the bluff Spring / Summer 2019
C O N T E N T S
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SUP: STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING
22
IN THE LOWCOUNTRY
STOP AND SMELL THE ROSÉ
The calm waters of the Lowcountry are
Like summertime in a bottle, rosé is meant
the perfect place to learn the sport of
for warmer days and long afternoons.
stand-up paddleboarding. Find places to
Stock your cellars with recommendations
launch your board and get some tips and
from our best advisors on the subject.
tricks from our paddleboarding guides.
8 HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS
30 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH JAY
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It's a story so good, it must be true.
MAKING BETTER BITTERS
Meet the artist behind Katniss, an
Conservancy Director Jay Walea gets
The Cole's Fashioned uses house-made
immersive hanging installation and the
mistaken for a hen turkey—but no more
bitters foraged from the grounds of
largest commission to date at Savannah's
can be said without ruining the surprise.
Palmetto Bluff. Learn the story behind this
Jepson Center.
Read on to find out what happens.
intense and deeply spiced potion.
17
33
45 SOCAL MEETS NASHVILLE
WITH BATED BREATH
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Once a year at Field + Fire, we're treated
Hear from restorers, salvagers,
to a dazzling display of falconry, the sport
collectors, and even a few chefs about
Hear from the band Levon about playing
of kings. Experience an expedition and
what makes vintage furniture, hardware,
at Palmetto Bluff, learning from legends,
learn the history of this regal art form.
and architectural details so covetable.
and defying stereotypes in Nashville.
O N TH E COV E R : PHOTOGR APHY BY JADE M C CULLY
IN LEVON
C O N T E N T S
79 A SQUARE MEAL
63 HOME DESIGN AND DÉCOR From circadian lighting to hand-poured tiles, we asked our circle of architects and designers, "What's trending in the world
50 BUSHCRAFT:
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FIRE Conservancy Land & Wildlife Manager Justin
of design and décor?"
68 LOCAL CHARACTERS Lydia Moore & Aaron Palmieri both love to laugh. Get to know the two newest members of the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy team.
Hardy gives us a crash course on how to build and light a fire in the wilderness.
54 A BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOUTHS
Just like us, the wildlife of the Bluff loves to eat well. Conservancy Land Technician Shane Rahn explains how these food plots are planted and maintained.
82 RETAIL THERAPY: A DAY IN CHARLESTON Plan your perfect shopping day in Charleston, complete with some beach time and a candlemaking class.
90 THE THRILL OF THE CHASE Experience the pomp and pageantry of a
71 RANDY WOOD IS HERE FOR THE MUSIC Off an unassuming highway in Bloomingdale, Georgia, Randy Wood crafts handmade
traditional Lowcountry foxhunt. Hear from Lowcountry Huntsman Tony Gammell after a dashing display at Field + Fire.
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Chef Asha Gomez connects cultures
instruments and features top-performing
and people with her cuisine. She shares
bluegrass musicians in his intimate
her story, her passions, and her must-
110-person venue. Learn about the craftsman
Mark your calendars for all the fun we
have ingredients.
and his life in music.
have planned for the warmer half of 2019.
EVENT CALENDAR
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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& f or t ho s e w ho l o v e
{
c r e at e d b y
}
t h i s s p e c i a l l o w c ou n t r y i d y l l
PUBLISHER
Courtney Hampson
EDITOR
Molly Clancy
PHOTOGRAPHERS
DESIGNERS
WRITERS
Tyler Dewland
Amanda Davis
Molly Clancy
Sarah Grubbs
Heather Dumford
Nancy Fullbright
Molly Hayden
Katie Gates
Sarah Grubbs
Bonjwing Lee
Courtney Hampson
Krisztian Lonyai Jade McCully
Justin Hardy
PRODUCERS
Andrew "Boo" Harrell
Caroline Blackwell
John Roberts
Molly Hayden
Megan Gray
Justin Smith
Anna Jones
Ryan Lineberry
Barry Kaufman Bonjwing Lee
ILLUSTRATOR
Andy Kennedy
Amanda Davis
Shane Rahn Jay Walea
PA L M E T TO B L U F F.C O M
R E A L E S TAT E S A L E S
I N N R E S E R VAT I O N S
855-847-5949
855-740-3272
welcome
PA L M E T T O B L U F F R E A L E S TAT E C O M PA N Y 8 0 0 - 5 0 2 - 74 0 5
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PA L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Obtain the Property Report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy where prohibited by law. The complete offering terms are in an offering plan available from sponsor. File no. H-110005
sup STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING IN THE WRITTEN BY: ANDREW “BOO” HARRELL AND ANDY KENNEDY
LOWCOUNTRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KRISZTIAN LONYAI
THOUGH MANY MISTAKENLY THINK that the sport of stand-up paddling
Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned paddler, there are many
originated in the Polynesian Islands centuries ago, it is relatively new. Yes, there
excellent SUP programs offered in the region and here at Palmetto Bluff .
were probably Tahitian fishermen standing up in outrigger canoes to search for fish, but the sport essentially started as a result of post-World War II tourism in
For those new to the sport, the 90-minute INTRO TO STAND-UP
Hawaii, more specifically Waikiki, when surfing was the coolest new thing to do.
PADDLEBOARDING clinic is offered at Palmetto Bluff every day. For
People were trying out surfing and wanted to be photographed on a board. The surf
families with children ages 12 and under, we have a specially designed
guides (“Beach boys” as they were called. No, not the band.) were asked to take the
family intro course.
photos. There were no waterproof cameras at the time, so prone paddling would not work. At some point, the ingenious beach boys decided to use an outrigger
THE STAND-UP NATURE WALK is a two-hour tour designed for folks who
canoe paddle like an oar and paddle while standing, keeping the camera dry. Thus,
have at least basic paddling experience. Your expert guide will lead you
a new sport was born. At the time, it was known as “beach boy surfing.”
through winding creeks looking for dolphins and other wildlife.
This went on through the 60s and 70s until surfboards got shorter and waterproof
THE SUP OUTBACK is a four-hour tour that combines a boat ride to a private
cameras became more prevalent. After that, the practice of standing on a board
chain of islands with a paddleboard nature tour of the marsh creeks on the
and paddling died out until the summer of 2000. During that summer, Hawaii
back side of Daufuskie Island.
experienced a very long flat spell. There was no surf. During the wave lull, the serious watermen began looking for a fun way to stay in shape. Guys such as Laird
If you are looking for a fantastic workout, the 90-minute SUP YOGA CLASS
Hamilton, Dave Kalama, and Brian Keaulana grabbed outrigger canoe paddles,
will give you a fresh take on the ancient art of yoga. With the salt marsh
jumped on their tandem surfboards, and started paddling for fitness. “Beach boy
as your scenery, flow through this vinyasa experience while keeping your
surfing” was resurrected. The surf press published photos in magazines around
balance on your board.
the world of these guys standing up, paddling boards. This became the cool new way to surf without needing a wave.
If you have some experience and would prefer to hit the waves or the creeks on your own, our paddleboard rentals are a great option. HOURLY RENTALS
Like Hawaii during the flat spell, the waters surrounding the Lowcountry of South
are available on the water at Palmetto Bluff , or rent by the day, and hit the
Carolina are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP, offering beautiful scenery
water wherever you choose!
and abundant wildlife. Much of the year, the water is warm, calm, and flat.
Our friends at Three Brothers Boards demonstrate how to launch your paddleboard. They stayed at Palmetto Bluff in June of 2017 as part of our Artist in Residence program.
TIPS
•
OYSTERS: Located adjacent to the marsh in all
fin hitting the bottom throwing you off-balance,
the small creeks and not visible at higher tides,
possibly dumping you into an oyster bed.
Be safe. Before launching at a new location,
oysters are razor-sharp. It is best to paddle
always ask a knowledgeable local guide for
a new location at low tide to learn where the
•
During the SUMMER MONTHS, the best time
advice. Local guide companies will gladly
oyster beds are located, so you can safely
to paddle is before 1:00 p.m. Why? Typically, a
offer free guidance. Here are a few of the
paddle around them at high tide.
breeze picks up in the afternoon, and the chop
things a local guide should advise you about.
can create challenging conditions. Also, aim •
CURRENTS: During full and new moons, the
to paddle before 10:00 a.m. on the weekends
tidal currents can be quite strong. When the
because there will be fewer boaters.
wind is blowing out of the west, the outgoing tidal current is stronger than usual. Do not
•
paddle into shallow creeks on outgoing tide, or
THE LAW requires that you have a personal flotation device (PFD) and a whistle.
you may find yourself with too little water to get back out. It is never a good idea to paddle into shallow creeks, as there is the danger of your
•
If you are surfing at the beach, WEAR A LEASH that attaches your leg to the board.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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Lowcountry rivers and waterways make for smooth, speedy boarding.
WHERE TO GO Here are a few locations to take a lesson or a guided tour or rent a paddleboard to explore on your own.
WILSON LANDING, PALMETTO BLUFF
THE MAY RIVER,
Sales, rentals, lessons, and tours to the public are
OYSTER FACTORY PARK, BLUFFTON
available at Palmetto Bluff . Rentals are available seven
Located at the end of Wharf Street, this location offers a public
days a week. Palmetto Bluff is an ideal location for all skill
dock to launch from and is ideal for beginner to advanced
levels, beginner to advanced. All programs and rentals
paddlers. There is plenty of parking and a restroom facility.
at Palmetto Bluff launch from a private dock. Please note:
Bring a cooler, and after your paddle, pick out some of the
There is not a public launch at Palmetto Bluff . Palmetto
freshest local seafood at the nearby Bluff ton Oyster Company.
Bluff property owners and Montage hotel guests may launch their own equipment.
THE COLLETON RIVER, TRASK LANDING, BLUFFTON
PUBLIC LAUNCHING LOCATIONS
A public dock is located at the end of Sawmill Creek Road
Below are a few of the public locations in southern
across from Tanger Outlets, but there are no restrooms. This
Beaufort County where you can launch your paddleboard.
is a beautiful location to paddle from; however, the water on
Please note: The ideal times to launch from public boat
the Colleton River can be choppy when the wind is blowing.
ramps are Monday through Friday and early mornings.
Be wary of the currents at this location.
Be sure to get out early on weekends and holidays to avoid power boats.
MACKAY CREEK, PINCKNEY ISLAND LANDING, HILTON HEAD
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
BROAD CREEK,
Paddle Mackay Creek and along the shores of the
SHELTER COVE MARINA, HILTON HEAD ISLAND
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. This public
The Shelter Cove Marina location offers rentals, lessons,
boat ramp launch is located between the bridges to Hilton
and tours to the public. Rentals are available seven days
Head Island. Be careful on the ramps leading down to the
a week. Paddling on Broad Creek is ideal for all skill
floating docks. They are steep and slippery at low tide.
levels, beginner to advanced. You may also launch your
It may be difficult to carry your board down. For advanced
private board from Shelter Cove Marina after signing a
paddlers, circumnavigation of Pinckney Island is possible
waiver and paying the $5 launch fee.
if planned properly with the tidal currents.
A B O U T T H E AU T H O R S A handsome board leads to an epic ride. Paddleboard, Three Brothers Boards, starting at $1,299.
ANDRE W “BOO” HAR R ELL Andrew “Boo” Harrell was born in Savannah, Georgia. He has been a waterman all of his life, learning to water ski at age six on the May River. He moved to Hawaii at 19 to surf and windsurf for a year. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, he was drawn to the water yet again and became a certified Mistral windsurfing instructor for the largest windsurfing school on the East Coast, Windsurfing Hilton Head. Several years later, Boo became a licensed US Coast Guard Master Captain, leading nature and history tours of the same Lowcountry waters that were his playground as a child. Boo is also an American Canoe Association Stand-Up Paddleboard Instructor.
ANDY KENNEDY Andy Kennedy was born, raised, and educated in South Carolina. He is a US Coast Guard-licensed boat captain and paddlesport instructor and guide. Andy is certifi ed by the American Canoe Association as a Level 3 Stand-Up Paddleboard Instructor and Level 2 PaddleFit Instructor and a Level 1 Instructor for World Paddle Association. He was the Guide of the Year in 2012.
Boo and Andy work for Outside Brands, a leading outdoor outfitter in the Lowcountry. Outside has locations on Palmetto Bluff and Hilton Head and provides the programming listed in this article at Palmetto Bluff.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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The site-specific painting Sagittaria at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center took Sandoz two weeks to complete as she added layers and colors to the composition daily.
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
hope for the flowers Savannah artist explores botanicals with museum installation.
WRITTEN BY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: M O L LY HAYDE N
Katherine Sandoz takes a step back to admire her site-specific painting at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center in downtown Savannah, paintbrush still in hand. For a moment, she blends into the afternoon crowd of spectators. There’s a softness about her as she listens to onlookers describe the depth she has offered to this blank canvas. She listens intently, nodding and taking in their thoughts, but offers no further explanation. It’s symbolic of her general approach to art. Her work is the jumping-off point for conversations about our environment, both natural and man-made. It’s meant to be personal. The muted strokes of blue, green, and yellow on the wall shift the scale relationship between the viewer and the art presented. And Sandoz is inspired by it all.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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cultivating growth Sandoz (pronounced SAHN-doe) is a prolific painter. Her collaboration with Telfair Museums is a culmination of a yearlong study of botanicals. Flora, paint, and artifice intermingle on the canvases she creates. There’s a similar approach to all of her work. Whether it's fibers, illustrations, or large-scale painting, Sandoz presents her world with active colors and adds an element of surprise. She presses into each portion of her paintings, adding layers and textures to what appears to be a thoroughly finished panel. In turn, she awakens her subject and adds to its story. In the end, though, she simply wants it to be visually pleasing. “Before I even have a blank canvas, I have a source of information,” Sandoz says. “There is someone or something in my mind, in my drawings and sketches. I plan for a series in a pretty formal way.” Sandoz draws inspiration from the world around her. The botanicals often come from long walks in her Vernonburg neighborhood on Savannah’s Southside. This particular painting titled Sagittaria (the formal Latin genus of the katniss plant) explores the relationship between the aquatic plant and its habitation buried in swamps, bogs, and ditches. Sandoz creates cohesion with each series, embracing the formalism that comes with her techniques—something she has learned to appreciate about herself. “It’s okay to be a formalist,” she reassures. “Even those who are naïve or untrained have empirical evidence for why they create. They’re not working in a void. We’re all working with what we are given; the lives that have happened before.” Sandoz’s peppered past has led her to this moment. Her parents met in art school, and she was born in New Hampshire a short time later. “Many children and many stories ensued,” she says, glossing over her early years. Sandoz prefers to live in the present, but her past is represented in the lines of her work. There’s a historical imprint in everything she creates, she says. She moved often with her mother in her youth, helping families set up homeschools across the US. She herself was homeschooled until eighth grade, and art was always in the background. “I always made art, just like all kids do,” she says. “People are meant to make things. And if you make things, you are an artist.” Her implied status seems simple, but art remained a part of her life as she explored other opportunities. After college, she spent a decade in the Army Reserves— she thought it was a good job. In the late ’80s, she caught the advertising bug and embraced office life. She worked as an account planner, collected data for focus groups, and illustrated advertorials. Sandoz at work on
“Working there, I really became excited by and enamored by the strategies that advertising used to make messages,” she says.
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Sagittaria at the Telfair Museums' Jepson Center.
People are meant to make things. And if you make things, you are an artist.
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Sandoz’s eye-catching painting Sagittaria catches the light on the third floor of the Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center.
For Sandoz, her scope of work is bound by similar language. Making qualitative
the perfect compromise for her family. Her husband, an environmental
and quantitative studies was something that she could build off of artistically.
scientist, often goes fishing in the Vernon River, and Sandoz walks through
The tools are the same, she says, but the conclusion is often different.
the neighborhood to breathe in the scenery.
She left the advertising business to pursue a degree in art. Her intention was
A large barn behind the property acts as a makeshift studio. She wakes
to go art school and come back, perhaps become an art director. But like art
each morning with a thoughtful intention to paint. The openness of the
often does, the outcome shifted during the process.
structure allows her to work on numerous large-scale paintings at once. Sandoz makes a conscious choice to be an artist. It’s a job that needs to be
blooming onto the scene
fulfilled, she says.
A small breeze wakes the leaves on a large oak tree outside her home.
artist. It fetishizes it and puts it on a pedestal,” she says. “The day-to-day is
There used to be more, she says, but in 2016, Hurricane Matthew left
not always simple, but if you have a need to create, you will do it.”
“Most people are artists naturally, but the art world complicates being an
a path of destruction. They lost eight trees, one of which fell onto her home. Sandoz, her husband, Dan, and their two sons were displaced for
Sandoz drew on this comparison as she reminisced about being both a
more than a year.
student and educator at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). While studying for her master of fine arts in illustration, she never felt obligated to
12
They are finally settling back in, reclaiming their lives and the 1.6 acres
finish a project; it was something she simply did. Likewise, in her years as
they call home. For Sandoz, this remains her sanctuary. The dichotomy of
a professor of illustration, she steered students to develop their own voice and
being close to a city and still maintaining the solace of the country has been
work within their own parameters and self-imposed constraints.
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Sandoz's Inspiration board for Sagittaria.
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“They were going to create with or without me,” she says. “When you’re an
Price Street Projects out of Miami who fabricated
artist, you have to.”
the pieces, and she displayed them in the Jepson Center’s atrium with the help of museum staff.
Acrylic shapes in Sandoz's installation piece Katniss float
Sandoz is at home in Savannah. It’s where her philanthropic efforts are
The process took more than a year to develop and
through the Jepson
centered. It’s where her sons attend school and where she offers an intern
resulted in the museum’s largest commission to
Center lobby.
program for SCAD and Georgia Southern University students. Savannah is
date for any living artist.
where Rachel Reese, Telfair Museums’ curator of modern and contemporary art, first reached out with the possibility of a creative pursuit.
The petal-like shapes are suspended as unique, layered, and translucently colorful acrylic elements, an auspicious 108 pieces in all, and hung from
Reese asked Sandoz to consider making a site-specific painting and further
19 points in the ceiling. The installation transforms as visitors shift location
explore the layers, translucency, and transparency to transcribe it into an
below. Once inside, the building acts as a pond: the sculptures, the leaves,
additional installation piece.
and the viewers become a small but active part of the ecosystem—as a frog, a water bug, or a single-celled organism.
Sandoz found her interests all came together while creating Sagittaria
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and its complementary sculptured installation piece Katniss, but she had
With her latest work, Sandoz asks the audience to ponder how plants and
reservations early on. She had never before made a sculpture. Even still, the
humans are alike and different. She winds viewers along a thoughtfully laid-
sculpture evolved in the same manner as the native vegetation that inspired
out path that highlights artistic beginnings and the nature that surrounds
its arrangement. It grew slowly from an idea—a seedling—into something
us. She places those observing inside the piece, its reflections changing with
more tangible. She soon partnered with fellow SCAD alum Julio Garcia of
the times. And once you’re there, all you can do is look up. ✽
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
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With Bated Breath
W R I T T EN BY
&
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY:
BONJWING LEE
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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Falconer Adam Hein introduces his Harris’s hawk and bird dog to the Field + Fire audience.
t h e r e a r e k i n g s a n d q u e e n s , w r a p p e d i n ya r d s o f s i l k . t h e r e a r e w e a lt h y m e r c h a n t s a n d p ow e r f u l s ta d t h o l d e r s , w h o s e h e av y- l i d d e d s ta r e s a r e p r e s e rv e d i n t h e b r u s h s t r o k e s o f r e m b r a n d t, r u b e n s , a n d va n dyc k . a n d , p e r h a p s , m o s t c e l e b r at e d a m o n g t h e m a l l i s a d o e - e y e d g i r l w i t h a p e a r l e a r r i n g - o n e o f a h a n d f u l o f pa i n t i n g s by j o h a n n e s v e r m e e r . b u t i wa s n o t t h e r e f o r t h e m .
amidst the stiff- collared gloom of the great Dutch Masters at Mauritshuis, I searched for a foreigner. I have long admired the work of the German portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543). His efficient yet elegantly contoured linework pulled portraiture out of Medieval flatness and into a Renaissance of dimension. For this unique ability and economy, he earned patronage at the Tudor court as a painter for Henry VIII of England. It is Holbein’s portrait of Robert Cheseman, hanging in this small, royal gallery at The Hague in the Netherlands, that first attracted me to this museum over a decade ago. An obscure English nobleman, Cheseman is an unremarkable subject. It is the falcon perched on his gloved hand that gives the portrait a story. Though he is often mistaken as the king’s falconer because of Holbein’s depiction, there is no historical evidence that Cheseman held that office. Rather, art historians believe that the falcon functions here as a symbol of status. By Tudor times, falconry—an umbrella term for sporting with all birds of prey, not just falcons—had become associated with nobility. But falconry has humble roots. Developed 4,000 years ago on the steppes of Mongolia (some historians place its origins earlier on
Hans Holbein (b. 1497) Portrait of Robert Cheseman (1533) Oil on panel / 58.8 cm (23.1 in.) x 62.8 cm (24.7 in.)
the Arabian peninsula), it was and still is used in that part of the world as a means of hunting for food. Spreading westward over centuries, the art of training birds of prey had become so firmly
A few months ago, I returned to see Cheseman, who now appears
established in Europe by the time of William Shakespeare that
next to another Holbein portrait of an unnamed nobleman with a
the great bard wove dozens of references to the avian sport into
hawk. I admired the ancient pair, whose world seems so distant
his works, and thus into the English colloquy: “hoodwinked”
from mine. But on that gloomy day in the Low Countries of
(Romeo and Juliet), “scarf the eye” (Macbeth), “haggard” (Taming
Europe, little did I suspect that the proximity between us would
of the Shrew), and “bated breath” (Merchant of Venice), among
soon be shortened on an upcoming trip to the Lowcountry of
many others.
South Carolina.
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fa l c o n ry t e r m s
bate “Bating” is when a bird tethered by jesses attempts to fly from the fist or perch.
call off An exercise or training process where a raptor is encouraged to come by being lured to the fist or lured from a perch.
cast Casting (or egestion) is the production of a pellet consisting of compressed indigestible material.
cope “Coping” is the term for trimming raptor beaks and talons.
eyas A young raptor taken into captivity to begin the imprinting process.
haggard Term for a raptor caught as an adult.
jesses Leather straps that are fitted around the raptor’s legs.
lure A man-made object resembling a prey item that is garnished with meat and used on a long line to recall the falcon or exercise it.
mantle A raptor spreading its wings to guard its prey.
passages Fledged, free-flying juvenile birds that are captured on their first migration.
quarry Live prey at which a raptor is flown.
rangle The medieval practice of feeding small stones to raptors to “cleanse” the stomach; encouraging casting.
slip To release a raptor from the fist at quarry.
stoop The high-velocity headfirst dive used by raptors to take their prey from above.
Steve Hein, director at the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q. Ball Jr. Raptor Center at Georgia Southern University, which he helped found in 1991, participated in this year’s Field + Fire weekend at Palmetto Bluff . He was fi rst introduced to falconry as a hobbyist and is now an expert and one of a few thousand falconers in the United States. In an exhibition at Wilson Village, Hein paraded a stunning pageant of live raptors for us to see and touch. There was a beautiful, dusty-blue peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds up to 240 mph. There was a bald eagle named Freedom and a gorgeous eagle owl, whose talon grip is eight times more powerful than a human hand. There was also a fluff y little screech owl that elicited soft coos from the audience. But these birds are predators, Hein reminded us. Majestic and sometimes cute, their rightful place at the apex of the food chain should not be forgotten. While they can be trained by humans, they are, by nature, hunters. I witnessed this the next day when Hein and his son, Adam, who owns ON THE FLY OUTFITTERS in Brunswick, Georgia, took a handful of us into the Lowcountry forests of Palmetto Bluff . Hein sent his pointing dogs into the brush and released a Harris’s hawk into the trees. A particularly sociable raptor, this breed can be trained to hunt cooperatively. As the dogs sniffed their way through the woods, the hawk followed from tree to tree. When the ABOVE: A Harris’s hawk. OPPOSITE TOP: Steve Hein prepares his Harris’s hawk for the hunt. OPPOSITE LEFT: A participant takes a turn holding the goshawk.
OPPOSITE RIGHT: Steve and Adam Hein follow their birds through the brush, waiting for the tell-tale stoop. BELOW: A goshawk perches on the hood of Hein’s International Harvester Scout.
dogs flushed a chucker, the hawk swooped down for the kill. We repeated this with a goshawk, a particularly fast and agile bird. It quickly downed another chucker midfl ight. Opportunistic hunters, raptors are capable of killing ground quarry as well. They can prey on rabbits and even small dogs. To demonstrate this, Hein released the hawk again. Within minutes, it spotted a gray squirrel high in an oak. A chase ensued. The squirrel, cornered, leapt. As we watched it sail from one branch to another, the hawk intercepted it midair. Gripping its catch, the bird glided down to the brush with its prize. Hein is mindful that these pursuits are sport—one of the most regulated forms of hunting in the United States. But he is also quick to point out that, before noblemen and kings, falconry was and still is a testament to man’s ability to observe and harness nature for survival. $
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W R I T T E N BY:
Anna Jones PHOTOGR A PH Y BY:
Tyler Dewland
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Arguably, it's the best time of year. Flecks of green are beginning to peek through the
Back in the US, rosé production has been slower and
stalks of gray spartina grass weathered by winter. Icy
less significant until recent years. The first California
breezes off the May River soften their blow to a salty,
rosé dates back to the late 1800s, but it wasn’t until the
balmy spray. Days are getting longer, tides are getting
1970s that rosé production ramped up, though under
warmer, and local fauna are waking up from their
a different moniker: white zinfandel. White zinfandel
wintry slumber.
was a happy accident created by Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery in California. When producing his
Spring has sprung, but that’s just the beginning. It’s
signature zinfandel, Trinchero came across one batch
the dawn of another season too, one marked by crisp,
that got stuck in fermentation, which is when the wine
refreshing sips from a glass of cold, barely blushing
does not completely convert from sugar to alcohol. The
wine enjoyed on a porch somewhere, anywhere, so long
result was a wine slightly sweeter than most with a
as it is in the Lowcountry. It’s one of the most delicious
lower alcohol content, and it was an overnight success.
seasons of them all. It’s the season of rosé.
As “white zin” was known for its sweet and fruity flavors (and even a headache), serious wine drinkers often
Rosé wines have burst onto the scene in recent years
overlooked rosé in favor of other stalwart California
as the drink of choice in spring and summer because
wines such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
their light, fresh, and fruity flavor profiles pair so well with warm weather. But as higher quality rosés have become more readily available stateside over the years, there are deeper, richer rosés that can stand up to colder temperatures in the winter months, too. Bottom line? Rosé is really great year-round.
rosé is rea llY great Y ea r -roU nd.
Tracing its roots back to ancient Greece (and perhaps even further), rosé has been a part of wine’s history for quite a long time, but it is only in recent history that rosé
Fast-forward to the present, and you’ll be hard-pressed
has bloomed into the ubiquitous star of the weekend
to stroll into any wine shop worth its salt and not find
brunch scene that it is today. Most of the rosé that is
a shelf of rosé bottles of varying degrees of pink to
served with your eggs Benedict hails from southern
pick from. Because there are so many different types
France in the Provence region, where the majority of
of rosé to taste—and tasting all of them at once is not
wine production in the area is dedicated to making
recommended—we’ve enlisted the help of some of our
rosé. The warmer Mediterranean climate in Provence
favorite wine connoisseurs to help you navigate the
lends itself to easy rosé production, with the Côtes de
rosé aisle.
Provence and the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence regions producing the most rosé-style wines.
(And if you want to try them all, who are we to judge.)
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
23
In your opinion, what makes a good rosé?
Location, location, location. Like any wine, better rosés are produced in certain regions and countries than others. Terroir-driven rosés are often created in wineries where winemaking techniques have been passed from generation to generation. Since rosé wines have become so popular, larger wine companies have begun to mass-produce rosé under a more generic label. Stay away from these wines. They are factory-made using a specific recipe to fake a flavor profile that pleases the palate of the masses versus the hard labor of true winemakers who combine their skills and what the earth and Mother Nature bring each year to make the most beautiful wines, true to their region. What should people look for when buying rosé?
(from Grenache grapes), or Antica Terra Angelicall pinot noir rosé.
As with any wine, some grape varietals are better in certain regions, such as those grown in Provence,
Why do you think rosé is having a moment right now?
California, Northern Spain, or Oregon. I personally like to drink a wine that takes me to a specific place
I think people finally realized rosé wines are not
and reflects the true terroir of the region the wine
automatically white zin, and as people traveled
came from. You should also examine the color of the
more, they experienced fantastic rosés. I feel it
Hugues le Berre
wine—if you are looking for a lighter style of rosé,
started with rosé champagne becoming more
such as Provence-style wine, look for rosés of a light
popular over the past eight to 10 years, and then the
pale color. Darker rosés can have a richer mouthfeel
Provence-style rosé became super popular. I think
and fruit profile.
many people traveled to the south of France and
------------------------- Alys Beach -------------------------
You can also look at how much alcohol the wine
it on restaurant wine lists and in wine stores, which
contains when choosing your rosé. Anything above
changes the way people look at rosé.
dir ec tor of food a n d be v er age
enjoyed the rosés so much they started looking for
11 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) will be drier in style, and anything with a low ABV will be sweeter.
What foods pair well with rosé?
There are some exceptions, but you should drink rosé that is as fresh as possible, so look for a recent vintage.
I think what's great about rosé is its versatility. Rosé can be the perfect wine for many occasions
What is your favorite varietal and brand
and go with so many different dishes from
of rosé right now and why?
Provençal food, seafood, red meat, BBQ—even some Asian food. From a simple picnic with a
24
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
This is a difficult question to answer as there are so
French baguette, good butter, goat cheese, and
many different styles and varietals for rosé wines. I,
charcuterie to a more sophisticated dinner with
of course, drink more light rosés such as Provence-
seared salmon, duck, or pork, rosé can stand on its
style Domaine Tempier rosé (Bandol, France),
own as the perfect pairing for a variety of dishes.
Sancerre rosé (Loire Valley, France), Château Musar
With so many different styles, from dry and light
(Ghazir, Lebanon), and Txakoli rosé (from Northern
to medium and fruity to a full-bodied dry rosé and
Spain) during the summer. But in the winter, I have
even sparkling rosé, there is a rosé for every food,
a tendency to drink more Rhône rosé, such as Tavel
and not many other styles of wine can say that. •
In your opinion, what makes a good rosé?
What foods pair well with rosé?
The production method and the grapes make a good
Try this Provençal recipe with eggplant and pair
rosé. For example, do the producers use grapes
it with a bottle of Azur Wines. It is delicious and it
such as pinot noir, syrah, grenache, or mourvèdre?
will not disappoint.
Is the production made with extended skin contact or Saignée production or are they adding red wine
--------------- EGGPLANT PROVENÇAL ---------------
to white wine to make the rosé color? These are important elements of the winemaking process
Take an eggplant and cut it lengthwise into ribbons.
and largely impact the quality of the rosé.
Sauté the ribbons in olive oil until slightly softened. Remove the eggplant and pat dry with a paper towel,
What should people look for when buying rosé?
then line a baking sheet with each of these slices.
I always ask what styles they have enjoyed before to
Place jamón ibérico (you can also use prosciutto or
understand what they have tried and what they like. If
speck) down the center of the eggplant ribbons and
they do not have an idea, then I steer them to classical
then roll them up into individual pinwheels. Place the
regions where rosé is traditionally made to provide a
eggplant rolls in a terrine and dress them with bread-
baseline for them to know what they appreciate.
crumbs and roughly chopped rosemary and thyme. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the rolls and allow
What is your favorite varietal and brand
them to cool to room temperature.
of rosé right now and why?
Once cooled, place the rolls on a bed of rocket Remarkably, Azur Wines from Napa, California,
greens and arugula.
produces about 750 cases of rosé each year—the backbone of their wine program, if you will. Many
In a separate bowl, toss capers and white beans with
producers create a small production rosé using
lemon garlic vinegar. Once tossed, spoon the dressing
the French Saignée method, where they bleed off a
on top of the eggplant rolls.
(direct pressing or maceration and bleeding of the
This has a real southwest France provincial taste to
Jesse Rodriguez
juice) along with a number of other steps similar to
it and works well with Azur Wines rosé, or any rosé
------------ Montage Palmetto Bluff ------------
how wine is made in Côtes de Provence in France.
for that matter. •
certain percentage from the overall production. The Azur rosé follows the Méthode Provençale process
dir ec tor of W i n e
"
a ZUr w ines froM na pa , Ca liforni a , prodUCes aBoUt
750
Cases
of rosé eaCh Y ea r .
"
Why do you think rosé is having a moment right now?
I think it has always been there, to be honest. In California, it was not as apparent as it is here on the East Coast and specifically in the Southeast.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
25
In your opinion, what makes a good rosé?
Why do you think rosé is having a moment right now?
I always look for rosés from Côtes de Provence or
Rosé is so popular right now because it is an
Aix-de-Provence—those are the areas producing
easy-drinking wine and very refreshing, plus who
the best rosés out there in my opinion.
doesn't love holding a glass of pink rosé? It's great for the summer—sitting out on the beach or on the
What should people look for when buying rosé?
porch with friends, enjoying a glass of rosé. I also love opening up a large-format bottle of it to enjoy
I suggest sticking with rosés created in the south of
with a big group of friends.
France—they are dry, delicious rosés that are true to the region. If you want to get creative, you could try Wölffer Estate, which is located just north of Long Island, New York. The vineyard is absolutely gorgeous, and they do all of their rosés in a Provençal style. Also Domaine Serene has its R Rosé, which is an interesting rosé made out of Oregon. Otherwise, I recommend staying away from rosés
w ho doesn ' t love holding a gl ass of pink rosé ?
made in the US. They are often made with higher fruit content and are therefore sweeter. I prefer rosés focused on minerality and citrus and find those most often from the Provence region.
Ross Hardigan ------------ Montage Palmetto Bluff -----------be v er age m a n ager
26
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
What foods pair well with rosé?
What is your favorite varietal and brand
I suggest pairing a good bottle of AIX with a fresh
of rosé right now and why?
arugula salad with peaches, ricotta cheese, and a light lemon vinaigrette. Don't pair it with steak—
Everyone enjoys the big brands such as Whispering
the wine can't stand up to it, and I wouldn't pair it
Angel and Miraval—those are the more mainstream
with sweet items either. Try it with fatty foods so
ones. I really enjoy AIX rosé, and we sell it on
the acidity can counterbalance and cut through
property, too. It's from Aix-de-Provence and is a
the fat of the food. It's also great with fresh fish
really beautiful, easy-drinking wine.
such as red fish or black drum. •
In your opinion, what makes a good rosé?
Rosé was created as a byproduct of red wine initially. It's interesting to think about how you can make something out of a byproduct that would otherwise be thrown away. As with any other wine, a great rosé comes from a great producer. If you are walking into a wine store, look to a producer. Don't just look to a label that appeals to you. What should people look for when buying rosé?
If you are new to rosé, an easy way to find one that is right for your palate is to find a producer of red and white wines that you enjoy and buy their rosé. I also encourage wine drinkers to dig a little deeper as a consumer when buying wine and to care about where the wine comes from. Go to a local wine shop instead of a grocery store and ask the owner for their recommendations. You can tell them what you want, too—if you need something to go with lobster, they can make a good recommendation. They have curated their selection of wine on their own and personally tasted each bottle before deciding to carry it in their shop, so they will have a specific point of view to share.
I work for Scarpetta Wine, so I'll give them a
standing tradition in Europe—we as Americans
Jason Carlen
shameless plug. I love their Squadra Rosato—it's
are becoming more Eurocentric and therefore have
--------------------- Scarpetta Wine ---------------------
a certified organic old vine wine made from nero
adopted many of their tastes.
What is your favorite varietal and brand
Why do you think rosé is having a moment right now?
of rosé right now and why?
Rosé has always been a thing. It's been a long-
Sa L eS m a n ager
d'Avola grapes, which are native to Sicily. The wine is Provençal in style and tastes like salted watermelon.
It's also having a moment because it is delicious and
It's dry, with light, delicate, and salty fruit.
easy to understand. As it's usually dry, rosé goes great
" if YoU a re wa lking into a w ine store , LooK to
with the weather—on a bright, sunny day, you usually want a glass of rosé. In the winter, you want a glass of rosé when you are out for lunch. Rosé is versatile and delicious, and who doesn't like pink stuff? What foods pair well with rosé?
a ProdUcer . don ' t JUst
Rosé is usually best paired with seafood-based
look to a l a Bel th at
dishes such as raw, broiled, or fried oysters; lobster;
a ppea ls to YoU.
and shrimp. It's also great with Asian flavors and
"
things with a little spice—sushi, too. And when I have leftover rosé from the summer months, it goes great with turkey at Thanksgiving as well. •
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
27
off some juice to make a red wine fermentation more
this varietal since making wine in New York. It has
intense or have more tannin and color. The idea is
a vegetal aspect that I like and holds its acid when
there would be a ratio of less juice to more phenolic
harvested early and lends itself well to a rosé style of
compound. The winemaker crushes the grapes,
winemaking. I also like grenache, which is found in
letting them sit in contact with the skins before
the most famous rosé region of the world: Provence.
separating (pressing or racking) the colored juice from the skins.
Why do you think rosé is having a moment right now?
Then there is the blending technique, which is mostly
This is an interesting question, as rosé was marketed
frowned upon in the winemaking community. This
for many years as such a strange product. There were
approach involves blending white and red wine
so many bad rosés (also called white zinfandel or
together to make pink or rosé wines.
blush wines), and most of them were manufactured or made from a specific formula. I think when the
Darren Palace
My favorite approach is harvesting the grapes for
consumer started actually getting good rosé wines
the sole and initial purpose of making a rosé wine,
the tides started turning. There are also more people
then allowing some maceration of the juices, and
making rosé, which helps the growth in the market.
rosé. Also, my preference is that of a dry rosé, as I
Even though rosé is still marketed sometimes as a
------------------------ Failla Wines ------------------------
think there is more complexity in those wines.
seasonal wine, I believe it is appropriate to drink rosé
finally pressing off the wine to ferment as a proper
all year round. I imagine it was first marketed that way
Sa L eS dir ec tor
What should people look for when buying rosé?
because of it being a young bright wine that is not aged very long, so after a winter of aging and fermentation,
In your opinion, what makes a good rosé?
I'd recommend finding a small curated neighborhood
producers would market it for the warmer weather
store that really takes pride in its selections and
and get it out of the cellars and into the market sooner.
gets to know its customers. Rosés vary in color. A
I think rosé is not a fashion moment but is here to stay.
properly made rosé that is darker in most cases will have more tannin, so darker rosés may have more
Well for me, like any wine, it has to do with the
body than lighter rosés. White wine drinkers may
grapes. And to get good grapes, you have to look
lean toward the pale rosé and a red wine drinker may
at the site of the vineyard and the farming in that
prefer darker rosé.
vineyard. Honest, organic farming is, in my eyes, the best approach.
But when it comes to what to look for, it is actually impossible, because you really need to taste the wine
i think rosé is not a faSHion momen t BUt is here to staY.
For the style of rosé, my favorite is the whole cluster
to gauge its dryness. In all hues of pink, sweetness
pressing of red grapes after maceration. Skin
can vary. Some bottles may be a tad sweet on the
contact is the important factor here. When grapes
finish while others may be bracingly dry. As I stated
are pressed, the juice is typically always light or
previously, I prefer the dry rosés, so when I buy
clear in spite of the grape's skin color. Wines get
rosé, I look for the alcohol content, which is directly
An honest rosé is one of the most versatile of wines
their color from the juice's contact with the skin of
correlated to its sweetness (if, of course, the wine is
thanks to its acidity and tannin levels. Rosé's acid
the grapes. As the skins and the juice soak together,
not a manipulated or manufactured wine). In the end,
helps balance the saltiness of seasoned food, and its
the color from the skin extracts into the juice. In
it's best to taste a variety of rosés and find what style
sweetness helps extinguish the heat in spicy foods.
time, this phenolic information is important in all
of rosé you like best.
And both can help balance food with acid and smoke.
What foods pair well with rosé?
Obviously, the main factor to consider is whether the
skin contacted wines, as it impacts the tannins, color, and some of the mouthfeel-manipulating
What is your favorite varietal and brand
wine is sweet or dry. Drier rosés usually work best
flavor compounds found in skins, stems, and seeds.
of rosé right now and why?
with lighter pairings, such as poultry, fish, vegetables, pizza, and salads. Sweeter rosés would work better
28
There are a few ways to make rosé wine. There's
This is a tough question, but at the moment, it is
with heavier pairings, such as charcuterie, roasts,
Saignée, which is a process of extracting or bleeding
cabernet franc. I have always had a connection to
and grilled meats. •
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
15 YEARS OF AUTHENTI C LOWCO U N T RY D E S IG N
American Institute of Architects 2018 Merit Award Winner
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HEAD
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|
BLUFFTON
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SPRING/SUMMER 2019
29
r e t s n u o c n e e c lo s J A Y WITH
WRITTEN BY:
Walea Jay W
ILLUSTRATED BY:
Amanda Davis
My mom had a saying: “The Lord takes care of
It wasn’t long before the first glimmer of sunlight
children and fools.” Over my 28-year career here on
streaked through the forest. All the birds in the
the Bluff, this saying has applied to me on more than
area were wide awake and singing, happy to see the
one occasion during my run-ins with wildlife.
morning sun. The first crow called, immediately
Some of these encounters were funny,
triggering a response from the big gobbler that had,
some dangerous, and some just
until then, been silent. He was exactly where I thought
downright scary. This story was
he would be. I started my calling routine with a soft,
all three.
subtle series of tree yelps. He gobbled back instantly. After a few more tree yelps, I did a fly-down cackle,
It was a chilly March morning,
and with that, he double gobbled and
the first chance all season I’d
pitched out of a tree less than a
gotten to turkey hunt for myself.
hundred yards away.
I had been listening every day that week and had pinpointed the roost
Once on the ground, the
of an old Palmetto Bluff gobbler. As
old gobbler started closing
quiet as a mouse, I slipped along
the distance, enticed by
the edge of No. 8 Swamp with just
my seductive calls.
a sliver of moonlight to guide
Hubba hubba, old fella.
me. After a while, I reached
I was sitting on the ground
my destination, a slash pine flat right next to the fire line that separated the hill from the
ready to harvest this unassuming
swamp. The gobbler had roosted
gobbler that was thinking he was
every day that week at the other end of the flat. I nestled in next to a huge
30
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
with my shotgun on my knee, fully camouflaged from head to toe,
going to have some morning romance. Suddenly, he quit gobbling, but they do that often,
slash pine beside the fire line. This would allow me to
playing hard to get, coyly hoping to get
have a shot at the gobbler if he came straight up the
the hen to come the rest of the way up the
flat or a shot down the fire line if he tried to circle me.
flat. I wasn’t worried.
”The Lord takes care of childre n and FoOl S. ” I just quit calling. Usually after
Then, I heard what I knew could only be a snake
The bobcat had heard my hen calls and was
a few minutes, he will come
slithering through the palmetto thicket behind me.
completely convinced that she was going to get a
looking for the hen. After about
Several minutes passed by, and the sound gradually
tasty breakfast that morning. Bobcats prey on birds
10 minutes of silence, I noticed
got closer and closer to my tree. Now, I’ve never
and rodents, but they are not a threat to humans or
that not only had he
been afraid of snakes. On several occasions, they
their pets unless they are cornered.
quit gobbling, but
have crawled across my legs while turkey hunting.
also the birdsong
I was anxious, however, to see what kind of snake it
What felt like minutes was really only a few seconds.
had stopped. The
was. With most of my attention on the fl at in front
The cat diverted her leap and landed in the middle
dead calm hung
of me, expecting to see the gobbler at any time, I
of the fi re line less than five feet away from me. She
heavy in the air.
heard the slithering noise behind me make its way
sat down, panting, as frightened as I was. By now, I
to the tree I was sitting against.
had trained my shotgun on her but quickly realized she wasn’t a threat. I pulled down my camo mask,
Now, you can always hear a snake crawling
so she could see my face, and said, “Go on! Get
through palmettos, but you can never hear a
out of here!” She was so startled that she walked
snake breathing! I turned to see what creature was
a bit farther into the woods then turned around
breathing down my neck when all of a sudden, a
and sat down again, still trying to catch her breath.
bobcat—sure there was a hen turkey on the other side of the slash pine—pounced, and
After about five minutes, she got up and moved away, probably
we met in midair. I think we scared about
thinking about becoming
10 years off each other’s lives. All that
a vegetarian.
went through my mind was that show When Animals Attack! Attack!, and I’m sure all that went through her poor mind was “That is the biggest, ugliest hen turkey I have ever seen!” The Lord takes care of children and fools, and I’m not a child. Had I been unaware of my surroundings and not heard the cat approaching behind me, I could have easily ended up with a lap full of angry kitty!
31
STEPHEN SCOTT YOUNG
Stephen Scott Young
Riding The Pry, Eleuthera Regatta
22” x 29 3/4” Watercolor
Celebrating 50 Years of Fine Art In The Lowcountry.
The Red Piano Art Gallery 40 Calhoun Street • Suite 201 • Bluffton, SC 29910 843.842.4433 • redpianoartgallery.com
Written by: Courtney Hampson and Molly Clancy Intro by: Molly Clancy I turned a corner at my local antique shop, and there it was: the
craftsmanship? The comfort in knowing no Allen keys were
most beautiful, midcentury modern dining room table, the deep
involved in the construction of said object? Maybe all of these
walnut polished to a perfect shine, a subtle curve to the edge,
characteristics add up to make vintage pieces so covetable.
geometric legs that said, “Don Draper would dine here.” There was no discussion, none of my typical hemming and hawing.
As people think about purchases big and small, they are turning
This was the table. It came home with me that day. Every time I
to sustainable, local outlets to meet their needs. From food to
walk past it, I am inordinately pleased. Far more pleased than one
furniture, people have started to care more about where the goods
should be about a piece of furniture. It is perfection.
and products they purchase come from. We talked to vintage shops, salvagers, jewelry designers, furniture makers, and even
What is it about this table, or any vintage piece, really, that brings
a chef or two from across the region and the South to find out
such joy? Is it the thrill of the fi nd? Forming an idea of what you
what’s driving this trend. We wanted to know: What inspires them
want and fi nding the piece that exactly matches your vision? Is
to seek out and restore the old and the antique? Why are people
it the story behind the table? Imagining the meals eaten there or
interested in vintage finds? What trends do they see? And what is
the care taken to polish it over all of those years? Is it the quality
it that makes everything old new again?
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
33
SOUTHERN PINE COMPANY, RAMSEY KHALIDI Savannah in the 1980s was a different place than it is now. Savannah College of Art and Design had just been established in 1978. The seeds of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were being planted. And the historic homes of downtown Savannah were being demolished. Ramsey Khalidi, a preservationist at heart, was horrified. He started rescuing buildings and salvaging the materials if the homes could not be moved or restored. “Back then,” Khalidi says, “we would lose buildings in the urban core due to lack of development and neglect. Now, we’re losing them due to a prosperous economic development engine in the city.” People want to be here and build here. After years of restoring buildings, the salvaged materials started to pile up and became the inventory of Southern Pine Company. Southern Pine sells reclaimed heart pine flooring, Savannah Grey bricks, and piles of windows, doors, trim, and building materials. For Khalidi, every new floor should be 100 years old. They also make custom furniture, and a few of their pieces are featured in some homes at Palmetto Bluff. Khalidi is glad to see people reclaiming and upcycling goods and products. IT SENDS A MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE
CARE ABOUT WHERE THINGS COME FROM, THE STORIES BEHIND THEM, AND THE IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITY. “It’s not sustainable otherwise,” he says. “Our wood is more expensive than new wood, but look at the whole ecocycle of reclaimed materials—the jobs it creates. There’s a story behind it. And everyone involved in putting it there should feel proud.” Quality drives a lot of his customers and his business as well. Khalidi says, “In the long run, a mass-produced floor scratches. Laminate might be made with formaldehyde, lead, arsenic. If you use reclaimed wood from a home that’s 100 to 150 years old from a tree that’s 500 years old, those floors will last another 100 years. It’s a solid product.” Khalidi’s projects are many and varied, but they all come back to the chain of sustainability that he sees as the cornerstone of Southern Pine Company’s philosophy. An upcycled product impacts so many more people throughout its lifetime, preserving history, providing jobs, and ultimately providing enjoyment and a sense of connection to the past and the community. PHOTOS: Stephanie Satterlee
PRESERVATION STATION, JULIA PETROVA “Why shouldn’t history repeat itself?” The Preservation Station website prompts this question over an image of collected stained glass windows. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Preservation Station is the result of its proprietors Aaron Hetrick and Julia Petrova’s extensive travel and experience salvaging home features and architectural elements. It started in the 1990s when they purchased and restored several old homes. “Nashville, as a city, went through the urban renewal process in the 1950s and ’60s, and the majority of the houses we purchased were turned into duplexes. The features that gave these homes their character like fireplace mantels, moldings, and lighting fixtures were already gone by the time we acquired them, so we spent most of our free time traveling throughout the country in search of original architectural items,” Petrova says. Soon enough, they found salvaged architectural items piling up, so they opened a shop to sell the extra inventory. Business boomed, and a year and half later, they moved to a larger location where they just celebrated their 15-year anniversary. All of their projects, they feel, are expressions of one’s individuality and creativity. Petrova says, “a door can be just that—a door in an old home, but it can also be a focal point in a kitchen, a cabinet in a butler’s pantry, a headboard in a bedroom, a table in a conference room, a hall tree in a foyer, a chalkboard in a child’s room, a piece of art over a mantel, wainscoting in a dining room.” For Petrova, the possibilities are limitless. And the draw comes from the timeless beauty and character the pieces bring to a space.
“THERE IS A SPECIAL GRAVITATING QUALITY ABOUT THE OLD THAT IS INTRIGUING. Repurposing an architectural item, giving it a new life, and saving that bit of history is what gives a home its uniqueness and personality.” PHOTO: Rachel Nokes
TATTERED OAK, CHEF RAY LAMMERS Chef by day, master craftsman by night, Chef Ray Lammers is repurposing reclaimed materials into modern-day light fi xtures, and he has a rather bright idea. Dubbed “Tattered Oak,” Lammers’ side gig has him scouring Picker Joe’s Antique Mall and Keller’s Flea Market in Savannah for interesting materials to incorporate into his work. At the latter, he found the retro soil sifters that serve as the base for one of his fi xture designs. He scavenges timber stone lumber and reclaimed beams that were meant to be floors and mantels. He picks up glass insulators from yard sales, vintage markets, and local pickers. He found old blacksmith quenching trays (the water buckets used to cool metal pieces) at a Georgia picker market a few years ago. Glass bottles from High West Distillery (no, he didn’t drink them all) become sconces. And he pulls old window sash pulleys out of reclaimed windows—the pulleys that traditionally held the cords and offered counter weight for the windows now provide form, function, and a conversation piece. From the kitchen to his garage workshop (which is beyond impressive), Lammers loves creating. “I am always challenging myself that what I can see with my eyes I am capable of recreating with my hands. My motto is that I will try everything at least once. . . .” PHOTOS: Tattered Oak Studio
PHOTOS: Jamie Beck and Jeremiah Hull
FALLEN ARISTOCRAT, PAULA DANYLUK Paula Danyluk was cleaning out an old handbag when she found a piece of
every single piece,” Danyluk says. She started incorporating the pieces
scrap paper. On it, in her handwriting, were the words “Fallen Aristocrat.”
into her work.
“I must have loved the way the words sounded then, and I think I love them even more now. There’s something about their juxtaposition, like my
Already dreamy in their own right, the pieces in her latest collection were
favorite velvet chair with threadbare arms.” The words became the name of
photographed at Château de Gudanes in the south of France. And the
her jewelry line that grew out of a hobby and into a passion.
images look like the inspiration board for a Victorian drama. The shoot was a dream for Danyluk as well. She had followed the photographer Jamie
Danyluk has always loved and collected vintage jewelry. She would
Beck on Instagram. “I didn’t think I could possibly get her, but I’m truly a
make necklaces for friends and family at Christmas using the pieces she
risk taker. What does it hurt to ask?” So she did. And Beck was on board.
discovered on her antiquing trips. Eventually, she bought a jewelry bench and started making in earnest. But things didn’t really take off until she
At the Château, they played classical music as they picked out vintage
found a special salvager at an antique show. He had purchased a defunct
dresses. “I kept thinking ‘Pinch me. This isn’t real,’” Danyluk says. Danyluk’s
Rhode Island jewelry manufacturer. And Danyluk bought out the last of
dream became a reality, and her pieces compel creativity and dreaming
his haul—all 15,000 pieces.
as well. She sees her customers and business partners layering them in different ways, attaching brooches to necklaces, and making them their own.
“It was a unique buy. The factory shut down abruptly, so there were stones missing from the pieces. Some of them were still on the armature.
“I WAS JUST SAYING THE OTHER DAY, I COULD SEE MY PIECES ON ANYONE FROM ALEXA CHUNG TO IRIS APFEL.”
There must have been 30-some huge industrial bins, and I went through
They’re for women who want something different.
STRANGE BIRD, BRANDON CARTER Chefs are creative forces, always pushing the envelope and always in pursuit of what’s next. For FARM Bluff ton Executive Chef Brandon Carter, the “next” was a discussion around how to handle the off-site catering and the pop-up dinners that have become a successful part of his culinary repertoire. Enter, “Strange Bird,” their new, vintage Airstream food truck. “So, we decided to buy the Airstream for a few different reasons. First, and how we’ll pay for the other reasons, is to use it for off-site catering. Second, and the most exciting from a creative perspective, is as an incubator for future concepts (more to come on that). Third, and probably my favorite reason, is to have a vehicle (pun intended) for community outreach projects,” Carter says. For Carter and team, the decision to go vintage instead of new was simple.
“THE AIRSTREAM IS A SHOW PIECE AS MUCH AS IT’S A FUNCTIONING TOOL. It has a look and a story as compelling as ours. It’s a perfect extension of who we are,” he said. But, just how did she get her name? Carter christened her “Strange Bird,” which is also the brand behind their pop-up events, where you never know exactly what you are going to get. Lately, Carter has been taco-centric, and no one can argue with that strategy. Now, they have an official—if not traveling—venue for connecting with people in different ways, on different terms, and in different spaces.
PHOTOS: Jessica Carter
SAVANNAH VINTAGE RENTALS, RACHEL STRICKLAND Wedding photographer Rachel Strickland has seen a lot of trends come and go, but through her lens, she found that vintage and antique décor seemed to have staying power. So, when the opportunity to purchase Savannah Vintage Rentals came along, she and her husband, Jordan, jumped at it. “We’re drawn to vintage items—we love that each item has its own story. Every item we have added to the inventory has come with an incredible story about the person who owned it or where the piece came from. It’s a nice reminder of the times before us,” Strickland says. And, clients love that. Event planners and brides (and the Palmetto Bluff marketing team) comb through her warehouse searching for that perfect item that brings the wow. Vintage furniture also means unique furniture. Strickland says, “It’s not typical to find identical pieces,” which, for event design, is a big win. “We love that this style is timeless. Some of these pieces are decades old, yet still can be the most beautiful piece in the room.” And yes, it is easy to fall in love with every piece, Strickland says. Recently, she found a beautiful floral couch and fell hard. She even named the sofa “Patricia,” for the woman who owned it. In fact, their entire inventory has unique names. The “Jekyll and Hyde Chairs,” “White Chippy Dresser,” and “Agnes Settee” were delivered to Palmetto Bluff for an event the day after this writing. á PHOTO: Rach Loves Troy
The way home. PO Box 1928 | Bluffton, SC 29910 | (843) 247-5452 | csthomasconstruction.com 38
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
W R I T T EN BY:
BARRY K AUFM A N
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY:
KRISZTIA N LON YAI
E V E RY D R I N K T E L L S A S T O RY. AT COLE ’S , IT’S THE STORY OF PA LMET TO BLU FF ’S DELICIOUS NAT U R A L BOU N T Y. IT’S ON E THING TO MIX A DR IN K . IT’S A NOTHER TO TELL A STORY IN A GL ASS , ON E W R IT TEN IN DELICATE FL AVOR NOTES A N D CA R EF U LLY CHOSEN INGR EDIEN TS . STEP U P TO THE BA R AT COLE ’S A N D YOU ’ LL ENJOY A DR IN K TH AT COMES W ITH A STORY W R IT TEN ACROSS GEN ER ATIONS OF FA MILY TR A DITION A N D STEEPED IN INGR EDIEN TS GROW N R IGHT HER E IN THE W ILDS OF PA LMET TO BLU FF.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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“
WE DO HAVE AROUND
20,000
ACRES
HERE
AT PALMETTO BLUFF, AND THAT’S A LOT OF FOREST FOR FORAGING INGREDIENTS. — ROBIN WHITAKER
40
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
”
Bitters are made with a blend of spices and herbs such as cloves, coriander, and burdock root.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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That storytelling, that dedication to crafting
foraging ingredients to create bespoke bitters.
the Cole’s Fashioned, created with orange bitters she
something beyond the ordinary, has long been a
This artisanal touch not only allowed Whitaker to
blends daily inside a large kettle within Cole’s liquor
hallmark of Palmetto Bluff ’s food and beverage
gain even more control over the flavor profi le, but
cage. The kettle shortens a 22-day process of soaking
teams. Their regular brainstorming sessions are rife
it also provided the perfect way to to lend an air of
ingredients in Everclear-filled Mason jars to a four-
with inspiration and ideas that push the boundaries
homegrown authenticity to her beverage list.
hour low simmer that coaxes flavors to the forefront.
regular brainstorming sessions among the resort’s
“We do have around 20,000 acres here at Palmetto
“This accelerated process heats up the alcohol to
food and beverage staff , Director of Wine Jesse
Bluff, and that’s a lot of forest for foraging
106 degrees, which is the magic temperature. It
Rodriguez’s simple request, “Look for the next best
ingredients,” Whitaker said. “That’s when I emailed
doesn’t burn off the alcohol, but it extracts flavor
thing,” found fertile soil in the imagination of Cole’s
Jay (Walea) and told him I wanted to make root
a lot more.”
Restaurant Manager Robin Whitaker.
bitters, so I was going to need sassafras.”
“I’m a very fi rm believer that you don’t need
She couldn’t have found a better guide for her
out with Walea in search of the next best thing,
to get everything off the shelf,” Whitaker said.
foraging. For more than 25 years, Walea has
keep your eyes on Cole’s drink menu. The next
“My grandfather taught me to live off the land and
stewarded the land at Palmetto Bluff , going back to
cocktail you enjoy might just have its roots in your
make everything from scratch.”
its days as a retreat for Union Camp executives. If
own backyard.
of what their menus can be. During one of the
As the weather warms up and Whitaker heads back
there is anyone who would know where to fi nd the In pursuit of the next best thing, Whitaker returned to
most flavorful herbs, roots, and leaves for Cole’s
childhood memories of wandering a North Carolina
cocktails, it would be Jay. The two of them began
forest with her grandfather searching for ingredients.
planning regular retreats far afield in search of
“That’s how I found out about sassafras. We’d go out
ingredients, plying the deer trails and tracks
around the grounds near his house, and I remember
through Palmetto Bluff ’s wilderness and sampling
him pulling up this plant and asking him what he
flavors along the way.
THAT YOU DON’ T NEED TO GET EVERY THING OFF THE SHELF,”
was doing. He said, ‘I’m going to make tea.’” Beyond the sassafras that Whitaker says grows
WHITAKER SAID.
A young Whitaker watched as her grandfather
rampantly within the Bluff ’s forests, she and
peeled off the bark of the plant with practiced ease,
Walea have plucked blackberry leaves, intensely
sliced up the roots, and simmered it for 20 minutes
bitter devil’s club root, and sweetleaves that pack
TO LIVE OFF THE LAND AND MAKE
to release its naturally sweet flavors. That cup of
an intense Granny Smith apple fl avor. With each
EVERY THING FROM SCR ATCH .”
sassafras tea, brewed from a plant her grandfather
plant they uncover, Whitaker’s wheels turn with
pulled from the ground, bubbled up in Whitaker’s
ideas for how each could complement a beverage.
memory as she pursued the next best thing. Thanks
42
“I’M A VERY FIR M BELIEVER
to the miracle of modern technology that is YouTube,
“I’ve always felt every restaurant needs their own
she found a multitude of instructional videos on
specific drink,” Whitaker said. One of her favorites is
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
“MY GR ANDFATHER TAUGHT ME
C O L E ’ S FA S H I O N E D COL E ’ S FA SH ION E D, CR E AT E D BY B A RT E N DE R A L I W H I T E , U T IL IZES W H I TA K E R ’ S HOM E BR E W E D BI T T E R S TO COA X BR IL L I A N T LY SU BT LE FL AVOR NOT ES F ROM R E F R ESH ING V IRGIL K A IN E GINGE R BOU R BON.
2.5 oz. Virgil Kaine ginger bourbon A “scoach” of simple syrup Luxardo cherries Orange slice House-made orange bitters Muddle bourbon and simple syrup with Luxardo cherries and orange slice. Add two dashes of house-made orange bitters. Add ice. Garnish with brûléed orange slice.
10
BITTERS 1
9
6 2
4 8 7 3
1.
Coriander
2.
Gentian root
3.
Honey
4.
Molasses
5.
Burdock root
6.
Green cardamom
7.
Allspice
8.
Base spirits
9.
Cloves
10 .
Finished bitters
5 SPRING/SUMMER 2019
43
KS
INTERIOR DESIGN
THE PROMENADE | BLUFFTON, SC | 843.757.2529 | www.ksmid.com
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Ryan Holladay (guitarist) Michael David Hall (vocals and guitar) Jake Singleton (bassist)
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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Levon performs at the 2018 Field + Fire event. P H OTO BY J O H N RO B ERTS
46
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
S C AL M E E TS N A S HVI LL E I N W R I T T E N BY:
MO LLY C L A N C Y
Levon
The first time LEVON played at Palmetto Bluff, they recall tossing around pine cones the size of footballs on the lawn at Field + Fire, a celebration of Palmetto Bluff's sporting heritage. The second time was one of the hottest days of summer. They
As we were singing, we could see our breath. Our fingers were numb, but we played and the crowd danced. Ever ybody
played a July Summer Concert Series and had the whole crowd (including some friends of the fourlegged variety) dancing to “Love the One You’re With” by Stephen Stills. Their third performance was one of the coldest nights of late fall at our 12th helping of Music to Your Mouth.
was warming up. By the end of it, we had people dancing on stage.
"As we were singing, we could see our breath. Our fingers were numb, but we played and the crowd danced. Everybody was warming up. By the end of it, we had people dancing on stage," says MICHAEL DAVID HALL, lead singer. They congratulated guitarist RYAN HOLLADAY and his new fiancée, Katelyn. He had proposed to her that weekend. They got the whole Palmetto Bluff audience to say "Congratulations, Katelyn," and they shared the moment with their families, who were in attendance. It was a meaningful show for the band.
Laurel Canyon
DAYS
Michael relayed an anecdote about how Don
dissimilar to Nashville, where they live. "Especially
Henley lived above Jackson Brown in the heyday
in the songwriter's realm, it seems everybody knows
I had the chance to speak to the band on an equally
of the Laurel Canyon scene. Henley would hear
everybody," adds bassist JAKE SINGLETON. Jake
cold January day about their inspirations, process,
the whistle of the teapot when Brown got up in
and Michael met while playing in different bands.
and what's to come. "All three shows we've had at
the morning. Then, he'd listen to Brown work
They started playing together and met Ryan almost
Palmetto Bluff have been totally unique experiences,
all day, his songwriting drifting up through the
a year later. The spirit of that age and place inspires
and we have a big appreciation for the community
floorboards. Legend has it, that's what inspired
them—a community of great musicians, artists, and
there. Everyone is so sweet and outgoing, and we're
the Eagles to start writing their own music. They
songwriters who all learned from each other. "We're
really lucky we get to play two-hour sets where we get
had been backing up Linda Ronstadt at the time.
a good band, and we're surrounded by amazing
to do songs we've never played before," Michael says.
people. We get to soak it up," Michael says. The Eagles are one of Levon's biggest inspirations.
Every show they've played here left them with
When they met, they all wanted to create a band
Naturally, their name had to evoke the feeling of that
memories that make Palmetto Bluff special for
driven by three-part harmony just like Don
Laurel Canyon vibe as well. They needed something
them. And every show they've played has left us
Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.
short, sweet, and fitting. The word Levon is primarily
dancing and singing along to their original songs
a reference to Levon Helm of the Band. Or the Elton
and covers of '70s rock, country, and folk music. The
The sense of community and camaraderie of the
John song, "Levon." Either and both are true. The
style of the covers they gravitate toward has been
Laurel Canyon scene is something they seek out
three musicians liked the feeling of the name, even if
called the "Laurel Canyon Sound," named after a
and cultivate in their creative process as well. "It's
they didn't realize at the time how often it would be
magical place in Southern California where the
how we would like to look at collaborating with
mispronounced. It's "lee-vahn" for the record.
likes of Joni Mitchell and the Eagles got their start.
other artists," Michael says. In many ways, it is not SPRING/SUMMER 2019
47
Their songs are lyrically focused and based on
LEARNING FR M
personal experience that develops over time.
Legends
They started writing a song called "Fadeaway" on their latest album, for example, more than three
As they meet other musicians on the road and in
years ago after they stumbled upon a building
Nashville, they feel like they are "learning the
that looked like ancient ruins while they were on
ways of the Jedi" as Michael puts it. He doesn't
tour. The song sat on some old footage for years,
hesitate to say, "for sure, the biggest and probably
until they picked it back up again. It's one of the
our collective favorite [artist to open for] has been
best songs the band feels they've ever written.
Willie Nelson." Ryan and Jake nod in enthusiastic agreement. "We got a chance to shake his hand
Look for new music from Levon to be even more
and even go on stage with him and sing his gospel
personal and intimate. They're writing music
melody at the end of his set. . . . I just couldn't feel
about their relationships both in their lives and
my toes at that point," Jake says.
C ountry
with the music industry. "We've got a lot to say
A LITTLE BIT , A L I T T L E B I T R C K ' N ' R LL
that we haven't been able to say yet encompassed
been together since the beginning, and Levon saw
These inspirations all contribute to their sound.
For our part, we can't wait to see what they have
how important that support system is for a band.
Driven by harmonies and storytelling, it is a little
in store, and we hope they share it with all of us
Michael talks about their closeness with reverence,
bit rock, a little bit pop, with some country sprinkled
here at PalmettoĂ—Bluff.
"They've stuck together as a family through many,
on top, and even some Justin Timberlake-inspired
many decades, and that's a big lesson for a young
beatboxing. It's hard to label their sound, and they
band like us—it's not really going to work unless
like it that way. Michael says, "We've gotten people
you have the right team around you." Michael
saying 'You're not a real country band. You're not
@ levonthemusic
remembers Ryan had been talking with one of
this and that.' All we need to do is be happy about
facebook / twitter / instagram
Willie's guitar techs. He asked the tech his favorite
ourselves. We don't care what people call us as
levonthemusic.com
part of the 41 years he'd been touring with Willie
long as the music makes them feel something.
Nelson. His answer? The 42 year with the band.
Music is not meant to be put in a box."
In the six shows they played with Nelson, they got to witness how close his team is. Many of them have
nd
48
The inspiration for Levon's upcoming song "Fadeaway."
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
in these new songs," Michael says.
J. B A N K S D E S I G N | I N T E R I O R D E S I G N & R E T A I L
35 N. Main Street | Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 | jbanksdesign.com | 843.681.5122 SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
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A BRIDGE
Between Two Souths A James Beard-nominated chef’s culinary creations span two Souths Written By: Nancy Fullbright | Photography By: Jade McCully
Like many Southern belles who learned to cook at their grandmother’s elbow, a young Asha Gomez was molded by the matriarchs of her family in a three-household compound overlooking the Arabian Sea. There, surrounded by banana plants and papaya trees, the James Beard-nominated chef and a 2019 Garden & Gun Artist in Residence at Palmetto Bluff made fish curry with her mother, an incomparable hostess known for setting the most exquisite table. Her three aunts showed her how to cook the traditional coastal Keralan cuisine accented with spices such as black pepper, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, and kudampuli, a spice loved across coastal India for what Gomez describes as its “puckery” flavor. But, she also drew culinary inspiration from an improbable source: her father, a civil engineer who worked for a German company that built bridges. Today, Gomez constructs both metaphorical and literal bridges between the food traditions of her birthplace in southwestern India and her adopted home in the American South. Although 10,000 miles stretch between Kerala, India, and Atlanta, Georgia, these two distinctly Southern cities share cultural similarities in terms of hospitality and entertaining, where handmade food is most often the deepest expression of love and affection. “You know, when you come from little towns, everybody knows everybody. Friends would drop by and immediately chai would be made and snacks would be served. Or, if it was dinner or lunchtime, they were invited to sit down and join and be part of the meal,” she remembers. “This sense of generosity and hospitality is also very Southern. The sense of community that’s found and formed around the table happens everywhere around the world.”
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
55
Gomez leads an Artist in Residence workshop on using traditional Indian spices in Southern cuisine.
E
ven before leaving India and making her way to Georgia in 2000, Gomez understood how a single dish, like a region, was the mashup of diverse cultures.
Colonial influences impacted her native port city, including the cuisine. The Portuguese began settling Kerala and the surrounding area during the 15th century, and the Dutch soon followed. Some of what Americans often think of as distinctly Indian foods are actually the convergence of ingredients from Europe and the Mediterranean, including pork, chili, sweet peppers, and vindaloo—the name itself derived from the Portuguese words for wine (vinho) and garlic (alho). Similarly, American Southern cuisine is the outgrowth of forced and voluntary migration, our plates punctuated with flavors from West Africa, England, France, Spain, and the Caribbean. These influences are on full display in Gomez’s first cookbook, My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India into a Southern Kitchen. Published in 2016, it earned Gomez her second James Beard nomination and features such delectable culinary amalgamations as Kerala fried chicken and Lowcountry rice waffles with spicy syrup, Southern-style pork vindaloo and green bean verakka with cardamom cornbread, banana leaf grilled catfish, green cardamom shrimp étouffée, and Atlanta buttermilk peach lassi. So, how did Gomez, raised a Roman Catholic in a predominantly Hindu country, make her way from Kerala’s capital of Thiruvananthapuram to Georgia’s capital of Atlanta? She credits her “forward-thinking” father and her unrestrictive mother. “One of the main reasons my father wanted us to migrate to this country was because he was very liberal in his views of how his sons should be raised, and he wanted me to have the same opportunities,” she says. “And likewise, my mom was not expecting me to be this traditional Indian girl, so I was allowed to blossom and become the woman I am today.”
56
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
My Two Souths was a 2017 James Beard nominee and Food 52 Piglet award winner.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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Food is what keeps the memory of the place you once called home alive. To prepare for the family’s move to the United States, the Gomez patriarch
create a space where I could still cook and love what I do while being able to
mandated that only English be spoken in their Kerala home. The family fi rst
balance my personal life and being a mother.”
moved to Michigan, where Gomez’s brothers were in college, and later to Queens, New York. Although there were a few culture shock road bumps
That space, simply known as The Third Space, is what Gomez describes as
here and there, the process was surprisingly smooth.
a “culinary conversation.” There, she hosts two to three ticketed dinners a week for 36 people at $120 a head. The rest of the time, the space is used for
“When we fi rst came to America, my mom’s main focus was that we all got
corporate events, cooking classes, and chef demonstrations as well as culinary
an education,” she says. “My parents really believed in assimilation and
production, fi lming, and media events.
wanted us to integrate. We had friends from all facets of the American life and became part of the landscape.”
“I managed to carve out a space for myself outside of a restaurant kitchen because that’s not where I thrive and that’s not a place that gives me joy,” she
Eventually, Gomez landed in Atlanta, where she launched her foray into the
says. “I created a fi nancially lucrative model for myself.”
culinary world. In 2012, she opened the fi ne dining restaurant Cardamom
58
Hill, which earned a James Beard nomination for best new restaurant in the
It’s safe to say that Gomez has hit her stride in the kitchen; at the computer
country during its fi rst year in business. Despite the awards and recognition,
where she researches, develops, and writes cookbooks; and out on the street
Gomez said being in the restaurant environment was not something that
as an advocate. Knowing full well that Indian food is often reduced to the nine
brought her joy, so she closed Cardamom Hill in 2014 to focus on a fast-
iconic Indian dishes served on a $5.99 lunch buffet (some, like butter chicken,
casual concept, Spice to Table. The change did nothing to lighten the load on
Gomez notes, are actually British), she has made it her mission to preach the
this chef and mother of a young son, Ethan.
gospel of the richness of Indian food, historically, culturally, and ritually.
“I still was not fi nding my joy. In fact, I was losing it on a daily basis. I wasn’t
“Indian food is a 5,000-year-old tradition, so it’s not a food that evolved
able to be the mother I wanted to be to my son,” she admits. “And so, I had to
yesterday or a hundred years ago or 200 years ago. It’s been around for
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
5,000 years,” she emphasizes. “So why isn’t Indian food elevated to the
indigenous potatoes. CARE taught the farmers better business practices and
same levels of French or Italian or any other cuisine? It’s masterful, and you
showed them how they can take this product to market and make it something
have to understand the nuance of spice. We must have not-so-easy-to-have
people want to buy. These small programs actually break the cycle of poverty,
conversations so people can change their perception about food being cheap.
which is what you need to do to end hunger.”
The heart and soul of cooking comes from the same place for everybody, so why is one food more valuable than the other?”
Gomez, a self-described “storyteller,” is happy to lend her services to CARE and continues to tell her own food story in an upcoming cookbook, Color
Understanding that food is what connects all of us, Gomez not only advocates
Full: A World of Bright Flavors from My Kitchen, due out in spring 2020. She
for the culinary contributions of immigrants, but has also found a way to
will also appear with American restaurateur and author David Chang on
give back to those in need. She currently serves as a chef advocate for CARE,
season two of his Netfl ix series, Ugly Delicious, where she will showcase the
a leading humanitarian organization that worked in 93 countries in 2018,
culinary contributions of Kerala. Clearly, there is still a connection to that
reaching 63 million people through 950 poverty-fighting development and
distant shore for Gomez, and that is the most important story for her to tell.
humanitarian aid programs. One such program works to end global hunger by leveraging socially conscious chefs to influence United States policymakers
“We leave these faraway lands and we make a new land our home, and the one
and advance CARE’s international food security policies.
connection we end up having to those distant lands is through food. Food is what keeps the memory of the place you once called home alive,” she says. “I
As part of CARE’s Chefs’ Table, Gomez recently visited a program in Peru that
stand on the shoulders of so many immigrant chefs whose stories were never
connected potato farmers with Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio. The ultimate
told, and I feel a sense of responsibility to make sure I tell my story in a way
goal was to showcase their produce and get it into Acurio’s restaurant.
that allows people to connect to my food traditions beyond just the plate. There is a bigger connection than just the food—there’s a story, there’s culture, there’s
“Peru grows 4,000 out of the 4,500 potato varieties in the world, and yet all
history, there’s tradition. Anything that I put on a plate is the sum total of my
people will buy are the red and white potatoes. Meanwhile, there are purple
life experiences: The beautiful places I’ve called home, the kitchens I’ve been
potatoes, blood red potatoes, potatoes the color of orange egg yolk,” Gomez
fortunate enough to eat in, the friends whose kitchens I’ve been welcomed
says. “These farmers were actually starving because no one was buying these
into, the global flavors that I love and enjoy. My food is forever evolving.” v
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Amuse-Bouche with Asha What meal is most important to you? What is your favorite
that when people bake, they put a lot of heart into it and
and why?
you can taste it. The scents that waft through a kitchen when someone’s baking. The time that it takes to actually
My mother’s fish curry. I was in Kerala recently, and I had this
bake a cake . . . it’s such a thing of beauty.
moment where I didn’t feel at home in Kerala because home had become the United States. The one thing that has kept
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of the kitchen?
me connected to that land has been the food. Fish curry is the tie that keeps me connected to my traditions and my roots
Travel. I want to go to Israel next. I think the food scene in
and my mother’s kitchen. It’s a very poignant dish to me.
Tel Aviv is amazing.
If you could host a dinner party for five people, living or
If you could do another job for just one day, what would
dead, who would come to your party?
it be?
President Obama. President Trump. I would love to have Bill
I’d love to be a photographer. I’m actually researching right
Gates because I think he is the most amazing philanthropist
now by taking photography classes.
of our time outside of Warren Buffett. I would have [Israeli chef and restaurateur] Michael Solomonov from Zahav in
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
Philadelphia, and I would have an American chef on the table. I would want everybody to sit at that table and truly
Oh my gosh, be fearless. Think out of the box. Understand
experience the beauty of the American table and what it is
there are more paths to success. I come from an ideology
that the American chef and the immigrant chef bring to that
and parents who thought you had to take certain educational
table, to the landscape, and to the fabric of this beautiful
paths in life and you had to do certain things. With my son,
country that we all call home.
Ethan, I want him to start excelling at something, and I want him to do whatever he desires. I would tell myself to take
What are the three ingredients you can’t live without?
more chances.
Black pepper from Kerala, rice, and coconut.
Your greatest achievement?
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
My son. I say it all the time: the privilege of my lifetime is being his mom. My greatest accomplishment, I hope, will be
I am obsessed with cake. I will eat cake any time, any place, anywhere. It has to be really good buttercream. I just feel
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
the human I put out into the world.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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PERSPECTIVES THAT TRANSFORM Contemporary art and innovative voices Visit scadmoa.org or call 912.525.7191 for information on current exhibitions, tours and membership. 601 TURNER BLVD. | SAVANNAH, GEORGIA | SCADMOA.ORG
HOME DESIGN AND DÉCOR
WRITTEN BY: COURTNEY HAMPSON Your home is your domain. It reflects your personality and style. For architects,
back chairs. Brass is showing up all around the home and in kitchens
builders, and designers, understanding client needs is paramount and finding
specifically. Art has been reaching new heights in popularity and the new
ways to set their projects apart is a constant challenge. Homeowners are
rule is: there are no rules for hanging art in your home. From photography
getting creative in their requests, and their build teams (and the industry as a
to lithographs to original paintings, the trick is to frame them well and hang
whole) are responding with cutting-edge design features.
them in groups if they are small or go large for an unexpected look.
A recent real estate trends report suggests that midcentury modern design
But trends can be tricky. To find out what trends are hot this year, we went straight
continues to be in style. You’ll see it in curved sofas, sectionals, and curved-
to the source—our builder and architect friends from around the Lowcountry.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
63
WALLPAPER MAKES A COMEBACK For an industry that spent the better part of two decades scraping wallpaper from their clients’ walls, they’re now playing in the wallcovering space again. Designer Deb Van Plew, who leads Court Atkins Group’s interior design team, 501 South Studio, has watched the resurgence of wallcovering, which includes a wide variety of materials and uses. “We readily come across new materials for wallcoverings being applied that you wouldn’t have thought possible two decades ago: patterned wood veneer, gold leaf, bamboo, feathers,” Van Plew said. These materials are being used to create strong focal points in a room. “Alternately, a more traditional grass cloth or plaster wallcovering creates layers of texture, allowing another element or architectural feature to be the superstar,” she said. “An expanded selection of materials allows wallcoverings to be used in areas that were previously troublesome due to mold and mildew. Vinyl wallcoverings are frequently used in bathrooms, without concern for deterioration. Some manufacturers are even creating vinyl versions of fiber-woven wallcoverings, and the difference is often barely discernible,” Van Plew said.
SIMPLE DOORS GET A TECH-Y UPGRADE Builder Josh Simpson spends his days balancing
fashion, Simpson can easily geek out on this topic.
the functional and aesthetic desires of clients,
And he does, saying, “Over the years, growth in the
which creates an interesting opportunity for finding
hardware industry has provided us with greater
creative solutions to design challenges (some might
availability to use specialty hinges, tracks, and guides,
call them hurdles). “Few things excite a builder more
allowing for door functions that were once imagined
than helping a client achieve a design idea that’s
novelties. From magnetic locks with hidden push
merely thrown out as a passing whim,” Simpson says.
button releases, to bookcases installed on rolling track systems that smoothly pocket into the wall providing
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Simpson has noticed an uptick in requests for specialty
access to an unexpected hallway, to half of a sliding
doors for various uses—everything from keeping
pocket door that can take the place of an otherwise
the dogs in the laundry room to providing hidden
cumbersome safety gate, if you can think of it, chances
access to valuables or firearms. In true builder-nerd
are we can find a solution.”
HAND-POURED TILES TURN FLOORS INTO WORKS OF ART From a design standpoint, Simpson is also seeing a surge in hand-poured concrete tiles. One home, currently underway, is using this material in four spaces throughout. The availability and selection of concrete tiles is on the rise, and several providers offer all-natural, completely recyclable products, which adds to the desirability. Simpson does note that while extremely durable, “These tiles do require thorough sealing prior to grout installation to avoid unintentional staining. Heavy traffic areas will also require periodic resealing in order to maintain that newly installed look.” While many of these designs are quite bold, they have a nostalgic feel that seems to convey a familiar warmth.
HIDDEN NOOKS ADD FUNCTION AND WHIMSY When a client who loved wine and wanted a bar but also wanted an open-concept fi rst floor and a clean modern kitchen, Shoreline Construction turned to what is normally a “hidden” space under the stairs to create a hidden bar. “In this home, a talented cabinet and trim team went above and beyond to build what our designers had dreamed up. They installed a sink, a wine fridge, and an amazing custom pocket door and voilà, hidden bar. When the door is closed, the bar disappears, but when open, these clients can host and serve friends and family, which was their goal.”
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INDOORS & OUTDOORS
INTEGRATE
At Palmetto Bluff, the inspiration provided by the land drives a constant desire for Joni Vanderslice, President and Founder of J. Banks Design Group, to blur the lines between interior and exterior spaces for her clients. A recent pool house, dubbed the “Cabana” by the owners, was designed for fun and easy durability. While it features rustic furnishings and finishes, it retains a sense of luxury without pretense. All the upholstery is done with easy-to-maintain indoor/ outdoor fabric, and the space features rugged wood beams. Wide planked floors are used to connect to the outdoors. The doors slide back completely, creating a further connection to the surroundings. This concept has consistently dominated design demands for homeowners who want open floor plans and outdoor entertainment space. “While outdoor room layouts and screened porches seem obvious, the blending of the natural environment with the home has spurred the development of glass walls, essentially doors that slide, pivot, stack, or fold such as Weiland sliding doors from Andersen, folding glass door systems from NanaWall and Euro-Wall, and the expansive bifold door from Marvin, to name a few. The benefit is that these systems are flexible but can also be closed completely depending on the weather,” Vanderslice said.
LIGHTING GOES NATURAL With home wellness on the rise, the lighting industry is leading the way. Circadian rhythm lighting is a hot topic. This new technology, also called human-centric or tunable lighting, produces indoor illumination that more closely matches natural light in its warmth and, paired with home automation, shifts through the day with the sun to ease the impact of artificial light on the human body.
Builders and designers are rising to the challenges posed to them by homeowners and the industry at large. Clients bring ever-changing requests, dreams, and desires to their build teams, and the teams are rising to the task of executing their clients' visions. As technology and taste evolves, so do the homes they design and build. Design and building techniques continue to become more innovative, more dynamic, and more impressive. And we get to be the lucky beneficiaries of their talent and creativity. Stay tuned for more from this talented bunch. Who knows what is next. ✶
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Join us for
Behind the Design of a new Moreland favorite at ShorelineConstructionSC.com/BehindTheDesign
212 Bluffton Road, Bluffton SC 29910 | 843-384-4463 | ShorelinecConstructionSC.com
shoreline C O N S T R U C T I O N
SKETCH COURTESY OF PEARCE SCOTT ARCHITECTS SPRING/SUMMER 2019
67
S LY D I A M O O R E & A A R O N P A L M I E R I WRITTEN BY: S A R A H G R U B B S
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: K R I S Z T I A N L O N YA I
Meet the two newest additions to the Conservancy team:
His passion has always been wildlife, even though
Lydia Moore and Aaron Palmieri. Lydia and Aaron join
most of his childhood was spent in suburbia. When he
the team with a deep-rooted passion for the outdoors and
got into college, he didn’t know how to turn his passion
share a university in common—they both went to Oregon
into a career. In 2012, he learned about an internship
State: Lydia for graduate school and Aaron for undergrad.
at the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy that involved monitoring bald eagle nests. His time as an intern
68
Lydia was born and raised just up the road in
taught him that he could take his love for wildlife and
Charleston, South Carolina. She earned her bachelor
do something about it—whether that means getting
of arts at Oberlin College in Ohio, where she double
out in the field and managing the land or taking
majored in biology and environmental studies, and
people on a walk and educating them about the land
her master of science in biology at Auburn University.
and wildlife. From 2012 to 2015, Aaron interned on the
Lydia started at Palmetto Bluff in October as our new
property and then went off to Oregon State to earn his
research and education coordinator.
degree in fisheries and wildlife science.
Aaron, Conservancy researcher and educator, is
I sat down with Lydia and Aaron to learn more about
affectionately known around the Conservancy as “AA.”
them and their love for wildlife, laughing, and the Bluff.
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Filling the bird feeders. All in a day’s work.
WHAT’S YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
LM: Loving what I’m doing for my job, feeling a sense of purpose,
LM: I just moved, so right now I’m unpacking. Normally, I go camping or
and contributing to conservation and education.
hiking. Now that I’m back in the Lowcountry, I’ll be doing a lot of kayaking.
AP: Having close family and friends, a roof over my head, and food to eat.
And I do love to read. AP: I enjoy going birding on my time off. They are such interesting creatures.
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND ON YOUR DRIVE IN TO WORK?
WHAT WORD/PHRASE DO YOU USE THE MOST?
LM: I’m usually thinking about what I have to complete that day
LM: Excellent.
or week. Today I drove in listening to bird calls to get better at call
AP: Alrighty then.
identification. AP: What’s on my calendar, what needs to get done, and how I can
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
make space for the unexpected.
LM: Like everything. Pretty much everything is funny to me. AP: Everything.
WHAT ABOUT ON YOUR WAY HOME? LM: Usually dinner! I head into the sunset when I go home, so I’m
FAVORITE SPOT ON THE BLUFF?
often thinking of the beautiful view. And dinner.
LM: Everything is so pretty, how do you choose? I love the causeway as you’re
AP: Did I get done what I needed to? What’s happening tomorrow?
heading to Long Island. That’s probably my favorite. I love the marshy areas.
And I always soak in the view of the duck pond.
AP: On Big House Dock Island, there is one stretch in particular that has the
largest live oaks and palmettos. It looks prehistoric. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? LM: Coffee, tea, and books.
BEST PALMETTO BLUFF MOMENT?
AP: My fi ancée. And I enjoy watching way too many comedians.
LM: Mist netting bats in my second week here. AP: Justin Hardy (Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Land & Wildlife Manager)
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST
and I were checking cavity nest boxes one time and, all of a sudden, an
ACCOMPLISHMENT?
explosion of downy feathers came out of the box. We set up a camera to see
LM: Seeing excitement and joy on somebody’s face when they’ve
what was going on, and a few weeks later, we discovered baby ducks jumping
learned something or when they’ve learned how to teach themselves.
from the box to their mama duck below!
AP: Reaching where I am today. I have the love of my life and my
dream job, and my dream home is on its way.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? LM: I would have to say the sloth. They move so slowly that algae grow on
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MARKED CHARACTERISTIC?
their fur, and it’s no big deal! I try to remember that when I get worked up
LM: I laugh a lot (laughs).
about something. It really puts things into perspective.
AP: I usually have a smile on my face, and I am always ready for a laugh.
AP: My favorite animal is the river otter. They are fuzzy and adorable, but they
are also mustelids, which is the same animal family as wolverines, badgers, and WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
martens. What I love most about them is how fun and jovial they are, but they
LM: The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter.
can be serious when needed—which is how I would like to live my life.
AP: The World of the Salt Marsh by Charles Seabrook. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLANT? IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT
LM: Plants are so neat I’m not sure I can pick a favorite. I am intrigued by
BE AND HOW WOULD YOU USE IT IN YOUR JOB?
plants that have relationships with very specific pollinators like orchids. I
LM: To be able see without glasses. Also, I think about how cool it
also like learning about plants that have not-very-well-respected pollinators.
would be to be able to fly. I would use that at work because it would
We have a plant in this region called pawpaw that has rotten-smelling
take much less time to get from point A to point B to do my field work.
flowers pollinated by fl ies.
AP: I would want to be able to know where animals are at all times.
AP: My favorite plant is the yaupon holly. It was only grown in the Southeast,
This would help us with surveying, knowing where to place hunters,
but since it is high in caffeine, Native American’s used it for trade, which
and researching without GPS.
resulted in this specific plant being found as far away as Alaska.
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48 PENNINGTON DR. SUITE B | BLUFFTON, SC 29910
W R I T T E N BY
&
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY: SPRING/SUMMER 2019
71
He once laid a mother-of-pearl script on the fretboard of
elvis
presley 's guitar; engraved oak leaves on a guitar for johnny cash ; and built custom instruments
eric clapton , bill monroe , and emmylou harris . for the likes of
For many in the music industry, Randy Wood is a household name.
Growing up in Coffee County, Georgia, Wood was introduced to music at a young age. His father and uncles played in a bluegrass band, and every Friday night, the family would dust off the battery-powered radio and tune in to the Grand Ole Opry. Wood would lie on his back and stare at the ceiling as
red
sovine and hank williams told tales through songs.
"I still think about those songs," Wood said from behind a band saw in his repair shop nestled along highway 80 in Bloomingdale, Georgia. "They told stories about everyday life. It's different nowadays. Some musicians can take three or four words and make a whole song out of it. It doesn't have any relevance beyond that person who wrote it. But back then, in the '4 0s and '50s, almost every song you heard was a song you could relate to somehow. Old country, bluegrass music, they have a way of making you feel like you belong." The 75-year-old luthier works in his shop daily, as he has for the past 17 years. It's a routine, he says, arriving as the shop opens at 10:00 a.m. and staying well into the night to finish custom projects. He's a night owl—one of the perils of working in the club scene in Nashville for many years. And although he's been surrounded by music all of his life, Wood doesn't consider himself a musician. He can easily hold down rhythm on a guitar and he played in bands in his youth, but he's always been more interested in wrenching guitars than playing them.
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
Randy Wood uses a band saw to shape the neck of a custom-made guitar.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
73
ABOVE: Randy Wood in his element. LEFT: The repair shop has numerous tools at its disposal.
The band saw shoots wood shavings onto the floor
bevy of tools at their disposal. His resourcefulness,
the Swamp Men, holding down rhythm and
as Wood begins to shape braces. Next, he'll bend
however, comes from necessity over desire.
crooning vocals. Together, the band leased a
the side and begin assembling the body. The initials
nightclub in Brunswick, and Wood got his first
RW are engraved on the head before the guitar is
"When I was coming up, there wasn't anyone to
sprayed with lacquer. The process of building these
show me how to do it," he shrugged. "There was no
instruments takes around 40 to 50 hours over a four-
internet, no books on the subject. I had to figure
He was a draftsman by trade and desired
week period, and this particular guitar is larger
it out."
to do "normal work." Soon thereafter, he
than the small-bodied bluegrass guitars he's
moved to Atlanta and began working for an
known for. His tastes are constantly changing,
This resourcefulness guided him through his
engineering company. He made a life there
and, with decades of woodworking under his belt,
early years in the military stationed in Hawaii.
with his wife, Irene, and young daughter,
he has the freedom to explore.
As a young soldier, he rolled his Jeep down a
until a new opportunity presented itself. As
mountain and spent a few weeks at Tripler Army
Wood said, simply, he met a guy.
"We make a lot of custom orders, special things
Medical Center. In that time, he taught himself to
that people want, but I'm at a point that if I have
play guitar.
an idea or get a wild hair, I can create," Wood said.
This led to a subsequent move to Nashville in the early 1970s, where he partnered with
george gruhn and tut taylor to run GTR
"And like forms of art, when you express yourself
"It starts with the chords; you teach yourself
vintage guitar guru
in what you do, sooner or later someone will come
chords subconsciously," Wood said. "That's the
bluegrass musician
along and understand it. Sooner or later, someone
foundation. Whatever you're learning or making
Inc., the legendary shop now known as Gruhn
will buy it."
or doing—it all begins with a solid foundation.
Guitars. Famous musicians—such as
You learn to grow from there."
often wandered in before playing at the nearby
pocketknife as his trusty sidekick since the age of
Armed with newfound musical knowledge, Wood
four and can do more with it than most can with a
returned to Georgia and formed a band called
P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
elvis —
Ryman Auditorium, and Wood became a
Wood is a self-taught craftsman. He has carried a
74
taste of the scene. But it didn't last long.
trusted repairman and craftsman to many.
When i was coming up, there wasn't anyone to show me how to do it. There was no internet, no books on the subject. I had to figure it out.
Music lovers from all over the country seek out the services of Randy Wood Guitars.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
75
ABOVE: A small record store sits alongside the repair shop with thousands of records for sale. MIDDLE: Randy Wood of Randy Wood Guitars. BELOW: Sideline, a bluegrass band out of Raleigh, North Carolina, performs to a sold-out crowd at the Pickin' Parlor.
He honed his craft in Nashville, but a decade in the
Wood packs the house in an unassuming way. He
rat race inevitably wore on him. After a particularly
also mentions prominent life moments subtly in
harsh winter, Wood moved his family back to the
passing. He speaks of playing with his grandchildren
Lowcountry, buying land in Isle of Hope. He kept up his craft at the marina, working on boat interiors.
keith richards with the same affectionate drawl. the charlie daniels band shot
He also set up a small woodshop in his garage to
their first few albums at his shop in Nashville, but for
work on instruments for his regular customers, but
Wood, it was just another weekend.
and working with
the customer base kept growing. Musicians from all over the country (and a few international ones as well) sought out his services. "I guess there weren't too many folks who could do
It's nearly closing time, and the shop is quiet except
what I do," Wood said. "I had too much work for my
for the news playing in the background. Wood likes
little garage."
to stay informed—and he wants his small staff to as well. He's also looking forward, finding innovative
In 1999, he bought the land that now houses
ways to continue to help musicians. Right now, he
Randy Wood Guitars. He built a house next
is designing custom-made lightweight banjos.
door and slowly added a record shop and 110-seat performance hall called Randy's Old-Time Pickin'
"Folks are getting tired of carrying around a 17-pound
Parlor. He did much of the work himself.
instrument," he says, handing over a smaller 6-pound version. "Hard to convince some though. Bluegrass
The Pickin' Parlor is known for its stellar acoustics
musicians are traditionalists."
and intimate setting—the people in the front row can easily rest their feet on the stage. Guitar
In many ways, Wood is as well. His calloused hands
tommy emmanuel and mandolin prodigy sierra hull, both of whom are used to playing for
tell a story of decades in the industry. He returned
crowds in the thousands, have taken the stage here
next generation. And he's not stopping anytime
for more personal performances. Shows take place
soon. Slowing down, maybe, he says. But that's all
monthly and almost always sell out.
part of his Southern charm. •
guru
to his Georgia roots to lay the foundation for the
Charleston • 843-243-0790
www.waynewindhamarchitect.com
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
Palmetto Bluff • 843-815-3266
77
pscottarch.com // 843.837.5700 6 State of Mind St., Suite 200, Bluffton, SC
A SQUARE MEAL
WRITTEN BY: SHANE RAHN PHOTOGRAPHY BY: TYLER DEWLAND
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
79
Jay Walea is known for bringing his truck to a screeching halt while showing new people around the Bluff and jumping out to rip plants from the ground for people to taste. One of his favorites to point out is sweetleaf, which has a sour, green apple flavor. He always makes the point that animals love to eat it. They have taste buds just like we do, and they love tasty, easy-to-find treats. At the Bluff, we plan whole buffets for our animal residents. They’re called food plots, also known as supplemental food programs. Supplemental food programs provide livestock and other animals with a nutrient value that they may not be able to find on their own. Can you think of your last healthy meal? A square meal is a thing of beauty.
plots with nutritious offerings give our forest creatures a square meal.
TO
E-
Conservancy regularly maintains food plots scattered throughout the Bluff ’s wild spaces. Square food
PL
hard to come by. Lush, healthy, accessible food can be scarce in a natural environment. The Palmetto Bluff
PUR
It fi lls your belly and gives you energy. For our forest critters, day-to-day tribulations make square meals
PT
Providing a wide variety of nutrients throughout the year helps our deer herd grow to its fullest potential. Just
URNIPS
like humans, deer need a well-rounded diet. During different seasons, the nutritional requirements of bucks, does, and fawns will vary slightly, but all three need water, protein, and energy (fats and carbohydrates). Providing the right nutrients in the right season is the key to success. Our summer crop is full of protein, while our winter crop contains more carbs and less protein. The summer crop includes chufa, Aeschynomene (vetch), Alyce clover, and buckwheat. The winter crop contains rye, wheat, oats, peas, rape, and purple-top turnips. Every animal on the property can benefit from our food plots. Rabbits, birds, deer, and turkeys all thrive on our food plots year-round. The chufa planted in the summer crop produces nuts in the soil that turkeys chew on for months. The seed heads produced from our winter crop provide turkeys and birds with seeds and grains to snack on. Rabbits munch on any greens, particularly the turnips in our winter crop.
JUST LIKE HUMANS, DEER NEED A WELL-ROUNDED DIET. RY E
Once the temperatures start to elevate, our winter crops slowly begin to fade out and weeds start to take over the food plots. By mid-spring, preparation for the summer planting is underway. To plant the summer crops, we hook up a leveling harrow behind our tractor, which will be used to till the soil to expose fresh soil and do away with pesky weeds. We do not use herbicides to kill the weeds. The harrow also levels the soil, so the food plots are smooth. After all the food plots are harrowed, we test the soil. Soil samples are sent off to an extension office through Clemson University. This gives us a rough idea of the type of fertilizer we need to spread across our food plots. The fertilizer will help the soil reach its maximum potential. Once our order of summer food mix and fertilizer comes in, we start planting. Our summer mix is broadcast over our freshly harrowed fields with an electric seed spreader that we attach to the rear of our ATV. The summer mix comes prepared in separate bags for each food plot, so the measurements are precise. After all the mix is spread, we follow up with the tractor broadcasting the fertilizer on top. We normally wait to broadcast the fertilizer just a day or two ahead of a good rain shower. That way, the fertilizer can break down and fi lter through the soil faster. Leaving fertilizer on top of the soil for a long period of time may cause the fertilizer to harden or simply go bad. After the seed and fertilizer are spread, the summer planting is complete.
SW
EE
T PEAS
ABOVE: Wild hog print. You can always tell hog prints from deer prints because their hooves are parallel while deer hooves like the ones below are V-shaped. LEFT: Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Land Technician Shane Rahn pulls turnips from a food plot. BELOW: White-tailed deer print.
Our summer mix stays in the food plots until mid-September when it is time to plant again. We go back to each food plot and harrow the fields once more with the leveling harrow to get rid of any pesky weeds that came back. Then, we do another round of soil samples. Most of the time, we get similar results. The winter crop we use must be planted using a grain drill, which is pulled behind a tractor. Seeds travel down chutes and into the soil. The grain drill we use has 12 chutes spaced 8 inches apart. This would be known as a 12-row planter to most farmers. By using this grain drill, the seed is planted evenly across the field in the freshly harrowed soil. After the planting is done, the fertilizer is broadcast over the field just before a good rain shower. Winter planting is complete. The food plots grow tasty crops animals can consume easily. These plots become a common area in the forest for deer and wildlife to gather. They can chew on plants that are more palatable than a tough-to-digest tree leaf or a woody stem. The ease of the food plots is what the animals are after. They have to put less work into finding something to eat. The forest provides the animals of Palmetto Bluff with nutrients, but a deer could scrounge around for hours looking for food to fi ll its belly in a natural forest. Creating a food plot makes it easier for deer to fi ll their bellies in less time. This makes for a healthy herd and a healthy forest. And it doesn’t hurt that they make great spots for deer stands come hunting season. n
THESE PLOTS BECOME A COMMON AREA IN THE FOREST FOR DEER AND WILDLIFE TO GATHER.
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
WRITTEN BY
&
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y:
SARAH GRUBBS
Along the banks of the May River, the 20,000 acres that make up Palmetto Bluff provide a quiet haven away from the speed of city life. But a quick twohour drive takes you from the serenity of the Bluff to the bustling city of Charleston. The Holy City brings together historic charm with delectable eats and high-end boutique shopping, which makes it the perfect spot for a well-rounded day trip. Downtown Charleston’s shopping destination, King Street, is fi lled with restaurants and rich history all within walking distance. And less than 30 minutes from downtown, a drive through Mount Pleasant can bring you to the beach for a refresh. Here is an itinerary of the best spots to hit on your next day trip.
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Plant scarf, The Finicky Filly, $195
10:00 AM
Top off your caffeine tank before a day of shopping. Located in a quiet neighborhood right in the heart of downtown, BROWN’S COURT BAKERY is just the place to stop. They pour some delicious liquid gold, and their bakery is one not to miss. The warm smells of fresh-baked pastries flood the air as soon as
Hand-painted porcelain botanical dessert dishes, George C. Birlant & Co., $750
you walk in the door. Grab a bear claw and a freshbrewed coffee.
Brass candlesticks, George C. Birlant & Co., PRICE VARIES
Game-day goods, M. Dumas & Sons
E37 Katya earrings in baby blue, The Finicky Filly, $225
Freehand cast punch cups set of four, George C. Birlant & Co., $385
Jack Paper Co. stationery, M. Dumas & Sons, starting at $35
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
MIDMORNING
Known as the shopping hub of Charleston, King Street is the perfect place to start your shopping day. For women’s attire, we recommend THE FINICKY FILLY. Their summer items were fresh to the store, inspiring daydreams of long days and garden parties. The next stop is M. DUMAS & SONS. From Barbour coats to Smathers & Branson custom keychains and wallets, they have all of your menswear needs. But this is the South, and football rules the day. Straight through the store is college football heaven, where you’ll find apparel for men and women and gifts galore. If you Hand-engraved service set "Fish Eaters" in original box, George C. Birlant & Co., $985
cheer for the Gamecocks, the Citadel, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide, the Clemson Tigers, or the Tar Heels, they have you covered. If you are on the hunt for a graduation gift, swing by their gameday department for the best finds. You can’t head to King Street without making a stop at GEORGE C. BIRLANT & CO. This antique store is the largest in the Southeast, and after four generations, the family still heads over to England to pick the items that land in the store. Large windows cover the front of the store, giving onlookers more than just a sneak peek at the goodness inside. I have a weakness for antiques. It’s my grandmother Mimmie coming out in me. Mimmie’s house is full of treasures in every corner. Got a birthday around the corner? CROGHAN’S JEWEL BOX is also right around the corner. Whether you are looking to add to your own wishlist or shopping for someone special, Croghan’s is the place to visit. Not only do they offer an elegant jewelry selection, but their estate jewelry also puts them above the rest. Their one-of-a-kind pieces are rich in history.
Old French provincial oak dresser and base, George C. Birlant & Co., $3,965
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NOON
1:00 PM
After all that shopping, it’s time for lunch. We
After lunch, take an immediate turn east and don’t
recommend a change of scenery. Head to SULLIVAN’S
stop walking until you hit the sand. Five minutes
ISLAND. This beach town is home to wide range of
of salty air does more for the soul than a 60-minute
restaurants and some boutique shops. Plus, the
massage. The beautiful homes, the sound of
salty air and water views can’t be beat.
birds chirping, and the absence of cars made for a peaceful stroll through the neighborhood.
One of the restaurants on my list to try was
Families play catch with their dogs and College
THE OBSTINATE DAUGHTER. With a mouthwatering
of Charleston coeds soak in some vitamin D. This
menu, soft music, and a fun interior design, this is
is the ideal afternoon break before you refocus on
the perfect spot for a girls’ lunch or a date night.
your main agenda item: shopping.
As I sat down at the bar, the bartender asked what I would have. I requested something refreshing. He came back with a tall glass garnished with mint that smelled oh so familiar. “So, what’s in it?” I ask. “I used the Cannonborough Beverage Company’s Honey Ginger soda with mint and citrus juice. They’re a local company here in Charleston. Have you heard of them?” he asked. My smile must have given it away. The familiar scent of Cannonborough’s Honey Ginger soda had triggered many special memories. Their sodas are delicious, and their time at the Palmetto Bluff Artist Cottage was one of my favorite weeks of Artist in Residence. Try the apple and prosciutto salad. The generous helping of prosciutto marries perfectly with the crisp apple and red wine vinaigrette dressing. It is delicious.
Sullivan's Island views
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
The Obstinate Daughter
Handmade fly, Lowcountry Fly Shop, $4.99
Handmade flys, Lowcountry Fly Shop, $4.99 ea.
A rainbow of flys
Fly tying at Lowcountry Fly Shop
AFTERNOON
As you leave the island, hit one more store on your way back to downtown Charleston: L OWCOUNTRY F LY S HOP. This fly shop has an excellent selection of fly-fishing gear. They also tie their own flies in-store for $4 .99. It’s worth every penny just to watch how quickly their hands can create such a detailed piece.
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LATE AFTERNOON Candlemaking at Candlefish
After a day spent shopping, get your hands a
Ready to pour
little dirty. Head back to King Street and stop by C A N DL EFISH . Their shop includes a retail space and also hosts candlemaking workshops. To begin the class, the Candlefi sh instructor will introduce the ingredients and explain the process for creating their soy candles. Then you’ll head over to the fragrance library to select your scent. Usually, guests can choose from 20 fragrances, but I got to make my selection from all 150 fragrances. I settled on numbers 18 and 25. These floral scents are from their Charleston collection and reminded me of the fresh spring air that was soon to arrive. After measuring and checking the temperature of the wax—and measuring and checking the temperature again—it was time to pour our candles. While they do have to set overnight, Candlefish will ship your candles to you afterward. By the time your two-hour workshop is over, the sun will be setting over the river. We recommend stopping to admire the sunset before your hit the road. The noise of six o’clock traffic vanishes as you watch the sun set behind the water at the marina. A peaceful end to a superb shopping day in The Holy City.
Sunset on the water to end the day
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
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SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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THR ILL
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P A L M E T T O B L U F F. C O M
CH A SE W R I T T E N BY:
BA R RY K AUFM A N
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY:
BONJWING LEE
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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Centuries of tradition coalesce into a sport unlike any other.
URING ANY OTHER EVENT AT
PALMETTO BLUFF ’S OF
SPORTING
AND
FIELD + FIRE ,
GR AND
CELEBR ATION
TR ADITION,
A
LIGHT
DRIVING R AIN WOULD BE NOTHING SHORT
Lowcountry Hunt was established in 2006, but for Burke, the lure
OF DISASTER .
of foxhunting goes back much further than that. “I’ve been doing this since I was two years old,” she said in her sweet Walterboro
But this event was different. Under cloudy skies and the constant
drawl. Her father had been in the ROTC cavalry at the University
prickling of invisible raindrops, the gently rolling hills of
of Georgia, “So by God, I was going to ride a horse.”
Longfield Stables took on the mystique of a storybook Yorkshire meadow. It was the perfect environment for an exhibition of a classically English sport, the foxhunt. “In England, when cavalry officers were not fighting, they would hunt fox to keep themselves and their horses in shape,” said Nina Burke, head of Lowcountry Hunt, to the small crowd assembled under the tent. With all eyes on the horses galloping past beneath steely skies, Burke gave a master class in the grand traditions and the history of not only the sport, but also our own local hunting group. It began with a signal from huntsman Tony Gammell, assembling his pack of 25 American Foxhounds via a staccato blare from his horn. As he rode forth, Burke shared how the fi rst pack of foxhounds
The grand traditions of Lowcountry Hunt echo the grand traditions
in the country belonged to George Washington, a gift from
of the sport itself. The organization’s masters and huntsman all wear
Lafayette. Those bloodlines still run strong, coursing through the
ceremonial red coats, which oddly enough are called Pinck coats,
veins of every one of Gammell’s hounds. The hunt thundered past
named for the London tailor who invented them. Each hunt has its
the tent, ducking in and out of the odd copse of trees, encircling
own colors represented on the collar, and the colors of Lowcountry
the far fields of Longfield Stables, while Burke explained how the
Hunt were chosen to reflect South Carolina’s agricultural heritage:
two “whippers-in” were keeping the hounds close to the huntsman
blue for indigo and gold for Carolina Gold rice.
and how each wave of riders contributed to the chase, from the swift fi rst field to the hilltoppers of the third field.
But perhaps what makes Lowcountry Hunt special is how it breaks from tradition. For example, you’d imagine very few of the
More than an exhibition of a centuries-old pastime and the
18th-century hunts organized by English cavalry would have
magnificent animals that make it possible, the day showed how
allowed for an eight-year-old girl to join them. But seeing young
Lowcountry Hunt was breathing new life into a sport defi ned by
Sophia Mauldin galloping across the field astride her Welsh pony,
its traditions.
Tinkerbell, you can imagine that she’d have run circles around them.
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I’ V E
NEV E R IN M Y L IF E SHO T A FOX .
I
AC T UA L LY L IK E T HEM . — Tony Gammell,
HUNTSMAN
“She used to hunt in diapers, and I know this
It’s a game. And when they fi nish, they’ll run back
home. During their hunts, it’s not uncommon
because I’ve been with her the whole time,” Burke
to their den,” Burke said. “In England, they’d send
for the hounds to pick up the scent of the odd
said with a laugh.
the terriers in and kill the fox. We don’t do that.
armadillo, bobcat, or even wild hog. “I hate
When he goes to ground, we say, ‘Bye, we’ll see
hunting hogs, because they hunt back. They will
you another day.’”
kill your dogs; it’s a very scary thing,” Burke said.
Sophia and her mother, Shanna, are among the 90 members of Lowcountry Hunt, which organizes
“But to see a foxhound chase an armadillo is
foxhunts up and down the ACE Basin region (that’s
That respect for nature made Tony Gammell a
the area bounded by the Ashepoo, Combahee, and
perfect fit as the new huntsman when he joined in
Edisto Rivers, for those in the know). Although
April of 2018. More inclined to use a tennis ball
More and more, though, Lowcountry Hunt is
the hunts are usually held on private plantations,
launcher than a whip to keep his hounds’ attention
turning its attention to one of the most disruptive
the group visits Palmetto Bluff fairly regularly,
(“That’s why these hounds love him,” Burke said.
members of the Lowcountry’s food chain: coyotes.
putting the hounds and horses through their
“They get treats and they get tennis balls.”), he’s that
“We end up running coyotes 80 to 90 percent of
paces on the preserve’s rugged terrain.
rare breed of huntsman who thrives on the pursuit,
the time,” fieldmaster Lamy Buck said. “We just
the traditions, and the chance to enjoy nature more
went up to Gray and ran two coyotes. We don’t
than a simple trophy.
want to kill them; we just want to run them. There
“We won a national award for wildlife habitat conservation in 2009, so we always try to partner with people who are interested in doing that,” Burke said.
just hysterical.”
are too few of them, and we want to come back and “I’ve never in my life shot a fox. I actually like
play another day.”
them,” Gammell said. “They’ll beat us sometimes, That preservation is key to Lowcountry Hunt’s
and it’s like, ‘Good on you, man,’ and sometimes
But it’s less about the prey than it is the spectacle
philosophy and another way they part from
we beat them.”
of these grand hunts, organized for the sheer sport
tradition. To them, the thrill is in the chase.
and pageantry of a bygone era. “A lot of people In this case, beating them simply means chasing
come out for the rides, a lot of them come out to
“A red fox . . . loves the chase. They will lead the
a red fox to ground or chasing a gray fox up a
see the beautiful plantations,” Gammell said,
hounds through ponds, up across the top of a fence
tree. And that’s to say nothing of the teeming
adding with a laugh, “but wherever we go, we just
. . . they just kind of make it up as they go along.
wildlife beyond foxes that call the Lowcountry
try to leave it better than how we found it.” y Find out more at THELOWCOUNTRYHUNT.COM .
CREATING A NEW PERSPECTIVE IN PALMETTO BLUFF KRA Architecture + Design
7 Johnston Way, Suite 2A + Bluffton, SC 29910 + 843-815-2021 + info@krasc.com
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
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E V E N T
APRIL
C A L E N DA R
13-18
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Tess Lindsey had a desire to create something functional yet beautiful. The idea led to the old-fashioned trade of crafting
1-6
handmade leather-wrapped journals from locally sourced
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
materials. Tess joins us in the Artist Cottage this month.
Max Messier and Lauren Myerscough of Cocktail & Sons join us in the Artist Cottage this month. Cocktail & Sons is a line of all-natural handcrafted cocktail syrups for
15
the home and commercial bar, built by bartenders with
the Savannah River Ecology Lab, has been researching a new way to do just that. Come find out what it is.
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: CIVIL WAR IN THE LOWCOUNTRY The Battle of Port Royal, Sherman's march through the
Have you ever heard about the Southeast's only tortoise species? It is in need of help, and Rebecca McKee, from
Louisiana produce and sugarcane.
10
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: GOPHER TORTOISE
29
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: DOLPHINS
Beaufort District, the impacts that arose from the war, and
Join Dr. Eric Montie, from the University of South
more! Dr. Stephen Wise, museum director on Parris Island,
Carolina Beaufort, as he talks about the dolphins of
is going to take us back in time and show us the unique slice
the Lowcountry and what makes them special.
of Civil War history that happened right here in our region.
11
JUNE
CHAPEL CONCERT Enjoy an acoustic performance in the beautiful May River Chapel.
17
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: TURKEY TALK
4
Family Promise of Beaufort County. $25 per car (pack 'em
talks about his favorite bird, the wild turkey! A fun-filled
in) at the gate.
talk on his experiences in the turkey woods, details on gobbling Galliformes.
Enjoy cool tunes on a hot night at our summer concert at the Crossroads in Moreland Village. Proceeds benefit
Jay Walea, Director of the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy,
the biology of wild turkeys, and tales of pursuing these
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
12
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAW ENFORCEMENT You hear the Conservancy team talk about hunting and
M AY
land management, but what about the other side of the coin? Earl Pope, from the South Carolina Department
3
FIRST FRIDAY LECTURE SERIES: SEA TURTLES
of Natural Resources, will be enlightening us about the
Captain Amber Kuehn, from the Hilton Head Island Sea
are followed in South Carolina.
active role game wardens take in ensuring wildlife laws
Turtle Protection Project, discusses sea turtles and how she's helping save these magnificent creatures.
8
19
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE:
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: THE GEOLOGY OF PALMETTO BLUFF
COSTA RICAN ADVENTURE
Palmetto Bluff 's history isn't just rich archaeologically—
Carlos Chacon, a naturalist at the Coastal Discovery
Carolina Department of Natural Resources, is taking
Museum of Hilton Head Island and native Costa Rican,
us back in time and showing us the changes this area
and Dr. Mary Socci, the Conservancy's archaeologist, are
experienced that made it what it is today.
it's also rich geologically! Dr. Will Doar, with the South
just back from a trip to Costa Rica. Join us to find out the details of their recent trip and an upcoming Palmetto Bluff adventure they're planning.
24-29
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Heart Wood Trade is the creation of Dustin Scott, an outdoor enthusiast who learned the arts of fly-fishing and woodworking from his late father. Join us in welcoming Dustin to the Artist Cottage.
E V E N T
J U LY
C A L E N DA R
7
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: SNAKE IDENTIFICATION The Conservancy team explains how to identify the
4
venomous ones are important parts of our ecosystem.
Deck out your golf cart and cruise it down to Wilson Village for the 2019 Fourth of July Cart Parade.
9
common snakes of the Lowcountry and why even the
FOURTH OF JULY CART PARADE
10
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
RISE & RUN It's the perfect time to start training for the Buffalo Run. Join us for a brisk run through the maritime forests of
Enjoy cool tunes on a hot night at our summer concert
Palmetto Bluff.
at the Crossroads in Moreland Village. Proceeds benefit Family Promise of Beaufort County. $25 per car (pack 'em in) at the gate.
10
12-17
Honeysuckle Gelato began in 2011 as the passion project
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE:
of three friends—Jackson Smith, Wes Jones, and Khatera
INDIGO AND CASH CROPS
Ballard—with a simple mission to "Be Sweet." They're bringing lots of gelato to cool us down in the month of
The Lowcountry has a rich history, partly due to the cash
August at the Artist Cottage. Be sweet and stop by.
crops that were farmed here. Bailey Knight, from the South Carolina Historical Society, will share with us the great information she's been digging up about indigo
21
and our other cash crops.
15-20
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: WALNUT GROVE PLANTATION Join our archeologist, Dr. Mary Socci, as she talks about Walnut Grove Plantation, the boundaries of which
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
contain what is now Barge Landing and parts of the
North Carolina native Vivian Howard is a chef and TV
River Road neighborhood.
personality who brings her Southern upbringing to the tastes and flavors in each of her restaurants: award-
SEPTEMBER
winning Chef & the Farmer, the Boiler Room, and Benny's Big Time Pizzeria. Chef Vivian will be cooking up some delicious treats for us in the Artist Cottage.
6 AUGUST
FIRST FRIDAY LECTURE SERIES: FALL MIGRATION Bob Speare, naturalist and environmental educator, discusses fall migration and what it entails for the different bird species living at Palmetto Bluff.
2
FIRST FRIDAY LECTURE SERIES: SNAKES OF THE LOWCOUNTRY
7
Bring the entire family—and your camp chairs—to the
Palmetto Bluff.
and Jay Walea, Conservancy Director, discuss the native live snakes!
6
23-28
Founded by husband and wife team Scott Blackwell and handcrafted artisan spirits. Scott and Ann will be stirring
Enjoy cool tunes on a hot night at our summer concert
up some of the finest Southern sips in the Artist Cottage.
at the Crossroads in Moreland Village. Proceeds benefit in) at the gate.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Ann Marshall, High Wire is dedicated to making premium
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Family Promise of Beaufort County. $25 per car (pack 'em
Start your training schedule for the Buffalo Run with this brisk run through the ancient maritime forests of
Conservancy to hear Tony Mills, Spring Island naturalist, snakes of Palmetto Bluff. And, of course, there will be
RISE & RUN
25
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE: FERAL PIGS We have the hog stalks—now it's time for the hog talks! Sarah Chin, from the Savannah River Ecology Lab, will be giving us the inside scoop on feral pigs and how they came to be in the Lowcountry.