Saturday, Nov. 25 - Hate to tell you, but it's only one more month until Christmas Day. Yesterday was the big shopping day for our American friends, which actually started at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Commercialism has crept into the major holiday, as it used to be the stores didn't open until mid-night for Black Friday. Donnie and I played golf yesterday, so dropped Gail and Pat off at the Tanger Outlet Mall. We had a fine time whacking the ball (no score kept) while they enjoyed their shopping excursion. When we came back to the Mall to pick them up, we became ensnarled in a major traffic jam, and sat for some time before we found the girls and made our escape. The number of people was amazing, crammed into that market area. Bargains galore, I guess. Gail did get a pair of good hiking boots at half price, so it was worth it.

Donnie and I played with two Americans, Randy and Eric. Both were ex-military, and had pretty strong views from the right side, Randy in particular. He's a Data Manager for a Health facility in Virginia, so had some very pointed negative views about Obama Care. He's also a strong member of the NRA (since he was 8 years old), so we heard the usual arguments about the lack of need for gun control. Protect yourself is the key. He admitted, somewhat sheepishly, that he voted for Trump, and the only thing he could point out as an accomplishment by the esteemed leader is his promotion of a right wing justice to the Supreme Court. The Republican Party bears the blame for all other failures to make change, he feels.

Eric was less vociferous, and perhaps more of a centrist. His main beef is with South Carolina politics, which he claims is totally corrupt. He owns a business (Segway rentals, tours, sales), and finds the various charges his business and he personally face through taxes to be way out of line. He also thought it a sign of corruption that the head of the local Chamber of Commerce makes nearly a half million a year while the mayor only make 70K. There's a new female mayor just elected here, and he hopes she'll be able to bring some changes to the city, despite her gender.

Aside from the politics, two very nice guys to play with. That sort of says it all...nice people, but screwed up politics here in the U.S. Last night I needed to by a hat, as I'd forgotten mine. When I paid, I made a comment about the fact we no longer use pennies in Canada. The cashier, a very pleasant minority guy, told me when I asked that he didn't like Trump...at all. He'd like to have someone like our young guy leading the country. He thinks Trudeau is just fine.

We've have had great visits with Don and Pat, out for dinner twice, and again this evening, before we head off to Georgia tomorrow. Don's brother arrives tomorrow, so there will be much more golf played before they all go back home next week-end. Gail and I have enjoyed being on the beach, so did another long walk today, up to the State Park pier. There's a big campground in the Park, so if we come this way again, it might be a place to consider, although we have no complaints at all about Pirateland.

That's it for now. Stay tuned. More later.