In Our Own Backyard

Neal’s Post from the Past: “Bright Morning Pétanque”

Posted on December 16, 2021December 16, 2021 by Neal Saye

A post from the past about the adventurous fun of procrastination. I was retired from teaching full time at Georgia Southern University but working as an adjunct at the Savannah College of Art and Design, SCAD. This was eight years ago, and as you will see, I had much to learn about cell phone photography.

[An actual serious and sort of embarrassing TIB—Truth in Blogging—here: For those of you following NealEnJoy, you know that I am now married to a wonderful man, Robert. At the time of this blog post, I wasn’t completely out, so I didn’t include Robert in my posts. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN EVERY SCENE I DESCRIBE. I feel terrible about that now. But now is/was not then.]

****************

Last Saturday, loaded down with a big stack of research paper first drafts, written by my delightful and intelligent international graduate students in our Research, Reading and Writing in Art and Design class at SCAD, I escaped down to Amelia Island, Florida. My Distinct Intention: sitting, for the next two days (since Monday was a holiday) on the patio of the condo, listening to the crash of waves …

… and occasionally eyeing a sea turtle meandering up onto the lawn from the protected dunes …

… (this one’s about sixteen inches long) while Determinedly, Professorially marking up student texts, never putting down my pen or moving from the patio. And even though the papers are on fascinating topics, such as the spread of memes through websites, the commercialization of global opera, color’s impact on productivity in the work environment, and how video games make our lives better, I WAS at the beach, for goodness sake. Can anybody besides me see a potential problem here?

But, to be honest, and to defend myself a little, the BETTER part of Saturday had really already vanished by the time I arrived at the condo, unpacked (I ALWAYS unpack–my mama says not to live out of your suitcase), took a much-needed barefoot walk on the beach to calm my nerves after the hour-and-a-half drive from Savannah (okay, maybe I stopped at Starbucks in Brunswick for a quick Salted Caramel Mocha), washed the shells I found …

… thought a while about whether I should make a hip Christmas sea shell wreath or just put them in a glass jar, ran to the Lucky Wok for a spring roll and Balsamic Vegetable Medley, rushed back to the condo and soaked my feet in bath salts–thus it was simply too late to think about grading. Seriously.

So Sunday morning I got up energized–ready!–but, discovering there was nothing in the condo for breakfast except some peanut butter which had gotten beach sand it in and several pints of old strawberry ice cream, I had No Choice but to hightail it over to my favorite historic district Fernandina Beach breakfast place, Bright Mornings Café. (Isn’t that a cool name?)

As soon as you sit down, the FRIENDLIEST wait staff rush over with a variety of muffins, jam, marmalade and coffee. (I wish I lived inside that place.)

(I forgot to take the above pic until after most of the muffins were gone.)

Well, the neatest thing happened next! I was lucky enough to have the World’s Best Waitress, Laura, who, after recommending the breakfast potatoes (boy, was she right!) shared a terrific story. Actually, she shared after I complimented her on her interesting necklace:

She told me that her daughter had given her the necklace, and it represented the body’s chakras. You know about them, right? Energy distribution centers throughout the body. The lower one is the root chakra, which seems to be powerfully related to our contact with the earth, helping us to be grounded into the earthly plane. Also it represents the center of manifestation, especially with the material world. Anyway, after getting the necklace, Laura explained that she took off her shoes and enjoyed feeling the ground, the earth, with her bare feet. The next day she received a large amount of money. Wow. Whatever we may believe, material increase came to Laura. So cool! I haven’t worn shoes since hearing the story, and ain’t planning to anytime soon!

Leaving Laura and Bright Mornings (darn it), I thought I should probably go back and start grading, but as I walked down 3rd Street in Fernandina Beach, I saw this sign …

… and it pointed in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION from where my little car Skedadler sat waiting for me. So, being the lawful person I am, I traversed the way of the sign, and within minutes started hearing people (bunches of people) speaking French and Spanish and Deep South Georgia Drawl and other languages I couldn’t understand.

Well, lo and behold, I stumbled upon a major national sports tournament!

I found myself smack-dab in the middle of the International Pétanque America Open Tournament! How exciting is that?! One of the biggest tournaments in all of Pétanque!

Okay, okay, I had no clue what Pétanque is either. Other people, from all over the world, apparently DO know what it is. Before I explain, a few pictures:

Pétanque (pronounced “pay-tonk”), I found out, “is one of Europe’s most popular outdoor games, a cousin of both horseshoes and of the Italian bowling game called ‘bocce’. The game originated in the South of France in the early 1900’s. The aim is to toss, or roll, a number of hollow steel balls (‘boules’) as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, called ‘but’ or ‘cochonnet’ (French for ‘piglet’). Players take turns, and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played, wins” (petanque-america.com).

Players must stand with both feet firmly planted in a circle when tossing their balls. (Why did I just giggle like a seventh grader?)

Those pétanque folks were all SO friendly, even when I kept mistakenly walking onto the playing courts or talking to the players in the middle of their games. (It was all just a bit confusing to me, like Harry Potter’s quidditch, but then again, I never quite got the hang of horseshoes.)

I discovered that the only store in the Americas dedicated to pétanque was right there in Fernandina Beach, Petanque America, owned and operated by Philippe Boets, an emigre from Antwerp, Belgium. Doesn’t he have the coolest name, Philippe? I’m thinking of changing my name to something hipper than “Neal.” Any suggestions?

Here I am sitting on the sidelines, trying my best to stay out of trouble and wondering where that man standing in the circle got his shirt and whether or not I should roll up the legs of my pants to look a little more European.

And here I am with Rosemary Szczygiel, a Fernandina Beach petanque enthusiast, who filled me in on the basics of the game.

Such new-discovery fun!

P.S. I had the papers marked by the time I headed back up the road to Savannah.

Neal’s Post from the Past: “A Sunday Afternoon Adventure at Bonaventure”

Posted on November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 by Neal Saye

I have always Loved, Respected and even been a bit Intimidated by the dual seriousness and joyfulness of cemeteries: those quiet repositories of yesteryear, of love, of memory, of laughter and tears, of regret, of layered history.

Here’s a post I did back in 2013 about perhaps Savannah’s most iconic cemetery.

************

I spent an incredibly warm but wonderfully interesting couple of hours this afternoon at the historically magnificent Bonaventure Cemetery here in my beautiful Savannah. The day might have been heavy and muggy, but my time there was anything but. Every second Sunday the Bonaventure Historical Society offers free guided tours of the cemetery, so I showed up thirty minutes early with a big water bottle and wearing my thinnest t-shirt.

Before leaving my air conditioning, I checked out the cemetery’s website and learned that …

Though not Savannah’s oldest cemetery, Bonaventure is certainly its most famous and hauntingly beautiful. Quintessentially Southern Gothic, it has captured the imaginations of writers, poets, naturalists, photographers and filmmakers for more than 150 years. Part natural cathedral, part sculptural garden, Bonaventure transcends time.

Military generals, poet Conrad Aiken, Academy Award-winning lyricist Johnny Mercer and Georgia’s first governor Edward Telfair are among those buried at Bonaventure. The approximately 100-acre cemetery is also historically significant as a reflection of changing views on death and dying in the Victorian era. As death became more romanticized and ritualized during this period, cemeteries became lush, beautiful “cities of the dead.”

Another reason behind Bonaventure’s popularity is John Berendt’s book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which featured a cover photo of the now-famous “Bird Girl” statue, formerly located in Bonaventure. The statue has since been moved to the Telfair Museum of Art, founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair, also buried at Bonaventure.

Our tour guide, the vivacious Ms. Elizabeth Ford …

… oozed Southern hospitality and a spoke a delicious Southern dialect. (After the tour, I wanted to go home with her just to hear her talk some more. But I didn’t really know how to ask.)

Elizabeth led us around the hauntingly beautiful Gothic graveyard, along the banks of the lazy Wilmington River, regaling us with stories of the history of the place and showing us gravesites of some of the more prominent folks buried there. But what I loved most of all was the simple interplay of a deeply Southern voice leading me, slowly, on Sunday afternoon time, through such beauty.

(In the above pic, I was aiming for a cemetery facial expression.)

(I wish I had a ponytail like that guy to my left.)

My parents taught me to love cemeteries. As friendly places, reservoirs of wonderful memories. To this day, when I return home to visit them, we usually end up at one of several cemeteries in or around my hometown of Ball Ground, Georgia, where close relatives are buried. Granny Nix and Veto. Mama and Papa Saye. My brother Jimmy who lived only one week. Old Doc Saye, Ball Ground’s first doctor. Pulling weeds around a headstone, or straightening flower arrangements, we get caught up in “Remember when’s” and “She was a pistol!” and “I still miss him so much.” They taught me that I am standing tall today because of all of them who came before.

Bonaventure: an afternoon of warm joy.

Bonaventure Cemetery Website

In Our Own Backyard, The Joy and Wisdom of Children

Rainbow Joy

Posted on August 23, 2015November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

Last evening I went to a fun but bittersweet farewell party for good buddy Ellie Covington (who is Texas-bound, Galveston).

After a torrential downfall forced the party onto the carport, the late-stayers ventured out onto the dock by the marsh and saw this …

(Do you see the second one to the right?)

Of course, we all had to get a little silly.

I quickly texted the pic to my fam and got this response from daughter Emily (mother of grandtwins Madison and Mathew) from the other side of Savannah:

“We can hold it too!”

The joyful promise of a rainbow!

May the excitement and happiness of children be with us all, especially Ellie as she makes her move to the next successful stage of her life!

In Our Own Backyard, Savannah Joy

Tybee Lifeguarding

Posted on August 3, 2014November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

So this morning I decided to “do church” by driving twenty minutes south from my place in Savannah’s historic district to Tybee Island. Even though the dark clouds kept threatening to open up, I communed with nature and thanked God for the beauties of creation.

(I wanted to take up an offering, but the obviously heathen beachcombers just would not cooperate.)

So I walked.

And looked.

And listened.

And then, lo and behold, at one point I glanced up from checking my stock portfolio …

… and all of a sudden JUST KNEW what my Tybee trip this morning was Really All About:

“Look! I am meant to Be a Lifeguard!”

And, clearly, the island is in dire need–the lifeguard stand stands sadly empty.

“Hey you! Yes you!”

“I’m talking to you!”

“That swimming suit looks ridiculous on you!! What were you thinking?!”

And a little later:

“Oh gosh, someone’s in trouble! I gotta take action!”

After the life save, I hurried back up to my post 14.

And then this “official” rescue personage came driving up …

… and asked me what the heck I was doing on a condemned life guard stand. Like it wasn’t crystal clear that I was saving lives while he was golf-carting around and looking at girls.

“Sir, for future reference, please do not climb on these old structures. And be careful climbing down.”

(As if a fit lifeguard like me would have any issues.)

If you need me at the beach, rest assured, I will be on the lookout.

In Our Own Backyard, Savannah Joy

Seeing and Walking Green — A Jones Street PhotoEssay

Posted on July 23, 2014November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

I just got back from a very warm but invigorating and visually stunning morning walk. Today I trekked a few blocks over to Jones Street, one of the most beautiful residential avenues in Historic District Savannah.

I decided to look for GREEN on Jones, and boy did I find it! Here’s a (rather large) sampling of what I saw.

Go Green.

(Oh, and here’s an old post featuring Jones Street at Christmas.)

In Our Own Backyard, Where Happiness Finds You

Bright Morning Petanque

Posted on November 13, 2013November 10, 2021 by Neal Saye

… and occasionally eyeing a sea turtle meander up onto the lawn from the protected dunes …

… (this one’s about sixteen inches long) while Determinedly, Professorially marking up student texts. And even though the papers are on fascinating topics, such as the spread of memes through websites, the commercialization of global opera, color’s impact on productivity in the work environment, and how video games make our lives better, can anybody besides me see a potential problem here?

I had no excuse.

As soon as you sit down, the FRIENDLIEST wait staff rush over with a variety of muffins, jam, marmalade and coffee. (I wish I lived inside that place.)

(I forgot to take the above pic until after most of the muffins were gone.)

She told me that her daughter had given her the necklace, and it represented the body’s chakras. You know about them? Energy distribution centers throughout the body. The lower one is the root chakra, which seems to be powerfully related to our contact with the earth, helping us to be grounded into the earthly plane. Also it represents the center of manifestation, especially with the material world. Anyway, after getting the necklace, Laura explained that she took off her shoes and enjoyed feeling the ground, the earth, with her bare feet. The next day she received a large amount of money. Wow. Whatever we may believe, material increase came to Laura. So cool! I haven’t worn shoes since hearing the story, and ain’t planning to anytime soon! (Kidding.)

Leaving Laura and Bright Mornings (darn it), I thought I should probably go back and start grading, but as I walked down 3rd Street in Fernandina Beach, I saw this sign …

… and it pointed in the opposite direction from where my little car Skedadler sat waiting for me. So, being the lawful person I am, I traversed the way of the sign, and within minutes started hearing people (bunches of people) speaking French and Spanish and Deep Southwest Georgia Drawl and other languages I couldn’t understand.

Well, lo and behold, I stumbled upon a major national sports tournament!

I found myself smack-dab in the middle of the International Petanque America Open Tournament! How exciting is that?! One of the biggest tournaments in all of Petanque!

Okay, okay, I had no clue what Petanque is either. Other people, from all over the world, apparently DO know what it is. Before I explain, a few pictures:

Petanque (pronounced “pay-tonk”), I found out, “is one of Europe’s most popular outdoor games, a cousin of both horseshoes and of the Italian bowling game called ‘bocce’. The game originated in the South of France in the early 1900’s. The aim is to toss, or roll a number of hollow steel balls (‘boules’) as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, called ‘but’ or ‘cochonnet’ (French for ‘piglet’). Players take turns and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played, wins” (petanque-america.com).

Players must stand with both feet firmly planted in a circle when tossing their balls. (Why did I just giggle like a seventh grader?)

Those petanque folks were all SO friendly, even when I kept mistakenly walking onto the playing courts or talking to the players in the middle of their games. (It was all just a bit confusing to me, like Harry Potter’s quidditch, but then again, I never quite got the hang of horseshoes.)

I discovered that the only store in the Americas dedicated to petanque was right there in Fernandina Beach, Petanque America, owned and operated by Philippe Boets, an emigre from Antwerp, Belgium. Doesn’t he have the coolest name, Philippe? I’m thinking of changing my name to something hipper than “Neal.” Any suggestions?

And here I am with Rosemary Szczygiel, a Fernandina Beach petanque enthusiast, who filled me in on the basics of the game.

Such new-discovery fun!

P.S. I had the papers marked by the time I headed back up the road to Savannah.

In Our Own Backyard

September Oaks Revisited

Posted on November 3, 2013November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

Last Saturday I revisited September Oaks Vineyards— a small but incredibly beautiful boutique winery in Ridgeland, SC. On my first trip to SOV about a year ago, I fell in love with the place–as well as the fun and friendly folks who work there, especially Nikki Davis …

… a kindred spirit, who at the time of my first trip (and the above pic) worked part-time at September Oaks and taught high school English in Ridgeland. Thus, we hit it off as fellow English teachers right from the start. Nikki has since become a faithful blog follower and happiness promoter.

For this second visit, good friends Robert and Edward (such strong, classical names–who names their child “Neal”? And with an “a”?) accompanied me along lazy U.S. 17 on the forty-five minute trip from Savannah.

The entrance to September Oaks is as beautiful as the place itself.

So I motored down the old oak-lined entryway and parked Skedaddler. (My little car’s name. What? You don’t name your vehicles? Well, why not? And, what? You think “motored” sounds a little silly and pretentious? Well, I would too under normal circumstances, but those ancient oaks and the incredible fall weather made me want to talk British-fancy.)

A special event was going on that day: A Novel Wine Tasting & Literary Festival, featuring readings and book signings from over two dozen authors. Such fun! (More about that later … with a Princess Diana twist.)

So we sauntered (there I go again) into the tasting room, paused just inside the door because the place was booming with folks at the counter, and glanced around. But not for long–because suddenly I heard a hooting and hollering, and saw Nikki rushing toward me and giving me a big hug, as if I were, oh I don’t know, a World Famous Blogger or something! It was so cool to see her again.

We waited our turn for the tasting and then belly-ed up to the beautiful new counter …

… which is made from crushed wine bottles poured in layers to give the appearance of a flowing river amid vineyards. WHO thinks to do creative stuff like that?! When I think of crushed bottles, I always remember the time as a kid when I stepped on a broken Coke bottle and had to have a terribly painful and tear-producing tetanus shot. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to see THAT scene worked into a wine tasting counter!

Anyway, we met our pourer Annette (delightful), who led us through three whites and three reds, from dry to sweet. We were asked to score each wine on a scale of 1-5 points. And I probably don’t need to tell you, but wine has alcohol in it! Edward and Robert were SO much better at the taste scoring than I. Really. They swirled the wine around, smelled it deeply, commented on its color, and even had exaggerated expressions on their faces after each tasting which somehow seemed to register their definite approval or casual dismissal. They even made comments such as, “Oh yes, I would serve this one with fruit and chocolate” or “This white would pair perfectly with fresh, local seafood.” Me? What was I doing? Well, before I answer, look at the picture below. Although the photo is a bit dark, here I am with Edward and Robert.

My biggest concern during our tasting was not wine aroma or pairing possibilities … but that woman in the right edge of the picture. See her? You can’t tell from the pic, but she’s really close (too close in my opinion) to the two heavenly smelling featured dishes at the tasting–southern seafood gumbo, and shrimp and grits–and she’s actually somewhat blocking my path to the food. All through the tasting I kept glancing over my shoulder and worrying about how I could get past her.

Here’s a lighter picture of Robert and Edward. I took it mainly to get a better perspective on how to get past that lady.

I did it!

Here’s Nikki with Evie Woods, wife of September Oaks owner Grady Woods:

And here I am with Evie:

And here’s Evie between two wine bottles:

And here’s Evie eating gumbo:

And here’s Evie feeding me gumbo:

After the wine (and food) tasting, Annette asked if we would like a tour of their new barrel room. Well, who’s gonna turn that down?

On your visit (and of course you’re going to visit soon), look closely and you’ll see my shadowy spirit protectively overseeing the oak barrels.

Oh my gosh. Look what showed up next in the warehouse area:

A set of drums! So of course I had to play a while.

It would have been so much more enjoyable for myself and the others if I knew how to play drums. Oh well, we moved on to the big steel barrels.

Next, we ventured outside to the vineyard and the literary reading.

Here’s Jack and Robin Firestone, authors of Chasing Diana. The Firestones were in Paris on the night of Diana’s fatal car crash sixteen years ago … and were in the tunnel … and saw the wreck! Chasing Diana is their fascinating story. Here they are reading excerpts from the book.

And here I am harassing them.

Evie and Grady, SOV’s gracious owners and hosts.

What a joyful Saturday afternoon. I hereby declare September Oaks to be the Official Winery of NealEnJoy.com!

A special thanks to Robert Smith for taking most of the pictures in this post.

Read the blog post about my first visit here: SOV 1.

In Our Own Backyard

Sunday Afternoon Adventure at Bonaventure: A PhotoJournal

Posted on June 9, 2013November 18, 2021 by Neal Saye

I spent an incredibly warm but wonderfully interesting couple of hours this afternoon at the historically magnificent Bonaventure Cemetery here in my beautiful Savannah. The day might have been heavy and muggy, but my time there was anything but–cooler than Leopold’s! It seems that every second Sunday the Bonaventure Historical Society offers free guided tours of the cemetery, so I showed up thirty minutes early with a big water bottle and wearing my thinnest t-shirt.

Before leaving my air conditioning, I checked out the cemetery’s website and learned that …

Our tour guide, the vivacious Ms. Elizabeth Ford …

… oozed Southern hospitality and a spoke a delicious Southern dialect. (After the tour, I wanted to go home with her just to hear her talk some more. But I didn’t really know how to ask.)

(In the above pic, I was aiming for a cemetery facial expression. Did I get anywhere close?)

(I wish I had a ponytail like that guy to my left.)

Bonaventure: an afternoon of warm joy.

Bonaventure Cemetery Website

In Our Own Backyard, The Joy and Wisdom of Children

D-Man, Superheroes and Snakehandling: Party Weekend–Party Two

Posted on April 23, 2013November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

As I mentioned in the previous post, this past weekend brought two terrific parties, a street celebration Saturday night and then on Sunday afternoon the Sixth Birthday Celebration for my Grandson Daniel.

Before I escort you to Weekend Party Two, let me just explain that Daniel is one very COOL little boy. And here are Eight Sunglasses-Prominent Pics of D-man to prove it:

(With kindergarten teacher Ms. Lancaster)

(With little brother Gabriel)

Okay, maybe the twin girls froze him up a bit and reduced his coolness by a tad.

But NOT on his birthday. Here he sits, with his green faux hawk (aka fohawk) before his backyard party begins, “patiently” waiting for the Spiderman inflatable to blow up.

Almost there.

“I love it!”

Here’s Batman perched in the trees:

I have NEVER seen a balloon so huge. And the Spiderman pinata, ready to be lowered:

Soon the backyard fills with school and neighborhood friends.

A great hit at the party–the appearance of the folks and animals from Critters-to-Go. The kids (and adults) are fascinated.

“Okay, kids, now let’s all play with snakes!” (Neal’s first thought: “Is everyone here INSANE? What happened to the PRETEND superheroes theme?) Then out of the corner of my eye, I see courageous Batman hiding out in the trees away from all this.

Initially, Daniel’s not so sure. See? He’s a smart boy.

That soon changes.

“Here, Abu, you hold him too.”

My drug-induced-looking smile is for the camera. I’m really thinking: “Is there ANY possible way to spank this child with over fifty people watching?”