South Carolina Living - July 2015

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LIVING THE

HIGH LIFE

JULY 2015

Treehouse camping on the Edisto River

SC R E C I PE

The pleasures of peaches HUMOR ME

Insect insanity

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THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS Vol. 69 • No. 7 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) Read in more than 480,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033

July 2015 • Volume 69, Number 7

Tel: (803) 926-3 1 75 Fax: (803) 796-6064 Email: letters@scliving.coop

FEATURE

12 Journey to

EDITOR

Keith Phillips

Treehouse Island

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Diane Veto Parham FIELD EDITOR

Walter Allread

Grab a friend and load up your canoe for an unforgettable camping adventure on the Edisto River.

PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Pam Martin

ART DIRECTOR

Sharri Harris Wolfgang DESIGNER

Susan Collins PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR

Van O’Cain COPY EDITOR

Susan Scott Soyars

Publisher

Lou Green Advertising

Mary Watts Tel: (803) 739-5074 Email: ads@scliving.coop National Representation

National Country Market Tel: (800) NCM-1181 Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

If you encounter a difficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor.

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send

to your local co-op. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Address Change, c/o the address above.

Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offices.

Cooperative news

6 ON THE AGENDA

Take a sweet, juicy bite of summer at the Pageland Watermelon Festival. Plus: Get the facts on the growing popularity of electric cars.

POWER USER DIALOGUE

10 Science on the move

South Carolina’s best and brightest 4-H students tackle tough science, technology, engineering and math problems in statewide competition.

Meet the Midlands pastor on a mission to make sure the funerals of S.C. veterans are conducted with the utmost dignity.

CHEF’S CHOICE

18 Holiday eating, five days a week

22 20

Enjoy cornbread dressing and other rib-sticking favorites yearround at Webster Manor.

TR AVELS

20 Honoring a Greenwood luminary

Explore the humble beginnings of an extraordinary life at the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site.

22 The pleasures of peaches

From peach soup to peach salad to peach pie, enjoy tree-ripened S.C. peaches in every dish of your next meal.

LIVING THE

HIGH LIFE

JULY 2015

Treehouse camping on the Edisto River

GARDENER

24 Garden like a local with native plants Spruce up your landscape with plants ideally suited to South Carolina growing conditions.

SC R E C I PE

The pleasures of peaches HUMOR ME

Insect insanity

Anne and Scott Kennedy offer canoeists the chance to camp on the Edisto River in one of three rustic treehouses.

Photo by Milton Morris.

HUMOR ME

30 Faster than a speeding fruit fly

24

What to do when swarms of pesky insects invade your kitchen.

26 MARKETPLACE 28 SC EVENTS

Le Do

Member of the NCM network of publications, reaching more than 7 million homes and businesses

STORIES

17 Last respects

RECIPE

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING is brought to you by your member-owned, taxpaying, not-for-profit electric cooperative to inform you about your cooperative, wise energy use and the faces and places that identify the Palmetto State. Electric cooperatives are South Carolina’s — and America’s — largest utility network.

Printed on recycled paper

SC LIFE

Diane Veto Parham

© COPYRIGHT 201 5. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

4 CO-OP CONNECTION

GwÉnaËl Le Vot / iStock

Becky Billingsley, Mike Couick, Hastings Hensel, Jan A. Igoe, Charles Joyner, Thomas Kirk, Belinda Smith-Sullivan, S. Cory Tanner, Libby Swope Wiersema

milton morris

Contributors

On the Agenda For a listing p m co lete s, see of Event 8 page 2

Highlights

AUGUST 15 JULY 17–18

JULY 24–26

How are your seed-spitting skills? Winners of this festival’s popular watermelon seed-spitting contest reportedly can launch the mini missiles as far as 40 feet. If eating melon is more your style, there’s a contest for that, too. Festival organizers say, “Come for the watermelon, stay for the fun,” which fills downtown Pageland with a rodeo, car show and other entertainment and ends with a Saturday-night fireworks show.

Lynches River Electric Cooperative is a sponsor.

When Ervin James bought more than 100 acres of land near Florence in 1870, the former slave not only established himself as a property owner, he laid the foundation for a thriving AfricanAmerican community in the Pee Dee region. The Jamestown settlement is now gone, but James’ descendants gather each year to celebrate and revive the African-American history, trades, crafts, cooking and culture of that community. Events at the festival site at 1114 Jamestown Road, Florence, include demos of blacksmithing, indigo dyeing, cast nets and sweetgrass baskets, plus Civil War reenactors, food and entertainers.

Pageland Watermelon Festival

For details, visit pagelandwatermelonfestival. com or call (843) 672-6400.

Celebrate Jamestown

For details, call (843) 661-5679.

TOP PICK FOR KIDS

THROUGH AUGUST 30

Summer at Myrtle Beach State Park

Get crabby, go on patrol for sea turtles or be “seinesational” at a variety of summer programs at Myrtle Beach State Park. Kids have fun while learning about nature and wildlife along the coast. There’s seine-net fishing in the surf, pier fishing, crab catching, crafts and costumes among the adventures. Come to any three programs and earn a marine habitat patch. Adults are welcome to play and learn, too.

For details, visit myrtlebeachsp.com or call (843) 238-0874.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Battle of Camden 235th anniversary

Not a good day for the Americans in 1780—the Battle of Camden has been called “the worst Patriot field battle defeat in the American Revolution.” The Americans suffered heavy losses, and the British scored a strategic victory.

Despite the outcome, this remembrance event at Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site celebrates the Americans’ fight for freedom and our ultimate victory. Kids’ activities include a scavenger hunt and Colonial games. Visitors can honor fallen heroes at a battlefield wreathlaying ceremony, tour historic Kershaw House and view a short documentary on the battle.

For details, visit historic-camden.net or call (803) 432-9841.

Email COMMENTS, QUESTIONS AND Story suggestions TO LETTERS@SCLIVING.COOP

By the numbers

Electric cars come of age

There’s no denying it—the electric-vehicle market is evolving and maturing. Although the concept of electrically powered vehicles was pioneered more than a century ago, only recently have they become a viable vehicle choice for many Americans. Consider these stats.

3 to 6

Typical fuel cost in cents per mile to operate an electric vehicle.*

9 to 11

Typical range in miles of an electric vehicle on a single charge. While EVs have a much smaller range than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles, many people drive less than 50 miles a day, making an EV a smart choice for a commuter car.

Water Missions International brings clean water to poor countries

SC SC E N E

Keep your cool this summer

$350

8 to 10

HUMOR ME

Ratzilla invades Sweden

energyefficiencytip

$771

Estimated annual cost to fill the tank of a Nissan Versa, a comparable gas-powered vehicle.*

*These estimates are based on national average prices for electricity and gasoline, which fluctuate and may vary widely by region.

As the saying goes, your mileage may vary. —Thomas kirk

Nuts about pecan trees HUMOR ME How to embarrass your dog

Medal of Honor nominee Kyle Carpenter

Estimated annual cost to charge a Nissan Leaf plug‑in electric vehicle.*

Typical number of hours it takes to fully charge a plug-in EV from a standard 110‑volt outlet. Many EV owners charge the car overnight so that it’s topped off and ready to drive when they awake for work, school or church.

SC G A R D E N E R

FEBRUARY 2015

70 to 120

Typical fuel cost in cents per mile to operate a gasoline-powered car.*

When the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) announced the winners of the 2015 CCA Communications Contest, we were delighted—but not Rodeo images by Mic Smith helped him win CCA Photographer of the surprised—to see two familiar Year for the second year in a row. names on the list of winners.

Mic Smith was named CCA Photographer of the Year for the second year in a row. The judges also recognized his talent with four additional awards for his recent work in South Carolina Living, including a First Place win in the Best Photo Essay category for his coverage of the S.C. High School Rodeo Association’s state championship (“Learning the ropes,” Nov./Dec. 2014). “These photos were so well done,” one judge commented. “I could hear the action and feel the emotion of the people in the shots.”

Sharri Wolfgang, our talented art director, won Cover of the Year honors for the February 2015 issue. Using a photo supplied by Esther Havens of Water Missions International, Wolfgang introduced readers to TAPPING A NEED the work of the Charleston-based charity that supplies clean drinking water to impoverished communities around the globe. Wolfgang and Mic Smith teamed up to win the Second Place award in the Cover of the Year compeHONOR tition for the May 2014 issue featuring Medal STUDENT of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter.

South Carolina Living staffers and contributors earned a total of 11 awards in the 2015 competition, which is open to writers, designers, photographers and editors in the U.S. and Canada who serve the members of any coopera­ tive enterprise. For a complete list of all awards, plus links to the stories and images that wowed the judges, visit SCLiving.coop.

MAY 2014

120,000

Number of electric vehicles (EVs) purchased in the U.S. in 2014—a record high. Fewer than 100,000 electric vehicles were purchased in 2013.

South Carolina Living contributors win awards

If your air conditioner is struggling to keep up with the summer swelter, the problem might be in your ductwork. Accumulated dust and dirt make your system work harder. Having your ducts professionally cleaned can lower energy consumption by 5 to 15 percent. Source: energy.gov scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

7

On the Agenda O n ly o n

GONE FISHIN’

SCLiving.coop I nteractive

Bonus videos

features

Give peaches the slip. Peel a bowl full of peaches in just minutes, using Chef Belinda’s simple steps. Visit SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda. l

Peach relish. Add a burst of color and flavor to seafood with this bonus recipe for pan-seared flounder and shrimp with peach relish. Visit SCLiving.coop/food/recipes.

L ike us on Facebook

Stay cool with less AC. When summertime temperatures soar, so do power bills. Stay comfortable and keep utility costs under control with these expert tips. See SCLiving.coop/energy.

Toro

Join us as we celebrate all that’s great about life in South Carolina. Add to the conversation, and share your photos at facebook.com/ SouthCarolinaLiving.

Letters to the editor

Let us know what’s on your mind by clicking on the Contact Us link at SCLiving.coop.

All letters received are subject to editing before publication.

J U N E 1 3 - S E P T 2 7, 2 0 1 5 AT T H E M U S E U M O F YO R K C O U N T Y A C O M P E L L I N G , C O N T I N E N TA L P E R S P E C T I V E O N W O LV E S T O D AY. O R G A N I Z E D B Y P L A C E , T H I S E X H I B I T F E A T U R E S TA X I D E R M Y M O U N T S , N A R R AT I V E S , G R A P H I C S A N D I N T E R A C T I V E S T O H I G H L I G H T W O LV E S F R O M B O T H H U M A N A N D N AT U R A L - H I S T O R Y P E R S P E C T I V E S .

C H E C K O U T O U R S U M M E R D AY C A M P S , S P E C I A L A C T I V I T I E S & P L A N E TA R I U M P R O G R A M S AT C H M U S E U M S . O R G

4 6 21 M O UN T GA L L A N T R D. R O C K HI L L, SC | 803 . 329. 2121 This traveling exhibit is produced and toured by the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota,in cooperation with the International Wolf Center in Minnesota. Sponsored locally by Harry and ‘Becca Dalton, Chappell Animal Hospital & Equine Services, Newport Veterinary Hospital, Inc. and White Rose Veterinary Hospital. Project assisted by City of Rock Hill & York County Accommodations Tax Program.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Minor

PM Major

17 1:37 6:52 8:52 18 2:22 7:22 9:22 19 2:52 8:07 9:37 20 3:37 8:52 10:07 21 9:37 4:22 3:52 22 11:07 5:22 4:22 23 — 6:37 1:07 24 — 7:52 3:22 25 — 8:52 8:22 26 1:37 9:37 9:52 27 2:52 10:22 10:37 28 3:37 11:07 11:22 29 4:37 11:52 12:07 30 — 5:22 7:37 31 12:52 6:07 8:07

1:52 2:22 2:52 3:22 10:37 11:07 11:52 12:37 4:37 5:22 5:52 6:22 6:52 12:22 1:07

Minor

Get our free email newsletter. Get everything you love about South Carolina Living delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter at SCLiving.coop/newsletter.

Bonus Articles

Garden tamers. Keep your greenery in bounds with edgers, trimmers and other tools that turn lush growth into tidy landscapes. l

The Vektor Fish & Game Forecast provides feeding and migration times. Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour.

Minor peaks, ½ hour before and after.

AM Major

July

August

1 1:37 6:52 8:37 1:52 2 2:22 7:52 9:07 2:22 3 3:07 8:37 9:52 3:07 4 9:37 3:52 3:52 10:22 5 11:07 5:07 4:22 11:07 6 — 6:22 1:07 11:52 7 — 7:37 6:52 3:37 8 12:52 8:52 8:52 5:07 9 2:07 9:52 10:22 5:37 10 3:07 10:37 11:07 6:07 11 4:07 11:22 11:52 6:37 12 4:52 11:52 12:22 6:52 13 — 5:37 7:22 12:22 14 12:52 6:07 7:37 12:52 15 1:22 6:52 8:07 1:22 16 1:52 7:22 8:22 1:52

S.C.RAMBLE!

By Charles Joyner, See Answer ON Page 27

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scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

9

Dialogue

Science on the move I was a failed 4-H’er.

Mike Couick

President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina

10

Growing up on a farm in Clover, I first was exposed to 4-H Club in the 1960s at age 8. There weren’t a lot of choices for extracurricular activities in elementary school at the time, so 4-H was a big deal and one I fully embraced: Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

For my first project, I chose beef cattle. My father said I could raise a steer, but only with the understanding that we would butcher it and put it in the deep freeze.

The project quickly turned into a pet. The steer followed me in the pasture (sweet feed was an effective magnet).

Pretty soon it became clear that while the steer would be a good 4-H project, it could not go into our deep freeze. So, we continued to buy our beef from the Dixie Home Store (what we called the local Winn-Dixie), and we sold the steer at the York sale barn, with me deluding myself that somebody else was going to take him on as a pet—sort of a perpetual demonstration project.

Fifty years later, I still enjoy learning through demonstration projects.

That’s why I was delighted back in April for the co-op-sponsored EnlightenSC program to become the title sponsor of the 2015 S.C. 4-H Engineering Challenge at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

EnlightenSC’s mission is to educate young people in South Carolina about energy and promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics—the so-called STEM subjects—so that our students are prepared to face and overcome the energy challenges of the future.

For today’s 4-H’er, beef cattle projects remain an option, but just as important is the option to master new technologies, through the 4-H Engineering Challenge.

Now in its third year, the event was an unqualified success. Participation was at an all-time high with some 200 students from across the state driving in to compete, the largest group coming from Greenville County.

Students ranging in age from 9 to 19 competed on teams and individually in LEGO robotics, bridge building, egg-lofter rockets and GPS. For the first time, an energy challenge was added to the competition.

The event was the perfect marriage of EnlightenSC’s energy-focused educational efforts and South Carolina 4-H’s innovative Science on the Move initiative. Plans already are under way for a bigger, better event in 2016.

Dates, times and other details of the 2016 competition will be available online beginning in August at EnlightenSC.org and the S.C. 4-H Science on the Move website: scionthemove.org/engineeringchallenge. Teachers and students interested in participating in 2016 can contact Katie Rishebarger at korishe@clemson.edu.

With your help, we can engineer ourselves into a better future for us all— even failed 4-H’ers like me.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

POWERING SOUTH CAROLINA

Working with the state’s electric cooperatives and the South Carolina Power Team, Santee Cooper is an important resource for industries relocating and expanding here. Since 1988, we have helped bring more than $10 billion in industrial investment and more than 62,000 new jobs to our state.That’s a powerful partnership.

www.scpowerteam.com

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Canoeing plus high-end camping equals magic on the Edisto River

BY HASTINGS HENSEL

Alice Tubley; Above Right: Peyton Howell

“ The canoe,” John C. O’Reilly wrote in his 1890 book Athletics and Manly Sport, “is the American boat of the past and of the future. It suits the American mind: it is light, swift, safe, graceful, easily moved; and the occupant looks in the direction he is going, instead of behind, as in the stupid old tubs that have held the world up to this time.”

scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

13

Treehouse Island

The beautiful black waters before us get their iconic color from cypress leaves that steep like tea bags in the water.

14

our canoe was no different really—light, swift, safe, graceful—a 16-foot Old Town Guide 160 to which we lashed a weekend’s worth of provisions: sleeping bags, water bottles, bream poles, muck boots, beer and food coolers, maps, an anthology of canoe stories, a guitar, harmonicas and all the other usual camping fare stowed away in dry bags.

My uncle Peyton and I had rented the canoe in Canadys at Carolina Heritage Outfitters, the riverside outpost and home of Anne and Scott Kennedy. Our aim was similar to the hundreds of ­adventure-seeking people who rent each year from them—to paddle 13 miles down the black waters of the Edisto River and reach one of the three treehouses that Scott Kennedy has built on his 150-acre nature refuge.

On a late-March morning that threatened light breezes and warm rain, Kennedy shuttled us in his van across the Colleton/Dorchester county line, to the put-in on Highway 21.

Everything about Kennedy—his long, white beard, his quietly even-keeled demeanor, his dog Over 120 years later,

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

named Bear riding along with us in the van— suggested a man with decades of river-guiding experience, yet he is originally from the south side of Chicago, and he only found a quieter life as an outfitter in Canadys, after coordinating an outdoor recreation program for the Navy in Charleston.

“About 20 years ago, we bought the land so that we could provide our customers with the ability to camp for two days,” he remembers. “My assistant manager down at the Navy program came up, and we were looking around.

I was going to build camping platforms at first, and he kind of suggested that was mundane, that I should do something a little more attractive.

Thus came about the treehouses.”

Building the treehouses was no easy task, especially since there are no roads, but also because Kennedy likes to approach things with authenticity.

“We wanted to do it in a real original manner,” he says. “So we actually bought a sawmill, cut our trees down, sawed them into lumber we

Batesburg Johnston

Columbia

path of the Edisto River

is singular—a result of the confluence between the South Fork that originates near Johnston and the North Fork that originates outside of Batesburg—and the beautiful black waters before us (which get

Anne and Scott Kennedy run Carolina Heritage Outfitters, renting canoes and three treehouses to Edisto River explorers.

Milton Morris

The author and his uncle launched their canoeing expedition from Carolina Heritage Outfitters with all the essentials for a successful camping trip.

Highway 21 put-in

This section of the Edisto

Above and left: Peyton Howell

Peyton Howell

could use. It was very labor intensive. Just harvesting the trees was one challenge, then, of course, operating the sawmill to turn them into lumber was another one, and then transporting it all to another site was another one. We rafted two canoes together, put a 2-by-4 platform together, and floated all the wood in.”

Despite what could be taken as a laidback attitude, Kennedy remains vigilant when it comes to safety. At the landing, he instructed us in the potential hazards of our journey— the “physical hazards” (fallen trees, current), the “biological hazards” (snakes, gators, wasps, poison ivy), and the “environmental hazards” (thunderstorms, hypothermia from capsizing).

The talk had an essential sobering effect on us. The black waters of the Edisto—the longest free-flowing black-water river in North America— appear somewhat lazy on the surface, but the undercurrent is strong and steady, dependable for capsizing canoeists who are caught unawares.

And right at the put-in, you must navigate the Whetstone Crossroads bridge before you can head into more scenic and meandering stretches.

Charleston

their iconic color from cypress leaves that steep like tea bags in the water) zigzag over 250 miles to the ACE Basin.

The water pushed us along at nearly four miles an hour with light paddling, and although there is no whitewater in this stretch, the Edisto can make for a fun, technical paddle as you maneuver around fallen limbs.

Canoeing is, unlike kayaking, essentially a teamwork sport. You have to find a rhythm with your fellow paddler in order to keep the boat straight, and you learn soon enough how to pitch items to one another—a sandwich, sunscreen, a cold beer—without tipping the boat too far to the side.

Without a cell phone or a laptop or a television or any other electronic distraction, our entertainment became watching the water, watching the banks. Birdlife is one of the best spectacles: cormorants, warblers, ospreys, egrets. Because we knew we were in celebrated gator and moccasin country, every floating log became a gator’s head and every floating stick became a cottonmouth wrinkling the surface. But as we got closer, the true nature of the object revealed itself—a stick, a stump, an old tire or jug. l l

Carolina Heritage Outfitters

Canoeing is essentially a teamwork sport.

You learn soon enough how to pitch items to one another— A sandwich, sunscreen— without tipping the boat too far.

scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

15

Treehouse Island

Left and below: Peyton Howell

There is something magical about treehouses—a sense of returning to a childlike innocence, an elevation that allows you to spy on the world below.

Carolina Heritage Outfitters

Treehouse No. 2 was a welcome respite from a looming storm. On sunny days, a hammock strung over water is just as welcome.

Get There Carolina Heritage Outfitters is located in Canadys, four miles from Interstate 95, exit 68. The outpost is on Highway 15, one mile north of the intersection of Highway 61. Renting a treehouse and canoe costs about $170 per person for the first night, $85 per person for the second night and $60 per person for a third night. For more information, call (843) 563-5051 or visit canoesc.com.

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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

We paddled through warm rain and light fog, past ramshackle hunting camps and duck boxes, marking our mileage, sidetracking just once to paddle up into an oxbow lake and look, unsuccessfully, for alligators. Just before the heavy storm arrived, as if on cue, we saw what we were looking for—a yellow paddle lashed to a river birch—the can’t-miss marker of Treehouse Island.

There is something magical about treehouses​ —a sense of returning to a childlike innocence, an elevation that allows you to spy on the world below. Our treehouse, the medium-sized No. 2, preserved this feeling, and yet it also had something of a luxuriousness to it, equipped as it was with a propane grill, a covered deck, a sleeping loft, rocking chairs, tiki torches, a dining table, a two-burner stove and a remarkably clean privy.

We cooked Cornish game hens, immersed ourselves in the cold water, played river songs— “Proud Mary,” “Down by the River,” “Black Muddy River”—and hooted and hollered like river men late into the night.

Dawn broke gray, threatening more rain, so we packed up after a breakfast of eggs and bacon and runny grits, then paddled upriver to the primitive site where we had planned to camp on Saturday night. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it had a covered, open-air structure beneath which we could store our gear to keep it dry, and then doubly happy when the sun split through the clouds and remained there for the rest of the afternoon.

This lightened up the canoe, and our moods, considerably, and it allowed us to paddle quietly into the still waters of the nearby oxbow lake.

We were looking, on Kennedy’s suggestion, for any of the nine gator broods he said he could call by playing his primitive ostrich-bone flute.

Finding none, we used a cinder block to anchor down for bream fishing, climbed into cypress trees, ate lunch on a stump.

Later that night, by the fire, I read aloud from O’Reilly, who summarized our day: “Boats are for work; canoes are for pleasure. Boats are artificial; canoes are natural. In a boat you are always an oar’s length and gunwale’s height away from Nature. In a canoe you can steal up to her bower and peep into her very bosom.”

SC Life

Stories

Andrew haworth

Last respects

At a friend’s funeral, Doug Graul listened as the mournful notes of “Taps” paid a final tribute to the Army veteran’s passing. What Graul was hearing, he realized, was a recording.

“When I heard the electronic bugle, I thought, ‘Why didn’t I bring my trumpet?’” Graul recalls. “That would have been something very special, to have actually played ‘Taps’ for him.”

Graul remembered reading, years earlier, about an organization called Bugles Across America. The nonprofit was founded in 2000 to honor the service of military veterans by providing, at no charge, a live bugler to play “Taps” at their funerals. With more than 5,500 volunteer buglers nationwide, BAA constantly recruits to meet a massive need—the passing of an estimated half million veterans is anticipated each year for the next seven years.

Right after his friend’s funeral, Graul logged on to BAA’s website to volunteer. He is now one of about 160 S.C. buglers—men and women, of all ages—who accept “missions” to play “Taps” at a funeral when the family of a departed veteran requests a bugler. More are needed, especially for missions in rural areas.

Graul had played trumpet while growing up but tired of it in college. When his son took up cornet in middle school, it inspired him to pick up his own horn again. He often plays hymns on his trumpet for the residents of Agape Senior and practices daily, to ensure that when his next mission comes, he will be prepared to play “Taps” with the dignity and respect due to that veteran.

“I don’t know that we can ever repay the debt of gratitude that we owe them,” says Graul, the son of a WWII Navy veteran. “But I want to do what I can.” —DIANE VETO PARHAM

Doug Graul Age:

48

Lives in:

Irmo

Lutheran minister; facility chaplain, Agape Senior Assisted Living Plays: Trumpet, bugle and hand bells Hobbies: Cycling and teaching yoga.

The body awareness and breath control gained from practicing yoga improve his trumpet playing, he says.

Occupation:

Get More To learn more

about Bugles Across America, visit buglesacrossamerica.org or contact N.C. State Director Glenn Traylor at baancdirector@gmail.com or (919) 280-5905. scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

17

SCChefÕsChoice

BY LIBBY SWOPE WIERSEMA

Holiday eating, five days a week

Photos by Jeff Smith

It’s just past 11 a.m., and a line is

Keeping customers happy at Webster Manor is a family affair.

Daughter Missy White and son William Brown help Ann McDonald (center) keep the lunch buffet stocked with Southern favorites. At right, guests line up for traditional buffet favorites piled high on fine china.

Webster Manor’s cornbread dressing

10 eggs, boiled 5–6 stalks of celery 1 large onion 1 large green pepper 4-quart mix of crumbled corn muffins and bread cubes 1 12-ounce package of herbseasoned cubed stuffing ¼ cup of Louisiana-style hot sauce Turkey stock Salt and pepper to taste

Using a food processor, finely chop eggs and vegetables. Mix muffins, bread cubes and stuffing in a large bowl and add the egg/vegetable mixture. Drizzle with the hot sauce, then moisten with enough turkey stock to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well. Transfer to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 F for about one hour.

18

forming on the porch of Webster Manor, a gray-and-white bungalow that is otherwise indistinguishable from others nestling the tree-lined Mullins Webster Manor neighborhood. Just like 115 E. James St., Mullins grandma’s house, the (843) 464-9632 aromas seeping from facebook.com/webstermanor the open door carry the Hours: Monday–Friday, promise of a hot, hometrays filled with “mama 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. style” meatloaf, pork made lunch cooked Cost: $9 per adult; $5 for chops, beef liver, fish Southern style. children ages 3 to 9. Call for filets and roast beef.

Owner Ann Thanksgiving dinner hours and pricing.

The skinless fried McDonald has been chicken—­succulent making good on that promise since 1986, when she and her and crispy—is on the menu daily due late husband, Kenny, became proprito popular demand, as are cornbread ­fritters fresh from the iron skillet. etors of this bed-and-breakfast and put Okra, peas, turnips, string beans, a sleepy Pee Dee town on the state’s ­buttered potatoes, rutabagas, cabbage, ­culinary map. With the help of her steamed carrots, and mac and cheese children, William Brown and Missy grace the steam tables as well.

White, and a small-but-skilled kitchen For a real taste of the holidays, staff, McDonald still keeps the buffet get in line for Thursday’s baked ham, line flowing smoothly, serving between roasted turkey, giblet gravy and corn200 and 400 hungry folks each weekday. Those numbers swell to nearly bread dressing, a moist, rib-sticking 1,000 on Thanksgiving Day, as pilgrims version that has garnered lots of praise from across the Pee Dee show up for a from Webster Manor patrons. traditional dinner with all the fixings.

“It’s the recipe of one of our cooks, But McDonald doesn’t want you to Frances Nance,” says McDonald. “It’s a wait for November to sit down and give bit different, but everybody likes it. At thanks for your bounty. Every day at Thanksgiving, it’s even more popular, Webster Manor is an occasion to enjoy so we will make it by the pan for a holiday-worthy meal with family and pickup.” friends. A walk through the door gets To finish your meal, there are cobyou a warm greeting and an invitation blers, cakes, pies and banana pudding to help yourself. But this is one bufon the sideboard. The star sweet, howfet that is decidedly unbuffet-like—no ever, is White’s own buttermilk pie, a plastic dishes or glaring lights here. You rich, tangy custard baked up in a flaky will eat from fine china while seated in crust. You won’t waste a crumb. one of Webster Manor’s cozy, Victorian“It’s my intention to make our style dining rooms. There might even lunch guests feel as special as our be live music, should a patron get the overnight guests,” says McDonald. “So urge to tickle the ivories of the parlor’s we really put a lot of love and work old piano. into our cooking. It’s like coming home Depending on the day, there are for the holidays every day.”

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SCTravels

BY Diane veto Parham

Honoring a Greenwood luminary Loy Sartin had driven past the deteriorating

Left and below: Diane Veto Parham

childhood home of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays long before it was transformed into a museum. He’d read the historical marker beside the dilapidated, century-old cabin in Greenwood County’s rural Epworth community and was amazed.

From this humble cabin came one of South Carolina’s most accomplished native sons.

The child born here overcame every obstacle to pursue his dream of education and became the highly respected president of Morehouse College

GetThere The Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site is located at 229 North Hospital St., Greenwood.

HOURS: The museum site is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Tuesdays; 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. Closed on holidays. Open for group tours and other visits by appointment.

ADMISSION: Free DETAILS: (864) 229-8801; mayshousemuseum.org

20

in Atlanta, where he inspired young Martin Luther King Jr.’s dreams. The African-American boy who experienced racial oppression here grew into a powerful orator who spoke boldly for equality among the races and became an advisor to U.S. presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter.

“I couldn’t believe a ­presidential adviser came from that,” says Sartin, now a Mays expert who cares for the restored home as curator of the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site.

In 2004, the rustic, wood cabin Mays grew up in was rescued and moved to Greenwood through the efforts of Palmetto Conservation Foundation and a coalition of community leaders. The three parts of the Mays site—his cabin, an old schoolhouse and a new interpretive center—together tell Mays’ remarkable story.

Benjamin Elijah Mays was born in 1894 to a family of African-American tenant farmers.

Despite humble beginnings, he became a worldrenowned minister and educator, a father of the Civil Rights movement, influencing ­generations of Morehouse men who became

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

MaysHouseMuseum.org

Loy Sartin (above) became fascinated by the story of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays (far right) and is now curator of Greenwood’s historical site honoring Mays.

doctors, judges, ministers and political leaders.

“When you talk to some of his former students, it borders on reverence,” Sartin says.

At his death in 1984, Mays was eulogized by Morehouse alumnus Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook as “prophet, scholar, educator; apostle of social justice, champion of human excellence, author, humanitarian; teacher, voice of the voiceless; ... inspirer, motivator, and transformer of youth.”

Extensive repairs, including a roof replacement, helped ready the Mays house for tours after it was relocated. In 2010, Sartin volunteered to oversee the tasks of furnishing the old house, collecting artifacts and photos for exhibits, and creating a meaningful experience of Mays’ world for busloads of visitors from around the country.

Visitors can stroll through the two-­bedroom cabin, furnished in homespun antiques that mimic Mays’ rural beginnings when he shared this space with nine family members. The backyard, too, depicts a farm family’s life in the early 1900s—wooden outhouse and water well, small cotton patch and vegetable garden, a tire swing, a clothesline, and a steel washtub.

An original, one-room, 19th-­century schoolhouse for African-American children from the Epworth community on site is similar to the one Mays attended. Inside, a woodstove is surrounded by desks and primers for schoolchildren, with assignments written on the chalkboard.

The interpretive center showcases such an impressive array of photos of Mays alongside world leaders and celebrities that “people are just taken aback,” Sartin says. The walls display Mays’ inspirational quotes, excerpts from his autobiography, and an amazing listing of Mays’ three earned degrees plus his 56 honorary doctorates, awarded by institutions across the U.S. and in Africa.

“The most important thing we have is an origi­ nal, reel-to-reel recording of seven of his speeches​ —six sermons and his eulogy for Dr. King,” Sartin says, so visitors can hear Mays’ eloquence firsthand.

“He was a monumental figure in American history,” Sartin says.

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Recipe

BY Belinda Smith-Sullivan

Nothing says summer in South Ca like ripe peaches. rolina their flavor well to They lend sw dishes. For dessert eet or savory lovers, bake up a simple, juicy peach pi lattice crust or a pe e with a pretty ach clafouti with a custard-like batte r th baking. Feeling adve at firms up in nturous? Try the peach soup with a salad for a refreshing lunch.

The pleasures of

peaches PEACH CLAFOUTI SERVES 8

3 medium-sized peaches, ripe but still firm, peeled or unpeeled H cup all-purpose flour N cup sugar H teaspoon baking powder G teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2–3 teaspoons lemon zest 1 tablespoon coarse, finishing sugar Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Christel Lewis / iStock

Preheat oven to 425 F and lightly coat a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Pit peaches, and cut each into 8 slices.

Arrange peach slices in a single layer in the prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, combine milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest, and whisk until very smooth. Add to the dry mixture, and stir until smooth. (This can also be done in the food processor.) Pour mixture on top of peaches, and sprinkle with finishing sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F. Turn oven down to 350 F, and bake an additional 20–25 minutes, until clafouti is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool slightly; dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

W h at Õ s C oo k i n g at

SCLiving.coop

Peaches for supper? Absolutely. Chef Belinda’s peach relish adds a sweet and tangy topping to pan-seared seafood. Get the bonus recipe and learn a quick trick for peeling peaches at

SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda 22

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

PEACH AND PROSCIUTTO SALAD SERVES 4

rojoimages / iStock

4 handfuls of tender salad greens (such as watercress, baby kale or spring mix) 2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 8 slices 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola (or blue cheese) 8 slices of prosciutto, halved and folded 2 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil Freshly ground black pepper Toasted walnut halves for garnish (optional)

EASY PEACH PIE SERVES 8–10

Gina Moore / iStock

2 9-inch pie crusts (your favorite recipe or store bought) 8–10 medium-sized, ripe peaches, peeled and sliced 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1H teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 3–4 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons sugar, optional

Divide the salad greens among 4 plates. Top each plate with evenly divided peach slices, cheese and prosciutto. Drizzle vinegar over the top, followed by the olive oil. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with toasted nuts.

CHILLED PEACH SOUP SERVES 4

Christel Lewis / iStock

3 large peaches, peeled, halved, pitted 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 H tablespoons honey 1 H cups fresh orange juice H teaspoon ground cardamom (or allspice or cinnamon) G teaspoon sea salt 1 –2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice G cup sour cream (optional) H vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional) Fresh peach slices for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss peaches, sugar, and honey in a large bowl. Place peaches, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast peaches 15 minutes; turn over and bake until tender and juices begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes longer. Scrape peaches and pan juices into food processor and let cool; blend until smooth. Add orange juice, cardamom and salt; continue blending until smooth. Transfer soup to a medium bowl; season to taste with lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

To serve soup with vanilla-flavored sour cream: Place sour cream in small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and mix well. Ladle soup into 4 bowls; top with a dollop of vanilla-flavored sour cream. Garnish with fresh peach slices.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place one pie crust in a 9-inch, round baking dish, covering the bottom and sides. Cut away any excess. Cover crust with parchment paper and secure with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove paper and weights. Let cool. Using a paring knife or pizza cutter, cut the second pie crust into strips that are ¾ to 1 inch wide.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Add to peaches, and combine well. Pour peaches into cooled pie shell; dot with 3–4 tablespoons of butter on top.

Weave the pie-crust strips in a lattice design (or lay them crosswise) over the peaches. Be sure to secure the ends of the lattice strips to the bottom crust. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake 45–60 minutes or until golden brown.

scliving.coop | July 2015 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

23

SCGardener

BY S. CORY TANNER

Garden like a local with native plants It’s so easy to overlook what is

is an area horticulture agent for Clemson Extension based in Greenville County. Contact him at shannt@clemson.edu.

S. CORY TANNER

Get More Find out more about native S.C. plants at these sites: South Carolina Native Plant Society – scnps.org Carolina Yards Plant Database – clemson.edu/extension/ natural_resources/water/carolina_yards/plants/cymap.html Find Native Plants – findnativeplants.com/south/south-carolina-native-plants 24

Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is an eye-

catching woodland wildflower. Its 2-inch-long, tubular, red flowers bloom profusely in early summer on plants that grow between 1 and 2 feet tall. A clump-forming perennial, it grows in full sun but will benefit from afternoon shade in hotter locales. It grows surprisingly well in average soils, as long as they are well drained, but enrich the soil with organic matter (compost) for this plant to really shine.

Once established, Indian pink is quite drought tolerant and has no serious pest or disease problems. Plant Indian pink en masse near the front of a perennial border for the best visual effect. A large grouping of these native blooms creates a striking display that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds.

False indigo (Baptisia spp.) is a perennial with

several species that are native to South Carolina and differ by flower color. White, blue and yellow false indigos are the most common, but plant breeders have recently created hybrids in more varied colors.

The seedpods that remain on some varieties after the pea-like blooms have dropped add interest in the garden throughout the season.

Not only do false indigos have an attractive form, blue-green foliage and impressive flower spikes, they are incredibly tough and long-lived. They prefer deep, rich soils but tolerate very poor soils as well. They’re drought tolerant but resent being transplanted, so leave them be once they’ve put down roots. Full sun is needed for best performance, although white false indigo has moderate shade tolerance. Few pests bother these plants, but voles enjoy munching on their roots (as I know from personal experience).

American beauty­berry (Callicarpa americana) is worth attention if you’re looking for a shrub.

Beauty­berry plants are mounding, with arching stems, and somewhat irregular in outline. They fit perfectly into a naturalistic landscape.

The main appeal of this native is its fall fruiting display. Large clusters of violet berries, each a little larger than a BB, completely encircle the stems, standing out against the medium-green foliage. ­Berries typically remain until well after the leaves turn yellow and drop in the fall. Birds will eat the berries in late fall and winter.

Beautyberries are deciduous shrubs, perfect for woodland edges or mass plantings in a large space. They do best in shaded areas that get partial sun and in moist, well-drained soil. They grow to about 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. If spaced adequately when planting, they’ll need minimal maintenance pruning. If pruning is needed, wait until late winter to avoid pruning off attractive flowers or berries.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Top Photo of False Indigo by Le Do; Others by S. Cory Tanner

right under our noses. South Carolina has terrific native plants, many of which are highly sought after in other parts of the world. But here, they are often passed over in favor of the more exotic.

With the trend toward more sustainable landscaping, native plants are gaining popularity. They are, after all, adapted to our regional growing conditions. At right are three lesser-known S.C. natives that do well in gardens across the state.

Where can you find these and other native plants? Start with your local garden centers. You might be surprised at how many natives they sell. If they don’t offer these plants, ask whether they would stock them.

You can also check with your regional chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society or Clemson Extension’s Carolina Yards Plant Database to discover other native plants for your garden.

Local native plant organizations, Master Gardener associations and botanical gardens often host plant sales where you can find rare or unusual native plants. Finally, nurseries that specialize in native plants, including a few in South Carolina, may sell plants via mail order or online.

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27

Calendar of Events

UPSTATE

8 • Music on the Mountain, Table Rock State Park, Pickens. (864) 878-9813.

15 • Edouard Michelin Memorial 5K, Michelin Conference Center, Greenville. (864) 458-4374.

15 • Rolling Waterwheel Gospel Jubilee, Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife Center, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

23 • “Snapshots of the Past: Carolina Marsh Tacky Horses,” Historic Brattonsville, 10–19 • South Carolina Peach McConnells. (803) 684-2327.

Festival, multiple locations, 25 • BBQ Cook Off in Gaffney. (864) 489-5721. the Campground, Kings 18 • Banjo Extravaganza with Mountain State Park, Charles Wood, Hagood Mill Blacksburg. (803) 222-3209.

Historic Site & Folklife Center, 25 • Kite Outing, Lower Savannah Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

River Alliance Educational Center, 18 • Militia Day, Walnut Grove Allendale. (803) 584-4207.

Plantation, Roebuck. (864) 576-6546. ONGOING 29 • James Taylor, Colonial Life Tuesdays through Saturdays, 18–19 • Jaegers Korps, Kings Arena, Columbia. (803) 576-9053. through Aug. 20 • “Ancient Forms, Mountain National Military Park, 30–Aug. 1 • Friends of the Modern Minds: Contemporary Blacksburg. (864) 936-7921.

York County Library Book Cherokee Ceramics,” Pickens 19 • Independencia de Sale, First Associate Reformed County Museum of Art & History, Colombia, Greenville-Pickens Presbyterian Church gym, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

Speedway, Easley. (864) 371-2232.

Rock Hill. (803) 981-5837.

Tuesdays through Sundays, 24–25 • Carolina Farm Festival, 31–Aug. 9 • “Miss Nelson is through Sept. 27 • “Wolves and downtown, Chesnee. (864) 590-2141. Wild Lands,” Museum of York Missing,” Fort Mill Community Playhouse, Fort Mill. (803) 548-8102.

County, Rock Hill. (803) 329-2121.

24–25, 30–Aug. 1 • “Rocky Horror Show,” Chapman Cultural Tuesdays through Sundays, AUGUST Center, Spartanburg. (864) 542-2787. through Nov. 1 • “Spartanburg’s 1 • Exploring the Greenway Music History,” Spartanburg 25 • Animal Signs Scavenger Guided Hike, Anne Springs Close Regional History Museum, Hunt, Paris Mountain State Park, Greenway Adventure Center, Spartanburg. (864) 596-3501.

Greenville. (864) 244-5565.

Fort Mill. (803) 547-4575.

Wednesdays through 25 • Earth Skills: Introduction 4 • Family Kayak Program, August • South Carolina to Procuring Food and Water, Nivens Creek Landing at Lake Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife BLUE Reedy River Concerts, Wylie, Tega Cay. (803) 325-2500.

Peace Center Amphitheatre, Center, Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

5–9 • National Bikers Greenville. (864) 467-3000.

25 • Main Street Woodruff Roundup, Darlington Dragway, Second Wednesdays through Block Party, downtown, Hartsville. (803) 392-8214.

October • Yappy Hour, NOMA Woodruff. (864) 476-2133.

6 • 4-H Garden at the Square, Greenville. (864) 235-1234.

25 • Young Appalachian Fairgrounds, Orangeburg Second Thursdays through Musicians, Amphitheater, Historic County Fairground, Orangeburg.

December • Spoken Word Pickens. (864) 878-6421.

(803) 534-6280.

Experience, Callie and John 26 • Antique Bikes on Main, 7 • Brew at the Zoo, Rainey Conference Room at downtown, Chesnee. (864) 590-2141. Chapman Cultural Center, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia. (803) 779-8717.

28–Aug. 4 • Big League Spartanburg. (864) 542-2787.

Baseball World Series, J.B. 7 • Broughton Street Block Sundays • Sundays Unplugged, Red Owens Sports Complex, Party, Broughton Street, Chapman Cultural Center, Easley. (864) 855-7933.

Orangeburg. (800) 545-6153.

Spartanburg. (864) 542-2787.

8 • VVA Annual LZ 960 Benefit AUGUST Poker Run, Lakevue Landing, Lake 1 • Summer Cruise-In and MIDLANDS Marion, Manning. (803) 478-4300.

Music on Main, West Main JULY Street, Pickens. (864) 878-2296.

8 • Springdale 5K at Sunrise, 15 • Incredible Edible Science, Springdale Race Course, 3–7 • Master Artists Summer Clemson University Extension, Camden. (803) 600-1800.

Camp, Spartanburg Art Museum, Orangeburg. (803) 534-6280.

Spartanburg. (864) 582-7616.

8 • Stars Under the Stars 18 • Bump, Baby & Kidz Expo, Movie Night, Lake Warren State 4–9 • Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Trenholm Park Gymnasium, Park, Hampton. (803) 943-5051.

“Cinderella,” Peace Center, Columbia. (803) 381-7733.

Greenville. (864) 467-3000.

13–31 • Summer Fun Arts & 18 • Palmetto Tasty Tomato Sciences Camp, multiple locations, 5 • Summer in the ’60s: Festival, City Roots Farm, Lancaster County. (803) 285-7451.

Counter Culture, Barrett Room at Columbia. (803) 254-2302.

Spartanburg County Public Library, 15 • Palmetto Peanut Boil, Publick 18 • SouthEast Crab Spartanburg. (864) 596-3500.

House, Columbia. (704) 649-5358.

Feast, Saluda Shoals Park, 8 • Book It! 5K and Kids Fun ONGOING Columbia. (980) 202-1142.

Run, Oconee County Public Library, Daily through Aug. 23 • “Finding 18–19 • Repticon Columbia Walhalla. (864) 508-0600.

Freedom’s Home: Archaeology at Reptile & Exotic Animal 8 • Frontier Encampment, Mitchelville,” South Carolina State Show, Jamil Temple, Oconee Station State Historic Museum, Columbia. (803) 898-4921.

Columbia. (863) 268-4273.

Site, Walhalla. (864) 638-0079.

Daily through Sept. 20 • “The 21–26 • USA Cycling Masters 8 • Growing and Blending Adventures of Mr. Potato Head,” Track National Championships, Your Own Tea, Hagood Mill EdVenture Children’s Museum, Giordana Velodrome, Rock Historic Site & Folklife Center, Columbia. (803) 779-3100.

Hill. (803) 326-2453.

Pickens. (864) 898-5963.

JULY

28

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Don Gossett

Go to SCLiving.coop for more information and for guidelines on submitting your event. Please confirm information before attending events.

“ Wolves and Wild Lands,” an exhibit that addresses the ecological value and economical challenge of wolf preservation efforts, is at the Museum of York County in Rock Hill through Sept. 27.

Daily through Feb. 7, 2016 • “Carolina Makers,” South Carolina State Museum, Columbia. (803) 898-4921.

Mondays through August • Hopelands Summer Concert Series, Hopelands Gardens, Aiken. (803) 642-7650.

Second Mondays • Family Climb Nights, Northside Recreation Center, Rock Hill. (803) 329-5633.

Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 14 • KinderCamp and Wild Weeks, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia. (803) 779-8717.

Tuesdays through Sundays, through Aug. 30 • “Art & Imagination in Children’s Literature,” Museum of York County, Rock Hill. (803) 329-2121.

Tuesdays through Oct. 20 • Clover Farmers Market, Clover Community Center, Clover. (803) 222-9495.

First Thursdays • First Thursdays on Main Street, 1200–1700 blocks on Main Street, Columbia. (803) 988-1065.

Third Thursdays • Vista Nights, The Vista, Columbia. (803) 269-5946.

First Fridays • First Friday Fort Mill, Walter Elisha Park, Fort Mill. (803) 547-5900.

Third Fridays through Sept. 18 • Food Truck Fridays, Fountain Park in Old Town, Rock Hill. (803) 329-8756.

Fourth Fridays • 4th Fridays on Main, downtown, Sumter. (803) 436-2500.

Fridays through mid-August • Carolina Show Ski Team, Windjammer Beach Park, Tega Cay. (803) 431-3920.

LOWCOUNTRY JULY

13–17 and 20–24 • Summer Camp for Kids, Legare Farms, Charleston. (843) 559-0788.

14–19 • Junior SOS, Ocean Drive Beach and Golf Resort, North Myrtle Beach. (919) 682-4266.

16 • Super Awesome Family Game Time, Chapin Memorial Library, Myrtle Beach. (843) 918-1275.

16–17 • Sunset Party, Oyster Factory Park, Bluffton. (843) 706-4500.

17–18 • Pageland Watermelon Festival, downtown, Pageland. (843) 672-6400.

17–26 • Beaufort Water Festival, multiple locations, Beaufort area. (843) 524-0600.

24 • Movies under the Stars, Valor Park at The Market Common, Myrtle Beach. (843) 839-3500.

25 • Isle of Palms 5K/10K Run or 5K Walk, Windjammer, Isle of Palms. (843) 886-8294.

25–Aug. 1 • Charleston Pride Festival, Brittlebank Park, Charleston. (843) 410-9924.

31 • American Red Cross Classic at The Common, Valor Park at The Market Common, Myrtle Beach. (843) 477-0020.

31 • Native American Heritage, Hobcaw Barony, Georgetown. (843) 546-4623.

31–Aug. 2 • Craftsmen’s Classic Art & Craft Festival, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach. (336) 282-5550.

31–Aug. 2 • Pee Dee Deer Classic, Florence Civic Center, Florence. (843) 679-4525.

AUGUST

3 • Butterfly Discovery, Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island. (843) 689-6767, ext. 223.

3 • Fishing Camp for Kids, Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island. (843) 689-6767, ext. 223.

3–7 and 10–14 • Aquatic Adventures Camp, Lynches River County Park, Coward.

(843) 389-0550.

5 • Crab Trap Tales with Lee Brockington, Hobcaw Barony, Georgetown. (843) 546-4623.

6–8 and 13–15 • Children’s Activity Days, Wall Lowcountry Center Learning Lab at Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet. (843) 235-6000.

7 • Fireworks, Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach. (843) 444-3200.

7 • Sea Turtle Patrol, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

8 • Mid-Summer Fair and Barbecue, Sun Coast Christian Church, Myrtle Beach. (843) 444-0731.

11 • Davis, Johnson and the Equinox Quintet, Palmetto Bluff Village Green, Bluffton. (843) 757-3673.

14 • Nature’s Nasties, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

15 • Whole Lotta Shakin’ Oldies Music Fest, La Belle Amie Vineyard, Little River. (843) 399-9463.

ONGOING

Nightly through Sept. 5 • Hot Summer Nights, Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, Myrtle Beach. (843) 626-7444.

Mondays • Coastal Kayaking, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (843) 235-8755.

Tuesdays through Aug. 18 • Sharks! Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

Tuesdays through Saturdays, through November • “Henrietta, the Largest Wooden Sailing Ship Ever Built in South Carolina,” Horry County Museum, Conway. (843) 915-5320.

Tuesdays through Sundays • Guided tours, McLeod Plantation Historic Site, James Island. (843) 762-2172.

Tuesdays through Sundays, through Sept. 29 • “Before I Die” Interactive Art Project, S.B. Chapin-F.B. Burroughs Art Museum, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-2510.

Wednesdays through Aug. 26 • The Urban Sea Turtle, Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 238-0874.

Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays • Myrtle’s Market, Myrtle Beach. (843) 918-4906.

Third Thursdays through August • Third Thursdays Concert, Cheraw Community Center, Cheraw. (843) 537-8421.

Fridays • Party at the Point, Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Mount Pleasant. (843) 452-5639.

SCHumorMe

By Jan A. Igoe

Faster than a speeding fruit fly We already know that the female

brain magnifies spiders at least 25 times their actual size, so if any of those eight-legged creepers had attacked my kitchen, I probably wouldn’t be here to warn you about the fruit flies.

But we got lucky.

Until now, my fruit fly battles have been pretty one-sided. If a fly or three hitched a ride in on a banana, I’d just escort the fruit outside and the wildlife usually went with it. Game over. I could win with my opposable thumbs tied behind my back.

But those were yesterday’s fruit flies.

The ones that landed in my kitchen via cantaloupe last week are impervious to bug swatters, bleach and tiki torches.

(I smashed, sprayed and brandished all of the above.) These new flies reproduce at the speed of light and travel in swarms reminiscent of locust plagues.

Minutes after the melon arrived, you couldn’t see the fridge through the flies. Gazillions of hovering dots obscured the windows and counters.

I always knew that buying a house with a kitchen would come back to haunt me.

Outnumbered, I ran to Google for advice. The first site said fruit flies love wine. Good! They came to the right place. I poured the little beasts some Pinot Grigio and Cabernet, not knowing if they preferred white or 30

red. Then I went back to Google to find out why I did that.

If I’d read past the second sentence, I’d have known that the flies want

rotting fruit served with their wine.

And they need paper-towel funnels to lead them to it. I ran back to the kitchen to construct my traps and chop up the guilty melon. But nothing seemed to affect the flies.

I tried every remedy the Internet had to offer. I opened the kitchen windows, cranked up the oven exhaust fan and filled every bowl I owned with raw, unfiltered vinegar and a drop of dish soap. That’s supposed to make the flies sink. Otherwise, they just surf around and laugh at you.

The next morning, it seemed like the fruit-fly population had doubled.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | July 2015 | scliving.coop

Not surprising, considering all the wine they drank.

A friend who’d grown tired of me moaning about the bug ­invasion showed up with some flypaper—those ugly, twirly things you unwind and hang up like sticky stalactites.

Some idiot could easily get stuck to it right along with the bugs.

“It looks like you’re performing some sort of exorcism,” she said, surveying the bowls of vinegar and wine, funnels and dead fruit adorning the kitchen.

“Did you try vacuuming them up?”

“Of course, but they just teleport out of the way,” I said. “All I got was my curtains.”

Insects are tough.

When my neighbor found an ant colony in her microwave, she nuked them. But she swears the ants just walked out after two minutes like they enjoyed the sauna.

After a weeklong battle, the fruit flies’ superior air power proved too much for my crude weaponry, so I reluctantly summoned a professional exterminator. He’s not cheap, but he’ll get the flypaper out of my hair at no extra charge.

Jan a. igoe would much rather lose to a respectable bug—say, a Hercules beetle that can lift 850 times its weight​—instead of a wimpy fly you can’t see without bifocals. Share your adventures in exterminating at HumorMe@SCLiving.coop.

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