HILTON HEAD, SC -- It’s been a tough winter.

Ice and snow, bellow zero temperatures, then maybe mud - heck, those are easy compared to what we’ve been through since March. Each day has brought word of new infections, hospitalizations, intubations, and worse. Fortunately, the plague has been less punishing here than in most other states.  But it hasn’t been painless.  There have been crises, and losses, and heroes.

In the last ten days there have also been green shoots.  It’s almost as if folks, in Wiscasset and Hilton Head, together, said, “Enough!” 

Last weekend, South Carolina gave the OK for beaches to reopen. People showed up in droves to enjoy the freedom. (Unfortunately, so too did a 12-foot shark, causing the lifeguards to clear the beach for an hour.)

Tourists and locals also began shopping.  Some of them managed to navigate the supermarket aisles and signs and respect social distancing. Some didn’t.  Some wore masks, some didn’t.  Some By my count, masks won 60-40.

Personally, I’m still playing it conservative.  That means I haven’t taken a drum lesson in two months - the ‘lesson closet’ is pretty small.  But I’ve been doing video lessons and practicing  every day.

The Beaufort County library has taken a page from food takeout and is delivering  books to your car trunk.

We’ve had our first submarine sandwiches in nine weeks, from Publix.  Neighbors get together for dinners in the driveway.

Everybody seems to want to “open up” - or at least get their hair done.  Boys and girls :)