Gemini Rising

50 STB - Call the Ball! - South Carolina

It was an early start to the day. Witchy Woman wanted to see the sunrise on Bulls Island. She heard it was one of the best sunrises to see on the East Coast. Celebratin'Slipslidin'Senior stocked up on her Red Bull and we were off at 3:30 am.

We pulled up to Boneyard Beach at 4:40 and started setting up camp. Sunrise was due for 5:13 which meant Civil dawn was going to start in 5 mins! Talk about NO time to spare!

Sung'manitu and I started unloading the camp chairs. WakeUpAndLive and Witchy Woman started setting up the camp stove and boiling the coffee. Party Princess Megan Rose thought she saw an alligator and wanted to pet it, but whatever it was, it scampered away.

Krista and Jellyfish - HAPPY 25th WDC!! started setting up the camp tables.

A hint of dark shadows crested the horizon. The hustle was on.

AmyJo-home sweet home and Party Princess Megan Rose pulled out the donuts and muffins we bought on the way over here. Celebratin'Slipslidin'Senior passed on the coffee. She had 2 Red Bulls that was enough for her. She was wired for the sunrise!

The shadows got brighter as they played over the dead trees. Mind you the trees on Boneyard Beach are pretty - all white with their roots showing. They’re laying down on their sides, and they’d make a good black and white Ansel Adams picture.

The coffee started to boil. We went through the coffee line and poured us a cup. WakeUpAndLive made Jellyfish - HAPPY 25th WDC!! some tea. We grabbed a muffin or a donut and plunked down in our camp chairs.

Slowly, the world got brighter and brighter as we sipped our drinks and enjoyed the sugar rush of our donuts. The waves gently lapped at our feet. The hint of sea salt was in the air.

A bright orange ball crested over the water, splaying deep red and orange rays of light over the waves. We oo’d and aww’d.



Then Krista started snapping pics for her Instagram.

Overall, it was a really cool way to start the morning, but it was too darned early. We all agreed not to do that again any time soon.

South Carolina has a rich history. It was one of the original 13 colonies and was known for rice and indigo. After our picture perfect sunrise, we headed off to Patriots Point and Naval Museum, where the USS Yorktown is moored. It was an aircraft carrier that saw action in the Pacific during World War II. Old military history like this really interests me so I had a blast checking out the Yorktown. What fascinates me the most about Aircraft carriers is how they catapult aircraft off the deck and how they land them. “Call the Ball!” when the pilot is ready to land.


Taken in Nov 2023, here is Andy, giving the signal to launch an airplane from an Aircraft Carrier.


What an exciting day in South Carolina!