When Theresa and I were here back in January I stopped in at Technical College of the Lowcountry, or TCL for short, to see about any job openings teaching nursing at the community college level.
They have a campus which sits next to Sun City which would make for a quick commute. Bak then I met the Dean who said she had full and adjunct positions and wondered when I could start. I had explained that we were at least a year from relocating and I would circle back when the day came, well yesterday was the day.
My interview brought me to the main campus which sits next to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. When I pulled in the first thing I thought was that I always have to have my fishing gear with me because both campuses sit on the bank of the Beaufort River. I'd hate to have a break and see fish in front of me and not have my stuff to at least make a few casts.
The faculty was great and they need some help there and I think it would be a good fit. They're looking for me to take over the Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing instructor role as well as teaching their advanced Med/Surg class. I'd also be a clinical instructor and it appears they have a pretty good relationship with Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which is right next door.
And then we talked about money. Salaries down here aren't what they are back home, I'd say they run about 2/3rds of what I was used to. With an adjunct position you're capped out at 29 hours per week, which would be fine by me. They asked about full-time, but I couldn't commit. With trips, Cape May, and traveling around, it would be hard to locked down with a full time position and have the freedom we looked for by relocating down here. I told them about our planned trip to Ireland next April, thinking it might be a deal breaker, but they said they'd work around it.
I still have an invitation at the University of South Carolina Beaufort for the same type of position, but I have to say my comfort zone has been with associates and diploma degree nursing programs. And I could tell the TCL needs the help, and quick, so I could jump right in. It's nice to feel wanted and needed.
 |
As I took started the 21-mile trip back home I thought I might as well stop and give things a look. The weather was less then perfect with a stiff NE wind on an incoming tide. But with fishing new waters you have to go even at the less than ideal times to learn things. I had brought a change of clothes, or so I thought, so I had to wear my scrubs with my wading shoes.
After a decent walk, with my bum Achilles tendon, I finally got to the water's edge and found things exactly as I thought. A tad off color, waves and wind coming into my face, and no signs of life in front of me.
I did the walk along the edges where the water pushed into the grass. These conditions would have better for soaking shrimp than looking for anything rooting around that might take a fly. And as usual there were no birds, no bait skipping, and no one else fishing. For as fishy as this place is I never see anyone else out, which tells me I'm the wrong spots, or this truly is a boat fishery.
One thing I did see, and didn't see, were the crabs. I saw more dead blue crabs and hardly any fiddler crabs which I wonder is due to the dropping water temps. Currently the water is around 65 degrees which is far from the mid 50's where they then head to deeper water or hibernate. The fiddler crabs also slow down when the water hits around 60 and will hibernate in the colder months. From my time down here walking around it seems when the water temps are in the 70's is when I find the most life, from things crawling around and swimming. Even when the waters are in the 80's, or even 90's, it seems there's more signs of life around.
They say that September through November is peak season for redfish down around the Lowcountry. It's big bull red time. Okay. I just don't know where that is happening. I see the local
fly shop, Southern Drawl Outfitters, is holding a fly fishing tournament on December 4th and 5th, and I'm sure they wouldn't hold it then if the fishing wasn't any good. I guess I could ask around for some help, but to be honest, I'd rather do my thing, and find my own fish, even it takes a year to bring one to hand. I think torturing myself on foot will serve me well before I get the skiff out and about.