Savannah 20 Year Time Warp

Savannah is a city unlike any other in Georgia. It sits on a significant river, and is only a short drive from Georgia beaches. It enjoys fantastic weather year round. It tends to see far less hurricanes than other eastern seaboard cities due to the shape of Georgia’s coastal geography. It is rich in culture and steeped in history. It has fantastic culinary offerings. It has both palm trees and old oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. It has horse drawn carriages and stately mansions. It has been the backdrop for movies and books. It makes for a great vacation destination since you can stroll the river-front in Savannah or drive to the beaches. You can take a tour of Tybee Island or visit Fort Pulaski. There are plenty of accommodations around the city that are affordable. There are also upscale, trendy hotels inside the city of Savannah. There is plenty of very fresh seafood to be had, but if critters from the ocean aren’t your thing, there are alternative culinary delights. It has unmistakable old-world charm plus Southern hospitality.

I grew up in metro-Atlanta, so vacationing in Savannah was part of my childhood and teenage years. In March of 2014, I had the opportunity to go back to Savannah for the first time in over 20 years. I ate at restaurants I discovered while walking around. I nosed around in cute little boutiques. I even took a look through an art gallery. While there, I purchased an awesome print because it reminded me of my black cat (I couldn’t afford the several thousand dollar price tag of the original painting, but shelling out less than $100 for a reproduction print was certainly doable). The gallery folks were kind enough to ship it home for me since getting it on an itty-bitty commuter jet wasn’t happening.

Neo admires "his" painting that momma purchased in a Savannah art gallery

When I was younger, my family stayed on the outskirts of the city, in the more “suburban” hotels that were affordable. In 2014 I stayed at the Andaz inside the city of Savannah. The Andaz is a nice place….a very nice place indeed. Sadly it wasn’t my flavor. However, I was not about to utter one peep of complaint. My husband was attending a conference and the company hosting the conference was paying for the hotel. And besides, they had some cute vodka:

What cat lover wouldn't appreciate some CatHead Vodka?

Staying at the Andaz also afforded me the opportunity to take pictures of the horse drawn carriages:

Horse drawn carriages are a frequent sight along the avenues in Savannah

This working horse admires his reflection in the window

I am an enormous horse fanatic. Well, I’m not enormous, but my enthusiasm for anything equine is big. When I was a teenager, I took a single picture of a horse drawn carriage. During the 2014 visit, I took lots of horse and carriage pictures (thank you digital photography!). In fact, I took a lot of the same pictures almost 25 years apart. It was almost eerie to compare the photos. Since film was not a worry, I took far more pics in 2014 than I did on my little 110 film camera in 1990. There were several images that bore striking resemblances even though the photos were decades apart. I felt like I’d stumbled back in time which is pretty darn cool. I really wanted my stepdad to see this comparison, but he passed away before I had the chance to share. So I figured what better way to remember him than to share my Savannah time warp photos with the Interwebz. Enjoy!

The bridges over Savannah River in 1990. A new bridge was in under construction.

The bridge over the Savannah River in 2014. The old bridge piers are in the background.

Savannah River front buildings in 1990.

That same building 24 years later with less ivy but more trees in front.

Savannah Government building in 1990

The same building 24 years later

Horse, carriage, and the driver, 1990

A pair of carriage horses in 2014

Riverboat waiting for passengers in 1990

Riverboats waiting patiently by the river walk in 2014

Cancer Is A Thief

My stepdad passed away just the other day. I was shocked and surprised when I heard the news. I’d talked to him a week ago, and he sounded good. But I was also relieved. Relieved? Yes. He was diagnosed with cancer last year and went through some rough treatments. He lost too much weight. His blood pressure was amazingly low. Eating was a miserable experience. After the treatments stopped last fall, he was feeling better and eating better. As is the case too often, the cancer came back this April. I didn’t realize the cancer was stage 4, so he only had a short time left. The doctors told him there was no treatment, and he should get his affairs in order. I sadly assumed I had at least three or four months (maybe more) to get down to visit him. I wasn’t looking forward to the suffering he would endure toward the end. Instead, he lied down for a nap one afternoon and never woke up. This was a blessing. I watched my Mom suffer with cancer twice. I’ve seen two uncles and an aunt suffer. My stepdad didn’t linger in pain for months on end, and when he passed, family members were nearby. This gave me peace of mind twice over.

I only have one regret: I wasn’t able to visit with him one more time, and share some recent photographs of Savannah. I didn't even take the time to send the photographs to him ahead of my visit. Heck, I didn't even think to mention the photos during my last phone call with him (which I never would have known was my last call). I did have an excellent reason for not visiting my stepdad sooner: my husband was recovering from cardiac surgery and a string of cardiac difficulties from the previous two months. Leaving town was never an option until I knew my husband was on the road to improvement. Thankfully, he is doing much better.

Back to the pictures..... As a kid, my family traveled to Savannah and the beaches of Georgia for vacations. Coastal Georgia and Savannah have a magic all their own. During a trip with my stepdad as a teenager, I took several pictures of the Savannah river-front and surrounding areas. Last year, I had an opportunity to go back for the first time in over 20 years. I took lots of pictures without thinking much about it (isn't digital photography great?!). When I got home, I remembered the pictures I’d taken as a teenager. I compared the 1990s pictures with the 2014 pictures and was stunned. I’d taken some of the exact (or nearly exact) same photos. One of my favorites was a bridge. It spanned the Savannah River, and I took nearly identical pictures in 1990 and in 2014. In 1990, the new bridge was only 1/2 completed and the old bridge was still standing. In 2014, the “new” bridge was now the only bridge spanning the river. It was amazing to see how much had changed, and how many things looked much the same. But it also makes me sad that I cannot share this with my stepdad. I kick myself for not sending him the pictures sooner. Why did I wait? Because I thought I had more time.

Bridges over Savannah River (1990). The new bridge isn't finished, and the old bridge stands in its shadow.

 The "new" bridge (photo taken in 2014). Notice the ghosts of the old bridge on the river banks.

You never know how long someone has left when cancer comes to town. Sometimes the patient goes through treatment, the cancer goes into remission, and they live for years. Other times the span between diagnosis and death is mere months or even weeks. It is one disease that seems to have no real cure, and a treatment program that can be more brutal than the disease itself. If someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, try to visit them early and often. You never know when the thief will steal their last moments from you.