Batman Returns

Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, martial arts skills, an indomitable will, fear, and intimidation in his continuous war on crime.  

Tonight Batman returns in a mini girl version, but makes use of cuteness, sass, manipulation, stubbornness, quickness underfoot, and punk style to control any situation around her. 

Batgirl with her sidekick, "Scared Bunny", aka Eli

Tonight we spent the evening at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for an outdoor showing of Tim Burton's Batman.  The Cafe has paired up with the Film House to put on an outdoor movie series.  This is the third of four movies.  The Film House is currently trying to raise money to open an independent film house in downtown Greenville, using other venues as they try to reach their goals. 

We come early for premovie festivities, which are themed according to the movie that is played.  Tonight the main fun was a costume contest. This one wasn't too hard for us as Pyper's Batman shirt is the only costume-like-thing Pyper owns. She had a lot of fun asking folks who they were and what their different costume parts were called.  She was fascinated most by the wigs, especially Supergirl's. 

Pyper ran up to the front when the MC called "Pyper as Batgirl" and first stood by the judges, Slade & Supergirl, before figuring out where the actual contestants were. 

A pretty good line up for the evening. 

Pyper took home a Pops Joker figurine winning the Juniors division. 

 

Here's a look at some past movie themed entertainment. 

Can you guess which movie was played?

Sometimes we come just for the food. For the showing of Jaws we partook in the Low Country Boil. 

Considering the movie selections of Ghostbusters, Jaws, Batman, and Jurassic Park, coupled with the sun's lack of considertion for early bed time goers, we haven't actually seen any of the movies. But we have fun playing and eating and that's always the best part anyway. 

Pacolet-caching

Pacolet is an old mill town in South Carolina. In Pacific Northwest terms it would be the equivalent of saying it's a an old logging town. After spending the day here, it looks like the town is trying to recreate itself as a recreation destination through paddling and geocaching, because there really isn't much else going on. 

After sleeping in, and enjoying a delicious Andy and Pyper peach pancake breakfast, we decided that a quiet Sunday morning would be the perfect time to complete the Pacolet Geotrail. 

Fueling up for a day of geocaching. 

Geocaching is a recreational activity for finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates posted on a website.  It's also a good way to get outside, explore and experience new places, and have fun finding "treasure!" Sometimes an organization will create a Geotrail in hopes of luring the fanatical geocacher into its clutches.  Some of you reading this may have even been coaxed by said geocacher to help complete a Geotrail or two.  This geocacher thanks you for your willingness to participate on wild goose chases, uphill hikes (both ways of course), and sometimes putting your hands into unknown crevices. 

The Pacolet Geotrail is completed when the geocacher finds 12 of 16 caches within the series. Upon completion, the geocacher is awarded with a special geocache token known as a geocoin.  For this series you must find the cache, sign and date a log sheet, take note of the "proof" you were there, in this case a drawing, then turn in your sheet for a coin. 

Pyper is a pro at geocaching, she found the first one with no problem, but still needs a little help signing the log.  Can you spot the geocache in the first photo?

If this Geotrail wasn't here, I can guarantee you, we would have never know of Pacolet's existence.  But Geotrails are set up in a way to bring a town's history to life. It's almost like a walking tour with a bonus treasure hunt. 

We enjoyed learning about the the town's granite and textile roots. 

Pyper exploring the remnants of the old Opry House, Amphitheater, roadside church, and fire engine.  

Pacolet began it's modern day existence as Trough Shoals. The rushing water at Trough Shoals was first used for the operation of a mill to grind corn meal. This was built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. 

Later on, water powered mills to produce flour, saw lumber and to gin cotton were also built on the Pacolet River at Trough Shoals. The site was used for commercial purposes for well over a half century before the textile industry came. A small community existed at the present site of Pacolet Mills before the coming of the textile industry.

On June 6, 1903, the Pacolet Mills community and many others were struck by the Great Pacolet River Flood. In just a few hours of an incredible rush of water, the Pacolet Mills Company operation was almost destroyed. The covered bridge was washed away along with a church, a cotton warehouse and its contents, a meat market, a barber shop and the post office. In spite of all this devastation, only one person lost their life at Trough Shoals. He was a mill employee and was trying to retrieve floating cotton bales from the water when he drowned.

The community lost much of its population temporarily as the people had to go to other communities to find work while the milks rebuilt. Eventually life and business at Pacolet Mills got back to normal, but then the Great Depression hit. The economy of the area did not recover until World War II. World War II brought a tremendous amount of business to Pacolet Mills and the other textile plants of the Upstate. However, there was a cloud on the horizon that most people could not have even imagined. 

The textile industry, all over the South, found itself in trouble. Competition from countries with cheap labor seemed to be the main problem. The bad news hit Pacolet Mills first in 1957 when it starting closing down mills, then it was completely torn down around 1995. The textile era at Trough Shoals had come to an end. It had lasted about 100 years.

Through the new Pacolet Geotrail we were able to discover this little bit of Southern history and more, and have a great outdoor adventure.  We found the 12 caches needed to find get the Geocoin, skipping a couple caches due to the high concentration of poison ivy.  

Having fun finding the geocaches, high and low, around Pacolet. On Daddy's shoulders, Pyper proclaimed, "I am SO happy!"

Heading home and crashing out after our adventure. 

Parting note/joke:

We were strolling on one of Pacolet's nature trails that was surrounded by a bamboo/poison ivy grove. Upon hiking out, Pyper came up with this joke:

What's the scariest tree in the world?

A Bam-BOO!!!!

Do You Feel Independent?

We started off the day with an unpatriotic game of soccer at Pyper's request. 

Soccer was followed with a very patriotic lunch of burgers, corn on the cob, and watermelon.  The burgers were made with local grass fed beef patties, local tomatoes, local organic lettuce, local cheese, on a fresh baked bun.  It was an outstanding burger. 

While Pyper napped I made truffles in coconut, lime-smoked sea salt-lavander, candied pecan, and whisky-clove flavors.  I was craving chocolate, but didn't have any, so I made some. It was super fun playing chocolatier for the first time. Pyper tried a coconut one after her nap having smelt it on Daddy's breath. You can't get away with anything if she's around. We cut up one truffle into eight pieces and she ate it with a fork. 

While playing at the park we saw that the trolley was running.  We took an evening ride through downtown and had an unexpected train viewing treat. We were also able to find a little spot in our neighborhood to witness the downtown fireworks display before we called it a night.  

This will be our third Independence Day in Greenville, but that's three 4ths having lived in three different locations around Greenville. 

Indoor Season

The South's "stay indoor season" is officially here.  One of Pyper's favorite places to sing and get creative is at The Children's Museum of the Upstate (TMCU). She's been coming here almost a year now and never seems to get bored.

Picasso in the art studio

The museum's famous two-story climbing tower is finally renovated and good fun for all ages.  She especially likes climbing with her favorite TCMU staff.  

At the top of the tower with Miss Karen

At the bottom of the tower with Miss Katherine 

Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museums that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be manipulated by children. The theory behind such exhibits is that activity can be as educational as instruction, especially in early childhood. 

The first children's museum in the world was the Brooklyn Children's Museum, founded in 1899. TMCU opened its doors in 2009. 

We Will Deliver

Today is produce box delivery day.  I picked up a side gig at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery delivering produce boxes for a 10 week program. The boxes are packed with all the goodies of the season and delivered to employees of the St. Francis Hospital system. There are three locations around Greenville. 

What my usual lone deliveries look like, blurry selfies and all. 

Today, for the ninth delivery, I had special help.  The whole family came for the fun. Andy came to be my extra foot, and Pyper came because the cafe sitter was on vacation.   

Loaded up and getting ready to go. 

Great job family! At stop #2, Millennium St. Francis Location. 

Pyper's view of the delivery

When I arrive at the cafe, I first usually drop Pyper with Liana.  She's amongst friends so she is happy. If the boxes are good to go I load them up in our truck with bread and the hand cart, and then I'm off.  The first drop is at 11am, the second at 11:40am, the final at 12:10pm. So from start to finish a two and a half hour load/unload/driving adventure out in the world. 

She prefueled on a chocolate popsicle, grabbed some shades, then helped out with the deliveries. 

When Miss Liana is around and watching the kiddos. 

Twilight at the Firehouse

It's a warm muggy evening, just after sunset as we head home from a play session at the park. As we make the last turn towards home we observe the bay doors open at our local fire department. Two crew members are sitting on the front bumper of one of the engines.  We've always wanted to stop and meet these guys, so Pyper excitedly agrees that now would be a great time.  After circling the small triangular block, we find a place to park behind the station.  "I want to say hi," she says. And so we do. 

She's instantly greeted with a pink fire hat and stickers, which this girl couldn't have been more excited to receive. The hat is too big and is constantly falling forward and backward, but she's persistent in keeping it on. She's invited to sit on one of the engines, but she declares that she'd rather sit on a different one, a bigger one.  The fireman has no issue with this as she checks out the ladder truck parked in front.  As she approaches the tires, the top of her head is as tall all the top of the hubs of the wheels. This thing is big!

I didn't know that fire hats came in pink. Pyper enjoying some truck time. 

She finally gets enough courage to get in the driver seat and happily "cheeses" away.  She tells me she's gonna drive. I ask where. "I'm going to drive to the ice cream shop."  The guys hanging out are excited about this proposition, but she couldn't reach the pedals.  So maybe another time.  

The ladder truck doesn't belong to the station we are visiting, so shortly after Pyper's pretend trip to the ice cream shop it's time to say farewell. We sit back with the station's crew as the truck heads home. Pyper wants to see more... Another time dear, it's time for us to go home too.

Patiently waiting for the ladder truck to pull out.  She fits right in. 

 

The Greenville City Fire Department was established in 1876. This station is one of six stations in the city.  Because of its proximity to our house, we hear these guys every time they get a call.  It only bothers me if Pyper is sleeping, but usually we are at the window waving. 

World Cup Fever

Which country are you routing for?  I've always shown my patriotism in sports. And since the USA is still in it, GO USA! 

I had never played soccer until last Monday.  Up till that point, I had always wanted to. The Swamp Rabbit Cafe has a team, so no better than the present to try it out.  The Greenville County Recreation Department has leagues for a variety of sports.  So we are playing soccer in the coed recreation division. 

At 8:30pm in the evening, we played on a half field, with occasional rain showers, and got our butts kicked 10-3. So at least we got a couple goals. I only played a couple minutes as the showers disrupted Pyper's ability to play alone.  The sideline boys tried to help her out when the rains came, but I think it only made things worse for her state of mind because she doesn't know them very well.  It probably didn't help it was her bedtime.  Yeah, not the best Mommy move. 

Well, now that I have a bum ankle, my soccer days are numbered.  I hope I'll be able to get in the last games of the season, maybe just participate in the practice games.  

Practicing with our team on Thursday, A Pyper Collection