03-Sep-2004 -- I was on my way from my home in Virginia to Atlanta for the Labor Day Weekend, and of course my itinerary included GPS activities (geodashing dashpoints and confluences). The confluence at 34N 81W is in suburban Columbia, SC, just a couple miles east of downtown. I found the location of the confluence quite easily about 100 yards west of Sims Avenue on the grounds of Epworth Children’s Home (I learned later). Noting from Ian McCormick’s report from last year that photos might be a touchy issue here, I thought I would get more information about the facility and check in with the powers-that-be, just in case. I was directed to the Administration building a couple blocks away--a short walk to the other side of the campus. I explained my mission to the receptionist who provided me with information about the Home, but said I would have to have permission to take pictures. She told me to wait while she called someone. After a brief wait I was greeted by the President of the Home and invited into his office. He tried with considerable difficulty to understand why anyone would want to take pictures of this seemingly arbitrary location. In our discussion he assured me that anyone wandering around on the campus (particularly taking pictures) without permission could be in serious legal trouble. I don’t believe I satisfied his curiosity as a behavioral psychologist, but I guess I did convince him that my desires were benign. He granted permission to photograph the confluence location as long as there were no children in view. To insure I obeyed the rules, he drove me in his personal car back to the confluence and watched as I did my GPS dance to get all zeros on my GPSr and take pictures of the new dining hall under construction to the north, and the views to the south and east. He waited and watched as I returned to my car parked near the construction site and left the grounds. I waited until I was several blocks away to stop and make my notes of the experience.