We're members of many different group pages on Facebook. None are as interesting as the group you'll find on Facebook entitled, "I love Folly Beach." Whether you have visited Folly Beach, live on Folly, or are making plans to travel there, this Facebook page holds interest to a wide group of people that includes over 15,500 members.
News: Just this past Friday, while sitting in my home office in Atlanta, I was able to watch a report live streamed on Facebook about an armed robbery (an unheard of event for Folly) of a beloved establishment, Bert's Market. All that is well ends well and no one was harmed. The upcoming full solar eclipse is coming this August 21st and one of the best locations in the world to see its full effect will be on Folly Beach. Stay tuned for photos that will surely be posted with beautiful lighting, to be sure.
History: For history buffs, there is no end to the interesting items that seem to wash up on the shores of Folly Beach or are revealed through storms and erosion. Last October Civil War canon balls were revealed after Hurricane Matthew and experts called in to explode the live ordinance. Members of the group post photos of many of their treasures they find combing the beach. Some have photos of tremendous hoards of shark teeth and other fossilized bones. Earlier this summer someone found a beautiful rosary necklace and used the Facebook group to try to locate its owner. Members of the site also post historical photographs of Folly's bygone days, such as the aftermath and impact to the island of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The photo here was posted from the Library of Congress showing what was left of the Morris Island Lighthouse after the Confederates destroyed it to prevent it from falling into the hands of Union troops.
Nature: A whole other category of posts relate to the beautiful and yet, fragile ecosystem of the island and surrounding marshlands. Members post interesting photos bringing awareness to Loggerhead Turtle nesting sights on the island as well as rescues (see Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program - www.follyturtles.com). Posts have shown turtle hatchlings scurry to the surf's edge.
For the bird watchers, as recently as last month, a number of members posted about the tremendous presence and recovery undertaken by the once endangered Wood Stork.
Art: The surf, the sand, the sky, the marsh grass and the sun combine in endless combinations for amateur and professional photographers and artists. The photos, paintings, and video posted by infinitely talented individuals are breathtaking. There seems to be no bounds to the incredible sunrises and sunsets posted daily. Artists, being who they are have even used their creative license to create interesting photo collages from their imagination.
Life: People come to Folly Beach and their lives are transformed in immeasurable ways leading to posts of their vacation, their wedding, reunion, anniversary, or their homecoming. Generations have visited Folly Beach as families share the island they loved as a child with their own children. Life's rhythm ebbs and flows as the surf on Folly Beach, and the Facebook group will no doubt connect you long after your visit.
Editorial Note: As refreshing as the cool Atlantic waters is the absence of political rhetoric within the group. The "I Love Folly Beach" Facebook group is my social media "vacation" from politics and maybe you'll enjoy tuning into news of a different sort too.