Month: September 2021

Each of my walking tours of historic Charleston includes passing St. Michael’s Anglican Church in the famous South of Broad area. This structure, finished 9 years before Ludwig von Beethoven was born, has survived artillery fire during the Revolution and the Civil War, as well as earthquakes, hurricanes and fires. Ironically, some of its worst damage came on St. Michael’s Day, September 29th, 1938, when a tornado sent the slate rood heavenward. The joke since then is that it took God more than a century to get into the church, and only did so when St. Michael lifted the roof.

Early September to early October is alligator hunting season in coastal South Carolina. The number of alligators removed is closely regulated by state permit, and is done only because the number of alligators has become unmanageable in some areas. Overpopulation at certain sizes not only creates excessive predation of younger animals, and the large numbers contributes to hungry alligators roaming into populated areas looking for food, creating potential danger.