Pictures

                                                               
                                                        

                                                       "All That" dancers at the Opry

I am having problems with photo's today, sorry.

Cold, Snow, Ice "at the beach"

     This past week was misarable down here. Not as bad as those of you "up north" are having but terrible for us who have grown accustomed to mild winters. I can't remember the last time we stayed inside for three straight days. The dusting of snow on top of ice was the bad part along with low temps in the teens and no "above freezing" temps during the day.  Our street was a sheet of glassy ice. Didn't see anyone go up and down for two days and then the first one to come down the street did a 360 right in front of our house. Friday was the first day we ventured out since Monday. The majority of the golf courses have been shut down all week. Not good. Today as I write this, the temp will be 65 and we may even reach 70 by the end of the week. Things are looking up.
     We went with some friends from Lancaster on Friday night to The Carolina Opry. We ate at Chuck's Steakhouse before the show and it was crowded. I think everyone was going out for the first time in awhile. The new seating at The Opry was fantastic. Larger, comfortable seats, more isle room and a cup holder. The show was great as always. I am always amazed at the talent down here. The musicians, singers and dancers are all top notch. If you've never been to a show down here, be sure and go the next time you're in town.
     Myrtle Beach is one of the top three destinations this summer based on bookings on the FlipKey.com vacation rental website.  Myrtle Beach followed No. 1 Rio de Janeiro and No.2 Ocean City, Md., as the most popular on FlipKey, which is the vacation rental arm of TripAdvisor.
     One good thing about the bad weather was that I got some much needed writing done on my new book COUGARS AT THE BEACH. It is coming along and I am looking to have it completed this spring. The book features Mickke D and several other characters from my first book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE.
     There are lots of snowbirds down here right now. Why don't y'all come on down and join them for a couple of weeks or a month or two. I hope the bad weather is over.  See ya, Steve & Bev

That's ice under the snow

 

 

    

Cold But No Snow "at the beach"

     I figured those of you "up north" could use some cheering up, so I have included beach pictures this time around. It has been down right cold down here. I got up the other morning and it was 17 in Little River. Today it's supposed to get to 50 and then 65 on Monday and then 35 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and maybe that dreaded four letter word SNOW! This has been the coldest January I can remember since we have been down here, which is fourteen years. The only good part has been there has been ample sunshine, which does make a difference. I haven't played golf since last November and that's unheard of down here.
     Speaking of golf, after three years of relative stabilization in rounds played, the Myrtle Beach area golf market saw paid rounds drop nearly 6% in 2013 compared to 2012. I'm afraid if this trend keeps up, we may be seeing more course closings this coming year. The home building  market is starting to improve so those developers are looking at golf courses as prime locations to build.
     The local shows are opening again after a one month vacation and the Carolina Opry has installed all new seating. We're going with some Lancaster friends this coming Friday to check it out.
     My second book Cougars at the Beach is coming along slowly but surely. Hope to have it to my editor by the end of April. I have included several Lancaster personalities in the book and  I am trying to work some Lancaster locations into the book as well. Signed copies of the first book Murder on the Front Nine are still available at The Ohio Glass Museum in Lancaster. The book is also available at the Fairfield County Library in Lancaster.
     Not much going on real estate wise. It is a slow time of year, but there are lots of deals still on the books. Come on down, we're dealin!  See ya, Steve and Bev

                                                            Bev looking for shells

                                                             Cherry Grove beach

                                                          Bev with her new sand dipper

                                          Bev trying to figure out how to work her sand dipper

Lots going on "at the beach"

     The weather has been great, with temps in the high 60's and low 70's and plenty of sunshine. If I had not torn my calf muscle several weeks ago, I would probably be out playing golf.
     Cypress Bay Golf Course, which is just up the street from us in Little River, was sold (again) to a housing developer and will close March 1st. Cypress Bay will be the first full 18-hole course to close for planned redevelopment since 2007. Approximately 20 18-hole courses closed between 2005-2007 for planned redevelopment, and many remain undeveloped, including the former 54-hole Bay Tree Plantation, a few miles from Cypress Bay on route 9.
     The massive Grande dunes development, which brought a new level of luxury to Myrtle Beach, has been sold to a North Carolina based company. LStar Management of Raleigh, NC. closed the deal on Friday to buy the 2,200 acre development that spans from the Oceanfront to west of the Intercoastal Waterway. The deal does not include the public resort golf course, the Marroitt, and The Marina Inn.
     For those of you who have read my book Murder on the Front Nine, you may remember that the book begins with a ferry boat ride from Southport to Bald Head Island.   On this past Tuesday, that same ferry ran aground, sending passengers flying. The Coast Guard rescued and transported 14 injured passengers back to Southport where one passenger was airlifted from the scene. The 64-foot ferry Adventure ran aground shortly after leaving the city of Southport for Bald Head Island. At least 30 people were on the ferry at the time of the accident. One passenger said it was like "hitting a brick wall" when the ferry ran aground on a sandbar. As of Friday, the ferry was still stranded on the sandbar.
     Real estate has slowed down over the Holiday Season but reports say things will begin again on an upbeat note after the first of the year. Don't wait too long or else all of the good deals will be gone.
     One of the pictures I have included is of "yours truly" from way back in 1957 with an old girlfriend (Paula Ann in chapter 1 of my book). I can't believe I was ever that young, that I was ever that thin and that I even had hair. Of course the last time I saw Ann, she looked the same. Doesn't seem fair!
     I have been working on my second book Cougars at the Beach and things are coming along very nicely. Hope to have it finished by Spring.
     My lovely bride Beverly and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
See ya, Steve & Bev

                                                                      Me 1957

                                                   Writers Workshop Christmas get together

                                                             Cherry Grove Beach

                                                              Cherry Grove Beach

Ohio & Other Connections "at the beach"

     On Saturday I was invited to participate and do a book signing for my book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE, at an Open House at My Sister's Books in Pawleys Island. Bev and I had a great time, they provided great food, and we met a lot of interesting people. The only problem was that, of course, it was scheduled for the same time as the OSU Michigan game. When we arrived I looked around and there was no TV. Bummers! I found a Bar & Grill two doors down and they had the game on their TV, so I spent the day between meeting, greeting and hopefully signing books, and running back and forth to get updates on the game. It was an all around exciting day. First of all, we met a lady who lives in Burmuda Run in Advance, NC, which is where one of our classmates, Tammy Fairchild, used to live. Second, one of our LHS classmates, Susan Hines Butler, who now lives in Pawleys Island came by to say hello and she was telling us that one of our high school English teachers, Mrs. Susla, lives just down the street from her. The funny thing is that I refer to her in my second book, COUGARS AT THE BEACH, not by name, but as a teacher that Mickke D had a crush on in high school. What a small and wonderful world! Next Bev and I decide to take a break, so we go down to the Bar & Grill to watch some of the game. We start a conversation with our waitress and she says her parents live in Ohio, but that we have probably never heard of the town. She tells us her parents are from Beverly and of course Bev and I, and our golf group used to play golf down there years ago. She could not believe that we knew where Beverly was located and had actually spent time there. It was a totally great day. We met great people, I sold some books and Ohio State won. It doesn't get any better than this.
     Real estate has slowed down but there are still quite a few good deals down here. If you're looking to spend the winter somewhere, come on down. There are great deals on condos everywhere.
     See ya, Steve & Bev

                                     Yours truly with Bess, one of the owners at My Sister's Books

                                                    Waitress who's parents live in Beverly

                                                           One of several book buyers

                                                        Susan, yours truly and Bev

Buckeyes "at the beach"

     I did my final book signing of the year at LaBelle Amie vineyard on Saturday. They will begin again in February 2014. It was a beautiful day, 72 and sunny. Two great bands and  I met several Buckeye fans.  I have included a photo.
     My bride and I made a trip last week to Williamsburg and Nolfolk Navel Station. We stayed with Lancaster friends who had a spare bedroom. We toured Nolfolk by bus and walked Williamsburg.
     Vana White, Wheel of Fortune star and former resident of North Myrtle Beach, along with her dad Herbert and high school friends, visited the North Myrtle Beach Museum recently to reminisce about their days at the beach. The next time you're in town, be sure and visit the museum, located at the site of the old North Myrtle Beach Library.
     In real estate news, the Grand Strand saw 767 sales of single-family homes, condos and villas in September, 2713 for the third quarter and 7398 so far in 2013. September sales were 10.5% higher than 2012, 14.4% higher than the third quarter last year and 14.1% higher than 2012 through September. The average days on the market before sale rose to 165 days in September.
     Don't forget, this is a great time to visit the beach. Come on down, you may just decide to stay.
     See ya, Steve & Bev

Buckeye Fans from Canton

Church, Williamsburg, 1713

                                                           Paula & Bev hitching a ride
                                                                             

                                                                        Nolfolk
(To enlarge, click on photos)

                                                                                 

Thomas & Melissa "at the beach"

     It has been a busy 2 weeks in Little River. TC & Mel got in town on the 26th  of last month from Alaska and just left yesterday. They brought with them frozen Halibut, Salmon and King Crab. We put them to work cleaning up the yard and some other home maintenance projects we had neglected. They took us to The Pirate Adventure Show for our birthday present and it was a great time. They did an all-day Gulf Stream  fishing tour one day  and brought home a stringer full of fish: Snapper, Trigger Fish and Rudder Fish. We ate a lot of seafood while they were in town, but we did manage to grill some nice T-bone steaks also.
     This past Saturday was the annual "Bras Across The Water" fundraiser sponsored by The Freedom Boat Club of North Myrtle Beach for The American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I did a book signing there and we had some really great BBQ.
     Some friends of ours from Lancaster, Dave and Sharon Reynolds, were also in town for a visit. We ran into them at The Tanger Outlet Mall and I played golf with them on Thursday at River Hills.
     The real estate news is about the same. There are still plenty of good deals down here but sooner or later that will all change. If you're considering a move to the beach or a second home or condo at the beach, come on down, we're dealin!  See ya, Steve & Bev

                                          The Pirate Adventure Show

                                          Bev, TC & Mel at the beach

                                          Dave & Sharon on #10 tee at River Hills

                                          "Bras Across The Water" Freedom Boat Club