Two Days at St. Marys | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Two Days at St. Marys | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ernest Yoder
11/13/14
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Two Days at St. Marys

11/11/2013 before sunrise

I am seeing the Master this morning. As usual I was up before dawn. We are staying at a local bed and breakfast in the picturesque coastal town of St. Marys, Ga. about three blocks from the boat docks. I left my bride of 46 years snoozing in our comfy bed and I am now on the second floor balcony facing the sunrise. I am seeing Him as I write. He is evident in the still hidden sun as its light reflects on the fluffy scattered clouds in a resplendent display of a unique dawn.

The magnificent moss draped oaks remind me of old men with long gray beards. The tall magnolia next to the house bravely displays its green leaves as it resists the onslaught of the ubiquitous Spanish moss. It has none. Hmm. Strange.

This quaint little town is waking up. The grackles, blue jays, and crows are beginning to call to their fellows. Fishermen are passing by on their way to the ramps and docks on the St. Marys River. Some hardy souls are out walking their canine friends.

I am seeing the Master as the sun is now peering through the branches of the trees across the street. The silence of nature is remarkable in this little town at the moment. I expect that ere long activity will be more evident as the boat to Cumberland Island loads for the first trip of the day. We expect to go on the second trip.

This little town is reported to be the second oldest town, next to St Augustine, Fl., in the country. Darien, up the coast a bit, claims the title of the second oldest “planned” town in the country behind Savannah. Isn’t it remarkable how people try to find their little niche in history?

11/12/2013, 6:50 AM

I see Him again this morning. It is different than yesterday but He is still very much in evidence. Instead of a bright sunrise illuminating the fluffy white clouds high in the atmosphere this sunrise is obscured by a misty fog that moves stealthily in the light of the street lamps across the street.

The birds are active but not as much so as yesterday morning. In addition to the grackles and the blue jays I heard a cardinal adding its voice to the comparatively fewer bird sounds.

The air is still and heavier with more dampness. School busses are running and people are going to work. (Yesterday was Veterans Day holiday.) Hardier souls again are getting out walking their dogs or jogging. The drapes of Spanish moss still appear as bearded tendrils in the morning mist suspended from the limbs of these mighty old oak trees.

Yesterday we visited Cumberland Island via the twice daily ferry boat ride. After a pleasant boat ride across the intracoastal waterway we disembarked on the south dock at Cumberland. The day was almost as perfect as a day can be on God’s earth. As we sailed, Florida was on our right and the Georgia mainland was to our left. I caught a glimpse of a porpoise. Indeed this was a new adventure for us.

After about three centuries of human activity the island is a wonderful display of nature being allowed to retake its course after several generations of exploitation. Provided is an example of wealth that is transient. 100 years ago the Carnegies were having their heyday on the island. Before them it was the Greenes. Today wildlife has what they once possessed. The history of these two families reveals that riches are fleeting and wealth can be a headache. Ruins of the Carnegie mansion and outbuildings are revelations of an ostentatious time followed by decades of decay.

Today Cumberland Island is a getaway for nature lovers, history buffs, and couples. One thing visitors must do is plan ahead and travel light. There are no trash bins. What you carry in you must carry out. A conscientious visitor will be cognizant of his responsibility to respect the island’s intrinsic natural integrity.

11/10/2014

(As you can see I have waited a year to complete this travelogue after Faith writers surprised me with this challenge.) Our second day at St Marys was occupied with standard a sightseeing excursion after which we treated ourselves to a delicious meal of copious seafood at a local restaurant. I’d like to make the trip again. By the way did you guess this was our 46th anniversary trip?

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