Saturday, October 18, 2008

Ossabaw Island Pig Roast 2008

Today I had the pleasure of attending the 2008 Ossabaw Island Pig Roast. What a wonderful event! We took a ferry over to the 26,000 acre island that is now a "living museum of Coastal Georgia History." The once private island is now part of the Department of Natural Resources for the state of Georgia. We had an afternoon filled with great people, delicious food, amazing scenery and a magnificent 1920s home.


We were delighted by the presence of Ms. Eleanor Torrey "Sandy" West this afternoon. Ms. West, 96, whose parents constructed the main home on the island in 1924, still resides on the island. She is a spitfire of energy and wisdom.


Here Ms. West is giving an unexpected speech to us just after our lunch of barbequed pig, grits, fried chicken, corn pudding, apple cobbler and much much more. Here is a link to a video I took of the end of her talk.


Some of the horses, among other animals, that roam the island. Ossabaw is a natural preserve for many species. Artists, geologists, school kids, archeaologists, and others are welcomed to the island to pursue their studies and to discover more about such a special place.


The smoke house is one of several tabby structures on the island. Along with three slave cottages, these uniquely constructed buildings are in the process of being restored to their original state.


The Donkeys of Ossabaw: There is a small herd of donkeys that freely roam the land of Ossabaw. They came originally from Sicily in the 1940s and eventually found their home on Ossabaw after Ms. West took them in when their owner passed away. Some are very friendly and will even allow you to pet them (like the one in the picture above); others are a little timid.

All in all, today was a blast. Such a unique gem. I highly recommend to everyone to make a trip out to Ossabaw Island. You won't regret it. Check out their website to learn more about the unique history and current programs of this masterpiece of Coastal Georgia history.

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