South Carolina Living - September 2014 by South Carolina Living

FALL & WINTER TRAVEL GUIDE

JAMMIN’ ON

Change out

BLUEGRASS In search of the best S.C. picking parlors

SC G A R D E N E R

Putting your lawn to bed SEPTEMBER 2014

HUMOR ME

Weird science

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THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS Vol. 68 • No. 9 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) Read in more than 470,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033

September 2014 • Volume 68, Number 9

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

Fall winte&r Travel Guide

EDITOR

Keith Phillips ASSISTANT EDITOR

Diane Veto Parham FIELD EDITOR

Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Pam Martin

ART DIRECTOR

Sharri Harris Wolfgang DESIGNER

Susan Collins PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman Van O’Cain COPY EDITOR

Susan Scott Soyars

21 The great bluegrass road trip Guitar in hand, one man travels the state in search of South Carolina’s musical soul.

Jonathan Sharpe

WEB EDITOR

FEATURE

Contributors

Becky Billingsley, Mike Couick, Jim Dulley, Hastings Hensel, Carrie Hirsch, Jan A. Igoe, Charles Joyner, S. Cory Tanner

4 CO-OP CONNECTION

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. © COPYRIGHT 201 4. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

6 ON THE AGENDA

Start making plans now for the South Carolina State Fair. Plus: WIRE announces two new scholarship winners.

POWER USER Call to action

8 Keep power bills low

Time is running out. Join your local electric cooperative’s campaign to keep electricity affordable and reliable. ENERGY Q&A

10 Give your electric water

heater an efficiency boost A few simple upgrades and adjustments will keep you in hot water without raising your utility bills. SMART CHOICE

12 The grownups’ table

Have a little fun in the kitchen with our assortment of countertop culinary toys.

SC LIFE STORIES

14 The zoo sweeper

Jack Bonturi, 94 years young, isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens.

RECIPE

16 A harvest of apple flavor

Apple cider punch Apple, mint and jicama slaw Chipotle pork chops with caramelized cinnamon apples Eliza’s apple pound cake GARDENER

18 Putting your lawn

to bed for winter

A little TLC this fall will help your lawn emerge green and healthy come spring. CHEF’S CHOICE

20 Family traditions

The menu hasn’t changed much since Lee’s Inlet Kitchen opened its doors in 1948—and legions of seafood fanatics wouldn’t have it any other way.

FALL & WINTER TRAVEL GUIDE

HUMOR ME

38 Scientists go where

JAMMIN’ ON

BLUEGRASS

screwballs fear to tread

Printed on recycled paper

Matt Sil fer

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. SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

Cooperative news

In search of the best S.C. picking parlors

Jan A. Igoe delves into the weird science that’s giving us perkier hamsters and happier clams.

SC G A R D E N E R

Putting your lawn to bed

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

SEPTEMBER 2014

HUMOR ME

34 MARKETPLACE 36 SC EVENTS

Weird science

David Brown gets caught up in the music at Guy and Tina’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor. Photo by Mic Smith.

On the Agenda For a listing p m co lete s, see of Event 6 page 3

Highlights

September 20

Lt. Dan Weekend 5

Actor Gary Sinise dramatized the struggles of a wounded war vet as Lieutenant Dan in the film “Forrest Gump” 20 years ago. Now he and his Lt. Dan Band perform to raise funds for therapies and equipment for severely injured veterans. In its fifth year, the popular LDW concert moves to a larger venue, North Charleston Coliseum. The weekend’s 5K run and Military Health and Wellness Expo are also open to the public. Proceeds benefit The Independence Fund. For details, visit ldw4.org or independencefund.org or call (843) 822-3802.

October 3–5

Festifall at Walnut Grove Plantation

Once it was simply home to Charles and Mary Moore, their 10 children and the slaves who worked their farm. But in 1781, Walnut Grove Plantation in Roebuck was the site of a bloody skirmish, when Loyalists led by William Cunningham raided the plantation and killed Patriot soldiers sheltering there. Relive the battle, meet 200 reenactors portraying soldiers and settlers, tour the grounds by lantern light and learn colonial-era trades, crafts and games. For details, visit spartanburghistory.org or call (864) 576-6546.

TOP PICK FOR KIDS

October 8–19

South Carolina State Fair

Think pink at this year’s fair. Your favorite rides, carnival games, barn animals and grandstand concerts return to Columbia, but a pink hue hovers over all as the State Fair helps raise awareness of breast cancer. Look for special events—including a record-setting attempt at a human pink ribbon—and giveaways themed to pink. Download the S.C. State Fair app to stay updated on special freebies and daily events. For details, visit scstatefair.org or call (803) 799-3387.

September 26–28

Raylrode Daze Festivul

Kids got a hankerin’ for the romance of working on the railroad? Let ’em try a hand at spike driving at this festival celebrating Branchville’s historic railroad junction. Old West entertainment features staged gunfights, cancan girls and kangaroo courts, plus carnival rides and street dances. For details, visit raylrodedazefestivul.com or call (803) 274-8831.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

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

WIRE awards two scholarships

O n ly o n

GONE FISHIN’ 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 PM AM PM Minor Major Minor Major Minor Major Minor Major

September

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

OCTober

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

2:52 3:37 4:07 4:37 11:22 11:52 12:37 6:37 7:07 7:22 7:52 8:22 8:37 1:22 2:52 3:22

Bonus Articles

What’s cooking. Visit SCLiving.coop for the first installment of our new web- exclusive column, “Cooking with Chef Belinda.” A member of Aiken Electric Cooperative, professional chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shares her favorite apple recipes and best cooking tips.

Left and below: Jonathan Sharpe

Katherine Farrell of Camden is grateful for divine intervention and a WIRE scholarship that will allow her to complete her college degree this fall. “This was great news,” Farrell says of being named one of two winners of the 2014 WIRE Jenny Ballard Opportunity Scholarships. “I was so upset that I wasn’t going to be able to finish school.” The one-time $2,500 scholarship will help Farrell earn her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Liberty University. A single mom and full-time employee with child services for the S.C. Department of Social Services, Farrell is a Lynches River Electric Cooperative member who has been taking classes online every semester since 2009 to reach her dream of becoming a teacher. With only three classes left, Farrell had run out of financial aid and was out of funds until, she says, the hand of God steered her to the WIRE scholarship opportunity. Katherine Farrell WIRE (Women Involved in Rural Electrification, a community service organization affiliated with the electric cooperatives in South Carolina) awards scholarships each year to women who may not have been able to attend college after high school but now want to further their education. Awards are based on financial need and personal goals. Also receiving a 2014 WIRE scholarship is Summer Summer Brown Brown of Fountain Inn, a member of Laurens Electric Cooperative. Brown is a working mom and sole breadwinner for her family. She applied for the WIRE scholarship after reading about it in South Carolina Living. Brown now expects to complete her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Wesleyan University in September 2015. “I’m hoping the degree opens up more opportunities to be able to provide for my family,” Brown says. —Diane Veto Parham

SCLiving.coop

The Carolina bluegrass all-stars. Meet fiddler Carley Arrowood and some of the other top bluegrass musicians writer Hastings Hensel encountered on his road trip across the state.

Bonus video

Pure picking. Take in the sights and sounds of bluegrass jams from the Lowcountry to the Upstate in our exclusive video.

Interactive Features

Share your bluegrass experience. Visit SCLiving.coop to tell us about your favorite S.C. bluegrass parlor.

Reader Reply Contest

Win a $100 gift card!.Use the online entry form to register for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card in our Reader Reply Travel Drawing. Deadline for entries is Sept. 30, 2014.

S.C.RAMBLE! By Charles Joyner, See Answer ON Page 35

Unscrambl’t!

More than 600,000 people visit Orangeburg each year to explore 175 acres of city-maintained land better known as ______ ________ _______ i e b n u c a i a c s b t m l t s e i r n Use the capital letters in the code key below to fill in the blanks above. T S R O NM L I G D u n s c r a m b l e

E A means i t

scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

Don’t let D.C. bureaucrats raise your power bill! Join the campaign to keep your electricity affordable and reliable The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to issue power plant regulations designed to reduce carbon‑dioxide emissions, but the proposed rules are built on flawed assumptions. If adopted, these policies will significantly increase your power bills. Join your local electric cooperative and tell the EPA to let South Carolina design our own carbon-dioxide reduction strategies—and keep power bills affordable in the process. Please do it today. The EPA comment period ends Oct. 16, 2014.

u Go to sc.tellepa.com and join our online petition u Fill out and mail this postage-paid card

Take action now at What’s wrong with the EPA’s proposed regulations? South Carolina has been tasked with achieving the highest level of CO2 emission intensity improvement in the nation. As written, the EPA regulations demand South Carolina utilities improve the intensity of carbon-dioxide emissions 51 percent by 2030. This target is based on four flawed assumptions that ignore the reality of our state’s energy supply. South Carolina’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives are committed to communicating the truth about these policies to EPA officials before it’s too late.

Nuclear power. While the EPA encourages states to build new nuclear power plants in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the proposed rules do not allow the two nuclear generating units currently under construction in South Carolina to effectively count toward compliance. The process of building these new generating units began a decade ago with the specific goal of reducing the state’s carbon footprint. These plants alone could account for more than half of our reduction target, but following the EPA’s logic, South Carolina electricity consumers will be penalized for proactively investing billions to reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions. Our message to the EPA is a plea for common sense: Amend the regulations and recognize the very real CO2 abatement provided by the nuclear plants already under construction. Natural gas. The EPA assumes that states will build new natural gas-fueled power plants as an alternative to coal-fired plants. While natural gas plants emit half the carbon dioxide

sc.tellepa.com

of coal plants, they are impractical for South Carolina. The two natural gas pipelines that serve the state are already fully subscribed. Our best estimates tell us that the process of siting, permitting, financing and constructing the necessary pipelines and new natural gas power plants simply can’t happen by the 2020 initial implementation deadline set by the EPA.

Renewables. South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have been

pioneers in building renewable energy sources, including the 27-acre Colleton Solar Farm, which began feeding electricity into the grid last December. Our experience with the state’s largest solar plant demonstrates the limits of solar as a reliable source of electricity. There’s just no escaping the fact that the sun doesn’t always shine when we need it. We believe solar and other renewable sources will have a place in our energy future, but only when effective storage systems are fully developed. Until then, our issue with this EPA mandate is that it forces adoption of large-scale renewables before they are ready.

Efficiency. South Carolina’s electric cooperatives also have been national leaders on whole-house efficiency programs. By boosting the energy efficiency of homes and businesses we can lower demand for electricity and generate less carbon dioxide. We believe in the power of efficiency but were disappointed to find the EPA regulations call for unrealistic levels of savings. By our best estimates, even the most aggressive efficiency programs will achieve only half of what the EPA demands.

EnergyQ&A

BY jim Dulley

Give your electric water heater an efficiency boost

Q A

My 80-gallon electric water heater is getting old, but it doesn’t leak. Are there things I can do to help it operate more efficiently?

If hot water from the faucet is so hot that you have to mix in a lot of cold to tolerate it, turn down the tank’s temperature setting. lation wrap kit. Available from home improvement stores for about $20, these kits are easy to install. Get one with an insulating value of at least R-10. It’s okay if the insulation wrap doesn’t reach all the way to the bottom of the tank, because most heat loss comes from the upper part of the tank. You can make your own tank wrap from rolls of fiberglass wall insulation 10

Tubular foam insulation placed over water pipes immediately above the water heater helps minimize energy-robbing currents.

—just be sure to wear gloves, a breathing mask and appropriate eye protection. Wrap the rolls around the tank, with the vapor barrier facing to the outside. A layer of reflective radiant barrier over the insulation also helps stop heat loss. Tape and seal the joints where the insulation on top meets the sides to create an airtight barrier. Heat can also be lost through the tank’s piping. Feel the temperature of the hot-water outlet pipes. If they are fairly warm, it means hot water is circulating upward and cooling off. This is another form of standby loss that you can combat by installing tubular foam insulation on the first 4 to 6 inches of the exposed pipes. Available at home improvement stores, this type of insulation is split on one side, making it easy to install over the pipes. Draining the tank at least once a year helps improve efficiency. Drain a gallon of water from the drain valve at the bottom of the tank to flush out

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

This tall, 80-gallon electric water heater is first wrapped with fiberglass insulation and then with construction foil to block radiant heat loss.

sediment that collects there, insulating water from the heating element. This is more important to do with a gas water heater, but it also helps some on an electric one. Adjusting the water temperature is another way to improve efficiency— just be sure to turn off electricity to the water heater before changing any settings. Check the temperature of the hot water at a faucet where you use the most hot water. If you keep it so hot that you have to mix much cold with it to tolerate the temperature, it is too hot. Most experts recommend a setting of 115 to 120 degrees F, but you may be able to get away with a lower setting. I keep my water heater set at 110 F. Send questions to Energy Q&A, South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033, email energyqa@scliving.coop or fax (803) 739-3041.

Photos by James Dulley

An electric water heater is a simple device. It is basically a big, insulated tank of water with an upper and a lower resistance- heating element. The lower element heats cold water that enters the bottom of the tank; the upper one comes on to ensure a heated supply of water at the top of the tank, where hot water is released. Even when you do not use any hot water, the lower element will cycle on at times to make up the heat lost through the tank walls. This standby loss can be significant, as most older units have a very thin layer of fiberglass insulation between the glass-lined metal tank and its external skin. Place a hand against the waterheater tank, near or on the top. If it feels warm, it is losing heat and is therefore a good candidate for an insu-

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scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SmartChoice

By Becky BILLINGSLEY

The grownups’ table HEALTHY CHOICE

OUTSIDE IN

UNDER PRESSURE Ease the pressure of dinner prep with a digital GoWISE USA Electric Programmable Pressure Cooker. In addition to quickly cooking succulent meats, the multifunction 4-quart model can also be used as a rice cooker, slow cooker, soup pot and veggie steamer. $120. (888) 237-8289; bestbuy.com. UNFRIED TURKEY Forget the oil—you can fry a crispy-on-theoutside, moist-on-theinside, 18-pound turkey using radiant heat with the Butterball Oil-Free Electric Turkey Fryer. It includes a woodchip tray for smoky flavoring and an easy-to-clean drip tray. $100. (800) 227-7776; basspro.com.

COOL OVENS TURN IT AROUND Create mouth-watering, spit-roasted entrees in a Hamilton Beach Countertop Oven with convection and rotisserie features. It uses about half the electricity as a conventional oven to roast pork, broil salmon or bake cookies, cakes, pizzas and casseroles. $130. (800) 851-8900; hamiltonbeach.com. 12

Have a little more fun playing in the kit chen with an assortment of big kids’ countertop culinary toys.

BACK TO BASICS COMPACT COOKING When the weather won’t let you grill out, plug in the Zojirushi EB-CC15TA Indoor Electric Grill to get those grilled flavors quickly and safely on your countertop. The nonstick, variable-heat surface goes up to 410 F, and the drip tray cleans up in the dishwasher. $76. (877) 929-3247; wayfair.com. FULL KITCHEN PRESS Crispy grilled sandwiches are ready in minutes in a West Bend 6113 Grill & Panini Press. The nonstick, ribbed surfaces grill tops and bottoms of sandwiches or meats at the same time. Leave the top up to use it as a tabletop grill. $50. (866) 290-1851; westbend.com.

TWICE AS NICE Want the speed of a microwave and the baking features of a conventional oven? The LG Microwave with Baking Oven combines both in a cool countertop appliance with a 1,400-watt baking drawer that produces crispy pizzas, chewy cookies and fluffy biscuits without turning on “the big oven.” $220. (800) 243-0000; lg.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

MICROVECTION It makes popcorn, heats leftovers and cooks anything you’d typically microwave, but the GE Profile Series Convection/Microwave Oven can also bake breads and roast juicy meats. Sensors automatically adjust time and power for best results. $629. (800) 466-3337; homedepot.com.

DIGITAL DRYING In a matter of hours, you can preserve garden produce and herbs or make jerky and fruit leather in a digital Nesco FD-77DT Top Mounted Dehydrator. Hot air flows through an exterior pressurized chamber, drying food evenly and quickly, with no need to rotate trays. $100. (800) 288-4545; nesco.com. MILLWORK Craving the flavor and health benefits you can get from grinding whole grains at home? The Nutrimill from L’Equip can mill up to 20 cups of grain such as wheat, rice, popcorn or quinoa into flour in just minutes. $290. (801) 383-1920; lequip.com.

SMART OVEN What if your oven did the thinking for you—and sped up cooking time by as much as 30 percent? The 1,800-watt Breville BOV800XL countertop convection oven has nine preset functions ready to make cookies, bake pizza and broil meats, plus it remembers your preferences for next time. $250. (866) 273-8455; brevilleusa.com.

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SC Life

SCStories

The zoo sweeper

Milton Morris

Jack Bonturi’s first job, at age 13, earned him $5 a week for 48 hours of work. Eighty-one years later, Bonturi is still working, as hard as he can. But now it’s 10 to 12 hours a week, and he does it for free. “They offered me a golf cart, but I turned it down,” Bonturi says of the folks at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, where he has volunteered for 32 years. He’d rather stretch his legs with a good walk. Three days a week, rain or shine, Bonturi arrives at the zoo at 7:30 a.m. and strolls to a hay-filled equipment shed he calls his “office.” He pulls on rubber work boots and is ready promptly at 8 to start scrubbing out the barns behind the kangaroos, howler monkeys and lemurs. He came looking for volunteer work at the zoo right after he retired. “Physical labor, that’s what I wanted to do,” the MidCarolina Electric Cooperative member says. “They said, ‘We’ll give you a tryout, and we’ll let you know’—I’m still waiting to hear!” he says with a wink and a sly smile. Proudly, Bonturi recalls that in his younger days—in his 60s—he handled bigger chores, like cleaning up after the elephants. The big animals—rhinos, giraffes, hippos—are still his favorites. With a work ethic born in the Depression, Bonturi has rarely missed a day; he doesn’t want someone else to have to do his work. “If I can do it, I’m going to do it. They do depend a little on me.” Plus, all the young people at the zoo keep him thinking young. “If I was around all those old fogies, they’d be telling me their ailments,” he says. —DIANE VETO PARHAM

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

Jack Bonturi AGE:

Native New Yorker; moved to Columbia after WWII CAREER: Retired in 1982 from the screen-printing business STAR STATUS: Oldest and longestserving volunteer at Riverbanks Zoo, volunteering at least 500 hours a year HOMETOWN:

WHEN HE’S NOT AT THE ZOO:

He bakes excellent New York-style cheesecakes for friends and family and watches baseball on TV, especially the Yankees.

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6/5/14 2:37 PM

Recipe

EDITED BY CArrie Hirsch

A harvest of apple flavor ELIZA’S APPLE POUND CAKE SERVES 8–10

2 cups granulated sugar 1 G cups vegetable oil 3 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups raw apples, cored, peeled and diced 1 H cups walnuts or pecans, chopped 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Icing

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 cup light brown sugar G cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, oil and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula. Add apples, walnuts and coconut (batter will be thick). Butter and flour either a Bundt pan or a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; pour batter in pan and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then gently invert onto a serving plate. To make the icing, in a small saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar and milk to a simmer, stirring often. Pour icing over cake while hot. You can also make slits in cake top with butter knife and pour icing inside and over cake. LINDA REESE, EASTOVER

APPLE, MINT AND JICAMA SLAW SERVES 6–8

1 jicama, peeled 2 Granny Smith apples Juice of 1 lime Juice of 1 orange Small bunch mint leaves, finely chopped I cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons agave syrup, honey or maple syrup Gwenael LE VOT / iStock

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

ELIZABETH BRONSON, McCLELLANVILLE

Kazak 97 / iStock

Cut jicama into J-inch strips. Peel, core and cut apples into H-inch cubes. In a serving bowl, toss jicama and apples with lime juice, orange juice, chopped mint, mayonnaise and syrup. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Got a taste for more gr eat recipes?

South Carolina chef and ent repreneur Belinda Smith-Sullivan is serving up her flavorful creations in a new online bonus col umn for South Carolina Living called “Cooking wit h Chef Belinda.” Look for her September column at SCLiving.coop.

Tim Buckner / River Rock Photos William P. Edwards / iStock

CHIPOTLE PORK CHOPS WITH CARAMELIZED CINNAMON APPLES SERVES 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 thick, bone-in pork chops (6–8 ounces each) 1 teaspoon ground chipotle or red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon H cup apple cider or apple juice J cup apple cider vinegar

APPLE CIDER PUNCH SERVES 8–10

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat oil to medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with ground chipotle, salt and pepper, then fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan and set aside, lowering heat to medium-low. Add butter to the skillet (this will melt quickly; do not let it burn), then add apple cubes and cinnamon, stirring occasionally for 3–4 minutes until lightly browned. Add a few teaspoons of water if it’s too dry. Return pork chops to the skillet with the apples, and add apple cider and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer, then finish cooking in oven for 3–4 minutes. Serve over hot rice, then top with warm, caramelized apples. CAROL BROWN, HILTON HEAD ISLAND

2 750-milliliter bottles sparkling apple cider 1 liter carbonated water 3 oranges, washed and cut in wedges 3 lemons, washed and cut in wedges 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade 1 tablespoon sugar Ice cubes

In a large punch bowl, mix all ingredients except ice. Stir well. Add ice cubes before serving. HEDY STOMMA, FORT MILL

W h a t Õ s C oo k i n g i n

SCRecipe

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Send us your original recipes—appetizers, salads, main courses, side dishes, desserts and beverages—almost anything goes. Be sure to specify ingredient measurements. For each one of your recipes Instead of “one can” or “two packages,” specify “one 12-ounce can” or “two 8-ounce we publish, we’ll send you a packages.” Note the number of servings or yield. Entries must be original, and they $10 BI-LO gift card. must include your name, mailing address and phone number. Submit • online at SCLiving.coop • email to recipe@scliving.coop • mail to Recipe, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033

scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SCGardener

BY S. CORY TANNER

Putting your lawn to bed for winter Drinking coffee before bedtime

tends to keep me up all night. Fertilizer applied in the fall has a similar effect on warm-season lawns. If you keep warm-season grasses awake and growing for too long into the winter, they will be—like me the morning after too little sleep—half-awake and grumpy next spring. Unfortunately, gardeners can get confused by the abundance of fertilizer products sold as lawn “winterizers” during late summer and fall. The issue is muddled, because we grow two totally different lawn types in South Carolina: cool season and warm season. Some lawns, mostly in the upper piedmont, are tall fescue, a cool-season grass that stays green all winter. But most S.C. lawns—the majority east of I-85, in fact—are warm-season types that go dormant and turn brown for the winter. These are most commonly Bermuda, zoysia, centipede

and Saint Augustine grasses. Because cool- and warm-season grasses grow in opposite seasons, they should be managed in completely opposite ways. Most common lawn winterization products are designed for coolseason lawns. That means using a winterizer on centipede grass is like giving it a shot of caffeine right before bed. Not good. So, how should you prep a warm-season lawn for winter? Doing nothing may be the best strategy. If you fertilized your lawn during the growing season based on the results of a soil test and used the recommended fertilization schedule for your grass type (see Clemson Extension’s lawn maintenance calendars at clemson.edu/hgic), it probably doesn’t need fall fertilization. Whatever you do, don’t apply nitrogencontaining fertilizer after Aug. 15 in the Upstate and Sept. 1 on the coast. Nitrogen encourages

Wh a t ’ s i n th e b a g ? Understanding the numbers on fertilizer bags is critical for proper fertilization. Commonly expressed as N-P-K, these three numbers (e.g., 10-10-10, 16-4-8, 0-0-60) tell us how much of each major plant nutrient—nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium or potash (K)—are in each bag of fertilizer as a percentage by weight. This holds true for both conventional and organic fertilizers. A 50-pound bag of 10-10-10 contains 10 percent, or 5 pounds, of each nutrient. Rarely do plants need equal amounts of these minerals, so soil test results usually recommend imbalanced fertilizers, such as calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0) and muriate of potash (0-0-60). By reading the numbers, you can figure out the best mix of fertilizers to apply.

The three numbers tell us how much of each major plant nutrient are in each bag of fertilizer as a percentage by weight. 18

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

Photo collage by sharri wolfgang

Knowing what to do can mean the difference between a lovely yard and a splotchy mess come next spring

Whatever you do, don’t apply nitrogen-containing fertilizer after Aug. 15 in the Upstate and Sept. 1 on the coast. growth, and if it’s applied too late in the year, the grass won’t have time to go dormant before damaging cold arrives. The following spring, you’ll see patches, or perhaps a whole lawn, that failed to green up because of cold injury. Nitrogen can also encourage cool-season

W i nt e r w e e d w o e s Bothered by those pesky patches of green weeds in your dormant winter lawn? If so, consider applying a fall weed preventer. Weed preventers (also known as preemergent herbicides) can be applied when nighttime lows reach 55 to 60 degrees for four consecutive days. They help prevent winter weeds, such as henbit and annual bluegrass, from emerging. Typically the right time is Sept. 1 to 15 in the piedmont and Sept. 15 to Oct. 1 for the midlands and coast. The effects of weed preventers may wear off after 6 to 12 weeks, depending on temperature and rainfall, so a second application nine weeks after the first will extend control through each season. As with any product, read and follow all label instructions before applying.

F e e d i ng f e sc u e Tall fescue is a common lawn grass in the Upstate, which is pretty much as far south as this cool-season grass grows. Fertilizing fescue calls for a different approach than warm-season lawns. Unlike its warm-season counterparts, fescue stays green yearround, and its growing season is fall through early spring. Although it may remain green, it essentially stops growing during the summer. As a result, fescue lawns should be fertilized with one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn in September, November and February, and never after March 15.

weeds to prosper, leading to a weedy winter lawn. Plus, unused nitrogen can find its way into groundwater and streams, causing pollution. Unfortunately, nitrogen is a common ingredient in winterizer fertilizers, because they are mostly designed for cool-season grasses that need nitrogen in the fall. Potassium is another common ingredient of winterizers. There is sound reasoning behind applying this nutrient in the fall. Potassium does enhance the cold tolerance of turfgrasses, but only if your lawn needs it. Clemson Extension’s soil tests and maintenance schedules account for this need and recommend potassium applications throughout the growing season. If a late-summer soil test indicates a potassium need, apply it without adding nitrogen by using a fertilizer like muriate of potash (0-0-60), potassium sulfate (0-0-50) or an organic source, such as greensand. Don’t use more than your lawn needs; that won’t produce any greater cold tolerance. In fact, excessive rates of potassium fertilizer can cause foliar burn to your lawn and may compete with its uptake of other needed nutrients. Following a good fertility schedule throughout your lawn’s growing season will ensure that it has what it needs before fall to survive the winter undamaged. Save the nitrogen until after your grass wakes up in the spring.

Get More Go to scliving.coop for more lawn-care articles: How to prevent lawn weeds: Tips and

products for keeping leafy invaders at bay.

Winning the turf war: Best practices for

mowing, fertilizing and watering your lawn. Pest control: How to battle the three most destructive pests in S.C. lawns. Grasses for South Carolina: Cool- and

warm-season grasses that thrive in our state. Let it grow: A Carolina Yard lets homeowners enjoy their outdoor spaces with fewer maintenance chores.

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

S. CORY TANNER

Henbit

scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

SCChefÕsChoice

BY BECKY BILLINGSLEY

From left, manager Clay Williams, Alzata Lee, Kelly Dorman and Dexter Dorman keep the busy restaurant humming. Hostess Alzata Lee, 85 years young, has been welcoming customers to Lee’s Inlet Kitchen since 1948.

U.S. 17 was still a dirt road when the neon sign advertising Lee’s Inlet Kitchen first lit up the night.

Family traditions the fried shrimp dinner. Employees peel and fantail 150 pounds of shrimp ultimate proof of the old maxim per night to meet the demand, and “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” then the cooks batter and fry the The laid-back seafood restaurant, a fixture in Murrells Inlet for 66 years, tasty crustaceans in a light and crispy still features many of the same recipes coating known as Lowcountry style. “This kind developed by Eford of seafood and Lee and his wife, Lee’s Inlet Kitchen Calabash style are Pearl Lee, when they 4460 U.S. 17 Business, Murrells Inlet very similar, but opened the doors in (843) 651-2881 we use the larger 1948. Back then, the shrimp and oysters,” place could only seat Hours: Through Oct. 31, hours are Mondays through Saturdays, 4:30 Kelly Dorman says. 40 guests at a time, “The people that and people would line to 9:30 p.m. In November, hours are Thursdays through Saturdays, 4:30 come down here in up for the fresh, local to 9:30 p.m. Closed December and the summertime are seafood and familyJanuary. No reservations accepted, going to get fried friendly atmosphere. except for large groups. seafood. Some of Pearl was known to them get broiled, go about her work and some of them get grilled, but by with customers’ babies slung on her and large our biggest seller is still the hip, so parents could eat in peace. Lowcountry seafood.” Today, Lee’s can seat almost 300 Lee’s even offers the same freshhungry diners, but little else has made dessert options that have been changed—and the family wouldn’t on the menu since 1948, including have it any other way. Eford and coconut cream pie and peach cobbler Pearl’s granddaughter, Kelly Dorman, a la mode. Dorman says the combiruns the place with husband Dexter. Eford’s sister, Alzata Lee, was the nation of traditional menu items and restaurant’s first waitress in 1948, and familiar faces is what keeps loyal she is still working there as a hostess customers coming back for more, at age 85. And the guests? They still whether they are tourists who visit start lining up before opening time to each summer or the local family get their seafood favorites. that’s been coming for dinner every While the menu runs the gamut Saturday for the past 40 years. from soft-shell crabs, shrimp Creole, “The same people keep coming oyster stew and shrimp salad to fresh back over the years because of the local fish prepared any way you like it, consistency,” she says. “Not just with the most popular dish at Lee’s remains the food, but with our service.”

Photos by matt Silfer

Lee’s Inlet Kitchen may be the

Pearl Lee’s Shrimp Salad SERVES 4–6

1 pound fresh, white, 26/30 count South Carolina shrimp; boiled, peeled and deveined 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 2–3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained 2–3 tablespoons Duke’s mayonnaise, or to taste Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the shrimp into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Place on a bed of crisp and cold salad greens and drizzle with dressing, or serve with crackers as an appetizer. 20

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

The great bluegrass road trip BY HASTINGS HENSEL

Mic Smith

It started beside the railroad tracks in the tiny town of Bethera, down a dirt driveway called Pickin’ Parlor Lane, in a one-room shack, beneath a dozen ceiling fans and two dozen mounted Guitar deer antlers, on one of the old couches in hand, one arranged like pews in front of the man travels the stage. l That’s where I was when state in search of I found myself handclapping and South Carolina’s foot stomping at Guy and Tina’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor, watching a band musical soul of Berkeley Electric Cooperative members launch into a fiery rendition of “Always Marry an Ugly Girl.” l This was the first stop on my crossstate odyssey to small-town music halls, picking parlors and open-mic bluegrass jams, and Guy Faulk took the stage to recite a poetic welcome while his son, Will, strummed a guitar softly in the background. Come on, boys / Let’s make some noise / All the old folks are sleeping! / Come on down to the bluegrass parlor / Let’s do a little bluegrass picking! l l

Get More on SCLiving.coop

The Carolina bluegrass all-stars: Meet some of the top musicians writer Hastings Hensel met along the way. Pure picking: Enjoy the sights and sounds of S.C. bluegrass in our exclusive videos from the road. Share your bluegrass experience: Tell us about your favorite S.C. picking parlor and upload a photo or three.

scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

Guy and Tina’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor

Gilbert Nelson’s Free Guided Jam

It was a Saturday night, and Berkeley County’s iconic picking parlor kept its usual cadence: the coffee started brewing at 4 p.m., the pickers began warming up under the shed at 5, the train hurtled by just before 6:45, and the “house band” of regulars came on at 7 with an instrumental breakdown jam. One of the reasons things seem to run so smoothly at a picking parlor—which can be defined as just about any old place where string musicians gather to play folk music—is that bluegrass jams are essentially a democratic process. Everyone has a “voice” when taking turns for a solo. Everyone brings a little food. Sometimes a guitarist will step down to run the sound for a little while. Everyone will try his or her hand at fixing the lights. Will Faulk summarizes the golden rule of picking parlors nicely: “Whoever comes, comes. Whoever wants to play, plays. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it’s always going to be.” Most songs played at Guy and Tina’s, however, are not what you’d call pure bluegrass—there wasn’t, for instance, a fiddle in the house that night—but are instead closer to old gospel and folk music played in the traditional format of verse-chorus-solo, with bluegrass instrumentation. And this isn’t a concert atmosphere. Guy and Tina have been running the place for 30 years and don’t allow the consumption of alcohol. “That’s one reason why it’s survived all these years,” Will Faulk says. “Mama’s been the bouncer. What we want is a good, clean place where you can have a cup of coffee and play with someone you’ve never played with before.” The music, besides, is intoxicating enough, especially when the pickers launch into “Foggy Mountain Break down” and we all start bobbing in our seats, tapping our Styrofoam cups in time, and verifying what Guy Faulk says about bluegrass. “It’s good-time-feeling music,” he tells me. “It’s the music of your heart.”

The history of bluegrass is the history of the mountains— of old-world folk ballads transported across the Atlantic to the hills of Appalachia—so what better place to look for bluegrass jams than the Upstate? My guide to the northern S.C. bluegrass experience was music teacher Gilbert Nelson, a Broad River Electric Cooperative member who, for the past half-decade, has been hosting weekly “guided jams” in Spartanburg, urging “closet pickers” to get off the couch and play with other musicians. Dressed in a blue, banjo-adorned Hawaiian shirt, Nelson leads the sessions like a conductor, ensuring that anyone who wants to play a solo can play one and that novices don’t get lost in too many difficult chord changes. His philosophy, shared during an impromptu guitar lesson at

‘The music of your heart’

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

‘This is the people’s music’

Jonathan Sharpe

Music teacher Gilbert Nelson, a member of Broad River Electric Cooperative, hosts guided jam sessions in the Spartanburg area. His goal: Get “closet pickers” out of the house and playing in public.

Mic Smith

The “house band” starts another Saturday night jam at Guy and Tina’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor with a rendition of “Hot Corn, Cold Corn.” From left to right, that’s Aaron Bodiford on banjo, Graham Chriscoe on mandolin, Will Faulk on guitar, Guy Faulk on vocals and Gene White on guitar.

Photos by Jonathan Sharpe

Keisler Tanner, better known as K.T., leads the jam at Homespun Bluegrass in downtown Chesnee, where local mandolin legend Greg Farmer (inset) occasionally sits in to wow everyone with his creative solos.

his home, is simple: “Most think you must get good to play with others; wise are those who know you must play with others to get good.” “This is the people’s music,” he says of bluegrass. “It’s not written on paper. It’s extemporaneous. You can develop technique—muscle skills, tone, touch, taste, timing and your theoretical knowledge—in private practice. But it’s useless until you put it in context—into real-time, participating music.” I have always been a “closet picker,” preferring to play solo at home, but after Guy and Tina’s, I wanted to jam. And so, with Nelson’s guidance, I found myself onstage at the Barnet Park amphitheater with 30 other pickers as we launched into the old folk song “Worried Man Blues.” It wasn’t a song I knew, but I was able to keep my eyes sharply on the “guitar billboard,” aka the man who stood up and played the chords for everyone to follow. During “Shady Grove,” a song I knew well, I kept the rhythm and the chord changes, even with my eyes closed, finding for a full chorus and verse what Nelson calls “the groove”—the spell when you are neither bored nor challenged, but just there, in the flow of the moment and of the song. It was almost enough to make me forget I had another jam that night. Homespun Bluegrass

‘Once we start, it never stops’

I left Spartanburg and hit Highway 221, heading 22 miles north to downtown Chesnee and hoping to arrive right at 7 p.m., when the Homespun Bluegrass jam was set to start. But I was five minutes late, and 15 players were already halfway through their gospel rendition of Hank Williams’ “Dust on the Bible.”

The whole thing is a fluid, well-timed, seemingly choreographed dance that might be described as very organized chaos. And, boy, does it sound good. Of all the jams I visited, Homespun was, by all measures, a true picking parlor, complete with farm-equipment decor and old men in overalls and cowboy hats singing their hearts out. Homespun’s founder and leader, Keisler Tanner, known to everyone as K.T., leads the jam by strumming a Martin guitar in perfect rhythm and seamlessly passing a vintage microphone around to the inner circle of pickers who want to play lead or sing. The whole thing is a fluid, well-timed, seemingly choreographed dance that might be described as very organized chaos. And, boy, does it sound good. Just after 7:30 p.m., the place was packed, but I found an open seat and joined in on “Going Up the Ladder,” trying to keep up with the chord changes by eyeing the player beside me. When the song was over, we launched immediately into the next one. “We’re not polished, and we’re not professional, but we have a good time,” K.T. says. “And once we start, it never stops.” The first two hours are gospel songs played in a bluegrass format, followed by two or more hours of what K.T. calls “anything goes” bluegrass, which allows folks of all different skill levels and ages to participate. “There’s people who come here, and you wouldn’t scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

believe the improvement,” K.T. says. “They couldn’t keep time in a bucket, and now they’re sitting up here on the front row.” At Homespun that night, there were some hot pickers indeed—folks like dobro player Nathan Barnett and mandolinist Greg Farmer, musicians who approach every solo as a way to give new life to a song. But one thing I learned at Homespun is that sometimes it’s best to put down your instrument and just listen. On my visit, K.T. calls out a special guest from New Mexico, a lifelong railroad worker who requests a train song called “The Wreck of the Old ’97.” So they play it for him, and darned if Homespun doesn’t have a guy named Steve “Freight Train” Jackson who leans into the microphone during the song and belts out the best train whistle anyone has ever heard. I take that as the signal that it’s time to hit the road once again. Owings Music Hall

‘I hope it don’t miss a beat when I’m gone’

There are essentially two types of picking parlors. There’s the “everybody gathers ’round and plays” parlor, and there is “the stage show” parlor, where musicians wait their turn to take the stage. The Owings Music Hall Jam is the latter—a Saturday night show as regular as clockwork that begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m., with the opportunity for up to five bands to play on stage for 45 minutes at a stretch. Owings Music Hall is a labor of love for Dianne Culbertson, a local historian and preservationist who owns the historic building in the heart of town, and Harold Clayton, a member of Laurens Electric Cooperative, who renovated the hall at his own expense and serves as a host of the stage shows. “It’s not just entertaining yourself. It’s entertaining others,” Clayton says of his refusal to accept a dime for his efforts. “When I look around and see someone enjoying 24

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

For Laurens Electric Cooperative member Harold Clayton (far left), renovating Owings Music Hall was a labor of love. Today, he serves as the host of the Saturday night stage shows.

themselves, I’m getting paid. I’ll look at her and say, ‘Dianne, I’m getting paid again.’ ” During my visit, multi-instrumentalist Will Clark—a local boy who got his start at Owings Music Hall—delights a packed house with what can only be called incendiary picking, though one of the sheer joys of any picking parlor is stepping outside, away from the stage show, and listening to musicians circled around in small, informal jams. I joined a crowd gathered around banjo player Frank Eastes and dobro player Kim Ulinger on the porch, mesmerized as they played an obscure song called “Coffie Jam,” a tune that Eastes had learned 30 years earlier. As they were playing, mandolinist Lloyd Hall came out on the porch and listened, then named the song and even correctly spelled it. It was, Eastes tells me, “the first time in 25-plus years of playing that tune that I had ever met anyone who not only knew the tune, but the history of it.” Indeed, spontaneous exchanges of musical knowledge are part of the bluegrass culture—the kind of thing that gives Harold Clayton hope that the music he loves will have a home in Owings well past his lifetime. “I hope it don’t miss a beat when I’m gone,” he says, looking around the place he helped build. “And I feel like it won’t.” Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor

‘It was my dad’s passion’

After zigzagging 700 miles across the state to attend four different picking parlors in as many counties, I had to go to the place all bluegrass musicians sing about—home.

Photos by Jonathan Sharpe

Spontaneous exchanges of musical knowledge are part of the bluegrass culture.

GetThere

Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor is located just across the Congaree River from downtown Columbia, and it’s what you might call the epicenter of South Carolina bluegrass. Nestled among a strip of retail stores, it’s both a music shop and a concert hall that’s played host to some of the biggest names in bluegrass, including Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, the Del McCoury Band, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, and Eddie and Martha Adcock. But the Friday night jam is all about amateurs, with bluegrass ensembles performing on stage from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by an open jam. The parlor is the brainchild and namesake of the late Bill Wells, a bluegrass aficionado who gave Midlands musicians a place to call home. “My dad was always a bluegrass advocate,” says current owner Willie Wells. “He opened it up to, you know, maybe sell a few accessories, but the big reason he did it was that he wanted people who played to have a place they could come jam. It was my dad’s passion.”

Homespun Bluegrass

126 West Cherokee Street Chesnee (864) 978-7475 homespunbg.com

All Saints Church 401 East Kennedy Street Spartanburg (864) 764-4830 gilbertnelson.com/jam-classes

Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor Owings Music Hall

2 miles south of I-385, exit 19 on Hwy. 14 Owings (864) 981-1904 facebook.com/ OwingsMusicHall

710 Meeting St. West Columbia (803) 796-6477 billsmusicshop.com

Guy and Tina’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor

Randy Lucas, winner of the 1997 National Banjo Championship, runs through a solo on stage at Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor. The West Columbia music store and bluegrass concert hall is owned and operated by Willie Wells (left), the son of founder Bill Wells.

For more information on South Carolina bluegrass jams, visit southcarolina.simplybluegrass.com/venue

Photos by Jonathan Sharpe

Gilbert Nelson’s Free Guided Jam

534 Picking Parlor Lane Bethera (843) 336-3719

Willie Wells still keeps the Friday night jam like his dad would want it—strictly acoustic—but he’s added a classic country jam on Saturday nights. This blend of the old and the new seems to be a recipe for success, as people were crowding into Bill’s on the Friday night I visited. Some were deep in conversation, others were buying popcorn and Slim Jims and Blenheim Ginger Ale from the concession stand, and still others were trying out instruments in the retail store. For Jake Lind, a 9-year-old who was strumming chords on a Gibson J-30 with an $850 price tag dangling from it, it was his first time at Bill’s, and it wasn’t hard to imagine him coming back in a few years, maybe to play on stage for the first time. Or maybe even to become the next Randy Lucas. A Columbia-area native who won the 1997 National Banjo Championship, Lucas was the headline act of the evening’s stage show, packing the house with his lightningfast banjo licks and musical showmanship. Walking from the concert hall to the retail store, I could sense a fluid connection between past and present, young and old, that would make Bill Wells proud. No one could sing about Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor the words of the song that Randy Lucas was belting out on stage: “What have they done with the old home place? Why did they tear it down?” For Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor was, as they sometimes say in bluegrass, “a-goin.’ ” And it was a-goin’ strong. scliving.coop | September 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING

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23 Living History

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Live OUTSIDE.

With over 96,000 acres of public land, we have some pretty amazing facilities for your next outdoor adventure. Whether it’s golf at Cheraw State Park, hiking at Sand Hills State Forest, checking out the wildlife at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, or a relaxing time in one of our town’s parks, we provide the backdrop for the perfect day. For a free Visitor’s Guide, call 888.537.0014

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Calendar of Events Please confirm information before attending events. For entry guidelines, go to SCLiving.coop.

UPSTATE

SEPTEMBER

15 • Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir, 221 Brooks Center at Clemson University, Clemson. (864) 656-3043. 18–21 • Euphoria food/wine/ music festival, multiple downtown locations, Greenville. (864) 233-5663. 19–20 • AutumnFest at the Market, Greenville State Farmers Market, Greenville. (864) 244-4023. 19–20 • Enchanted Chalice Renaissance Faire and Olde World Bazaar, Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Greenville. (864) 271-4883. 19–20 • Festival of Quilts, Shaver Recreation Center, Seneca. (864) 885-2709. 20 • Farm Fresh Fair, The Farm at Rabon Creek, Fountain Inn. (864) 214-6709. 20 • Tri the Ridge Sprint Triathlon, Pickens YMCA, Pickens. (864) 898-9189. 20 • Ole Time Fiddlers Convention and S.C. State Fiddling Championship, Hagood Mill Historic Site and Folklife Center, Pickens. (864) 898-2936. 20 • Gold Rush Festival, downtown, McCormick. (864) 852-2835. 23 • Borders of the Mind— The Psychic Show for the Whole Family, 221 Brooks Center at Clemson University, Clemson. (864) 656-3043. 25 • Light the Night Walk, BMW Performance Center, Greer. (864) 370-2402. 26–27 • Southeast Aviation Expo, Greenville Downtown Airport. Greenville. (877) 359-7222. 26–28 • Greenville Symphony Guild Tour of Homes, Chanticleer and Hidden Hills neighborhoods, Greenville. (864) 370-0965. 27 • Hub City Empty Bowls Soup Day, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg. (864) 621-2768. 27 • AAUW Aiken Book Talk and Luncheon, First Presbyterian Church, Aiken. (803) 648-0656. 27 • Fall Festival, downtown, Due West. (864) 379-2385. 27 • Harvest Day Festival, downtown, Inman. (864) 472-3654. 30–Oct. 5 • South Carolina Foothills Heritage Fair, 178 Hayfield Road, Westminster. (864) 903-1823. OCTOBER

2–4 • Albino Skunk Music Festival, 4063 Jordan Road, Greer. (864) 233-8430.

Saturdays in October • Hayrides, May-Lan Tree Plantation, Pelzer. (864) 243-3092. Saturdays and Sundays in October • Farm Tours, Mini Miracles Farm, Taylors. (864) 631-5325.

4 • St. Mary’s Chocolate Festival, 118 York St. SE, Aiken. (803) 649-2071. 4 • Oktoberfest, downtown, Newberry. (803) 321-1015. 3–4 and 10–12 • Wompus Woods Haunted Trail, 231 Parris 4 • Pops Series: Beloved Road, Cowpens. (864) 680-4743. Broadway, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, 3–5 • Festifall at Walnut Grove Irmo. (803) 407-5011. MIDLANDS Plantation, 1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck. (864) 596-3501. 4 • Ultimate Challenge SEPTEMBER Mud Run, The Leatherneck, 4 • International Festival, Barnet 18 • Savannah River Site Gaston. (803) 451-1197. Park, Spartanburg. (864) 596-3105. Public Tour, Gateway Drive, 4 • Italian Festival, 1615 Aiken. (803) 952-8994. 4 • Standpipe Heritage & and 1616 Blanding St., Arts Festival, City Square, 18 • USC Symphony Orchestra Columbia. (803) 309-2454. Belton. (864) 226-8799. Concert: Russian Extravaganza! 5–12 • Rock Hill Rocks Open, Koger Center for the Arts, 4 • Bazaar, McCormick Rock Hill Tennis Center, Columbia. (803) 251-2222. United Methodist Church, McCormick. (864) 852-2394. 18–21 • Columbia’s Greek Festival, Rock Hill. (803) 326-3842. 6 • USC Wind Ensemble Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox 6–12 • Piedmont Interstate Cathedral, Columbia. (803) 252-6758. Concert, Koger Center for the Fair, 575 Fairgrounds Road, Arts, Columbia. (803) 251-2222. Spartanburg. (864) 582-7042. 19–20 • Fiddle ’n’ Pig Shindig 7–12 • Sumter County Fair, Little Annual BBQ & Bluegrass Festival, 10 • Music on the Mountain, Dairy Barn, Fort Mill. (803) 547-1010. League Park, Sumter. (803) 775-5200. Table Rock State Park, Pickens. (864) 878-9813. 8–12 • “The Seagull,” Johnson 20 • Veterans Car & Bike Theatre at Winthrop University, Show, 200 Pickens St., 10–12 • Balloons Over Rock Hill. (803) 323-2287. Columbia. (803) 799-2490. Anderson, Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center Launch 8–19 • South Carolina 20 • Worldwide Day of Play, Field, Anderson. (864) 221-0552. State Fair, State Fairgrounds, Main Street Children’s Museum, Columbia. (803) 799-3387. Rock Hill. (803) 327-6400. 10–12 • Fall for Greenville, downtown, Greenville. 9 • Light the Night Walk, 23 • Harvest Day at Clover (864) 467-2776. Farmers Market, Clover Community Cherry Park, Rock Hill. (803) 731-4060, ext. 2304. Center, Clover. (803) 222-9495. 10–12 and 17–19 • “Who’s Crazy Now?” Oconee Community 26 • Festival of the Woods, 10 • BBQ, Bluegrass & Blue Jeans Theatre, Seneca. (864) 882-1910. Benefit, The Farm and Ridgeway, 444 S. Boundary Ave., Ridgeway. (803) 608-5510. Aiken. (803) 642-0528. 11 • Pumpkin Festival, Oolenoy Community Building, 11 • Arts and Antique Festival, 26–27 • Okra Strut Festival, Pumpkintown. (864) 898-0261. downtown, Elloree. (803) 535-9522. downtown, Irmo. (803) 600-1637. 11 • Autumn Candlelight Tour, 11 • Oktoberfest, The Alley, 26–28 • Raylrode Daze Ninety Six National Historic Site, Aiken. (803) 649-2221. Festivul, depot area, Ninety Six. (864) 543-4068. Branchville. (803) 274-8831. 12 • Farm Fair Day, Cotton Hills Farm, Chester. (803) 581-4545. 26–28 • Midlands Plant & ONGOING 12 • Kitchen Tour, historic Mondays through Fridays, through Flower Festival, South Carolina State Farmers Market, West downtown, Aiken. (803) 641-6777. Oct. 10 • “Any Way You Wanna Shake It: An Artful Investigation Columbia. (803) 734-2210. of Salt & Pepper Sets,” ARTS Center 27 • Heritage Jubilee, downtown, ONGOING Daily • Windows to New Worlds, of Clemson, Clemson. (864) 633-5051. Edgefield. (803) 637-1800. South Carolina State Museum, 27 • National Alpaca Farm Tuesdays through Fridays and Columbia. (803) 898-4921. Sundays, through Oct. 5 • “Daniel Days, Carolina Pride Pastures, Daily through Jan. 18 • “Chapman’s Columbia. (803) 480-3750. Cromer: A Retrospective,” Charleston, 1863–1864,” Spartanburg Art Museum, 29–Oct. 5 • Orangeburg County South Carolina State Museum, Spartanburg. (864) 582-7616. Fair, Orangeburg County Fairground, Columbia. (803) 898-4921. Orangeburg. (803) 534-0358. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Daily through Feb. 1 • “South through October • Walnut OCTOBER Carolina Unearthed,” South Grove Plantation Public Tours, Carolina State Museum, 1 • “Life: A Journey through Walnut Grove Plantation, Columbia. (803) 898-4921. Time” opening, Museum of York Roebuck. (864) 576-6546. County, Rock Hill. (803) 329-2121. Tuesdays • Clover Farmers Thursdays through October • Jazz Market, Clover Community 1–4 • United States Disc Golf on the Alley, Ram Cat Alley, Championship, Winthrop Coliseum, Center, Clover. (803) 222-9495. Seneca. (864) 885-2700. Rock Hill. (704) 724-1352. Saturdays in October • Public Thursdays through Sundays, Farm Tours, Cotton Hills Farm, 3–4 • Rock Around the Clock Sept. 27–Nov. 2 • Denver Chester. (803) 581-4545. Downs Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival, Congress Street, Winnsboro. (803) 635-4242. Patch, 4915 Clemson Blvd., Anderson. (864) 222-0336. 3–4 • Collard & BBQ Festival, LOWCOUNTRY Fridays • Oolenoy Bluegrass Jam downtown, Gaston. (803) 796-7725. SEPTEMBER Session, 5301 Dacusville Highway, 4 • South Carolina Philharmonic: 17 • Civil War Cruise, Hobcaw Pumpkintown. (864) 637-9217. Masterworks 1, Koger Center for Barony, Georgetown. (843) 546-4623. the Arts, Columbia. (803) 251-2222. Fridays through Sept. 26 • Heritage Main Street Fridays, NOMA Square, Greenville. (864) 467-5741.

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

19–Oct. 12 • Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art, multiple locations, Pawleys Island area. (843) 626-8911. 19 • “Le Cabaret de la Symphonie,” Historic Rice Mill on the Ashley River, Charleston. (843) 323-6903. 20 • Aynor Harvest Hoe-Down Festival, Town Park, Aynor. (843) 358-1074. 20 • Scottish Games & Highland Gathering, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant. (843) 884-4371. 21 • Carolina Green Fair, James Island County Park, Charleston. (843) 795-7275. 21 • OPEN Arts Expo, Cistern Yard at the College of Charleston, Charleston. (843) 577-5288. 25–28 and Oct. 1–4 • “Little Women,” Myrtle Beach Education Center 206 Theater, Conway. (843) 349-2787. 26 • Taste: Iron Chef Competition, Culinary Institute of Charleston at Palmer Campus, Charleston. (843) 577-4030. 26–28 • Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (803) 734-0450. 26–Oct. 5 • Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally, multiple locations, Grand Strand area. (336) 643-1367. 27 • Taste: Sweet & Southern on Charleston Harbor, 28 Bridgeside Blvd., Mount Pleasant. (843) 577-4030. 27 • Irish Italian International Festival, Main Street, North Myrtle Beach. (843) 280-5673. 27–28 • Seacoast Artists Guild Arts and Crafts Festival, Valor Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 232-7009. 28 • Southern Living Taste of Charleston, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant. (843) 577-4030. 28 • Triathlon, The Market Common, Myrtle Beach. (843) 839-3500. 28 • Grand Strand Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, Grand Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 283-0890. 30 • Fall Chowder Talk, Murrells Inlet Community Center, Murrells Inlet. (843) 357-2007. OCTOBER

2–5 • Kingdomwood Christian Film Festival, Beach House Resort, Hilton Head Island. (678) 671-0244. 2–26 • Fall Tour of Homes, multiple locations, Charleston. (843) 722-4630. 3–4 • Beaufort Shrimp Festival, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. (843) 525-6644. 3–4 • Chesterfield County Q-Cup Championship, Cheraw State Park, Cheraw. (843) 537-9656.

3–5 • Pee Dee Plant and Flower Festival, Pee Dee State Farmers Market, Florence. (843) 665-5154. 3–5 • Oktoberfest, Valor Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 712-2618. 4 • Fall Festival, downtown, Conway. (843) 248-1740. 4 • Burgers & Brew Festival, Shelter Cove Community Park, Hilton Head Island. (843) 681-7273. 5 • Latin American Festival, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston. (843) 795-4386. 10–11 • St. Nicholas BBQFest, City Marina, Conway. (843) 248-4706. 11 • Little River ShrimpFest, Little River Historic Waterfront. Little River. (843) 249-6604. 11 • Oktoberfest, downtown, Myrtle Beach. (843) 421-9848. 11 • Fall Arts/Crafts Fair, Centenary United Methodist Church, Conway. (843) 234-0498. 11–12 • East End Volleyball Big Shot Volleyball Series, 100 9th Ave. N, Myrtle Beach. (631) 728-0397. 11–12 • Art in the Park, Chapin Park, Myrtle Beach. (843) 446-3830. 12 • Lowcountry Blues Bash, Bowens Island Restaurant, Charleston. (843) 312-0178. 12–19 • Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival, historic district, Bluffton. (843) 815-6278. ONGOING

Daily through Nov. 1 • “ToyTime” giant folk toy exhibit, North Myrtle Beach Area Historical Museum, North Myrtle Beach. (843) 427-7668. Daily, Oct. 1–Nov. 2 • Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant. (843) 884-4371. Daily through December • “Finding Freedom’s Home: Archaeology at Mitchelville,” Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island. (843) 689-6767. Mondays in October • Coastal Kayaking, Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet. (843) 235-8755. Mondays in October • “Drawing the Human Form,” Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston. (843) 722-2706, ext. 41. Mondays through Saturdays in October • The Great Pumpkin Patch, Holiday Farms, Ridgeland. (843) 726-5527. First and fourth Thursdays through September • Music on Main, Main Street and Horseshoe, North Myrtle Beach. (843) 280-5570. Weekends in October • Pumpkin Patch and Maze, Legare Farms, Johns Island. (843) 559-0788.

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SCHumorMe

By Jan A. Igoe

Scientists go where screwballs fear to tread One of my artist friends is obnoxiously gorgeous,

even when the only makeup she’s wearing is splattered paint. It’s unnatural for mortal females to bond with a living, breathing Barbie doll, but she won me over when I saw her list. Turns out that perfect Cindy believes in full disclosure. She refused to go on a date with the man she eventually married until he was aware of all her foibles. That way, he couldn’t complain later—if there was a later. She laid out 25 less-than-ladylike habits that a successful suitor would have to contend with, from picking her nose in the car to passing gas in her sleep (Barbie bubbles). Surprisingly, that brave man married her, list and all—even before he learned that her nightly gifts could lower his risk of cancer. Bonus. We first heard the good news on NPR. Actual scientists, who are eternally inquisitive about useless stuff, found evidence that the aforementioned emissions may help habitual sniffers stay healthy. You’re probably wondering what kind of screwball would study such a thing. The answer is “a highly educated screwball.” Given a choice between finding the cure for the common cold or figuring out why oysters never get toenail fungus, any scientist worth his petri dish will go for the fungus every time. Still, whenever this kind of breakthrough research hits the fan, it leads inquiring minds to ponder deeper scientific questions, such as whether or not clams get depressed. Generally speaking, social opportunities for clams are limited. You’ll rarely see them booking a Caribbean cruise, winning a Grammy or making a 60-yard field goal. But 38

SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | September 2014 | scliving.coop

when you spike their coffee with a little Prozac, they’re ready to party. And also mate. The clams may not be happier, but they are definitely friendlier. More useful studies: When your hamster flies in on the redeye and suffers jet lag, just slip him some Viagra. Scientists from South America, where this must be a serious problem, discovered that zonked hamsters recover in half the time on a single dose. No one has tried Prozac on the hamsters or Viagra on the clams, but surely someone with a very large brain is mulling it over. Scientists have studied questions that perplex us all, such as: Do sword swallowers get sore throats? What about acid reflux? Why don’t woodpeckers get migraines? Can people blush in the dark? How do you turn a bra into a facemask? Why don’t rats understand Japanese spoken backwards? Don’t worry. All those late nights these science guys and gals spend in the lab haven’t been lost on their peers. In fact, the 24th annual Ig Nobel Prizes for improbable research will be given out this month at Harvard. When anything important happens in the world of science, you can bet the Iggie folks know about it. When they tell me, I’ll tell you, and we can all celebrate together. We already have science to thank for perkier hamsters and happier clams. Now, if they can find a way to make me stop throwing paint at Cindy, we’ve got a real winner. JAN A. IGOE loves her science oversimplified so no left brain cells have to get involved. If you’re doing important hamster research, write her at HumorMe@SCLiving.coop.

STEM Workshop for K-8 Teachers

Energyandthe Environment

A FREE half-day session for K-8 teachers featuring lessons and activities aligned to state education standards and ready for use with your students Fall 2014 Workshops

September 13

Aiken Electric

Aiken

Fairfield Electric Blythewood

September 20

Pee Dee Electric

Darlington

Santee Electric Kingstree

September 27 October 11

Horry Electric

Conway

Newberry Electric

Newberry

Palmetto Electric Hardeeville

October 18

Berkeley Electric

Old Santee Canal Park

Black River Electric Workshop attendees will receive ✷ 4 credit renewal points ✷ Access to grade-

appropriate lessons and activities ✷ Lunch

Sumter

For more details or to register, visit the “Upcoming Events” section of