March 24 - head home tomorrow

Flash flood warning, thunderstorms and lightning have started the day here in Charleston. May have to buy some wellie boots.

Headed out at eleven, rain just a drizzle but still really overcast.  Head over to get the ferry to Fort Sumter but the first two have been cancelled because of rough seas he tells us to come back for 2:30. 

Go over to check out the market, some beautiful galleries and crafters along with straw basket weavers.  Pop into a local deli and grab lunch to go, head down to the water to eat.  So many of the walkways are under water but we manage to find a dry swing under a gazebo where we can watch the water.  As we are sitting there we start to notice a dolphin, then another and another.  It was so beautiful a small pod of dolphin were frolicking just 100 yards off the pier.  

Back to the ferry and thankfully the boat is a go.  We wander through the museum reading how the start of the civil war started here at fort Sumter. Aftereading a ton of books about the slave trade I was surprised at how emotional I felt actually reading real life stories about it.  What a terrible Iife it was with brother fighting brother and the slaves being used in the forts to rebuild walls, etc.  

The boat trip was wonderful, blustery but dry with the dolphins following the boat.  Fort Sumter is basically a sandbar in the middle of Charleston harbour where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, in the 1800s the walls were fifty feet high, during the war it was bombarded to rubble.  The walls were rebuilt to about twenty feet.  Very interesting and a definite trip to anyone who comes to Charleston.

After the trip we thought a rum was in order so we stopped at an oyster bar called Pearlz, absolutely hopping, with great entertainment.  

A little time to put up our feet and now we are off to dinner.  

Funniest thing just happened, Jim went out for a smoke on our 2 foot wide balcony and he couldn't get the door opened, I am sitting here watching him.  It's a little scary to watch because the balcony is so narrow so I get up to help, killing myself laughing.  I can't get he door open either, I finally put a foot up on the wall and pull like crazy and thankfully the door opened.  Lol I don't think Jim was impressed with my gales of laughter.