thervdreamlife

I can’t believe that February is almost over, and for a short month, it has been filled with lots of fun for us! I know the weather has been unusually warm in quite a few spots this month, South Carolina included, and we have been taking full advantage of the warm, sunny days. We continue to work on our golf games, playing every day we can, and during the past two weeks we have also experienced several Clemson sporting events. Actually, it has been great fun living close to a college town and taking advantage of the associated activities – sports and cultural – although Clemson sports is a culture here!

We had previously attended two Clemson men’s basketball games so we wanted to give equal time to the Lady Tigers. We chose their game against Notre Dame on February 16 because I wanted to see their coach, Muffet McGraw in action. Having witnessed her several times on television with Notre Dame making their way deep into the Women’s Final Four quite often, I always admired this little spitfire – and there she was – a petite woman in hot pink slacks (for Breast Cancer Month) and what looked to me to be six inch heels! Did they hold her back? I think not! She strutted the sidelines, squatting  and soldiering on as her women maintained the lead. Notre Dame was favored to win but the game ended up being very exciting as the Lady Tigers came back to within four points by the game’s end! It was also neat to see two Jersey girls on Clemson’s team – one from Camden and one from Holmdel –  and a fantastic sophomore from Manasquan, NJ starting for Notre Dame. Great game – enthusiastic  crowd – entertaining festivities!

On Sunday, February 19, we ventured back to Clemson to Doug Kingsmore Stadium to watch Clemson take on Wright State in baseball. What a beautiful baseball stadium filled to capacity with Tiger fans! Again, it was a gorgeous day and many families and baseball fans were taking advantage of it. Not having purchased tickets in advance, we ended up in the outfield which was fine, but after 5 innings, as the sun continued to shift, we opted for a sunny spot standing on the third base line. Clemson had several players out due to injuries and unfortunately lost to Wright State 9-1. They are presently ranked 12 in the nation! Yet another enjoyable sporting day!

This week, after our three work days and two golf days, we decided to break out our hibernating bicycles and head to Greenville, South Carolina, which is about 45 minutes north. Our destination – Swamp Rabbit Trail – a 19.5 mile paved trail that runs on a former railroad corridor between the cities of Travelers Rest and Greenville. The Grenville Health System donated one million dollars to develop and publicize the trail, and believe me it was being put to good use on Friday, February 24! Another stellar day brought out joggers, cyclists, walkers, dogs and lots of strollers! It felt wonderful to get back on our bikes and although we were unfamiliar with the trail, we soon found our way and had a great ride! Much of the trail follows the Reedy River, with lots of interesting sights to stop and explore along the way, including Furman University! One such display was a memorial to Rudolf Anderson, Jr., a reconnaissance pilot and Greenville native, who was the only fatality during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Confident that we had accomplished our cardio goal for the day, we drove through the city with an eye out for a lunch stop. We spotted Duke Sandwich Company, and noting that they have been in existence since 1917 along with the fact that there were a lot of cars in the parking lot, we decided to give it a shot – Dukes did not disappoint! Bill tried a Deviled Egg BLT and I thoroughly enjoyed a Bacon Chicken Caesar Wrap…We earned it on the Swamp Rabbit Trail!

We plan to return to Greenville to visit the Greenville County Museum of Art, where the present exhibition is Wyeth Dynasty, a retrospective of Andrew Wyeth’s work, along with a look at his father N.C. and son Jamie and sisters Carolyn and Henriette. There’s more to Greenville than meets the eye…more opportunities for exploration!