WANT TO KEEP KIDS BUSY DURING THE THANKSGIVING BREAK? HAVE THEM WATCH THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND LAND TRUST’S RAPTOR CAM TO SEE IF THE ISLAND’S BALD EAGLES LAY A THIRD EGG. GRACIE LAID HER FIRST EGG IN THE UNDISCLOSED EAGLE’S NEST ON FRIDAY, THEN A SECOND ON MONDAY EVENING, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. GRACIE AND HER PARTNER GEORGE WILL SHARE INCUBATION DUTIES FOR THE NEXT MONTH. BALD EAGLE EGGS REQUIRE A CONSISTENT WARMTH OF 97 TO 100 DEGREES. THIS IS THE SECOND SEASON FOR GEORGE AND GRACIE IN THE LAND TRUST’S NEST. LAST YEAR THEY HATCHED TWO LITTLE EAGLETS. NOW THERE’LL BE EVEN MORE ANTICIPATION IF YOU’VE GOT COMPANY FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY- THE FIRST HATCHLING SHOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AROUND THE BLESSED DAY. YOU CAN FIND THE RAPTOR CAM AT HHILANDTRUST.ORG.
THE LOWCOUNTRY HAS BEEN ON A PRETTY GOOD RUN OF FINDING ITS MISSING PEOPLE THE LAST FEW MONTHS, BUT THE RECORD ISN’T PERFECT. AUTHORITIES ARE WAITING ON AN AUTOPSY REPORT ON HOW 79-YEAR-OLD ISAAC BUSSEY OF LOBECO DIED AFTER HIS BODY WAS FOUND OVER THE WEEKEND IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY. HE WAS REPORED MISSING AND ENDANGERED FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER HE LEFT HOME TO GO SHRIMPING THAT AFTERNOON.
AS MANY NEWCOMERS AS WE WELCOME INTO THE LOWCOUNTRY EVERY YEAR, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF TRADITIONS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. ONE IS THE COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER AT HUDSON’S SEAFOOD, WHICH WILL CARRY ON FOR THE 27TH TIME AT THEIR HILTON HEAD RESTAURANT LOCATION. 80 TURKEYS, CLOSE TO A HALF TON OF WHITE AND DARK MEAT, AND ALL THE FIXINS WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE 15-HUNDRED PEOPLE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY’S DAY OF FRIENDSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP THAT BEGAN AS A WAY TO BRING LONELY VACATIONERS AND LOCALS TOGETHER WHO’D OTHERWISE NOT HAVE A PLACE TO GO FOR THANKSGIVING. THE VOLUNTEER LIST OF 325 TO SERVE THE DINNER IS ALWAYS FULL. THE MEAL IS FREE, BUT DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD-BASED CHARITIES LIKE DEEP WELL, BLUFFTON SELF-HELP AND SECOND HELPINGS. LAST YEAR’S MEAL RAISED OVER 16-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
MEANWHILE, A NEW CHARITY HAS ALSO SPRUNG UP AND IS DONATING 125 BIKES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN FOR THE HOLIDAYS. THE ‘BIG BIKE GIVEAWAY’ IS ORGANIZED BY RESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY ASSOCIA AND THE BIKES WILL BE DONTED TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS IN BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON SELF-HELP, THE CHILDREN’S CENTER OF HILTON HEAD, DEEP WELL, THE FRANCISCAN CENTER OF BEAUFORT AND TWO SAVANNAH CHARITIES. REGIONALLY, ASSOCIA IS INVOLVED IN THE DONATION OF 2-THOUSAND BIKES AND HELMETS.