There are three things that I would like to share with you today.

The first begins with a question: What can $.33 buy you today?

As with any epic adventure, we always experience the unexpected, and it usually has to do with our rental car. This trip was no exception. When we arrived at our destination last night our Tennessee license plate was barely hanging on by a screw. Worried that it might become a metal frisbee and cause damage to another car, and with our luck probably a police car, so we decided getting that fixed was first up for the day.

We made what we thought would be a 5- minute stop at Ace Hardware where we thought the simple solution would be a screw and a borrowed tool if we shared our plight. Do you know how many different size screws with different types of threads exist in this world? It’s more than 5,392. It’s mind-blowing.

But then an Ace Hardware superhero stepped in to intervene (play Indiana Jones music now). He spent over 15 minutes trying at least 20 different screws, using 2 different tools, and persisting until he had wrestled that theft proof plate into submission. Total cost $.33. We are now loyal Ace customers for life.

I’d also like to share today’s culinary delight – field peas. I have never had them before, and thought since it was spring they might be little green peas. Instead they resembled tiny little pinto beans that were slow cooked in a fatty pork product and were absolutely delicious. The waitperson was surprised I had never had them before and told me hers were much better. She serves them over rice on New Year’s. High protein, high fiber, some yummy carbs, I have found culinary nirvana.

Not one to pass by a good rabbit hole, I decided more research was required. There is a traditional South Carolina dish called Hoppin John that is rooted in Gullah culture. It is popular on New Year’s Day because it is thought to bring good luck. The tiny beans represent coins, and sometimes a penny is placed underneath the dish to make sure every ounce of good luck available is brought to those around the table. I believe my New Year’s Day chili may be nudged out by this amazing dish. And it won’t be a hard sell to Peter because I’ll throw in a few different kinds of pork.

Last up in extraordinary ordinary things, is the Fiddler Crab. As we were walking through the marshy flats of Botany Bay, we noticed people stopped along the pathway captivated by the muddy ground along the side. As we looked closely it appeared to be tiny little dime-sized crabs were recreating The Battle of the Bastards scene from Game of Thrones. It was like mixed martial arts meets toddler’s dodgeball. Total chaos. And oddly, some of the crabs had one oversized claw, and not consistently on the same side.

I decided more research was required. Male fiddler crabs wave their one large claw around like a medieval mace using it to attract babes and stake out their territory. They were truly menacing.

So that’s it. That was our day. Slow meandering around Edisto with a lot of rabbit hole research.

Oh yeah, and a pretty awesome sunrise (this was added by Peter). This is my photo of Boneyard Beach.