new day would bring another
chance to experience the Island we call Kiawah, and a very fortunate few call
home.
- Photograph courtesy of Pamela Cohen