The Bluffton Breeze January 2017

WWW.BLUFFTON.COM | JANUARY 2017

Bluffton Breeze The

THE TRIFECTA

A RAPTOR and COMIC RELIEF Page 12

THE TRUE TALE OF

a Huck Finn KAYAK CAMPOUT Page 26

The Bluffton Breeze JANUARY 2017

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Notes From The Editor:

H

appy New Year! Boy, the years seem to be flying by. In case you didn’t know, the Chinese New Year is January 28th, and don’t ask me why a third of the world waits so long to celebrate…and they were the ones who invented fireworks!

At the end of the year, we were thoughtfully retrospective, but have wonderful expectations for 2017. In case you are procrastinating, don’t put those resolutions off any longer!

This year, let’s make some that we actually keep.

How about saying something nice to someone each day or vowing not to text while someone is talking to you? I hope you gave up texting while driving years ago. How about resolving to volunteer time to help others?

Giving of yourself is the best gift, and you will feel good as well.

The staff of The Bluffton Breeze love what they do and look forward to bringing our readers interesting features each month. We are starting the year out right, with a great editorial lineup for you.

The History article this month depicts life for a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. An excerpt from the diary he kept describes Bluffton a month after the “Burning,” and many Blufftonians will recognize the places he wrote about.

Amber Hester Kuehn gives us another excellent environmental article, the second in a two-month series about our local birds. We are happy to feature the wonderful photography of Eric Horan in these articles. If you get a chance, consider taking one of his photo safaris and see these birds up close. I did! We have such a variety of feathered friends in the Lowcountry.

Michele Roldán-Shaw wrote a fun story about two women camping on a local uninhabited island, like modern-day Huck Finn with kayaks. No adventure is complete without a few scares and hiccups, and these girls sure had a few!

Visit the breathtaking Magnolia House in Palmetto Bluff built by Bill Mischler of Genesis Construction. Lowcountry on the outside and Yankee on the inside, this unique compound centers around a young magnolia tree.

Our music writer, Jevon Daly, jams with punk rocker John Blankenship, a fellow musician who spends his days building drums at the renowned Gretsch factory in Ridgeland, SC. Enjoy their observations about Bluffton’s burgeoning music scene.

Andrea Six educates us about the value of a good night’s shut-eye. You’ll be surprised at the amazing amount of health issues that can result from inadequate sleep and the difference a good mattress can make.

Don’t forget to buy your ticket for the Annual Greater Bluffton Chamber Ball and Awards Ceremony on January 28! You are sure to see lots of friends and have a great time.

As we begin a new year, I’d also like to give a special shout out to all our advertisers. Thanks for believing in us, supporting us, being there for us. I love it when our advertisers tell me they advertise in The Bluffton Breeze because people love our magazine, and their ads bring in business!

If you are interested in reading any of our past issues, visit www.bluffton.com, one of the most popular websites in the area. Informative features, plus local shopping, dining, real estate and event listings, make it a one-stop source for all things Bluffton. Or, purchase an annual subscription to The Bluffton Breeze for $65 and have it delivered directly to your doorstep.

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The

Bluffton Breeze PUBLISHER Lorraine Jenness lorraine@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 EDITOR Randolph Stewart randolph@bluffton.com 843-816-4005 COPY EDITORS Allyson Jones allyson@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 Kerry Peresta kerry@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 SALES DIRECTOR Chierie Smith chierie@bluffton.com 843-505-5823 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Liz Shumake liz@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Mlay graphics@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Geoffrey Bray, Jevon Daly, Allyson Jones, Amber Hester Kuehn, Michele Roldán-Shaw, Andrea Six, Randolph Stewart PHOTOGRAPHERS, ARTISTS Bryan Stovall Photograhy, Eric Horan, Amber Hester Kuehn CORPORATE OFFICE 40 Persimmon St. Suite 102 Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.8877 DISTRIBUTION Bruce McLemore, John Tant 843.757.9889

The Bluffton Breeze is published by Island Communications and The Bluffton Breeze Media, LLC. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without permission from the Publisher. The Bluffton Breeze is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. The Bluffton Breeze is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, or changes in information. The opinion of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its Publisher. All published photos and copy provided by writers and artists become the property of The Bluffton Breeze.

Copyright. 2017.

CONTENTS

JANUARY 2017, VOLUME 15, NO. 1

08 John Goodwin’s Diary 10 Bluffton Chamber Ball Preview

F E AT U R E S

12 The Trifecta, A Raptor and Comic Relief 18 The Benefits of Sleep 22 Faces of Bluffton 26 The True Tale Of A Huck Finn

Kayak Campout 30 The Magnolia: Where North Meets South

38 Crank The Amps

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40 The May River Grill’s

Shrimp Aglia and Olio

Over Angel Hair Pasta 44 Armed & Dangerous

D E PA R T M E N T S

08 10 12 18

22 30 36 38 40 42 44

History Bluffton Chamber Ball Preview Environment Business Spotlight: Sit & Sleep Mattress Faces of Bluffton Architecture Tide Chart Music Featured Recipe Restaurant Guide Humor

ON THE COVER: Great Blue Heron - Photography by Eric Horan

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HISTORY

T

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he following is an excerpt from the diary of Mr. John Goodwin, beginning in July 1862.

He was the grandfather of Miss Mary Goodwin, a former teacher in Bluffton. Mr. Goodwin kept a record of his life in the army during the Civil War from the time he enlisted until he was shot through the right side while engaged in a battle in Virginia. Although he recovered from the gunshot wound, Goodwin was killed 10 years later by a lightning strike.

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On the nineteenth of July 1862, for the first time, I got Captain Appleby to take a substitute for me to go home. I got a young nephew to take my place and ran the blockade and went home for a few days. Before the few days were up I heard that my company had moved to Bluffton.

When I went back to camp, I went to Hardeeville on the train and brother Sam met me there with my horse. It was a little after dark when we reached camp. I found the squadron all together on the bluff of the May River, a high bluff about two miles up the river from Bluffton. It was called “Camp Jackson.”

We did very well for something to eat for awhile. We didn’t get any more hog tails and fowls. Our horses, too, were well fed. This was the best camp we had been in so far. Our picket duty is some harder than at Grahamville. Our picket route is divided into four divisions viz Okatie, Footpoint, Bluffton and South May. The posts in the Okatie division are Barret’s Point, Porcheu, Kirke and Garret’s Landing.

On the Foot Point division: Foot Point, Foot Point Back Landing, Bluffton, Hunting Island, negro quarter and Buckingham Ferry.

One post on the South May division is in view of Savannah, the place where the enemy affect a landing.

We are allowed only two pickets on post, while before, we had from four to six.

Bluffton in its present condition is one of the saddest looking places I have ever seen, deserted, dilapidated and lonely. Its magnificent and delightful habitations are stripped of all their furniture and what could not be moved was torn into fragments. The once beautiful flower gardens now grown up in weeds and the scattered leaves of former libraries and sheets of music tell of the refinement of its people and the vandalism of the foe.

Beautiful flowers still grow in wild profusion around deserted homes and shed their fragrance into the air. But they are only sad reminders of the past and serve to intensify the contrast with the gloomy present.

Camp Jackson is, as I have said, on the bluff of May River with a thick hammock on one side and Dr. Pope’s Plantation on the other. Dr. Pope’s dwelling was used as a squadron hospital.

Saturday morning, September 2, the enemy ran a gun boat up the river to Baynard’s on the South May and sent a few bombs toward our camps. Some fell short and some going over. They were about five miles from us by water and hardly more than two on an air line. Near enough that they might have done damage had it not been for a headland that concealed our whereabouts.

Major Stokes deemed it prudent to move further from the river, and a good idea for they kept feeling their way up the river and in a few pays passed Camp Jackson. They have been up there three times since we left, but have done no harm, except the breaking of Mr. Lawton’s Salt Works.

The first time the enemy attempted to come up May River, we left Camp Jackson and moved to Major Pritchard’s Place on the Hardeeville and Bluffton Road about nine miles from the latter place and about one and a half miles from New River Bridge. This is also a beautiful place, very high and sandy with a growth of live oaks.

When we moved to Camp Pritchard (Sept. 2, 1862), the whole squadron moved together but Major Stokes concluded, since it was a sickly season of the year, to scatter the companies. Each Captain chose his place. The companies are two or three hundred yards apart.

Soon after we settled there, our squadron and that of Major Emanuel’s were formed into a regiment. Captain Rutledge of the Charleston Light Dragoon was appointed Colonel. This regiment

was known as Rutledge’s Calvary. Every man has built him a stall for his horse and most of them are covered. We are better fixed here than we have been at any other place since we have been in the service. Our duties are getting harder. So much so that it has taken me six days to record the little I have.

This being the 27th day of March, the day set apart by the President of the Confederate States of America for fasting, humiliation and prayer. The horn is now blowing for prayer and I will stop here and go to Church.

This diary excerpt was submitted by Mrs. William W. Niven for publication in the Bluffton News in 1932 and is now in the archives of The Bluffton Breeze. This entry provides interesting facts about Bluffton at that time, since this was an eyewitness account only a month after the Burning of Bluffton in June of 1862.

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The 2nd Annual Bluffton Business Awards will be presented at the

Bluffton Ball on Saturday, January 28.

Congratulations to all the 2016 Bluffton Business Award Finalists: Artist of the Year • Amiri Farris Amiri Farris Studio • Doug Corkern Four Corners Gallery • Kelly Graham Vigorous, LLC Business of the Year • Covert Aire • Taylor’s Quality Landscape Supply and Nursery • Volvo Hilton Head Small Business of the Year • Advanced Integrated Controls • Aunt Laurie’s • Barbers of the Lowcountry • Big D’s Royal Tees Business Startup of the Year • Bluffton Bike Taxi • Maluka • Shore Winds Landscaping • Tails of the Lowcountry Good Heart Award Finalists • Bridgette Frazier • Gerrick Taylor Taylor’s Quality Landscape Supply and Nursery • Heather Nicole Price - Bluffton / Hilton Head Ask and Answer Nonprofit of the Year • Actions for Autism • Don Ryan Center of Innovation

• Hospice Care of the Lowcountry • Programs for Exceptional People Outstanding Person of the Year • Al Stokes - Waddell Mariculture Center • Heather Nicole Price - Bluffton / Hilton Head Ask and Answer • Lisa Sulka - Town of Bluffton Mayor • Mike Covert Covert Aire Professional Educator & Development Person of the Year • Erin Reichert Bluffton High School • Tony Mills Lowcountry Center Spring Island Regional Impact Award • Bluffton Farmers Market • Palmetto Bluff • Technical College of the Lowcountry • University of South Carolina Beaufort Rookie of the Year • Aimee Deverall Deverall Immigration Law, LLC • Emily Cohn Moonlit Lullaby Memorial Award • George Scott Lifetime Achievement Award • Babbie Guscio

To purchase tickets, please visit blufftonball.com, stop by the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Headquarters on Goethe Road or call (843) 757-1010.

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ENVIRONMENT

THE TRIFECTA, A RAPTOR and COMIC RELIEF

By Amber Hester Kuehn, Marine Biologist Owner, Spartina Marine Education Charters Photography by Eric Horan

THE TRIFECTA The wading birds I can always count on seeing on the May River are the Great Blue Heron, the Great Egret and the Snowy Egret. I call them the “trifecta” and sometimes all three are on the same bank, as if posing for the passengers aboard my charter boat, Spartina. Although they are similar in behavior and body shape, one is distinctly blue and the other two are white with opposing color on their beaks and feet. All three have the same feeding strategy—walk slowly in shallow water so they do not scare the small fish congregating at water’s edge. If they are still enough, the fish may seek shelter between their stalk-like legs, which resemble a safe haven of marsh grass!

Next thing you know, a sharp beak strikes the fish at lightning speed with perfect aim. This stealth attack is very entertaining to watch and sometimes, as I draw near, I feel like I should use my library voice.

Great Blue Heron The Great Blue Heron is the largest member of the trifecta. It stands up to four feet tall, has a white head with a black streak behind its eyes and overall blue-grey plumage. Although monogamous during the breeding season, they pick a new mate each year. Mating begins in March and eggs may incubate up to one month. Hatchlings leave the nest after about two months. The Great Blue Heron lives for approximately 15 years, eats just about anything that will go down, hunts and feeds alone and nests in colonies. Thanks to their excellent vision, they are able to hunt in darkness. Frayed, downy feathers on the chest act like a bib, which it constantly preens with a claw located between its toes, removing any oily feathers from feeding.

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Great Egret The Great Egret is the larger of the two white birds and has a yellow beak and black feet. In the spring, the skin patch between the eyes has a greenish tint and lacy breeding plumage appears on both male and female. Males attract females to a nesting site with a dance using these delicate, skirt-like feathers. Eggs hatch in 25-27 days and the fledglings fly at about six weeks. Racoons, owls, crows and snakes may snatch eggs or hatchlings from the nest. This bird can be spotted wading at the water’s edge hunting fish, although it has been known to eat small mammals, reptiles (baby alligators) and amphibians, as well. Great Egrets were almost driven to extinction by 1900 when their attractive breeding plumage was collected to adorn women’s hats.

back to the surface. Once it breaks the surface, it is immediately airborne, shakes like a dog, and rearranges the fish so that it points headfirst into the wind. This makes it more streamlined to carry in flight. Look for the exaggerated V-shaped bend to the leading edge of the Osprey’s almost six-foot wing span to identify it in flight. Plumage is brown on top and white on the bottom, with a white head and dark slash through the eyes. Monogamous for life, pairs mate each March. They return to the same nests, found on pilings, channel markers and other manmade structures. Eggs hatch in five weeks and fledglings leave the nest as soon as eight weeks. They may live up to 25 years.

Snowy Egret The Snowy Egret is the smaller of the two Egrets, and the opposite of the Great Egret with a black beak and yellow feet. I remember it this way, “Don’t walk in the yellow snow…y egret.” During breeding season, lacy plumage appears, the skin near the eyes becomes reddish-orange and their feet become more brilliant yellow. Eggs hatch in about 25 days and hatchlings may leave the nest as early as two weeks later. The Snowy Egret prefers to eat fish and small crustaceans, but also dines on smaller mammals and amphibians.

Fish are always eaten headfirst because fins are streamlined in that direction and less likely to get caught in the throat. Snowy Egrets were also nearly decimated by fashion demand.

For the more experienced birders out there, don’t be fooled by the white morph version of the Reddish Egret or the Little Blue Heron’s white juvenile phase.

A RAPTOR It is a rare day when Osprey aren’t seen on the river, but I will say this…as a child, I saw an Osprey nest on every channel marker, dead tree and powerline—they were everywhere!

After graduate school in 2005, I was surprised to come home to a different scenario. Ospreys were just here and there, but I also saw my first Bald Eagle in Bluffton. The American Bald Eagle is the only predator that will attack an Osprey for its catch. Fortunately, the diminishing Eagle population rebounded, and it came off the Endangered Species List in 2007.

Osprey Commonly called a fish hawk, the Osprey is the only raptor that plunges into the water after fish. If you have never taken the time to watch, I encourage you to notice the grace with which this bird performs. After the Osprey spots its prey from above, it dives headfirst after it. Before it hits the water, it inverts and plunges, talons (feet) first. The talons capture the prey and the Osprey’s wings are used to swim

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constantly impacting their lenses on the water. Most pelicans die from interaction with fishing tackle and pollution. The oldest known pelican is 43 years old.

Double-Crested Cormorant The Double-Crested Cormorant is quite hilarious, as well. Exaggerated breeding plumage (double crest) on their head looks like the pigtails your dad attempted when your mom was out of town. This bird lacks the same amount of preening oil other birds depend on to stay buoyant (think of the expression “like water off a duck’s back”). This adaptation allows them to dive and swim submerged without having to fight to stay down. They also lack nares (nostrils) on their beak, an adaptation to prevent water from entering their lungs on long dives. They capture and swallow fish underwater and open their mouth to breathe after breaking the surface.

THE COMIC RELIEF I am probably not the only one who observes marine life and anthropomorphizes their behaviors. I immediately see the comical character in their movements and habits, especially the Pelican and the Cormorant, which appear to be slightly uncoordinated.

To fly, the Cormorant needs a 30-foot runway. Wings are maximized and their webbed feet slap the water to assist in lift-off. It is a struggle, like an overloaded plane taking off. On one occasion, I observed a Cormorant struggling to get airborne and, after two attempts, it gave up and simply swam to the sandbar and walked out of the water. They are even clumsier on land! To dry their wings, they hold them out like Batman’s cape and, if it is a windy day, they rock back and forth in an attempt to stay upright with wings outstretched. Since they feed strenuously, Cormorants spend a lot of time roosting and pooping. I have noticed the local “Cormorant Congregation” has commandeered the floating docks once connected by boardwalk access. They have been “decorating the floats” for almost a month now. You will smell it before you see it!

Cormorants are dark brown with an orange throat Brown Pelican patch and a hooked The Brown Pelican has exaggerated features, an oversized bill and yellow bill. Up close, short legs that end with enormous webbed feet. It body slams the you will see their water from above to catch its prey. Compared to the graceful dive aquamarine eye of the Osprey, it looks like a belly flop that is rejected by the water. color. They are The buoyant bird pops to the surface and bobs around in the sexually mature water, shaking its head as if recovering (it is actually swallowing), at 3 years old. and then looks around to see if anyone saw it. It has no fear and Both male will land on the boat to beg for food, or steal it! When observing and female flocks of pelicans, I swear I see the white-headed adults socializing contribute to apart from the brown-headed juveniles—like the kid’s table at nest building Thanksgiving. and produce three or four Adults are about four feet tall with a six-foot wing span and a bill pale blue eggs. At that is over two feet long. Immature birds have a brown head six weeks, the chicks that turns white as an adult (2-5 years of age). Pelicans feed mingle with others by plunging their bill into the water from heights of 30-50 feet their age, but return to and filling a gular pouch with fish and water. Water is expelled their own nest to be fed. at the surface. Pelicans’ existence was never threatened because They will be independent at of the harvesting of beautiful feathers, but DDT pesticide almost about 10 weeks. Many are migratory wiped them out when thin eggshells resulted from ingesting this during breeding season, but the year-round population nests near chemical, which bio-accumulated in fish. Adult pelicans have no inland lakes in the Carolinas. The longest recorded lifespan of a predators. Contrary to popular belief, they do not go blind from Cormorant was 22 years.

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O L D T O W N

You don’t want to miss historic Bluffton near the May River for some of the most unique shopping and dining in our area. It’s all blended with colorful and creative art galleries, history up and down local streets, and dining for lunch and dinner in charming settings. The Bluffton Old Town Merchants Society warmly encourages visitors to come and spend an afternoon or a day discovering historic Bluffton.

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The Bluffton Breeze JANUARY 2017

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WELLNESS

By Andrea Six

Getting a good night’s rest isn’t just important—it’s vital. Scientists and doctors have hypothesized that this seemingly simple act allows our bodies to recover (muscle tissue is rebuilt and restored), consolidate information, store memories and, where children are concerned, helps them grow.

Have you ever noticed when your kids go through a growth spurt, they seem to sleep more? That’s because the pituitary gland secretes a protein hormone called the growth hormone, which, even though released throughout the day, is more intensely released at the onset of deep sleep.

Mental capacity is deeply affected by lack of sleep. In 2013 at the University of Colorado Boulder, Salome Kurth, a postdoctoral researcher, and Monique LeBourgeois, assistant professor of integrative physiology, found connections between the left and right hemispheres of young children’s brains strengthen while they sleep, which may help brain functions mature.

“Interestingly, during a night of sleep, connections weakened within hemispheres but strengthened between hemispheres,” Kurth says. “There are strong indications that sleep and brain maturation are closely related, but at this time, it is not known how sleep leads to changes in brain structure.”

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Sleep allows the brain to reorganize, process and archive information, which helps us find solutions to problems and recall not only newly learned information, but also memories. Brain waves become much slower as we dive into a deeper sleep and, during our deepest sleep, our brain almost exclusively produces delta waves. These delta waves, discovered by W. Grey Walter in the early 1900s, are what make sleep restorative.

In a 2004 study published in Current Biology, Edwin M. Robertsona, Alvaro Pascual-Leonea and Daniel Z. Pressa found that skills taught to individuals only had “offline improvement” in those who had slept between their sessions (which happened every 12 hours). Those who were asked to recall information at 8 p.m. after learning something at 8 a.m., did not have the same result as those who were given information at 8 p.m. and had to recall it the next morning.

“Those who learned the task explicitly could mentally rehearse some or all of the known sequence during the day. Despite this opportunity, these participants only showed skill improvements following sleep,” the study states. “When an individual is aware of having learned a new skill, the development of further skill without practice is dependent upon sleep.”

Ever feel better after a good night’s rest? Well, it’s not your imagination. Sleep has a substantial impact on our immune system. In fact, ongoing sleep deficiency has been associated with everything from an increased risk of heart and kidney disease, as

well as diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and stroke.

In 2012, a study published in the journal SLEEP conducted by researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom showed that when even healthy people are deprived of sleep, the body—specifically the granulocytes, which are white blood cells containing several proteins that help the immune system fight off viruses and bacteria—reacts as it would to physical stress.

When we are stressed, we do not react to situations the same way we would with a sound mind and body. The same is true with our immune system. When we don’t get enough sleep, our immune system is unable to function at its highest level. In the short term, individuals are left vulnerable to infections and, long term, lack of sleep suppresses immune function and ultimately impairs it.

Some decent shut-eye helps people recover from trauma, allowing them to process what they have suffered, weakening damaging emotions (such as fear) connected to the memory and contextualizing and storing the information.

In the December 2016 issue of SLEEP, a study conducted by a team from the Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich and the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland was published on the effects of sleep after trauma. In this study, 65 healthy women were exposed to a laboratory trauma film and split into two groups. One group went immediately to sleep after the film, and the other remained awake. The results showed that the sleep group experienced fewer and less distressing intrusive

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trauma memories compared to the wake group.

“Our results reveal that people who slept after the film had fewer and less distressing recurring emotional memories than those who were awake,” Birgit Kleim from the Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy at the University of Zurich explains.

“This supports the assumption that sleep may have a protective effect in the aftermath of traumatic experiences.”

Many of us push ourselves a little more than we should when it comes to long road trips. When the yawns come, we grab a caffeine boost, turn the music up and munch on something to stay stimulated, but too often our eyelids get heavier and heavier. Whether this hits on a road trip, on the way to work a nightshift or while headed out for an early morning, drowsy driving is dangerous.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been more than 7,000 deaths in drowsy-driving-related crashes over the last decade and an estimated average of 83,000 crashes each year, between 2005 and 2009, related to drowsy driving. That’s a big price to pay for not enough sleep.

New research is finding that when therapy is first focused on insomnia and solving sleep disorders, treatment of depression is twice as successful. The connection between clinical depression and sleep disturbance is not a new one, but it is important to our mental health. While insomnia alone does not cause depression, lack of sleep worsens it. The role it plays is a complicated one affecting energy levels, motivation and emotions.

Bit by bit, lack of sleep can slowly erode our mental health, often without us even noticing an irritable mood has become emptiness or sadness. According to the Sleep

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Foundation, people with insomnia are 10 times as likely to have clinical depression and 17 times as likely to have clinical anxiety. This is a result of the stress placed on your body when it’s not able to rest. When your body is not able to release stress and recover during the night, coping issues are inevitable while you’re awake.

When most people consider losing weight, they immediately think exercise, and when thinking about gaining weight, sleeping too much might come to mind. But it’s not entirely true. Sleep is vital to regulate appetite and restore the energy our bodies need to burn calories while exercising. A good night’s rest actually helps individuals control and maintain a healthy weight.

A study conducted by a team at Stanford University with 1,024 participants found that in those sleeping less than eight hours, the increased body mass index (BMI) was proportional to decreased sleep.

Participants with short sleep had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin (two key opposing hormones in appetite regulation), which both are likely to lead to an increase appetite.

Also, during the night, we lose water through perspiration and breathing out humid air. Step on the scale when you wake up—if you’re getting a good seven or eight hours of sleep, you might find you weigh less than when you went to bed.

Our bodies undergo all kinds of activities while we’re sleeping.

Though we may not have the same cognitive abilities while asleep, our bodies are anything but passive— they’re working in a whole set of different ways, allowing our body temperature to drop, blood pressure to lower and heart rate to decrease, conserving energy, repairing and maintaining muscles and bones by the facilitation of amino acids. Next time something is off, examine your sleeping habits, because the way you feel while you’re awake has a lot to do with what’s going on when you’re not.

A good mattress is important for getting a good night’s rest—not necessarily something you want to go cheap on. Think about it this way, the way Gary Javo, Owner of Sit & Sleep Bluffton sees it: “You’re in your bed eight hours a night and it can directly affect the way you feel throughout the day.

If you get a good night’s sleep, it will completely change your day.” Sounds like a pretty good reason to pay attention when shopping for your pillowtop, right?

Don’t just settle for a department store with cheap prices; head to a mattress store where specialists are well-versed in the item at hand—mattresses.

Other stores may be more concerned about the furniture and bedding you buy, but specialized mattress stores can assist you in determining everything from the right type of mattress for your sleeping habits to the selection of the right brand to meet your objectives.

“Mattresses can get complicated. It seems like a simple thing but it really isn’t simple,” Javo explains.

“You need to go to a sleep shop where people are specialized and trained. This is what they do and the only thing they do. Take advantage of that.”

“Come in with a clear understanding of what you need, or if you don’t know that, then what you don’t have now.”

Talk with your spouse and find out just what it is that you require—does your back hurt? Is your husband waking you when he moves? Bring that information to the store and let an expert guide you to something that will suit.

Did you know one of the first things to void a mattress warranty is a stain? Avoid this headache and pick up special fitted sheets with waterproof backing. That amazing warranty won’t do you any good if it’s immediately voided.

If you’re not sleeping through the night, there’s a big chance it’s the result of a mattress that needs to be replaced. “With a bad mattress, you can start to develop hip and joint pain, it creates pressure points and, if you’re not supported properly, you can have poor circulation in your extremities. It can promote spine misalignment, if there’s a sag to the mattress,” Javo emphasized. Don’t let a bad mattress be the reason you’re not sleeping well!

A great learning trip for kids & adults!

Voyage of discovery

Discover the local marsh habitat.

See the richness of life in our tidal estuary.

Learn measures for water quality.

All trips led by Captain Amber Kuehn MS in Marine Biology Contact: SpartinaCharters@gmail.com or Spartinacharters.com 843-338-2716

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Send your selfies to Chierie@Bluffton.com

Faces of Bluffton

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ADVENTURE

The True Tale of a Huck Finn Kayak Campout 26 bluffton.com

Article & Photo by Michele Roldรกn-Shaw

W ho

hasn’t dreamed of discovering their own private island? A secret place when life becomes too much; a world of innocent daydreams and adventures, a Huck Finn storybook island of rustling breezes and sleepouts, campfires, naps and bold plans that become comical close shaves.

The dream is still real. It waits beyond the world of Bluffton homes and docks, past the boaters and little islands already named and claimed, in the barely charted wilderness of adjacent regions that shall remain undisclosed (think offshoot creeks of Wright River).

Somewhere out there is a tiny scrap of high ground with a few palmettos, fuzzy blooms of marsh myrtle, scrubby oaks and cedar trees draped in Spanish moss. I stumbled upon it by accident during my first kayak paddle in the area.

When I happened upon the beautiful little island perched right on the channel, no trace of human presence could be detected; no beer cans, no cigarette butts, not even the remains of an ancient campfire, just piles of scat from some critter. Egrets had coated the shoreline with white droppings, buzzards circled in thermal currents and marsh hens cackled and flapped across the channel.

An anhinga on a snaggy branch belly-flopped the minute I paddled up, disappearing below the water for an alarmingly long time before he resurfaced, his snaky neck poking out as he swam along. A big orange Monarch butterfly flapped by me on its famous travels. I stood on the bank for so long that I entered a sort of reverie and they all forgot I was there. After an hour I plunged into the water, but it was cold and strange being this far away from everything, so I scrambled back up the bank in such a frenzy my legs got muddy scrapes from all the roots.

“Okay time to go,” I said aloud, before I got in my boat and paddled away. Thenceforth, I fondly christened the place Jake’s Island and considered it my personal domain. (If you want to know why I named it that, it’s a story from my childhood so you’ll have to ask me in person…and no, it has nothing to do with a love affair.)

I started telling everyone about Jake’s Island. Not how to get there, mind you, just that it existed, and lots of people wanted me to take them, but not everyone had the time. My friend, Erin, was enjoying a schedule free-up at a rare, historical moment when the weather was perfect and I was actually in town. Stars thus aligned, a great hare-brained, Huck Finn raft trip was planned.

You’d be surprised how much work goes into a raft trip. You gotta get all your gear together, procure rations, secure your craft. You have to see about firewood and figure out how to tow it using the materials at hand. I started with a half-rotted wooden palette, but later upgraded to a pool float shaped like a stingray after the original pilot tests failed. Erin needed a boat, so I took five persimmons and, in a series of elaborate events, I acquired a beautiful blue loaner kayak. Tom Sawyer himself couldn’t have done it in better style. “I got your boat,” I told Erin. “Brand-new in the shrink-wrap.

I’ll tell you the story later.”

Knowing we had tides and early sunsets to consider, plus preliminary tasks before an ideal 3 o’clock departure, I told her to meet me at noon. A little before 2 p.m. she called. “On my way,” she said. “Any last-minute requests?”

“Did you get the bungee cords I asked for?”

“Alright, this is what I got: ropes, zip ties, ratchet straps…”

“Erin! Get. Bungees.”

“Okay, I’ll get bungees.”

She finally showed up with everything but bungees. In any case, the trip was off to a perfectly ramshackle start. We headed to the launch, and were testing the buoyancy of our firewood-loaded stingray when two duck hunters in full camo arrived, eyeing us skeptically.

“Y’all goin’ campin’?” they asked.

“Yep.” “Where at?”

“Some li’l island,” I said with a vague wave. Fat chance I’d tell them.

“So you’re just gonna get in and go, huh?” they asked, bewildered.

“Guess that’s about the only way to do it.”

It was clear that they thought we were out-rednecking the rednecks.

They shook their heads as though uncertain whether to admire our spirit or condemn our stupidity, then predicted aloud we would fight the tide and get bit up by bugs. Eventually, they got in their GPS-equipped boat and motored off. One minute later, our voyage was underway.

It did not take long to realize that although the stingray towed fine, it would be a workout. With every paddle stroke, the line jerked and tugged me back. Erin was already pulling ahead. She reclined dreamily on a cushiony throne of our dry-bags, pulling a stroke here, a stroke there; listening to the birdies and watching the clouds move.

“I’m not sure I’m gonna make it!” I shouted as I struggled. But there was nothing she could do to help, so I just settled into a rhythm and enjoyed the scenery.

Thirty minutes later we entered a new creek that took us with the tide rather than against it, and after that we were on easy street.

Golden evening sunrays lit up Jake’s Island as we drew near, the moss just melting off the trees, and the same anhinga doing his goofy belly-flop. The water was a little lower than last time, and I plunged one leg in the chilly creek by accident. Erin let me

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change into her extra dry pants and soon we were warming up with a thermos of hot tea, watching the sunset over the water—one of those moments you dream about, but rarely get to experience.

We had just a few precious minutes of twilight to pitch camp, gather kindling and discover that not one—but BOTH—our flashlights had dead batteries. (Talk about an amateur mistake.) Luckily, there was an unlimited supply of dry palmetto fronds to blaze up the fire.

A friend had hooked us up with flameless heated military rations leftover from Hurricane Matthew—Italian spaghetti for me, garden veggie pasta for Erin—plus fig bars and corn nuts for us both. We had a pair of chairs for around the fire and, for dessert, sweet potatoes roasted in the coals. Stars blinked and crickets chirped, and we felt safe and secure on our island under the canopy of midnight blue sky and palm fronds, surrounded by the gentle noises of the creek.

The next morning, Erin stoked up the fire in its pit of smoldering ash while I brewed tea over a hobo stove made out of a cat food can. We agreed it was one of the best campouts we’d ever had.

You’d think after all the times I’d been boating in the marsh I’d have considered the fact that these little islands usually can’t be reached except on a dead high tide. However, I’d assumed that since Jake’s Island was right on the channel, we wouldn’t have any problem. I hadn’t done enough recon to know that stranding might be inevitable. Now it was about a quarter-tide and still going out, and the kayaks were perched atop an eight-foot drop-off to pure pluff mud, no sandy spots or gentle grades anywhere. “We ain’t goin’ nowhere for at least six hours,” I pronounced to Erin.

We strung the hammock and took turns, or talked, or simply sat in silence. We broke camp and stowed everything on the boats. We checked the rising water level against submersible objects in the creek, such as a barnacle-coated fallen tree that I now realized had been dangerously close to where I’d leaped in for a swim on my first visit. We debated the relative merits of bungees versus ropes and zipties, sat on the bank for five hours eating crackers and water and told the same jokes to a point of near delirium. Still the tide was no higher.

There would have been no hurry, but I had a pedicure appointment at 3 p.m. I’d been looking forward to it for months. I called to see if she

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could push it back and she returned the call saying 5 p.m., at the latest.

A little before 3 p.m., the water was just getting high enough, but it would be tricky getting in the boat. I suggested to Erin that I lower her down first, already seated in her boat, then get in on my own, but as we eyed the steep angle of entry, doubts crept in. There was nothing for miles around—no docks, no people, no proper place to get out in this wasteland of grass and mud. Crabbers had told me the creek wound its way 10 lonely miles to the sound, and I realized casting adrift on this tide meant we’d be carried where no girl had been carried before. Any mistakes at this point could cost us our boats, gear, lives or, at the very least, a cold, hungry night stuck on Jake’s Island.

“Listen Erin, we can’t afford to mess this up,” I said, suddenly all business. “Now is it really worth the risk just to save 30 minutes so I can make my nail appointment, or should we be on the safe side and wait for the tide to come up a little more?”

Pausing, she weighed our dilemma. Then with a look of flat determination she said, “I want you to get your toes did.”

She got in the boat and I heaved up her back end so that the bow was poised towards the water in a plunging nosedive. “Alright, I’m going to ease you in as gently as I can,” I promised with the best of intentions, but as the weight and center of gravity shifted, she hung on precariously for a split-second, then SPLASH! Her boat hit the water, rocked side-to-side and nearly rolled, but after an agonizing moment it righted itself. “Whew,” I said with an exhale, brushing my hands off on my pants. “That was pretty awesome.”

She pinned my boat against the bank with her own to stabilize it while I lowered down by an overhanging root, then we paddled back quick-like without incident. After throwing our gear in the truck and hauling the boats back to my camper, we hastily hugged goodbye and promised to return. Jake’s Island would provide a conversation piece for weeks, and our faith was restored in an otherwise overrun and subjugated Lowcountry.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I made it back just in time for my pedicure. Thanks ladies, for cleaning out the pluff mud caked between my toes!

Wildlife Photo Safaris

Outdoor Photo Adventure Year Round Dolphin • Seabird Rookeries • Wading Birds Shrimpboats • Waterscapes

For a true Lowcountry experience, join wildlife photographer Eric Horan, in a Carolina Skiff, exploring the intracoastal waterways Join a group tour or choose from a range of private tour destinations.

For more information call 843.524.3037.

See a current schedule of tour dates at www.horanphoto.com

Family Owned & Operated Free Pick-up & Delivery Drop off -Pick up Each Garment Inspected Dry Cleaning Shirt Laundry Alterations & Repairs Stain Removal Leather Cleaning Household Items

Bluffton Plant: 373 Red Cedar Street 843.815.5885 door2door@hargray.com Mon.-Fri. 7:30 am-5:30 pm

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ARCHITECTURE

Where North meets South By: Randolph Stewart and Geoffrey Bray Welcome to the Palmetto Bluff home of Connecticut native, John Howard. So many elements inspire the design of a home: site and natural surroundings, the owners’ dreams, and the imagination of the designer, to name a few.

When John Howard found Palmetto Bluff and settled on the site for his vacation home, he enlisted the insights of his friend and architect, Geoffrey Bray, with whom he had previously worked in New England.

The location offered many advantages, including a wonderful climate, golf, Lowcountry beauty, large private lots, the surrounding rivers and marshes and many amenities close by in a small, old village named Bluffton. The design of this home was intentional and purposeful, as illustrated by this philosophical quote by Architect Geoffrey Bray: “Form doesn’t follow function. Great design allows both form and function an equal footing. Great design is not about preconceived notions

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or style. It is the understanding of the client’s needs, prioritizing them, and working within the framework of the situation—cost, location, history, and surrounding environment to create a timeless solution that meets the particular challenges of use for decades to come. And, of course, to look good doing it.

Private residences in particular are very personal projects to me as the architect and client must become one in order to successfully create a house from which the client can then make a home…”

I was pleased when Bill Mischler, exceptional craftsman, master builder and person, offered to show me the Magnolia House, a special house he felt Breeze readers might like. I have known Bill for close to 20 years. He is passionate about his work, family and friends, and has made a permanent mark throughout the Lowcountry, including his work with regional custom homes, the Oldfield Nature Center, the Palmetto Bluff Chapel and the restoration of the 1732 Bonny Hall Plantation in Colleton County, South Carolina.

After turning on a dirt road and driving a short distance through flanking arbors, we entered a circular, pebbled motor court, surrounded by buildings arranged in an arc. My first impression was one of Lowcountry exteriors complementing the natural surroundings, simple materials and elements and large, stylized overhangs. Built as a compound, the carriage house is in the center, main house is to the left and guesthouse to the right. In somewhat of an epiphany, I realized that the foundations, porches and concave roofs all follow the same radius as the drive and perimeter landscaping. At the center of it all is a young magnolia.

and the two-bedroom guesthouse. Details abound in a subtle sense of quality. The paneling was painted with a brush, and the trim was sprayed the same color, but the different approaches resulted in a slightly different sheen. Each painting and print was carefully selected, planned and placed. Interior windows allow light into the hall, and the timber framing provides both form and function. Black

I asked Geoffrey to share what inspired him to utilize the magnolia. He explained, “The circular format for the site is intended to be an eclectic interpretation of the traditional family compound which reflects the natural evolutionary development which reflects the historical development of plantation living as it breaks down the mass of the main, or big house with the other supporting structures in an organized fashion beyond the ring of live oaks that, in time, will overhang and frame the driveway as it has in countless superb homes over the centuries.”

Once inside, we see the space’s Colonial influence, evidenced by simple wood paneling and subtle details. It is apparent that John, Geoffrey and Bill (along with another Connecticut friend, Interior Designer Wendy Kirkland of Savannah) teamed together to create something unique. Magnolia House’s exterior is pure Lowcountry, and the interior inspiration comes from New England, representing John’s two worlds—north meets south!

Geoffrey left no stone unturned. He says of Magnolia House: “The main house takes natural ventilation to another level when the weather permits by inducing cooling breezes to enter and exit through front and rear porches through sets of mahogany French doors connecting to the interior. Additionally, through natural convection as cool air comes into the house on the first floor and exhausts through remotely operated windows in the cupola, which sits atop the ridge of the main gable roof.

The cupola also provides controlled natural light into the great room below throughout the day, regardless of the sun’s location. Both houses use the judicious placement of operable window units within interior walls to enhance ventilation and share daylight in areas which otherwise would have none or limited natural light.

Lastly, the openings expand the perceived size of the spaces as they are visually open to adjacent spaces while still offering acoustic and visual privacy when so desired.”

The central cupola provides light to a second floor gallery that opens to the ground floor. It introduces a “sea captain” element with the painted paneled walls, beaded moldings, “nickel and dime gapping,” beamed ceiling, timber framing, and warm, wide-board pine floors.

This design is carried throughout the 3,200-square-foot main house,

iron rods that support the gallery beams provide another subtly unifying detail, another example of an element that provides both form and function.

The curved roofs, porches and facade of the three structures

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surrounding the magnolia can best be seen from the guesthouse porch to the main house and garage. Because of the radius, each roof panel, ceiling board and decking board had to be cut at slight angles. Each rafter is a different length, and the roofs are a combination of zinc-coated stainless steel and cedar shake. The siding is shiplap cypress with mitered and joined outside corners. The trim, paint, windows and doors match each component of the compound.

Note the attention to detail in the shot above—how the beaded parting mull at the transoms, continuing to the paneled walls. Each board is precisely gapped and continuously aligned throughout the room. The ceiling molding is separated from the ceiling with a nickel. This subtlety is a nice effect, but it also keeps the caulking from cracking, as it might if the molding touched the ceiling.

All of the panel walls are separated with a dime. As the temperature and humidity of the house changes, older tongue and groove walls would contract and expand at differing widths. Because Geoffrey understands the South,

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he used these details to keep the spacing and gapping the same, adapting his construction techniques for the change in climate. Small details, like the recessed shoe mold that sits under the baseboard instead of on top; the artwork, fixtures and accessories are all carefully considered. The Sheraton chairs are elegant and their simple, classic design echoes the owner’s taste. There is no clutter, and every space and room in both structures connects, unifying the design with light and natural views.

The dining room is flanked by oversized stone fireplaces and light flows in through the gallery and cupola above. The exposed ceiling joist supports the upper floors, and is painted on the bottom and stained on the top. In keeping with the centralism concept, one can see the magnolia tree through the living room, the front door and porch beyond.

The design target for the kitchen, as conveyed by Geoffrey, was to create a space where John could both cook and entertain in a setting for guests who could either help or sit a comfortable distance away in the breakfast area. While modern in terms of equipment, he wanted the look to be casual, classic and befitting of Lowcountry style. The best example of this is the custom wood cabinet that hides the stainless refrigerator and freezer. The craftsmanship required to reinterpret a classic antique is extraordinary. The Il Fanale fixtures over the island were selected specifically by Wendy because of their timeless simplicity. The pattern of the wood ceiling creates a very subtle sense of separation between the kitchen and breakfast area.

The guesthouse is the smaller sister of the main house. The stained and varnished mahogany entry doors and transoms open into a paneled, small foyer with awning windows that allow interior light into the kitchen, all mirroring the symmetry and balance essential to the central magnolia theme.

After speaking with Geoffrey and John, I have better insight into what makes the Magnolia House such a special place. As time goes by, and the magnolia and live oaks grow, it will only get better. A winning design, Magnolia House is an excellent example of what can happen when north meets south.

CREDITS: Architect: Geoffrey Bray, New Britain, Connecticut, www.bray-architects.com, ggbray@gmail.com Builder: Bill Mischler, Genesis Construction, Bluffton, SC, www.genesis-construction.com bill@genesis.com

Interior Design: Wendy Kirkland, WDK Designs, Connecticut/Savannah, www.wdkdesign.com Photographer: Bryan Stovall, Savannah, www.bryanstovallphotography.com

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JANUARY TIDES Tide chart is calculated for the May River.

Full Moon January 12.

SUN 1

MON 2

TUES 3

WED 4

THURS 5

FRI 6

SAT 7

SUN 8

MON 9

L H L H

4 :22 1 0 : 5 0 5:02 1 1 : 0 6

AM AM PM PM

L H L H

5:04 1 1 : 3 2 5 : 4 4 1 1 : 5 2

AM AM PM PM

L H L

5 : 4 9 1 2 : 1 9 6:29

AM PM PM

H L H L H L H L

1 2 : 4 5 AM 6 : 4 0 AM 1:13 PM 7 : 2 0 PM

1 : 4 2 AM 7 : 3 9 AM 2 : 1 0 PM 8 : 1 7 PM

H L H L

2 : 4 2 8 : 4 7 3:10 9 : 1 9

AM AM PM PM

H L H L

3:43 9 : 5 7 4 : 1 2 1 0 : 2 2

AM AM PM PM

H L H L

4 : 4 6 AM 1 1 : 0 4 AM 5 : 1 6 PM 1 1 : 2 3 PM

5 : 4 9 AM 1 2 : 0 6 PM 6 : 1 9 PM

1 2 : 2 1 AM 6 : 4 9 AM 1 : 0 4 PM

H L H

TUES 10 L H L

Hilton Head Boathouse Showroom: 1498 Fording Island Road Bluffton, SC 29910 Hilton Head Boathouse: 405 Squire Pope Road Hilton Head Island, 29926 36 bluffton.com

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7 :1 8

PM

WED 11 L H L H

1 :1 7 7 :4 6 1 :5 9 8 :1 4

AM AM PM PM

THURS 12 L H L H

2 :1 1 8 :3 9 2 :5 1 9 :0 6

AM AM PM PM

FRI 13 L H L H

3 :0 2 9 :2 9 3 :3 9 9 :5 6

AM AM PM PM

SAT 14 L H L H

AM AM PM PM

SUN 15 L H L H

3 :5 2 1 0 :1 7 4 :2 5 1 0 :4 6

4 :3 9 1 1 :0 5 5 :0 9 1 1 :3 5

MON 16 L H L

5 :2 5 1 1 :5 2 5 :5 2

AM AM PM

TUES 17 H L H L

1 2 :2 6 6 :1 2 1 2 :4 0 6 :3 5

AM AM PM PM

WED 18 H L H L

AM AM PM PM

THURS 19 H L H L

1 :1 6 7 :0 0 1 :2 9 7 :2 0

2 :0 7 7 :5 3 2 :1 7 8 :0 8

FRI 20 H L H L

2 :5 7 8 :5 1 3 :0 7 9 :0 1

AM AM PM PM

SAT 21 H

3 :4 8 AM

AM AM PM PM

AM AM PM PM

L H L

9:50 AM 3:58 PM 9:55 PM

SUN 22 H L H L

4:41 0:46 1 4:51 1 0:49

AM

AM PM PM

MON 23 H L H L

5 :34 1 1:38 5 :44 1 1:39

AM AM PM PM

TUES 24 H L H

6:26 1 2:26 6:35

AM PM PM

WED 25 L H L H

1 2:27 7:13 1:12 7:22

AM AM PM PM

THURS 26 L H L H

1:13 7:57 1:55 8:06

AM AM PM PM

FRI 27 L H L H

1:57 8:37 2:37 8:46

AM AM PM PM

SAT 28 L H L H

2:40 9:15 3:18 9:25

AM AM PM PM

SUN 29 L H L H

3:23 9:53 3:59 1 0:04

AM AM PM PM

MON 30 L H L H

4:05 1 0:31 4:39 1 0:46

AM AM PM PM

TUES 31 L H L H

4:49 1 1:13 5:22 1 1:32

AM AM PM PM

843-681-2628 www.hhboathouse.net

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MUSIC

during our jam session/interview. is a bonified punk rocker who works at the Gretsch drum factory right here in Ridgeland, SC. For four years, right down the street from Schooner’s and Piggly Wiggly, John and 20 or so dedicated employees build drums.

John had been working in a pizzeria in Bluffton and needed a change of pace. His friend, John Edwards, let him in on a new job opportunity and BAM!—Gretsch gained a true music fan and lover of DIY music projects.

“Not all of us out at Gretsch are musicians, which makes things really fun,” he says. What does John think of the Ridgeland/Hardeeville music scene? Is there one? What is John’s favorite John Denver song?

John’s dad was a boxer and listened to a lot of Tom Petty and Springsteen around the house. He then explained that Petty’s “American Girl” had elements of punk rock music that he got into, which soon led to skateboarding, which led to a deeper interest in post-hardcore and punk music. Springsteen sang about “everyman’s struggle,” which also spoke to John.

Moving to Savannah, GA, proved an interesting chapter in John’s musical evolution. Bands had rehearsal spots—not a lot of money, but tons of heart and will to “just play the music.” “Write the music, crank the amps and stomp on pedals,” as John put it

So, what does the future hold for John and people like him who want music that speaks to them? People who understand that most of their town just wants to hear songs they know and go to bed at 9 p.m., but also want somewhere else they can go to hear an edgier kind of music. Aggressive music and crowds of people who want to hear and be a part of something different are inevitable in bourgeoning towns like Bluffton with places like the Roasting Room trying to fill that void.

“When? How?” I thought, as John walked away, after asking when and if I wanted to get together and play “hard and fast.” I thanked him for coming, turned around and walked back into my house, my 8-year-old daughter staring at me. Then, I wondered to myself, is John more “hardcore” than ME? If so, I wish him well and feel good that the torch is still blazing.

“It only takes a spark,” someone once said. Years may pass, but the spark can still be there...waiting to become a fire. Maybe one day there will be place for punk rockers and hip hoppers alike in Bluffton. Right now, most of the town is satisfied being described as “sleepy,” although I would keep an eye and an ear out for them. In the meantime, I’m just gonna crank “Sunshine On My Shoulders” and get my kids ready for bed.

(Copy Editor’s Note: I’m still trying to figure out what elements of punk music are heard in “American Girl” and Jevon refused to elaborate. While pleased that I’m way cooler than I thought, I can’t get Tom Petty’s song out of my head!)

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shrimp aglia and olio over angel hair pasta INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Enough angel hair pasta for 2 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (local is best!)

1 vine-ripe tomato, diced 6 fresh basil leaves 1 tsp fresh garlic, chopped 1/4 tsp Kosher salt 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper 1/4 tsp ground garlic 1/4 cup strong chicken broth 1/4 cup tomato sauce (Prego or similar) 1/3 stick of butter

Cook pasta, rinse and set aside.

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In a large sauté pan, heat oil until hot. Add shrimp, fresh tomato, fresh basil, fresh garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well.

Add chicken broth, tomato sauce and butter. Bring to a semi-boil. (Don’t overcook.)

Run angel hair pasta under hot water to loosen and drain. Put pasta into bowl and top with sauce. Serve with crispy bread and top with parmesan cheese, if desired. Pair with a nice Pinot Noir and enjoy!

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Courtesy of Walnuts Café

BLUFFTON’S

RESTAURANT GUIDE Cahill’s Chicken Kitchen** Southern 1055 May River Rd. (843) 757-2921

Corner Perk** Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee Promenade St. & May River Rd. (843) 816-5674 May River Grill** Seafood Contemporary Old Town Bluffton,1263 May River Rd. (843) 757-5755 The Pearl Kitchen and Bar** Fine Dining 55 Calhoun St. (843) 757-5511 Squat ‘N’ Gobble** American, Greek 1231 May River Rd. (843) 757-4242 Toomers’ Bluffton Seafood House** Seafood 27 Dr. Mellichamp Dr. (843) 757-0380 The Village Pasta Shoppe** Italian, Deli, Wine, 10 B. Johnston Way (across from Post Office) (843) 540-2095 Walnuts Café** Contemporary 70 Pennington Dr., Ste. 20 (843) 815-2877 Agave Side Bar Southwestern 13 State Of Mind St.

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(843) 757-9190

Bluffton BBQ Barbeque, Pork, Ribs 11 State Of Mind St. (843) 757-7427

Claude & Uli’s Bistro French 1533 Fording Island Rd. #302 Moss Creek Village (843) 837-3336

The Bluffton Room Fine dining 15 Promenade St. (843) 757-3525

Corks Wine Co. Contemporary, Tapas 14 Promenade St. #306 The Promenade (843) 816-5168

The Brick Chicken American 1011 Fording Island Rd. (843) 836-5040

The Cottage Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 38 Calhoun St. (843) 757-0508

British Open Pub Pub, Seafood, Steaks 1 Sherington Dr. #G Sheridan Park (843) 705-4005

Downtown Deli Burgers, Sandwiches 27 Dr. Mellichamp Dr. (843) 815-5005

Buffalo’s Contemporary 1 Village Park Sq. (843) 706-6630 Butcher’s Market and Dell Deli 102 Buckwalter Pkwy., Ste. 3G (843) 815-6328 Captain Woody’s Seafood, Sandwich, Salads 17 State Of Mind St. The Promenade (843) 757-6222 Choo Choo BBQ Express Barbeque, Pulled Pork, Ribs 129 Burnt Church Rd. (843) 815-7675

Fat Patties Burgers, Sandwiches 207 Bluffton Rd. (843) 815-6300 Hinchey’s Chicago Bar & Grill American 104 Buckwalter Pl., Ste. 1A (843) 836-5959 Hogshead Kitchen Contemporary 1555 Fording Island Rd. Moss Creek Village (843) 837-4647 Inn At Palmetto Bluff Continental 1 Village Park Sq. Palmetto Bluff Village (843) 706-6500

The Juice Hive Juice Bar 14 Johnston Way Bluffton Village (843) 757-BUZZ (2889) Katie O’Donald’s Irish, American 1008 Fording Island Rd. #B, Kitties Crossing (843) 815-5555 Longhorn Steakhouse American 1262 Fording Island Rd., Tanger Outlet 1 (843) 705-7001 Mulberry Street Trattoria Italian 1476 Fording Island Rd. (843) 837-2426 Napoli Bistro Pizzeria & Wine Bar Italian, Mediterranean 68 Bluffton Rd. (843) 706-9999 Neo Gastropub - Farm To Table Fare 1533 Fording Island Rd. #326 Moss Creek Village (843) 837-5111 Okatie Ale House American

25 William Pope Dr. (843) 706-2537 Old Town Dispensary Contemporary 15 Captains Cove, off Calhoun St. Pour Richard’s Contemporary 4376 Bluffton Pkwy.

(843) 757-1999 (843) 837-1893 Redfish Contemporary 32 Bruin Rd., Old Town Bluffton (843) 837-8888 Sigler’s Rotisserie & Seafood Contemporary 12 Sheridan Park Circle (843) 815-5030 Southern Barrel Brewing Co. American 375 Buckwalter Place Blvd.

(843) 837-2337 Stooges Cafe American 25 Sherington Dr. (843) 706-6178 ** See the ads in The Breeze and Bluffton.com for more info

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HUMOR

By Allyson Jones You never forget your first love…or your first oyster roast.

ridiculous,” she said. “It’s proper etiquette.”

A high school seafood monger, I spent much of my formative years serving endless pounds of raw and steamed shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters, fish, crabs and lobsters to voracious hordes at Hadfield’s Seafood Market in Wilmington, Delaware. It was a traumatic experience—I still bear a physical scar from falling on a bag of live crabs while navigating an icy walkway between coolers.

Now, my mother was a Rock Hill debutante who instilled manners in my sister and I from a young age and I don’t ever recall being given a weapon before heading out to a social event. However, Grandma possessed an unerring sense of propriety, so I slid the short knife with its bulbous handle into my purse and set off across the bridge to Buckingham Landing.

Although I preferred my tuna from a can and despised most other forms of seafood, I thought I knew almost everything about the “fruit of the sea.” Yet, I was woefully unprepared for the social rules, pageantry and collective insanity of a Lowcountry oyster roast.

On my way to Atlanta after college graduation with dreams of finding a “real job,” I stopped to visit my grandmother at her retirement community on Hilton Head Island. I was allowed to stay in her apartment for six weeks and, 25 years later, I still haven’t left the Lowcountry.

Dinner at The Seabrook was a grand affair. Men were expected to wear jacket and tie, delicious entrees were ordered from a printed menu, a dessert buffet showcased a selection of high-calorie treats and a social pecking order determined where and with whom you were seated. A young adult in their midst was a novelty and my grandmother’s innate coolness soared to new heights as other residents vied to sit at our table.

Thanks to the dessert buffet, I gained 10 pounds over those six weeks, but became good friends with one of the dining room waitresses. A few weeks into our friendship, she invited me to her family’s holiday oyster roast. My grandmother was uncharacteristically giddy about the invitation, as if I was going to a grand gala.

My grandparents moved to Hilton Head Island in the 1970s, but we had rarely explored Bluffton and its environs. Buckingham Landing, where the ferry from Hilton Head used to dock before the bridge was built, was like entering a different world.

Traveling along a dirt road in pitch-black darkness, I only found the house because of a fire burning in the backyard and a dozen adults milling around holding beer in one hand and knives in the other. Country music blared and children stood around the fire holding red-hot spears topped with flaming marshmallows or smoking hot dogs.

Seamlessly blending in with my Philly accent and noticeable lack of shucking skills, I learned a lot at my at my first Lowcountry Oyster Roast. First, common courtesy dictates a host demonstrate opening an oyster or two for the uninitiated, otherwise a guest may starve or suffer serious injury from a self-inflicted stab wound. Second, if your beverage of choice is beer or something stronger, bring your own koozie, thermos or red Solo cup, so as not to offend non-drinking Baptist friends and family. Most importantly, an oyster roast is not necessarily about the food, but rather the camaraderie built standing around a fire or oyster table on a cold night sharing a meal and tales which grow taller with each retelling.

“I’m supposed to arm myself for a party?” I innocently asked. “I don’t even eat oysters!”

Fast forward 15 years and I’m married to a Lowcountry man who owns exactly two butter knives—the others were destroyed shucking oysters. We now host our own oyster roasts on a dirt road on the outskirts of Hardeeville complete with a blazing fire and white dishtowels purchased for the sole purpose of holding steaming hot oysters taken off the custom-designed metal roasting tray.

She drew herself up to her full height of 4-feet, 11-inches, slapped the knife in my hand and gave me a pointed look. “Don’t be

Our son mastered the art of shucking at a young age and will gladly teach you the technique. Just don’t forget your oyster knife.

“You’ll need to bring an oyster knife,” she declared while rifling through her kitchen drawers in search of said utensil.

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Happy New Year!!!

Take time to celebrate new beginnings and fellowship with those whom you hold dear.

January weekday breakfast special: bring a friend to breakfast Monday through Friday for buy-one-get-one free breakfast!

(Dine in only. Free meal must be redeemed on same trip and be equal or less in value.)

1055 May River Road 1 mile west of Old Town Bluffton 843 757-2921 / www.cahillsmarket.com 48 bluffton.com

Mon. thru Wed.: 7:30am - 3pm Thurs., Fri., Sat.: 7:30am-9pm Sunday Brunch: 9am - 3pm