Folly Beach

 

May 17, 2023

Packed and ready for the beach. Sleep plans were interrupted by weird sound outside my window. I’m still not sure what they were, but I interpreted them as raccoons trying to dig back into the house. I struggled into some shoes and went out, half naked, with a baton in one hand and a flashlight in the other to confront the enemy. Once out, I realized the sounds came from across the street, and were much louder than I’d thought. Even after searching the internet I’m not sure what it was: almost a sci-fi noise, a high bubbling sound repeated at some length. Woodchuck is the best bet, but they usually don’t go on like that, endangering themselves with volume.

Tides Hotel, Folly Beach 6th floor at the very end, overlooking the newly restored pier. The drive was endangered enough by construction not to be fully boring. Strong warm breeze in my window. Maybe, in terms of view, the best room in the hotel. 

Shut off the air-conditioning, opened the door to the sea.

Gout was my co-pilot this morning, right front toe, which made pressing the gas pedal for five hours a fascinating endeavor. In fact, limping and in considerable discomfort the whole day. Best to have been driving.

Black-headed gulls fly close to my window, as if expecting a hand-out. Now that I know that’s the culture, they will not be long disappointed. 

Dinner at the hotel– because of torrential rain. . Perfect salmon, salad as gritty as if they’d dragged it across the beach. The rain knocked out the hotel elevators and flooded nearby streets as high as the middle of the hubcaps of parked cars.