Thunderbolt

Thursday has been the nicest weather we have had for several days.  It was fairly warm and pleasant all day.  Since we are at the marina here in Thunderbolt for several days, this morning was low key.  I decided to do a little dusting.  Now this may not sound dramatic, however, considering what I was dusting it with.  There are 9 windows in the salon and galley of Southern Style and all of them have these lovely blinds.

I love the look they give to the boat, but when it comes to dusting them it is tedious.  Picture me with a damp paper towel and one finger wiping each individual blind.  In addition to the blinds, there are slats on all the cabinets and cupboards which also should be dusted periodically.

This kept me busy for some time this morning.  But not to despair, once this chore was done Keith and I got out the bikes and made our way to Bonaventure Cemetery.

Bonaventure Cemetery is only about 1  1/2 miles from the marina here in Thunderbolt.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a popular spot to see for many visiting Savannah.  It also gained much recognition after being featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  It is Savannah's largest municipal cemetery and is about 160 acres.  It was originally Bonaventure Plantation owned by John Mullryne.  The family used some of the land for a private cemetery, however in 1846 the entire plantation was sold and eventually became the public cemetery it remains today.  It is georgeous with hundreds of live oaks draped in Spanish moss.

The eastern edge of the cemetery looks out over the Wilmington River and the ICW.

The sculptures throughout the cemetery are also beautiful works of art.

Because of its long history and beautiful location, many notable people from Savannah are buried here.  Some of you may be familiar with Johnny Mercer.  He is a popular American song writer. He wrote more than 1,000 songs and received 4 Oscars for movie lyrics.  He also wrote 7 Broadway shows.  Mercer's family was from the Savannah area and several members are interred in the family plot along with Johnny Mercer.  Mercer family plot.

Another grave site often visited in this cemetery is that of Gracie Watson.  Gracie was the daughter of W. J. Watson and Frances Watson.  The Watson's managed the Pulaski Hotel in Savannah in the 1880s.  Gracie loved running around the hotel and was reportedly a vivacious child.  She caught pneumonia and died 2 days before Easter in 1889.  Her parents were understandably distraught and commissioned famous sculpture John Walz to produce a life sized statue of Gracie in her Easter dress as her headstone.

They moved away from Savannah and back to New England where they were from.  They could not continue to live where the memories of their Gracie were so strong. 

After biking around the cemetery, Keith and I headed back to Southern Style.  I was able to capture this picture of the "Courageous", Savannah's new all-hazards boat.  It was coming down the Wilmington River past the marina.  The boat was purchased in 2015 with a 1.2 million dollar grant from the Dept. of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency and an additional $400,000 in private funding.  She is 50 feet long and can shoot 8,000 gallons of water a minute sourced directly from the river.  She can be used in events involving chemicals, biological agents, explosives, and fires to protect the maritime trade in the region and the river fronts.