Last Minute Push

The last day in Greenville and I'm still working on my "to do" list. I was a bit lackadaisical in early April with a whole month ahead in one place, and now the last week has felt busy, busy. Last weekend was packed with Saturday designated as "museum day," which included lunch out and at least 8 miles of walking around the city.

My first stop, the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, is housed in the small 1940's home where Joe and his wife spent their final years. Joe was born near Greenville, started working in the mills here at the age of 6, and couldn't read or write, but began his baseball career on the Brandon Mill's team. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous 1919 World Series that tarnished his name, and word is that Billy Bob Thornton is producing a film to help restore it. 

I also returned to the Greenville Museum of Art, which I so enjoyed two years ago. While I did have to revisit their collection of watercolors by Andrew Wyeth, I was once again taken by the range of the visiting collections, from potter David Drake (c 1800) to Annie Leibovitz. That said, I've featured one piece in my photos that provoked head shaking.

On Sunday, I was finally able to bike with the Greenville Spinners on a fun, recreational ride with a coffee stop and much chat. I'm now sorry that weather and holidays kept me from meeting these folks sooner, but one never knows when I may return!  

Finale day was spent at Fluor Field for an afternoon game, even with 86 degrees in the forecast! The Greenville Drivers are a minor league team that's a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, so I just had to go! It was great fun to sit behind home plate for a very affordable price, watch a homer go over the green monster (yes, there's one), and even subject myself to singing "Sweet Caroline" at the bottom of the 8th. 

During my last hours in Greenville, I was drawn to the Hughes Library for an evening of "Rhythm and Rhymes."  The program timing was a strange coincidence that I could not ignore, titled "Carl Sandburg & the Spanish Guitar."  It was terrific and I'm excited for my first stop of the day tomorrow, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, NC. More to come.