The Way It Is on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Not long ago, a reporter called from Bloomberg News. He had a few questions about real estate on Hilton Head Island. His first question was: "Why are people drawn to Hilton Head?"

Having lived in Sea Pines by the beach for 43 years, my response was: "The natural beauty of the Island is the big draw, not just world-class golf, tennis facilities or miles of beach. We live in a unique environment with a subtropical climate where it is green all year long. We seldom see snow but see a lot of wildlife. When you live on an Island, you live close to nature. Outside of the study by my house, there is a "deer walk". It is a path that the human eye cannot see. Deer have been traveling that path for as long as I can remember. They stroll over fallen pine needles, next to a tall hedge of bamboo. The limbs of a large oak tree shelter part of the path. A few weeks ago, I went into the study to check e-mail and two young fawns all covered with spots were passing by. The mother must have gone ahead because I did not see her. One year a tiny, baby fawn was curled up outside of the dining room window (there are long windows in this house). The sight was like seeing  a small miracle.

At certain times of the year, late in the afternoon, the woods are back lit by the sun. It makes long, trailing Spanish moss look almost translucent. The forest areas appear to be on fire. I've seen Calibogue Sound with the sun setting over Daufuskie Island, turning the sound into a river of gold. It is an unusual visual effect. In the fall, yellow ditch daisies bloom alongside rural roads. That is when thousands of butterflies are migrating to South America and spend some time here. If you are taking a walk on the beach in our balmy air, wearing a bathing suit, one might alight on your shoulder. It feels like being brushed by an angel's wing. Occasionally at night, the mournful sound of a foghorn from a passing container ship can be heard from the ocean, a ship from foreign lands making its way to port in Savannah.

These are the things that draw people to Hilton Head, people who greatly appreciate the natural beauty and quality of life found here. This is what I told the reporter from Bloomberg News.

Diann Wilkinson