Pine needles and migrant workers

April 11, 2013

My son Zach is a migrant recruiter working for the State of South Carolina. His travels take him throughout the state while I only work with migrant who come to harvest the tomatoes and watermelons of the lowcountry. 

The following photos of the long- leaf pine needle workers were taken by Zach in Chesterfield County, SC in the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. The State contracts several different groups of migrant workers to rake up the needles that will be used in landscaping projects throughout the United States.

A Visit to the Camps

April 5, 2013:

Today I had the pleasure of taking Beaufort Academy teacher Laura Cenci, her two sons Michael and Nicky, and student Ting to visit some of the migrant children on St. Helena. I think everyone enjoyed the interaction, especially with the soccer ball. While some friendly conversation and the kicking back and forth of a soccer ball might seem insignificant,  I think it can really make a difference in the lives of every one involved.

Xenia and Ting share a love of soccer. 

One of the men in this photo tried to teach us a few words in

 Tzotzil, one of the 64 languages spoken in Mexico. The native

name of Tzotzil is Bats'i k'op; [ɓatsʼi kʼopʰ]). It is a Maya 

language spoken by the indegenous Tzotzil Maya people in the 

Mexican state of Chiapas.

The sun came out for the first time in several days. It

has been quite chilly this spring for the lowcountry of

 South Carolina.