CATS • DOGS • EQUESTRIAN • EXOTICS • HOMESTEADING • WILDLIFE
Vol 1 editiOn 1-ApR may 2016 …………………………………………………
PriCelesS
pg.08
pg.27
FROM
START FROM
“SCRATCH” CHICKEN KEEPING
SUBURBAN LIVING TO
GOAT WRANGLING
101
MUSINGS OF A BEGINNING
BACKYARD BEEKEEPER pg.34
YEARS
OF MARRIAGE & pg.19
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5 Publisher’s Note 6 Editor’s Message 7 Friend Me | Adoptions 8 Starting from “Scratch” | Chicken Keeping 101 - Kelsey Price 11 Cat Ownership According to Gold Chain McHohsfield - Nathan Hohsfield 12 The Dog Ate My Bread - Ande Nehila 13 Llamas = Great Animals, Most of the Time - John Ewald 14 Animal Adventures | Camels in Bahrain - Joe Nehila 15 Move Over Goldfish | Get a Tarantula! - Justin Smith 17 Making a Difference - Larry Wellspeak 18 Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Mysteries up for Four Daytime Emmy® Awards 19 34 Years of Marriage & Chickens - Jane Payne 21 The Area’s Top Equestrian Communities 25 Understanding Your Parrot’s Body Language - Samantha Shepard 27 From Suburban Living to Goat Wranglers - Mark and Sharon Mansell 28 Q & Animal | Brackish Water Aquariums 28 Opinion with a Grain of Catnip | Dogs at Work - Holly Dixon 29 Books for People Who Love Animals & BOOKS | Dory Story 30 I am Not Drinking Alone If My Cat is with Me! - Jeff Gerber 32 Coloring Pages - Sponsored by Mike Reichenbach Chevrolet 34 Musings of a Beginning Backyard Beekeeper - Kim Taylor 35 Fish with a Purpose. Fish with Heroes. - Hannah Seigworth 37 Squawk | Directory 38 From the Homestead & Classifieds 38 Funnies - Brice Patterson
CATS
EXOTIC
DOGS
HOMESTEADING
EQUESTRIAN
WILDLIFE
PEANUT GALLERY
C A T E G O R Y
K E Y
EDITION 1
-
APR MAY 2016
Starting from “SCRATCH� Chicken Keeping 101 34 Years of Chickens & Marriage
27 34
From Suburban Living to Goat Wranglers Musings of a Beginning Backyard Beekeeper
Publisher John Burton Associate Publisher Ande Nehila Managing Editor Joe Nehila Creative Direction Nosoco Designers Jason Kelly Robert Sagun Cover Photography Pixabay.com Contributors Linda Burton, Ande Nehila, Joe Nehila, Nathan Hohsfield, Justin Smith, Holly Dixon, Mark & Sharon Mansell, Jane Payne, Hannah Seigworth, Kim Taylor, John Ewald, Samantha Shepard, Rashaun Bush, Jeff Gerber, Kelsey Price, Logan Bertram, Rob Kaufmann, Al Bennett, Gary Meagher, Brice Patterson Advertising info@tailsofthelowcountry.com Community Liaison Erika Nouri Nosoco dba Tails of the Lowcountry 175 Boardwalk Dr. Suite H Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-882-7803 info@tailsofthelowcountry.com www.tailsofthelowcountry.com
Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Tails of the Lowcountry magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. Tails of the Lowcountry retains the right to refuse any advertisement. For questions of animal health, wellness, and safety, readers should consult professionals.
08 19
VOLUME 1
Cover Stories
Tails of the Lowcountry | 4
From the Team @
Publisher’s Note
U
ndoubtedly, if you are reading this, you have discovered a newsprint gem. A new gem. You may be curious what you have just picked up. This is a publication about animals for people who love them. From people who love them. Every two months, or until the demand is too great to bare for a monthly publication, we will be distributing many thousands of copies of this animal first magazine throughout the area. It reaches both South Carolina’s Lowcountry (the likes of Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort, Ridgeland, and Hardeeville) as well as some of Georgia’s Coastal Empire. Some people will receive the publication at their home via post, and others will pick it up at their favorite local business. The why behind Tails is simple. We all love animals. Our team are baby goat having, labradoodle loving, yappy dog at work, dog park supporting, kitten toting, fish fans from Bluffton. We live in an equestrian friendly place. How many people can say that around the country? Your friends probably have a snake, monkey, pit bull, golden retriever, Japanese beetle, tabby cat, hamster, and who knows what else. They may keep chickens, goats possibly even pigs. In their house! Pot bellies walking around like they are people, because to some, they are people. Sidle up next to the fire with a book and cat on your lap. Like us. When Friday rolls around, you are never lonely with an animal companion. You may love birding, fishing, and other pastimes to connect you with nature. So why not have something dedicated to those topics? Every edition will have core articles on what we believe you love. These are dogs, cats, horses, exotic animals, homesteading, and the outdoors. You will read some scientific articles, some about conservation, others reading stranger than fiction, humorous, travelogues, and more. Tails will have the wide variety of pieces you associate with man’s relationship with animals. To top that off, we feel we have a really excellent website at tailsofthelowcountry.com. You can find articles posted more frequently than every few months. Each week there will be new content, and you can also follow us at fb.com/tailsofthelowcountry. We’ll have contests, promotions, and fun. Lots of fun. With animals. And we support adoption. You’ll find details about shelters, and pets to adopt both online and in print. Thanks for joining us on the start of our journey. Keep in touch. - John Burton Publisher
5
WE WAN
Photographs. Writers. Contribut Contribu
w w w.ta i l s o f t h e
SOME we LOVE. we HATE. we EAT.
H
NT YOU
Art. Stories. tors. Advertisers.
l o w c o u n t r y. c o m
Editor’s Message
al Herzog wrote a book that encapsulates my feelings about animals. The title is “Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat.” Here is what Amazon says about it: “Hal Herzog, a maverick scientist and leader in the field of anthrozoology offers a controversial, thoughtprovoking, and unprecedented exploration of the psychology behind the inconsistent and often paradoxical ways we think, feel, and behave towards animals.” What they mean is that the book talks about our love of some animals, and our fear or hatred (sociologically) of others. One of my favorite sections is his discussion on factory farming, or even the average life of a well cared for hen, and the life of a cock fighter. Clearly, the author intends the reader to appreciate the way some roosters are cared for who are fighters and juxtaposes that with the way we treat factory poultry. Some will say, “that’s why I’m a vegetarian.” And that’s great. For you. For me, I understand and accept modern society and our need to eat. But I don’t accept our need to waste, and I don’t accept people hating animals, humans, or anything else. My wife grew up in a homesteading family, raising various livestock for slaughter. That was normal to her. But she feels pretty strongly about aquariums, zoos, and sea life parks. I grew up visiting them and feeling a deeper connection and reverence for the animals I visited at parks. I care deeply about animals, and still have my flash cards from youth, love Ranger Ricks, and more. We have always had a dog in the home, and at different times fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other friends. When I get home, I have a few little kids that great me, a great wife, and a dog that just won’t leave me alone. He pulls on my belt loops, wants to snuggle up next to me, and to tease me with his tennis ball. Our dog is a member of our family, even if he does get shoved aside so I can hold my toddler. Tails of the Lowcountry, to me, is a celebration of our connection to animals. Our love of animals. We may all love animals a little differently, but unless you are beyond feeling or a sociopath, you probably like animals too. You have probably loved an animal in your days. Felt the pangs of loss. The joys of the little things. The happiness you can only find from companionship. This makes my goal a lofty one, to represent in just a few pages the wide range of the human experience with animals. To pour out all our love. I want you to know we are sternly against abuse, huge fans of adoption, and will support animals in any way we can. If you have this in your hands, I bet you feel similarly. Never think twice about telling us how we are doing, and sending in your pictures, stories, and love. Or hate. But please, don’t eat me bro! - Joe Nehila Editor
6
Friend Me
Katie Mae
Sergeant
Petino
Jax
Posidon
Savannah
Rousey
Sonya
Faunya
Hilton Head Humane Association - www.hhhumane.org
Independence
Sunshine
Rodeo
L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue
Willow
Ginger
- www.learnhorserescue.org
Peep
H.O.P.E. Acres Rescue
Beaufort County Animal Shelter
wwww.hopeacresrescue.org
www.www.bcgov.net/departments/publicsafety/animalcontrol/.org
Nicole
Colleton County Animal Shelter
Heidi
J.A.R.M.
Sarge
Palmetto Animal League
www.JARMission.org
www.foccas-sc.org
Hagan
WWW.AUNTLAURIES.COM 7
Onyx
Pumba
- www.palmettoanimalleague.org
Starting from
"SCRATCH" Chicken Keeping
101 By Kelsey Price
W
hen I first started raising chickens, I had no idea how dramatically it would change my life. I could never have imagined that I would fall in love with it, or that I would eventually abandon my conventional lifestyle altogether in favor of homesteading and farming. I didn’t know that just a few years later two chicks given to me by a coworker would soon become sixty chickens, in addition to ducks, quails, and goats, because as any farmer can tell you, chickens are a gateway livestock. But, my first and true love will always be chickens. Chickens are easy to maintain. Just ask my 8 and 10 year old chicken champions. Very few endeavors can give you the same sense of satisfaction as raising your own chicks, then several months later, discovering your prize for months of hard work and patience , your first egg. Chickens are by far the easiest farm animal to maintain. They are also relatively inexpensive. However, before diving in, please remember that they are living things that require tending on a daily basis. Like all other animals, they are a commitment not to be taken lightly. 8
Top 5 Beginner Breeds (for a Colorful Basket)
Rhode Island Red Large, dual purpose (eggs and meat) layers of large brown eggs. RIR’s are known for their fantastic egg production. Hardy, and good foragers, these birds do well confined, or in a free range environment.
Your hens will happily lay eggs without a rooster. You do not need a rooster unless you intend to hatch
out chicks.
Leghorn Prolific layers of L-XL white eggs, leghorns are responsible for most of the white eggs you find in the grocery store. Being a medium sized breed, they have an excellent feed to egg ratio, making them a popular choice for egg farmers. Leghorns are known to be a little nervous and flighty, so if you choose this breed, be sure to clip their wings, and be prepared to possibly keep them in a covered pen.
Orpington Heavy bodied, dual purpose birds with an excellent temperament. Orpingtons are known as the Golden Retrievers of the chicken world because they are docile and friendly. They are great layers of large light brown eggs and are commonly found in blue, buff, black and white. A great choice for families.
Silkie Silkies are an interesting ornamental breed, looking more like a wellgroomed lap dog than a chicken. They are a bantam breed (miniature in size) available in many colors. They have black skin, and meat, and blue earlobes. What they lack in laying abilities, only 23 small eggs a week, they make up for with their calm, sweet dispositions. If you are chicken keeping purely as a hobby or are looking for a pet chicken, this is the breed for you. Be prepared to provide them with a secure, covered coop and run. Not being able to see well through their fluff, they are an easy target for predators.
Ready to Bring Home Your Chicks? Here are the Chick essentials: 1. Broodertemporary shelter for baby chicks where temperature can be regulated 2. Heat source such as a brooder lamp, or EcoGlow Brooder 3. Food and water bowls or dispensers 4. Chick Starter Feed 5. Electrolyte and Probiotic packs if desired
monitored, then moved into an outside pen around 6 weeks of age. By this time their adult feathers should have grown in. Until that time, brooder setups can be anything ranging from a large Sterilite bin or tub to an elaborate purchased or home built brooder. I like something Check local ordinances and POA rules on simple, cheap, and easy to clean. Brooder bedding is a personal preference, and can keeping fowl before purchasing be shredded newspaper, hay, sand, moss, Now that spring has arrived, chicks wood chips, or any other material good at are readily available. You can find them absorbing and controlling moisture. Avoid through local farmers, livestock swaps, flat newspaper. It can become slippery social media, local feed supply stores, or and lead to splayedleg syndrome in your online hatcheries. Plan to spend about $3- chicks. Be prepared to change out your $5 per chick for common breeds. Chickens bedding a few times a week. are flock animals and do best in sets of Chicks need a constant source of at least three. It is never advisable to get food and water. Baby chicks are fed a only one. Any chicks of the same size can balanced diet of crumbles called “chick be mixed to create your own backyard starter” until about 6 weeks. Then they flock. Set up your brooder before bringing should be switched to “chick grower.” Both your chicks home. Most choose to have can be found in 50 lbs bags at your local their chicks spend their first weeks feed supply store, such as Tractor Supply inside, where they can be more closely in our area. You may also be interested in 9
Easter & Olive Egger Not a breed per se, Easter and Olive Eggers comprise a group of mixed breed chickens designed to produce a beautiful egg. Olive Eggers, typically a mix of an Easter Egger (EE), Legbar, or other blue laying chicken, and a chocolate laying bird such as Marans will produce an egg, anywhere from olive to avocado in color. Easter Eggers, typically a mixed bird containing Ameraucana or Araucana lines, will produce an egg of almost any color, but typically somewhere between sky blue and light green. *Nine times out of ten, hatcheries advertising these pure breeds will actually be EE’s. Easter and Olive Eggers vary widely in color, and typically have good personalities. Most kids love pulling a blue or green egg out of the layer box.
specially designed feeders and waterers. Electrolytes and probiotic packs are helpful to have to keep your chickens healthy. Aside from being preventative, they aid in helping correct issues such as dehydration, or “pasty butt.”
Pasty Butt: a condition where waste sticks to and clogs up a chick’s hind feathers. Should your chicks end up with pasty butts, gently clean the matted area with warm water, return your chick to the brooder, and watch for signs of recurrence.
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MAY 7, 2016 10AM-2PM Add apple cider vinegar and garlic to your chickens water to ward off parasites and infection Finally, suspend or install your brooder lamp or heat source, always being mindful of potential fire hazards. Newborn chicks need to be kept at temperatures between 90-95 degrees for the first week, then slowly hardened to cooler temperatures. Provide your chicks with a warmer area of the brooder and a relief area where they can go to bring their temperatures down. Chicks do a good job at regulating their own temperature inside the brooder, and their behavior will give you some insight on whether the temperature is correct. You will know if they are too warm if they are huddled in the relief area, and too cold if they are constantly snuggled up under the heat lamp. It is just right when your birds are active throughout the brooder, or gravitating somewhere towards the middle. Reduce temperature by approximately 5 degrees weekly until it equals the ambient temperature.
Maintaining Chickens Chickens are very versatile and can be kept in all conditions. Some people prefer a chicken tractor, or an all-in-one coop with an attached run that can be moved around the yard or kept stationary. Others prefer to let their birds freerange and have a shelter just for egg laying and night time. Some opt for a shelter or coop inside a large fenced in area, such as a dog
kennel. There is no need to spend a lot of money on a setup -chickens are fairly low maintenance and do not require a lot -but whatever you choose, there are some important factors to remember, 1. Protection from the elements : In the South, our biggest challenges are rain and heat. Your structure must be covered and well ventilated. 2. Easy to clean: Chickens can be messy. Keeping cleanability in mind while planning your coop could save you lots of frustration and time in the end. 3. Predatorsafe: Some of the most common chicken predators include hawks, raccoons, opossums, foxes, and stray dogs. Running chicken wire or hardware cloth along the bottom of your run will go far in protecting your girls from predators, but plan ahead for aerial attacks. Some people choose to cover their runs, only let their birds free range supervised, or add a livestock guardian dog to their farm family. If your pen is stationary, burying it a foot into the ground or surrounding it with pavers drastically increases their chance of survival in the event of a fox or dog attack. Another factor to consider, chickens require a place to take dust baths. If you do not establish a bathing area, they will find a nice spot, dig a hole and make it for you. To create a dust bath, dig a small hole about 18 inches wide, and fill it with sand. They will climb in and happily preen themselves and ruffle sand through their feathers to keep themselves clean. Adding foodgrade diatomaceous earth to the sand will help prevent mites and lice. At about 5 months old, switch your flock to layer feed or crumble. This will provide their bodies with the extra calcium needed for egg production. As they approach laying age, 6 months or so for most breeds, provide your girls with a layer box, bin, crate, or other quiet place to lay their eggs.
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Many families feed their chickens kitchen scraps. There are just a few things that aren’t good for chickens. The do list is too large, so here are a few recommended don’ts: plants from the nightshade family, salty foods, citrus, onions, dried or undercooked beans, dry rice, avocado skin and pit, candy, chocolate, sugar, apple seeds
10
U Cat Ownership According to
H
ey you! Yeah, you, the one with the crazy eyes. I’m talking to you, and you’ve gotta listen. I heard you were looking at getting a cat, maybe one from a shelter, because you’re humane. That’s good. It’s a good first step. But you know what? I’ve gotta tell you somethin’. Owning a cat isn’t your everyday walk in the woods. Most of you Lowcountry cats are used to owning dogs. I’ve seen them. The types you try to smuggle into the thrift store in your purse like a quirky little hat. The nose sticking out, squished between a zipper and a scrunchie. Or the types you try to walk, but walk you instead. The fact of the matter is, you can’t just go thinking you 11
Gold Chain McHohsfield - By Nathan Hohsfield
can do that with a cat. You try those shenanigans, and you’ll be on a one way track to lonelyville. Rule number 1 for owning a cat: A cat is not a dog, so don’t even try it. This also ain’t a list, so don’t go expecting rule number two! Do I have your attention? I can tell you want more advice, so here’s another bone to chew: a cat is a predator. It is a miniaturized predator, but a predator nonetheless. See those claws? Those claws are the same types of claws that grow on lions, cheetahs, and chicken-looking dinosaurs. Cats and those claws go a long way back, and they know how to use them. So, how are you supposed to survive owning a cat? A cat is not a dog. A dog relies
on the knowledge that you are in charge to be happy. You know, that whole Alpha thing Caesar preaches. You tell it what to do, and it will listen like the obedient and good little puppy he is! A cat... not so much. You tell a cat to sit, you will be lucky if he even looks at you before turning tail. You know what you did wrong? You thought you were better than your friend. If you think you are better than your cat, you may as well go home now. Lots of other pet owners go into the ring thinking the owner/pet relationship can’t be all that different with animals of a feline persuasion. They couldn’t be more wrong. With a cat, you have to come to terms with the fact that, according to the cat, he is your equal. You
do your thing, and he does his. Or she. This house belongs to the both of you now. If that piece of bacon doesn’t agree with your stomach, then you’ve got a long road ahead of you. Now, I’ve painted quite the picture here. I’m sure by now you may be second guessing your decision to get a cuddly little kitten. Sadly, once again... You are wrong. You do want a kitten. Maybe even two. Do you know why you should aspire to be the future owner of one or two crazy balls of fur? You should look forward to owning a cat because when a cat loves you, you know. When you come home and he walks up to you, purrs, and gives you a solid welcomehome headbutt, you know that he cares. When he jumps up into your lap, curls up into a ball and goes to sleep, you know he might just like your company. If he didn’t care, he would be somewhere else, but instead, he is there with you. Your cat chooses you as much as you choose your cat. There will inevitably be times when he may forget you are a person and not a trampoline. But for experienced cat o wners, it is the mutual respect and understanding that creates a bond stronger than that of any other pet-owner relationship.
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COOLEST THING
SINCE SLICED
BREAD
Your Dog may eat Homework. Our Dog eats
Not so with bread. After a reasonable upbringing, with boundaries and love, Chewbacca learned who is the boss. (Sidenote: I am the boss.) There was a time my husband was out of town for work and it was just Chewie and I at home for a few weeks. There was a throwdown, and I emerged victorious. No longer did he nip at my pant leg, soft maw my arm, or climb up on furniture. I was woman, and he knew my roar. (Sidenote: My husband never had this throwdown, and his belt loops are still pulled, he is bumped in the arm with grimey tennis ball and wet nose, and the dog, at times, sits on his shoulder like he did as a puppy. He is not a puppy.) Then, one day, he discovered bread. Innocently, I gave him some bread on the
verge of going bad. One bite was all it took. The dumb dog was in love. (Sidenote: I say dumb, but our dog is anything but dumb. People say it’s the poodle, he is too smart for his own good). One morning I planned to surprise some friends and family with freshly baked bread. I charitably worked through the mid-morning nap cycle and early afternoon baking ten loaves. One went in my microwave for safe keeping, one was immediately given out, and one more was walked over to the neighbors. (Sidenote: The microwave loaf, let’s just say it didn’t all make it to the microwave and that wasn’t the dog’s fault. He is not the only bread lover.)
When I had returned from next door, our dastardly dog had eaten seven loaves. SEVEN LOAVES!
843•987•1517
WW
W
Please, take a moment to consider that last statement. Seven loaves. It still baffles my mind. He is about 65 lbs, I don’t know where it all went. In the end, nature took its revenge because his bowels did not agree with consuming 15 lbs of bread. But alas, he did not learn his lesson. (Sidenote: It was bad. But on the upside he was well trained and the bad was restricted to the pine needles in the yard.) Sometimes I blame myself. (Sidenote: No, not really. I try to blame my husband. I still have not settled on a good reason, but I’m certain it’s his fault.) I did not consider that giving Chewie nearly spent, 100% wheat bread, would result in an unmitigated love of bread. But wait, it gets worse. We were entertaining one evening when I left two
E
S
C
Wondering about my recipe. Here it is:
By Ande Nehila hewie, our four year old labradoodle, is not a fanatical eater. When we fill his doggie bowl with food, he only eats it when hungry. (Sidenote: I wish I was so lucky with my toddler.) Kibble might hang out in the dish for hours before he moseys up and decides to fill his belly. (Sidenote Again, our toddler, like a doggie food seeking missile).
unattended loaves on the counter in the next room. They were within eyeshot. I walked in and out and after no more than two brief minutes, found nothing but crumbs and a dog licking his lips. (Sidenote: If ninja school offered our dog bread, I’m certain he would pass all the tests. Either that, or he is a Russian spy.) The bread was less than fifteen feet away in a fully occupied house. Following a bit of yelling, I am certain what I saw was an impossibly poodlelike mixture of sulk and smirk. Chewie will take any risk, even knocking aside knives left on the counter, for bread. We have not found a good solution. In truth, I may be writing this by assignment or I may be writing this for catharsis. Maybe someone out there can help. If you can’t, that’s ok. I just remember to always put bread in the microwave for safekeeping these days. And when I don’t remember, my dog eats my bread. (Sidenote: No it’s not, really, please help. I feel like I’m in a bread straight jacket these days. No woman should fear for her kitchen counter.)
.BIG
DSROY
E A LT
12
LLAMAS = Great Animals, Most of the Time
L
lamas are more like people than some people are like people. Some are grumps, some are sweet, and some will spit at you if you get too close. My first exposure to keeping llamas did not end well. My family supplemented our income with the sale of brome and alfalfa hay from our fields. We would sell them at the local livestock auction. Mom (bless her heart, as they say) probably spent more at that auction on new animals than we ever made on selling hay. The time I would like to share with you was no different, and we brought home in our horse trailer a beautiful grey snaggletooth llama. In the weeks that followed ‘ol snaggletooth became known as Osama bin Llama. He was the meanest, orneriest, would spit on you sooner than look at you est llama you’ve ever met. Now if you are not familiar, llama spit isn’t saliva. Llama spit is regurgitated feed mixed with just a little hate. Osama once spat on my little sister when she tried to feed him sweet feed. I’m not sure what happened to Osama bin Llama in the end, but he didn’t stick around our house much longer.
From my first experience, you’d think that llamas weren’t fit for human companionship but fortunately every llama we had after Osama was his exact opposite. Our llamas fiercely protected the rest of our animals. They spent their time in the pasture with the goats happily munching on grass with their ears twitching this way and that. We never had any trouble with foxes or coyotes while the llamas were around. You did have to be careful though. If you had friends over who hadn’t met our llamas, you introduced them slowly. They took their job of protection seriously. If they didn’t know you and you came up to the herd abruptly, get ready to be kicked, or worse, spit on with grassy hate.
Other than Osama, our llamas got along quite well with the other animals on the farm. Our dog was terrified of them, but that’s probably because she was afraid of anything bigger than kibble. So apart from protection, why keep llamas? Llama hair is called fleece and is collected by shearing the llama just like you would a sheep. My mother and I both knew how to spin the fleece into yarn; when it came time to shear the llamas we were put in charge of making something useful out of it. Llama fleece is extremely strong, likely a product of their harsh
mountainous homeland. It’s also soft and insulating, keeping you warm even when wet, just like sheep’s wool. It also comes in myriad colors so you usually don’t have to dye it. Unless you want fluorescent green, in which case there are no llamas native to Fukushima, so you’ll have to dye it. Llamas are shorn in stages based on how comfortable with the shears they are. Once they get too feisty you just stop and let the rest keep growing. That’s why an internet search for shorn llamas will return a bunch of pictures of poodle esque creatures. The fleece is then taken and cleaned, carded, and separated into roving. The cleaning process removes the oils, dirt, and plant matter from the fleece.
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13
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Carding can be done with a pair of hand combs or with a drummed machine (that machine makes it a lot easier!). Carding makes all of the fibers go the same direction which makes it easier to spin. The carding process gives you bats of wool that can be awkward to spin if you have a large carder. Spinners often separate the bats into tubes called roves that are easier to manage. I could talk about this for hours, but I think your head may be nodding.
So, llamas are a true multipurpose animal and are a joy to keep. Just watch out for the spit and banished Saudi llamas, and you’ll be just fine. By John Ewald
Animal Adventures
through your old photographs in awhile, I highly recommend this cathartic exercise. There were photos of my wedding, anniversaries, first born child, and our family’s first puppy. There were photos of food (lots of photos of food), market stalls, and people. And there were photos of animals. It’s amazing where your old pictures can take you. In the end, I settled on Bahrain. Most of my favorite ith the launch adventures traveling were of Tails of the not to the romanticized locals Lowcountry, I have had the opportunity of tween girl imagination, they were to the places that to reflect on some of my Fodor forgot. I have nothing greatest adventures with against schnitzel in Vienna, animals. Since the informal but the allure of the Austrian announcement this Spring, countryside is nothing the reception has been compared to the misbegotten nothing short of amazing. bloks of Lithuania. And let me Writers. Photographers. tell you, Bahrain is a Illustrators. Cartoonists. Each desert beauty. day the publication is getting When most Americans in unique material to add to think of the Middle East, future issues and online. And, they think of terrorism and I encourage more. Please they think of people in the consider sending us things if desert with camels. It’s sad. you love to create and you Dubai is the Las Vegas of the love animals. But I digress... Middle East (not my personal Getting the first edition of favorite). Abu Dhabi is Dubai’s a magazine off the ground is more responsible brother, no easy task. As an ameteur the second son in the story photographer, and a dabbler in writing, I knew that it would of the Prodigal. Remember, there were two. And Bahrain. fall on me to put something Bahrain is, Bahrain. worth reading together for Many frogmen and devil the first edition. And I would dogs will be familiar with need to find photos that we have rights to use in whatever Bahrain. Across the Persian Gulf from Iran, it is a small way we wanted. So, I booted island country to the East of up Adobe Lightroom and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has long went to work sifting through thousands of images from the been an ally to the United States, though an increasing past fifteen years. Tens amount of discontent has of thousands. dominated recent headlines If you have not gone
in Bahrain
W
(disagreements over religious minority representation). The Bahrain I remember is a Bahrain with proud individuals celebrating an ancient tradition of trade and connectedness dating back to the Dilmun civilization. And the camels. I remember fondly a
I Need a Royal Camel Farm. conversation with a successful Bahraini where he told me about practicing the art of hunting with birds of prey. I thought to myself, that would be cool. Then, I saw the Janabiya Royal Camel Farm, at which point I thought, I need a Royal Camel Farm. Not really. It doesn’t seem very practical in South Carolina. Plus, what do you do with camels anyway? Observing the environment and the camels with a Western optic might lead one to feel bad for them. Many have ropes around their muzzles or a foot. But, these camels are not racing camels, taxed to the extreme for sport. These camels are not factory bred for meat. These camels, like Bahrain, just are. The King’s uncle began the farm, and there are hundreds that just hang out and do camely things. Sit. Stand. Huddle. Snuggle. Eat. Poop. Mate. As a visitor, you don’t have to pay to get in the farm. There is no gift shop. You just go and camel. Just my style. Hang out for a bit, and the camels’ attendees will
casually walk up and offer to take your picture, or sit you on a camel for a small tip. They are very nice. The workers don’t bite, unlike the camels. Like llamas, you need to watch out for camels, they are not legends of grump for no reason. But, I was not bit. No, my time amongst the camels was spent observing mothers with their young, old camels using their tails and ears to swat at flies, and just being. A resounding endorsement? Maybe. In truth, I don’t know if I’d travel to Bahrain just to visit the Janabiya Royal Camel Farm. It’s not an African safari, nor a trip to the Galapagos. Janabiya is a place barely off the side of the road where people from all climbs can go and see camels. Armed with a camera, it makes for a great detour. Dear Reader, You may be wondering why Bahrain is worth a visit. If I did not first go to attend a conference, I doubt it would have made my shortlist. Having been, I really enjoyed it. Should you find yourself involved with international Islamic finance, Bahrain is a major thought center and a wonderful representation of the accomplishments of religious and pious Muslims. As a center of ancient commerce and culture, it’s a cool little place. A camel ornament that adorns my tree each Christmas season from Bahrain remains one of my wife’s favorites. By Joe Nehila
A Locally Owned Boutique featuring Fine Goods 843•815•3315
Cocoon Bluffton
6 Promenade Street, Unit 1008, Promenade, Downtown Bluffton 14
MOVE OVER GOLDFISH GET A
A L U T N A TAR T
here was a point in time when, like most folks, I didn’t like spiders. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was about them that gave me the creeps - but they did. Then one day in high school I bought a buddy of mine a Chilean Rose Tarantula for his birthday. Over time I developed a fascination with this and many other species of spiders, which eventually grew into a passion. Fast forward a few years later, I now have accrued a collection of roughly twenty tarantulas and a handful of scorpions. I came to find that their ease of care, minimal space requirements, and cost efficient keeping made for an addiction.
Why Tarantulas? The biggest question I usually get when I tell people I keep tarantulas is, “Why would you want to keep something like that?” The answer is simple but my fascination cannot be so easily explained. The biggest selling point is the ease of care in my opinion. Compared to the more common pets like cats, dogs, or birds, tarantulas require very little maintenance, space, and most importantly, time. If that sounds terrible, allow me to explain.
Little Maintenance Unlike reptiles, tarantulas do just fine at room temperatures without needing an external heat source. This is subject to what part of the country you live in, but here in the Southeast, whatever the thermostat is set at is usually good enough for them. Tarantulas are not picky roommates. They also dislike light so the need for a tank light or
artificial light source is not necessary. No heat source. No light. Easy peasy.
Little Space What also separates tarantulas from many other pets is the little space they need to thrive. Almost all species (with the few exceptions of the really big tarantulas) of these spiders don’t need a tank larger than ten gallons. In fact, they prefer smaller spaces to larger ones. In the wild a single tarantula will live their entire life in a very small niche in the ecosystem. They might stay in their burrow or in tree hollow, only venturing out to feed or mate. With their space efficiency comes cost efficiency. Most tarantulas do great in simple setups with nothing more than a piece of cork bark and some coco coir (coconut fiber) or organic peat moss.
Little Time The species’ natural niche will dictate what kind of setup it needs. For species that are terrestrial (ground dwelling) or burrowers, a wide container or plastic tank benefits them more than one with vertical space. The opposite goes for arboreal (tree dwelling) species that are climbers and spend minimal time on the ground. For the arboreal species, I use plastic gallon jars that can be found at just about any store for less than $5. I drill small holes in the lid for ventilation. As for the terrestrial species, I use either the pet trade staple of a Kritter Keeper (found at almost all pet stores) or a classic glass aquarium (ten gallons or less). The process of setting up a home your tarantula will love is not costly, nor time consuming. As mentioned before, tarantulas are extremely low maintenance. They are an animal with a very low metabolism - in other words they can survive long periods of time
without food. For the cost of only 2 or 3 crickets a week, keeping them fat and happy couldn’t be easier. Like plants that do not like to be overwatered, feeding your tarantula too much hurts more than helps. Keeping your tarantulas hydrated also couldn’t be easier. A small shallow water dish refilled and cleaned once a week is perfect. The material and size of the water dish is something of importance. Ideally, it should be something non-toxic, nonporous, and not so deep that the spider can’t find it or somehow drown in the dish. A plastic cap from a Gatorade bottle or something of similar size and depth works fine for adults. For my spiderlings (“slings”) and juveniles, misting the enclosure with a water bottle does the trick.
Where to Start? There are over 800 documented species of tarantula on the planet. So what species are the best, especially for tarantunovices? The answer to this question is location. In the hobby, tarantulas are divided into two groups: Old World species from Africa and Asia and New World species from the Americas. For beginners, sticking to the Americas species is a better choice. Often the majority of Old World species have nasty attitudes and bites that can be considered medically significant. While there have been no recorded deaths from any tarantula bite, some of them can require a hospital visit. New World species, on the other hand, are not as toxic or hot tempered (of course there are exceptions!) as their relatives across the pond. However, New World species have developed another defense mechanism in the form of urticating hairs. This is, at worst, an obnoxious defense. The tarantula will kick or rub its legs on its abdomen (the “butt”) and flick these fine hairs, which in turn act as an irritant. How annoying is it? The itching reminds me of getting dusted with fiberglass. It’s best to remember that tarantulas are more of a look don’t touch kind of pet and do not enjoy being handled. Something as simple as a short fall onto the floor can damage their vital organs, which are located in the
abdomen. Think of them as a cooler, less fussy version of an aquarium.
Top 3 Starter Species There are a few species that make great starters. All come from the Americas, are relatively calm, and commonly available. Here are my top three:
#1 Chilean Rose-Hair First on the list, a staple in the hobby for decades, and chances are you have seen one in a pet store: the Chilean RoseHair Tarantula (Grammostola rosea). This species is native to scrub and savanna regions of Argentina, Bolivia and Northern Chile. They are a great starter species because they are very hardy and easy to maintain. Because their native habitat is considered arid to semi-arid, they do not need a humid enclosure and prefer drier substrate. G. rosea is a terrestrial species that will make use of a hideout, but in captivity usually doesn’t burrow. A Kritter Keeper with 2 or 3 inches of coco coir and a piece of cork bark leaning on one side is all they need. Over time they will make it their own and web wherever they see fit. The one downside to this species is they will sometimes
fast for an extended period of time (scary for newbies). After a while Rose-Hairs will begin to feed again and everything will go back to normal.
#2 Mexican Redknee The second is usually the first species people think of when they think of tarantulas. The Mexican Redknee Tarantula (Brachypelma smithi) is often used in movies and on television. B. smithi inhabit a mountainous region of southwestern Mexico that includes coastal plains and tropical deciduous forest. Compared to G. rosea, female Redknees are a bit larger and more colorful. Just like their Chilean counterparts, these are a terrestrial species that will make use of a burrow or a hide. These also make a great starter because of their docility.
#3 Pinktoes Third, something that’s a little different from the aforementioned is an arboreal group from South America called the Avicularia genus or Pinktoe Tarantulas. This genus has several species in it, but the most commonly sold is generically known as the Pinktoe Tarantula, A. avicularia. The native range of this particular species is spread across Northern South
America into Brazil and as far East as Trinidad. As an arboreal species Pinktoes prefer life in the canopy where they make tube webs in hollows and nooks of trees. Young spiders do fine in the gallon jar setups mentioned earlier. Using the same method, leaning a piece of cork bark with a few inches of substrate, works like a charm with this species too. Pinktoes are a more tropical species, and therefore, need more humidity than their arid cousins. Less ventilation and good misting helps them feel right at home. Just beware of mold!
FINAL THOUGHTS With any species it is important to know the gender of what you may be purchasing; with tarantulas finding the gender is easy. Mature female tarantulas will be bigger, more robust and stockier than males. Often females are also more colorful and vivid while males have less accentuated features. The big reason the gender you purchase matters is longevity. Female tarantulas live a very long time, some species live decades. Males, however, may only live a few years before dying. Since the purpose of males is to breed, this only makes sense. Once males
become mature the clock is ticking to find a female.
Stand out Pets Not everyone can get behind keeping big spiders-which is understandable. But for the people who are a little curious and want to take the leap, it’s an interesting pet with a lot that can be learned. The ease of care, the variety of species, the color palette to choose from, among other things, make tarantulas something truly different. One spider sparked an interest in me that hasn’t died in almost a decade. To this day I still come across pictures online of species I haven’t kept yet which gets the gears turning. It’s an addictive hobby that can quickly go from one spider to thirty in no time! You’re only limited by how much space you’re living in.
By Justin Smith
WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? SPECIALIZING IN THINGS THAT
SWIM, CREEP, HOP, CRAWL, SLITHER, STRUT, LUMBER, GLIDE, JUMP, AND SNUGGLE. LOCALLY OWNED WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF. 3229 Argent Blvd, Ste D, Ridgeland, SC
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Making a Difference
Watercolor Artist Larry Wellspeak sells Giclee’ Prints to benefit one of his favorite animals, American Mustangs. Wellspeak is a native of Connecticut, and has been painting for over 60 years though his painting is now limited due to “essential tremors.” Through his daughter Lisa’s love and passion for horses, and Wild Mustangs, he learned that many wild mustangs did not have the ability to roam as freely as they once did across our country. Some legislation and entities have also sought to sterilize these animals, representing an enduring risk to the ecological legacy we are leaving our children. An icon of the plains, and our national heritage, Larry sought to help mustangs through art. “Wild mustang’s are a vital part of American History. Their beauty, and grace should be celebrated. My daughter Lisa’s passion for horses, and the mustangs, made me want to do something to help preserve these beautiful horses.” Over the past years, Wellspeak’s art has raised money, and awareness,for his charity of choice the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC). The AWHPC is unique in that the organization lobbies congress to take action to support preservation, promote healthy ecosystems by protecting predators, improve range stewardship, and address resource inequalities. Stakeholders associated with the AWHPC are working in conjunction with federal and state agencies to keep wild horses wild and free on the range where they belong and have experienced success in Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and more closely in North Carolina. Possibly more importantly, Larry’s efforts have inspired his daughter to carry on his legacy, supporting wildlife rescue and rehabilitation through her artwork. “My father’s passion for saving wildlife has always been a valuable lesson to me. We chose to begin selling our art to make the world a better place, and to save America’s legacy, and endangered animals.”
Larry splits time on Johns Island, a place Lisa has called home now for years. Thank you Larry & Lisa. To support the Wellspeaks, visit their etsy shop @ etsy.com/shop/SeaTurtleRehab
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Contributors
Ande Nehila is a tamer of labradoodles, and small children. A partner at Nosoco, she really feels all animals belong outside. When she wasn’t looking, her dog snuck up on her bed and has stayed there for the past three years. Ande likes to spend her time with her two small boys, ages 3 and 1, walking along paths filled with baby alligators and snapping turtles. Joe Nehila is the Creative Director of Tails of the Lowcountry and owner of Nosoco. Joe has traveled extensively and enjoys learning about new cultures and how they interact with animals. He lives in a certified wildlife community and enjoys spending time with his family and Chewie, a dog who does not appreciate that his name is not supposed to be a verb. Nathan Hohsfield is a pretty cool cat. A metaphorical cat. Like, “Wow, you are the best!” when in reality, you can’t be the BEST. Undersea jousting, for example. Chances are you are not the best. And that’s ok! (But in the off chance the greatest undersea jouster is reading this, I offer my sincere apologies. You are a step closer to “THE BEST.”) Anyways, I am a cool cat. Justin Smith is a lifelong lover of unlovable animals. He has kept a large variety of reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids over the course of a passion that goes back to the young age of 6. In his spare time Justin enjoys cigars, music, reading, and annoying neighborhood wildlife with a camera. A Beaufort native, he resides on Lady’s Island. Justin currently breeds Crested Geckos.
Holly Dixon is the owner of Timeless Interiors. She has long been a fan of dogs, and deathly allergic to cats, and rabbits. Holly calls Rose Hill home in Bluffton and plans at some stage to spoil her grandchildren with a miniature horse. She, like all of Pawnee, cannot get over how cute little horses are in spite of her general distaste for other mini things, like little dogs. Mark and Sharon Mansell are the owners of Sheldon Family Farm and Dairy. Mark is a retired educator and now works for CEF of the Lowcountry. Sharon homeschools their eight children at home. The children all participate in the NCFCA Speech and Debate Club where Sharon serves as an administrator. Adoption is at the heart of their ministry. If you ever wanted to visit, they welcome visitors to their farm year round. Hannah Seigworth slings coffee at Starbucks for a living but does freelance writing to keep her pen and her imagination active. After her parents, her cat, Buttons, is her biggest fan. Two of Hannah’s favorite pastimes are sleeping and eating, both of which are passions she and her cat share. Hannah thinks he might share her love of singing, too. But then again, she might be interpreting his yowling incorrectly. Jane Payne is a prolific blogger, covering self reliance, thriftiness, and homesteading. Prior to her blog, Jane had a loyal following of individuals in the West who subscribed to a newsletter. She has a gaggle of children, and now grandchildren. Two of her favorites cause her to spend a few weeks in Okatie each summer. These days Jane passes her time as an empty nester, teaching, and taking on unusual projects with her husband of 34 years, Calvin.
Georgia Aquariums Ocean Mysteries up for Four Daytime Emmy® Awards
O
Our beautiful collection of baskets filled with specialty products do more than make a great gift - they make a difference. These baskets are skillfully hand crafted, designed, processed and/or manufactured by individuals with disabilities. AuntLauries.com
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Samantha Shepard is a self proclaimed cat specialist. As the servant of two beautiful cats, she spends her free time attempting to teach (*cough* bribe) her boys Zelos and Tomo to do tricks. Samantha wants her feline overlords to be more happy and healthy (as any once worshiped creature should be). Zelos enjoys watching documentaries on cats in his spare time and occasionally plays ball. Tomo enjoys climbing up high places and pretending he’s a race car. Neither like to do these things when asked. Kim Taylor is a Lowcountry native, and resident of Ridgeland with her husband Mike and full house of four wonderful children. Kim has always loved the pursuit of self reliance, including canning, gardening, sewing, and now beekeeping. She teaches and administrates at a local school, and is active within her church and the community. Rashaun Bush is the owner of Pick-A-Pet 2, currently located in Ridgeland, SC. Rashaun is a native of Port Wentworth, where Pick-A-Pet was born and the future location of their new building. Specializing in rare and exotic pets, Rashaun loves all things that creep, crawl, slither, scurry, glide, and swim. Linda Burton is a Beaufort County literacy teacher, mom to three great college kids, and lover of all animals. As a kid, she lived on a farm and had a favorite chicken named Henrietta. With her dogs, Daisy and Harley, she isn’t an ‘empty nester’ because they are the children who will never leave home. As much as she has tried, she has given up on the ‘no dogs on the couch’ rule. She just keeps the vacuum cleaner nearby.
Jeff Gerber may be the Executive Director of the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival (a serious job), but he doesn’t take himself very seriously. He refers to himself as the Wine Bubba because of his down-to-earth way of looking at wine. Even still, Jeff is a Certified Specialist of Wine, and calls Columbia home with his wife and their cat that adopted them. Kelsey Price is a backyard farmer. Along with her boyfriend and two children, Kelsey keeps a pack of quasitrained dogs, some babyhaving, milk-producing goats, laying hens, one-day delicious ducks, little quailses [sic] and aspires to giant rabbits, wallabies, and emus. In order to make her backyard magic happen, she lives in Jasper County, SC. Brice Armond Patterson is an energetic but quirky artistic nerd aficionado of all things interesting. He loves puppies, comics, video games, art films, and the outdoors. Brice has the strange ability to relax any animal around, they seem to fall into a “chill” state, especially cats (although he is allergic). Brice’s best friend is Brownie, a small dog with a ton of personality - a dog known to play catch by retrieving the ball and running away from you until you catch her. John Ewald is a farm-raised transplant who married into a large Jasper County family clan. He now resides in Ridgeland with his beautiful wife and two marvelous children. John loves building, creating, and backyard homesteading. While his first experience with a llama may have been a bit traumatizing, after Osama he fell in love, causing him to learn many virtuous skills such as yarn making, looming, and other pioneer arts.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced nominees for the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards, with Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin from Georgia Aquarium receiving four nominations. Ocean Mysteries has been nominated for Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program, Outstanding Lifestyle/Travel/ Children’s Series Host, Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary/Travel Program, and Outstanding Single Camera Editing. On Ocean Mysteries, host Jeff Corwin and a team of dedicated scientists and researchers from Georgia Aquarium take viewers on adventures around the world to tell the extraordinary stories that lie beneath our oceans, and provide a unique perspective on the value of our oceans, and how to protect endangered and threatened species. Ocean Mysteries has been nominated for Daytime Emmy® Awards three consecutive years. Last year the show won Emmys® for Outstanding Travel Program and Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary/Travel Program. This is the first year that Ocean Mysteries has been recognized in four categories, and the first time the show has received a nomination in the Outstanding Single Camera Editing category. The Daytime Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in all fields of daytime television production and are presented to individuals and programs broadcast from 2 a.m. - 6 p.m. during the 2015 calendar year. The Daytime Creative Arts Emmy® Awards will take place on Friday, April 29 and the Daytime Emmy® Awards will take place on Sunday, May 1, in Los Angeles, Ca. Ocean Mysteries is currently in its fifth season. Episodes air on Saturday mornings during Litton’s Weekend Adventure on local ABC stations. Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that contains more than 10 million gallons of water and has one of the largest collection of aquatic animals. Georgia Aquarium’s mission is to be a scientific institution that entertains and educates, features exhibits and programs of the highest standards, and offers engaging and exciting guest experiences that promote the conservation of aquatic biodiversity throughout the world. Georgia Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.
For additional information, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org. 18
By Jane Payne
alvin placed the order for our new chicks this week. He promised he would only order a dozen layers and 50 meat birds. It’s any guess how many will show up when they arrive....We’ve raised chickens most every year of our 34 years of marriage for three purposes: One - teaching our children; Two - frugality; and Three - self-sufficiency. Let me explain:
Teaching Children Life Lessons I recall one Christmas a few years ago. Our college kids were home visiting. One evening after supper I asked Abe to haul the scraps out to the chickens. He kindly, but firmly said, “No. It’s time I teach you responsibility.” Abe continued, “We no longer need the chickens to teach us kids to be responsible, and with the cost of feed this year the hens aren’t saving you money so that’s not the reason you keep them either. We’ve begged you to get rid of the chickens for years, but the reason you still have them is because they are your pets. Admit it. They make you feel better. You wouldn’t feed our pets when we were little because that wouldn’t have taught us responsibility; it’s time I help you to be responsible and care for your pets. I’m not going to the chicken coop to take 19
care of your pets anymore. I’ll finish the dishes while you go feed the chickens.” I smiled at the irony of the exchange. The chickens were still teaching him responsibility. If Abe only knew what chickens had taught him through the years. One day when he was only six or seven years old, he accidentally left the water running and flooded the entire chicken coop. He and his younger brother Ty didn’t have irrigating boots. But coming into the house empty handed without the eggs was NOT an option especially once they explained they had flooded the coop. The two little boys sat down and brainstormed what to do. They pretended the eggs were secret treasure and scaled the chicken coop wall to the nest box. They captured the treasure and made it to the house with a full bucket of unbroken eggs without falling into the hot lava (flooded manure) below. Abe and Ty discovered later, after a subsequent flooding, that they could dig a hole from the outside of the coop straight into the nest and gather eggs without ever stepping foot in the chicken coop. The chickens were worth their weight in gold in teaching ingenuity. Each of the children had to tend the chickens as one of their chores. When they w e r e around t e n years old, they
began to bargain for other chores so they didn’t have to “do the chickens.” In truth, most of them didn’t like the chicken chores though they all seem to want them as grownups. I let them haggle and negotiate. You’d be amazed what they would do in exchange for not tending the chickens. One little job of gathering the eggs taught the kids many skills.With all of the lessons chickens teach children, how could we afford to raise children without them?
Frugality Chickens are very efficient at recycling. Feed them kitchen scraps and they give you an egg. It’s not quite that simple, but it is amazing what a hen gives in return for a little bit of feed. An average, well nourished hen lays 5 eggs per week. Chicken feed is expensive; however it can be supplemented to make raising a flock more economical. In the summer we feed our chickens overgrown and overripe fruit and vegetables from the garden. Allowing hens to freerange is also a viable option where they
can catch bugs, scratch weeds from the flower beds, and eat grass seeds. Sprouting wheat is another possibility, along with feeding hay. Just remember that laying hens need about 16% protein in their diet. Right now we’re feeding our laying hens a little bit of layer mash with some ground dried peas and corn that a local feed mill was selling very inexpensively. Our hens have never laid better. When you have backyard chickens, you often have an overabundance of eggs. Here is a good frugal recipe for utilizing your backyard treasure. I call them Poor Man Pancakes. One bad winter we ate them a lot because I always had plenty of eggs and basic pantry ingredients on hand. Even though our kids are grown and we are now empty nesters, everyone still request them when they come home to visit.
Poor Man Pancakes
6 eggs, well beaten 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1⁄2 tsp salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients together and pour into greased 11” x 15” pan. Bake 10-15 minutes until puffy. Serve with buttermilk syrup. Variations: Place browned link sausages or ham pieces on top of the batter before baking.
Buttermilk Syrup
1 cup sugar 1 cube butter (no substitutions) 1⁄2 cup buttermilk 1 tsp soda 1 tsp vanilla, almond, or maple flavoring Bring sugar, butter, and buttermilk to a boil then remove from heat. Cool one minute and then add soda and flavoring.
Self-Sufficiency One of my first experiences as a young wife was with chickens. I had gone to our local store and bought a whole chicken to roast as a surprise meal for my new husband. I got home and opened the bag and it smelled awful. Really awful. Our budget was so slim, the gas needed to return it to the store needed to be budgeted. Freshness, quality, and lack of disease in the meat and eggs is another reason for raising chickens. When legislation was introduced to remove the country of origin stamps from meat, it was a relief to know that Calvin and I had direct control over how our meat is produced, slaughtered, and packaged. When I hear of a recall on poultry products, I don’t have to worry or wonder. More than once I’ve been short an egg when I was trying to make pancakes or cookies and had to go no farther than the chicken coop to get more. It is a great and empowering feeling to know that you can produce what you need to eat. Consider raising a flock of chickens if you want to teach your children with animals, live more frugally, or increase your self- sufficiency. They also add a vibrant and satisfying clucking sound to your world, and while not necessary to own a rooster to have good layers, our rooster’s crow is a welcome call out to morning. I guess our son was right, our chickens have become our pets.
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Equestrian THE AREA’S TOP
C O M M U N I T I E S
T
he Lowcountry is known for many things: Lowcountry Boils, Belles, Oyster Roasts, Marsh, Fried Green Tomatoes, Alligators, Shrimp & Grits, and Plantation Communities. From inland to island, small roads leading to large associations line the area. Some have a rich history dating back to antebellum America, and others are modern day developer creations. Each offers a unique culture and environment which lure anyone from newlyweds to retirees. Excellent real estate agents in the area will not try to sell a customer on a specific neighborhood. There is too much diversity to shoehorn an individual into the wrong pumps. They will help you navigate the tumultuous waters of Lowcountry realty by matching a potential buyer to the locality that best reflects their temperament and lifestyle desires. Regime fees dictate a certain number of benefits, or amenities: Security, Pools, Tennis courts, Gyms, Golf courses, and Stables. In a nod to yesteryear, many plantations remain equestrian communities with tie offs near the clubhouse and barns on site. Others allow homeowners to fence in their own paddocks and shelter horses.
Rose Hill
Rose Hill Plantation has what locals call the “Equestrian” or “Estate” side, and the golf side. The plantation has a rich tradition dating back to before the Civil War. The historic Rose Hill Mansion was built in the late 1850’s by Dr. John Kirk. The equestrian half of the community have stately homes on lots that are more spacious, suitable for keeping horses. It is no surprise that a community with so much history is an equestrian-friendly location. There are few other backdrops with so many private backyard runs. The Equestrian Center offers opportunities for beginners, dressage, hunt seat, and Western (Native American Horsemanship) lessons and the center maintains 35 stalls. Residents enjoy a wide range of sports, and play host each year to Polo for Charity. This event, organized by the Bluffton Rotary Club, supports local nonprofits through paid admission for a yearly match. In many respects, before there was Bluffton, there was Rose Hill.
Sea Pines
What Rose Hill is to Bluffton, Sea Pines is to Hilton Head Island. Sea Pines is filled with amenities and is one of the most desirable locations on Hilton Head Island for vacation renters with its expansive beachfront. A massive enclave of homes, Sea Pines is equally renown for The Heritage golf tournament, its marina, the lighthouse symbol that adorns Hilton Head Island bumper stickers, and Lawton Stables. Located on the “South End” of the island, on an estimated one third of all of Hilton Head Island, Sea Pines cannot be missed. It is an oceanfront resort community offering a 603acre Lowcountry nature preserve, a unique combination. You can enjoy a quiet stroll on horseback through this preserve, plus pony rides, a petting zoo, summer camps and riding instruction for all ages and skill levels through Lawton Stables. Lawton Stables is also home to Wish Upon a Horse, a nonprofit therapeutic riding center serving special needs children and adults, and The International Riding Academy. Few things are more fun than a child’s birthday party at Lawton Stables.
Moss Creek
Moss Creek holds the distinction of being one of the few communities off Hilton Head Island with a Hilton Head Island zip code. A community of over 1,000 acres, this plantation is one of the original in the area before the development boom of the 2000s. Moss Creek is
one of the best communities to enjoy life raising a family, or as a retiree. Like Rose Hill, many homeowners call Moss Creek their primary residence, which differs from other luxury estate communities in the Lowcountry. Moss Creek also offers a range of homes, and was known as one of the original equestrian communities. There are 20 stalls, separate owners’ and schooling tack rooms, a large central hunter jumper ring, round pen, indoor/outdoor wash racks, and 10 acres for horses to enjoy top quality grass and regularly groomed soil footing. Children have been raised in Moss Creek for decades learning to ride, finding fallen pecans and avoiding the alligators. It is a true mainland gem.
Oldfield
Founded along the Okatie River, Oldfield has a distinctly sportsman feel. Whereas some communities might have a beautiful equestrian center but pride themselves on their golf course, this community puts their horses forward. Their focus is unmistakable as you drive by and see the well tended steeds grazing in the field. The facade facing the major arterial road 170 is barn-like, telling passersby that Oldfield loves horses and nature. Its Equestrian Center puts on numerous events in support of the community and children throughout the year. Positioned between Beaufort and Bluffton, and not far from Savannah, this neighborhood is family friendly.
One of the best grammar schools in the state lies just a stone’s throw away. Oldfield is a community for all ages with a uniquely rustic feel. What it lacks in tradition it makes up for in charisma and the love of outdoors. Just a short time ago, the club hosted Andrew Carmines to discuss his sustainable oyster company called Shell Ring Oyster Company. Visitors find it easy to fall in love with Oldfield and its equestrian lifestyle.
Rose Dhu Creek
This little known community sprung up off May River Road along the spur that connects Old Town Bluffton to Savannah. A gated community, Rose Dhu Creek lots are generously sized and the neighborhood was built around the equestrian center. Locals enjoy fishing, swimming at the community pool, hosting get togethers in the screened pavilion and appreciating the beauty surrounding them. The center features trainers that are skilled in hunter, jumper and dressage. They boast 44 large stalls and 21 paddocks for individual turn out. In addition Rose Dhu Creek prides itself with having a covered ring with fans and lights as well as an outdoor ring with premiere footing. There is access to beautiful trails in an area covered by live oaks, and the Lowcountry’s quintessential accompaniment, spanish moss. A lovely, intimate community tucked back while in the center of it all.
escape from from the hustle and bustle of city life. What would a community so focused on nature be without an equestrian center? The center encompasses 31 acres, with 29.5 acres of pastures and paddocks, an allweather flat arena and round pen, plus sand and grass jumping arenas. There are over 30 miles of manicured trails on Spring Island through live oaks, Savannah pines, salt marsh, and old agricultural fields. Moreover, horse ownership is not mandatory and trained club horses are available for lessons and trail rides. The club even has a horse share program where members can halflease a horse and enjoy many of the benefits of ownership for about half the cost. Undoubtedly a favorite, Spring Island’s amenities, lifestyle, and sizable lots make make it exclusive.
Palmetto Bluff
Located in Bluffton, South Carolina, Palmetto Bluff is a mainland version of Spring Island. Promoting a healthy, happy lifestyle, the Bluff plays host to a popular half marathon which support sits Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. Adjacent to the May, Cooper
Spring Island
If your goal is to find a community that will offer you respite from the busy world around you, Spring Island should be your destination. A 3,000 acre private island, 1,200 has been designated as the Colleton Nature Preserve and Chechesee Nature Preserve. With docks, and a majestic Tabby Link golf course, the community is for people who love to be outdoors. Clay shooting, a hunting club, fishing, a sports complex featuring croquet, and even a private farm and community gardening offer gentlemen and gentlewomen an
and New River. The conservancy’s goal is to ensure the “ancient Maritime Forest or Live Oak and Palmetto are almost exactly as William Hilton saw them 400 years ago.” Palmetto Bluff sports 13 sporting clay stations across 40 acres, an elevated and covered 5stand station, plus a wobble deck field for 15 total locations offered through the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club. Fishing and lawn sports compliment the outdoors lifestyle and immaculate equestrian center. Longfield Stables is the face of the facility, with a 173acre farm, covered arena, FEI r egulation outdoor dressage area, 5 acre turf event field, main barn and receiving barn featuring oversized stalls. The Bluff also has over 15 miles of trails to ride and explore. Most look to Palmetto Bluff as a country retreat, a home away from home.
The Paddocks at Jarvis Creek
The Paddocks on Jarvis Creek is a new Hilton Head Island community featuring homes reflecting a coastal design on the Calibogue Sound. A product of K. Hovnanian, this community has been planned with a coastal, equestrian outdoors lifestyle in mind. Homeowners have access to a community park, clubhouse and swimming pool, and to recreational trails that connect it with two private islands. It also enjoys neighboring Sandy Creek Stables. Sandy Creek offers full, seasonal, and shortterm board, riding and dressage
lessons, 30 stalls and 18 paddocks. While the equestrian center is not the primary focus of the community causing them to draw upon Sandy Creek, The Paddocks offer unique features like its own saltwater fish pond, community green space including the central park and islands, picnic areas, as well as walking and equestrian trails. These features make it a suitable community for any friend of horses and Sandy Creek Stables is well respected among Hilton Head Island residents. Full of potential, time will showcase the identify of The Paddocks.
Haig Point
Haig Point is well known in the Lowcountry, but to many outsiders is a well kept secret. Accessible only by boat or ferry, the neighborhood was born within 1,050 wooded acres of Daufuskie Island. Daufuskie is a sea island, nestled off the coast of South Carolina between Hilton Head Island and Savannah. With no cars in Haig Point, golf carts and bicycles are the transportation methods of choice. The community is a member of the Audubon Society’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program, serving as a bastion of environmental protection. Their Equestrian Center may be an alternative option for the non golf lovers in the family, or the only reason to take up residence to others. There is a 12stall barn, complete with tack room, lounge, restroom, office and wash/groom stalls. The stables are situated on three acres, and boarding includes grazing through four turnout pastures. The boarding is accompanied by a well riding arena and round pen at the Equestrian Center, and trail riding around the island. When looking for rides along white sandy beaches on quiet Sunday afternoons, Haig Point is the place.
Brays Island
Fans of Builder magazine, Architectural Digest, Southern Living and Southern Accents have probably seen homes from this 5,500 acre plantation on its pages. Like Palmetto Bluff, Brays Island is a well known destination for photographers and photojournalists trying to capture the essence of the South. With only 325 one acre home sites, each surrounded by open land, the planners ensured exclusivity, stunning views and a symbiotic relationship with nature. Sporting Classics called Brays Island “the South’s most outstanding residential sporting community.” And why not? 3,500 acres of unspoiled woods, marshes and fields create unique opportunities to hunt quail, partridge, dove, pheasant, turkey, duck, and deer. The plantation offers trained guides and more than thirty pointing dogs to hunt on foot, horseback or even traditional muledrawn wagon. Residents would expect with such a robust hunting community that a shooting course is available, and a Holland & Holland clays course is along with facilities for skeet, trap, fivestand and bunker. Expect fantastic fishing in the tidal estuaries as well as fly-fishing. With 60 miles of trails, and over 100 acres of paddocks, Brays is a sportsman’s paradise. 22
LOCALLY GROWN, OWNED & FOCUSED STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT’S GOING ON IN
BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD,
& BEAUFORT?
The Ford Plantation
Just south of Savannah on the Ogeechee River, The Ford Plantation is known as one of the safest communities in the country. Only 400 owners are invited to enjoy the 1,800 acres that make up The Ford Plantation. The plantation also features a Yacht Basin, offering deepwater access to the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, accommodating yachts of up to 65 feet in its 35 slips. Fish over 200 acres of fresh and brackish water lakes on premises and hunt for quail, pheasant, and wild boar on 5,000 acres with seasonal equestrian trail riding. And there is a squash court. Ford’s Equestrian Center is a full service facility with boarding in a 22 stall barn. It features two large climate c ontrolled tack rooms, three wash bays, a 124 x 229 outdoor poly fiber sand-mixed area and jump field. Lessons in dressage, and English and Western riding styles are available. Forest trails, open meadows, and waterfront paths abound for rider adventurers. Henry Ford’s winter retreat has become the luxury sporting community of Georgia.
Seabrook Island
Not far from Charleston sits the oceanfront island community known as Seabrook Island. Another Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary with exquisite golfing, Seabrook is a completely immersive coastal barrier island with a large fitness facility, three miles of beaches, and four pools - two oceanfront, one indoor, and one indoor activity pool for children. Seabrook is Charleston’s answer to Hilton Head’s Sea Pines. The amenities of the equine variety make Seabrook Island a popular equestrian vacation destination. Their beach ride allows riders to capture the beauty of the Lowcountry on horseback, and the full service Equestrian Center also provides an outlet for horse lovers to call Seabrook home. Spacious pastures, modern facilities, and 42 stalls help the Equestrian Center play host to nonresident steeds as well as those of residents. This is likely the reason the Charleston Classic typically takes place on Seabrook Island. A complete plantation for those who want to escape the din of Charleston. Photos Courtesy of Ford Plantation & Moss Creek
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Understanding Your Parrot’s Body Language
Watch the Eyes
A
nimals, like people, communicate more with their body than with words. More so, obviously, because of their vocal limitations. That’s why it is so important to pay attention to the subtle differences in body language. This will help you learn to understand what your parrot is trying to tell you, whether it be a warning of aggression, sign of illness, or just contentment. It’s good to learn what your bird is feeling to make him happy, which in return rewards you with a good natured pet and pleasant friend. Below are some cues or signs of how your bird is feeling to help you read between the feathers:
Examine the Feathers
Vocalizations Talking, whistling, and singing are signs of
Tail Wagging Parrots may wag their tail in one of two instances: when they are happy to see you, similar to what you would see in a dog. Or prior to defecating.
Tail Flipping A common way for birds to show they are happy. Tail flipping could occur when the bird sees you, gets a favorite treat, or even just plays with a favored toy.
Tail Bobbing
Fluffed Feathers Birds usually fluff their feathers when the preen themselves. They are also known to fluff their feathers when cold or to disperse tension. If the bird’s feathers continue to be fluffed it could be a sign of illness and it’s generally recommended you bring them to a vet.
Crest Position Cockatoos and cockatiels have large crests. When the very tip of the crest is up this means the bird is content. The bird may lift their crest if excited, perhaps by a person or new toy. However, at times the crest is held high signalling the bird may be overly excited or frightened. You should then handle your bird with caution. Sometimes you may also see your bird aggressive, holding its crest flat followed by crouching and hissing.
Quivering The bird may tremble when frightened, overly excited, or as a part of their breeding behavior. Look to the tail.
25
Tail bobbing occurs after the bird has exerted themselves and is catching their breath. It’s like panting. Other times a tail might bob when the bird is singing or talking. Keep in mind, if your bird is breathing rapidly and tail bobbing without exercise or activity, or after a song, it may be a sign of respiratory issues and should be seen by a vet.
Dilated means calm and happy. Rapid changes between dilated and constricted can mean one of two things: Excited or very interested in something.
contentment and feelings of security. You will often hear these during early morning hours. Chattering usually occurs when the bird is settling down for the night. The bird may just be showing signs of contentment, or may also be practicing talking. In the wild birds chatter when in a flock before sleep to communicate with other flock members. Growling is a sign of aggression, as one might imagine. Remove anything from the parrots environment that may be upsetting it. A growling bird does not want to be handled, so beware. Purring means something different than a cat’s purr. For birds, a purr sounds more like a soft growl. Unfortunately, purring can be a sign of either happiness or annoyance. Examine other signs of the parrot’s body language and the environment to get a clear reading on what they are feeling.
Tail Fanning This is usually accompanied by other signs of anger or aggression. It is a display of the birds strength. A definite sign of the bird’s displeasure, a bite is sure to follow if the activity that caused the fanning does not cease.
A Playful Game
I was very fascinated when I came across an article that mimicked a playful game I had seen performed with my boyfriend’s redfronted macaw. The game was a head sweeping movement (called “Head Snaking” by Theresa Jordan) to represent the movement the bird did with its head. In this little game the bird would begin with making a noise that almost sounded like “what!” He would turn his head to have only one side of his face toward you. The bird, like my boyfriend’s macaw, may begin on his own once he has your attention and swing his head from one side to the other in a fluid motion. During that time, your avian friend holds himself in position until he either decides to switch or you join him in his game. To join, simply mimic the behavior and move your head to one side and then switch. Macaws seem to enjoy it when you repeat the word “what” as you
mimic their head swinging. Usually he will dance after the game, contented by making you parrot him. In the article the bird who displayed this behavior was a severe macaw though this may happen with other breeds since head snaking is a sign of excitement.
Conclusion
Remember, it is important to look for multiple cues in identifying how your bird is feeling, making sure anything you are doing is not causing your pet to be frustrated and remove anything in the bird’s environment which may be causing him displeasure. One example of this is properly petting your parrot. Petting a bird from the shoulders up is appreciated and most birds will enjoy this affection. Avoid petting the bird further down its body because it may be interpreted as a mating gesture and will sexually frustrate the bird. Sometimes this frustration will also cause your bird to lash out with a bite. Listen to what your bird is trying to tell you without words. Or, I should say, read the feathers. Becoming attuned to your bird’s body language so you can understand his warning signs and expressions of joy will result in a deeper bond and connection between you and your pet. Ultimately, a better understanding will also build trust between you and your winged friend. And help you reinforce your lifelong friendship.
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F ROM S UBUR BAN LIVI NG TO
GOAT WRANGLERS
S
o how does a family of six go from a small suburban three bedroom house on half an acre with a manicured yard to a wide open five acre farm with goats, chickens, pigs, cows, bees, and ponies? Very simply: one child at a time and one animal at a time. It all began with the blessing of cancer. You read correctly, the blessing of cancer. My wife Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. Even though the chemotherapy, radiation and many surgeries were awful and strenuous, Sharon came away with a vitality to march forward. Since we were unable to have any more children, our thoughts turned toward adoption. And adopt we did! It started with a two year old boy and a five year old girl from Ethiopia. Then less than a year later we adopted a sibling group of four (three sisters and a brother) again from Ethiopia! That now gave us ten kids! What do you do with 10 kids aged 2 – 17?!?! BUY LAND! We purchased five acres of land and a double wide trailer in Sheldon, SC. Next we needed animals for our kids to raise and nurture. (Sharon and I had NO farming background. NONE! SERIOUSLY ZERO!) First came the Pygmy goats, but as a neighbor farmer pointed out, “What’s the use of having an animal on your farm if it doesn’t produce anything!” Made sense. So we sold those ‘good for
nothing’ pygmy goats and bought three Nubian milk goats. There my wife and I sat on either side of Brooke, our new milk goat, tugging, squeezing and pulling, knowing that there must be milk in there somewhere! But none was coming out! Eventually, and very thankfully, we managed to milk the goat and it was delicious. Our Ethiopian children knew a lot about goats. But they knew more about butchering goats than milking them. We stuck with just the milking at our little farm. All three goats were pregnant so our children were able to experience new life on the farm as well as learning about fencing, shepherding, guard dogs, milk preparation, grooming, disbudding, hay, sweet feed, and feeding baby goats! Our family considers this education priceless. The Sheldon Family Farm was now ready to try chickens.... of the egg laying variety. Our chickens thought so very little of our makeshift chicken coop. They chose to escape from it consistently to roost on any old tree branch. The result, they laid eggs just about anywhere they wanted. Let me tell you, it’s hard to fetch eggs when you don’t even know where they are! And then when you do find a cache of eggs, how do you know how old they are? (Editor’s Note: The “Float Test.”) It is quite the scene at dusk as we tried to gather the chickens into the pen. We had to send our kids up the trees to shoo the chickens down. Needless to say our kids can add the skill of “tree climbing” to their current resumes. Having gained a thread of “farm confidence” from this brood of chickens,
we chose to try our hand with meat chickens. Thankfully we were now blessed to be in the good graces of fellow farmers who were willing to share and help our family. Our first butchering session went well after we borrowed a ‘plucker.’ Pluckers. What a wonderful invention. We then tried turkeys. Thanksgiving was marvelous! Next we traded a milk goat for two baby piglets! Pigs are incredibly smart, especially outside the pen, so watch out. Then came our next big purchase, a milk cow. We found there are many differences between milking goats and milking cows! Soon we were gifted with a pony, and before we knew it we were a real, honest to goodness, farm. So what do you do with an intentional unintentional farm with lots of goats and milking skills? That hard to get goat milk was the making of an official Goat-Milk-Soap business. The name of that business is Sheldon Family Farm and Dairy. You can see from our logo that we take the family aspect of our business very seriously. Our little farm welcomes visitors, and for more information about it and our soap you can visit sheldonfamilyfarm.com. There are so many stories from our farm, and I have witnessed the blessing of our family and farm growing little by little... step by step. One kid at a time. By Mark & Sharon Mansell
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27
D
ogs do not belong at work. But Granddogs do.Do you have a granddog? If so, you know exactly what I mean.As a business owner, there is nothing more disturbing than someone bringing their flea bitten mutt to work. Especially in a giant furniture store! Is it well trained? Will it jump up on any old couch? Have they had all their shots? Does it smell? Does it emit smells because it is old? Will it scare off customers, either because it has a face only a mother can love, or a foul disposition? NO. No thank you. You can keep your dog at home where it belongs. Ok, so I’m not liable to kick someone out who smuggles a dog in my store in their purse, but they might get a sideways glance. I trust if you have snuck a dog in you understand the “fire hydrant” rule, if your dog claims it, you are taking that furniture home. But, But, But, Granddogs are totally different. They can do no wrong. My granddog, who I understand was written about elsewhere in this publication (the one that stole the bread from the counter, which by the way I don’t believe), is invited wherever I go. Including to my office.I am
Q&
fairly certain he has a halo over his head. You would be able to see it if his parents took better care of him. It’s like he never gets to the groomer. If he had more steady visits, his halo wouldn’t be hidden by all of that curly hair. As a doting dogma, rest assured I did not commit the faux paus of telling his parents to cut his hair. Just wait it out, and if push comes to shove, on a weekend I will dognap him and take him for a haircut. It has happened once or twice already. A granddog is a different breed. He or she bounds into your day, wagging its tail so furiously it just might fly off. Or take flight like a helicopter. A granddog loves you unconditionally, and you never have to worry about fussing over training. If (and I don’t believe it) your granddog stole (let’s say, totally hypothetically of course) a small morsel of bread from the counter, you would probably (again, this is 100% hypothetical, because it never would) laugh so hard your only recourse would be to set out another piece. Granddogs are great. Dogs, at work, are not. So maybe Amazon and some other newaged companies are inviting dogs into the workplace on a daily basis. What’s the worst thing that can happen, it knocks over a cup of Starbucks and temporarily messes up my order confirmation of a really snazzy Chewbacca harness for my granddog. Big deal. It’s not like it is knocking that cup of coffee onto a luxurious, down filled sectional couch fit for a grand room looking over an oceanfront vista. Or maybe, I guess, it just all depends on what type of work environment you have. What you do. I know a lot of neat businesses along Argent Boulevard that allow dogs. And a few great builders in the area too. Except if it’s a granddog. Granddogs, well, let me rephrase, MY GRANDDOG, is always welcome. By Holly Dixon
n i m a l
I love fish, and I like color, but all the fuss of a saltwater aquarium is too much for my family and schedule. Is there anything else out there? - Brad L., Georgia As the owner of a local pet shop featuring a wide variety of things that creep, crawl, and swim, I often run into customers who want an aquarium that has more color than a freshwater setup but not the maintenance or cost of a marine setup.
The answer is brackish water!
Brackish water occurs in the wild where freshwater meets saltwater. We have tons of brackish water in the Lowcountry. The result is a high amount of salt mixed into freshwater and pH above 8.0. The fish that thrive in these conditions tend to have more color and range in size and shape. The most popular and colorful brackish fish come from Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria in Africa. African Cichlids (pronounced sicklids) are easy to maintain and the fish are extremely hardy. There are a few rules that must be followed in order to have a fully stocked African Cichlid tank. I will list them and explain why. First you must know that African Cichlids are extremely territorial and will fight over hiding spots and sections inside the tank. To prevent this you must heavily populate the aquarium with fish. Doing this prevents fish from having a large dominating area and forces the fish to be more calm and less combative over space. So no fish
can really establish territory. Secondly the setup needs to have plenty of caves, crevices and hiding spots. The more there are the more laid back the fish will be. This can be accomplished in many ways. The most common way is with natural rock i.e. (slate, lace rock and texas holey rock). These stacked and staggered create areas for smaller fish to hide and escape being stressed by larger fish. It also provides homes for breeding fish and their offspring. Third, it’s important to keep a high pH. Between 7.8 and 8.8. If there is not high pH the fish will lose color, and their appetite over time as well. Powders and liquids exist these days that help maintain high pH. Natural stone and sand substrate also help. Keeping the pH at the right levels is much less arduous than keeping a marine setup in check. W E D N E SDAY S AT 1 0 A M Finally there must be salt. The salinity should read 1.015. Marine grade salt or freshwater rock salt can be used to achieve this. Sure, it’s a little more work than a freshwater setup, but as you see your Cichlids dart around the aquarium you will be glad you put in the effort. 310 OKATIE HIGHWAY Follow these basic rules and it will make it easier OKATIE, SC 29909 to have an active healthy aquarium Brad, and you’ll have something great for the family that also works in a bachelor pad (because of the PORTROYALSOUNDFOUND cool factor).
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Books For People Who Love Animals
&BOOKS
Children’s Selection Dory Story Written by Jerry Pallotta Illustrated by David Biedrzycki remember as a child spending summers on Cape Cod with my family. The cottage where we stayed was right on the bay and had a red dory anchored at the shore, with its oars inside, always seemingly calling my cousin and I to jump in and explore the bay. Many of those long summer days, the pull of the sea and its treasures to explore would lure us to jump in that little red boat and row out into the bay, searching for sea creatures as if we were on a schooner in the middle of the ocean. So you can imagine my excitement when I found the book, Dory Story, by Jerry Pallotta. This is the story of Danny and his curiosity about the creatures which inhabit the sea and its circle of life. As with my cousin and me, Danny was told never to go out in the sea alone, but as with any kid, curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself in the midst of incredible sea creatures in the middle of the ocean. From shrimp to killer whales! Adventure tests Danny’s knowledge of the ocean and its food chain, but to also second guess his choice about going into the ocean alone in his little red dory. This is a fantastic adventure for those who love the sea and who have the spirit of adventure. Grab the oars and start rowing.
I
By Linda Burton
75
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to another game.
Our capacity allows us to sell no more than
To reserve your 5 Game Package before they sell out, contact Austin by calling 912.712.2482 or emailing Austin@TheSavannahBananas.com For more information, go to www.TheSavannahBananas.com/5game 29
DAT E S
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I am Not Drinking Alone If my Cat is with Me! hat is the saying we have at my house since my wife and I both have demanding jobs. For three months a year Jen is what I lovingly refer to as a #WineWidow. When the Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival spins up, it’s less ships passing in the night than it is I am a ghost ship. Jen has a job that often demands her attention well into the evening hours on a year round basis too. So we adopted the above phrase for evenings where one of us is home and the other is not. We often enjoy a glass of wine or craft beer with Callie as our company (who we also adopted by the way). It is amazing how much the unadulterated love of a pet, paired with a favored beverage while lounging on the porch can melt away the stress of a long, hard day. Love, and a good stiff drink puts the world back into perspective! And quite honestly, what did you expect from a guy running a wine and food festival anyway? Wine is more than a job, or a hobby to me, growing up in Oregon made great wine and craft beer a passion. Callie is a recent addition to our household. We adopted her this December when we found her abandoned. Or, more honestly, it was really like she adopted us. After all, she is a cat. So I am going to plug the reasons why adopting a pet is a great choice, even if you are not looking for a drinking buddy:
• Adopting a pet will almost always be more affordable than buying one. • Since pets in shelters usually come from a home where the owner(s) fell on some hardship it is not uncommon for your new friend to already be house trained, accustomed to people and possibly even good around kids. • If you adopt an animal, you will not have to go through all the time and frustration (and stress) of having to train a puppy or kitten. •When adopting from a shelter, these animals come from some place where they were not only loved, but also went to a vet and usually do not leave before having their shots. • Sometimes they are already spayed or neutered which will save a little money as well and put you in Bob Barker’s good graces. • Last, you can feel good knowing you have saved your new friend and do not have to drink alone.
So the next question is, where do Callie and I look for wines to enjoy? OK, here come the shameless plug, but quite often it is off the HHIWFF website or Facebook page (for the wine of the day). Then it comes down to the mood we are in and the weather outside. Lighter or heavier and is it too hot outside for a red or too cold for a white? Then we settle down, relax, enjoy a beverage and wait for Jen to get home.
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Musings of a Beginning Backyard
W
hen my husband first suggested getting beehives, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive. Most people actively avoid stinging insects and here we were looking at bringing tens of thousands of them into close proximity of our home (with small children). We decided to give it a shot. That was one year ago and I can say that it has been one of the most rewarding endeavors that our family has undertaken. Please know that I am not a bee expert, but I would love to share just a few of the lessons we have learned along the way.
my husband and I joined the Beaufort Jasper Beekeepers Association. Fantastic decision. Fellow beekeepers are very friendly and they want you to succeed! BJBA holds monthly classes taking you through every step of establishing an apiary, from building your first hive to harvesting honey. We feel that this support was vital to the success of our bees. A few seminars were in a classroom setting; however, most were out in the field, literally, a field of hives. The BJBA president is kind enough to hold classes behind his house, in the beautiful setting of his own apiary. These classes are hands on (or you can choose to observe from a comfortable distance).
1. Join a Local Bee Group
2. How Do You Buy Bees?
I knew nothing about bees. Seriously zero! Right before we bought hives,
Before you buy your bees, you need to have the bee boxes and frames ready. You can buy preassembled ones or less expensive ones that you put together yourself. The boxes need to be primed and painted to protect them against the weather. And that’s it. Now you are ready to buy bees. We bought bees through BJBA - a group order was collected and we were notified when they arrived. We bought two hives and then won a third hive in a BJBA raffle (and I still feel a little bad that a nice gentleman let me go ahead of him in the raffle ticket line and I bought that winning ticket). I encourage you to talk to other beekeepers and find out where they are getting their bees. Local feed and seed stores are also good sources of information. It is possible to order bees online and have them shipped to you, but we did not choose that route because I like to keep our business local. Also, a quick note, plan early. If you do not place your order in time, you will find that distributors will sell out.
3. Expect Some Setbacks A setback is when you go check on your hives and one is just gone. You read that right, gone. Adults learn through trial and error. There were warning signs that we did not recognize at the time. I am glad that we began with more than one hive. Two or three is a manageable number. Having more than one hive also gives you the opportunity to see normal and abnormal patterns.
4. Do Not Swat Bees! Seriously, do not swat them. The act of swatting is a direct threat to bees and they will probably sting you. Trust me. If a curious bee comes to you, the best course of action is to stay calm and use slow movements. In almost every case, that bee will leave you alone. They are not vicious and will typically only sting if they feel threatened. Remember, swatting makes them feel threatened. One important note: protect your eyes! A sting to your body or face does hurt. Once again, trust me. But a sting to your eye could cause serious damage or blindness in that eye.
5. Bees are Amazing They are vital to our food supply and fascinating to work with. A beehive is busy and noisy. I never realized just how much noise fifty thousand bees could produce. And harvesting gallons of beautiful, golden honey is incredibly rewarding. This has been such a fantastic experience for our whole family. Even if you start out knowing nothing about bees, you can enjoy the sweet success of beekeeping.
By Kimberly Taylor
Fish with a Purpose. Fish with
HEROES By Hannah Seigworth pringtime. A time of new life, a time connected to rivers, lakes, marshes, and an oceanfront teeming with aquatic activity in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. A perfect time for fishing. Known for its bass, redfish, sea trout, cobia, and tarpon, the Lowcountry is most definitely a fisherman’s paradise - freshwater and saltwater alike. Repeatedly, Field & Stream has recognized Beaufort as one of the best places in the country to fish. And although an enthusiastic fisherman doesn’t need an excuse to get out on the water, why not combine that love of fishing with an opportunity to spend time with fellow enthusiasts and support our troops? This April, the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes is getting into fishing. Five years ago this organization began as a means to raise money and awareness for our community’s wounded military personnel. The foundation provided an opportunity for injured or disabled military members to come together over a game of golf. This year, the foundation decided to try something a little different. A fishing tournament. In addition to its annual Golf Classic, LFWMH will be introducing a Fishing Classic. “Fishing with Military Heroes,” as it has been aptly titled, is just that, a chance for local fishermen and supporters to fish alongside injured or disabled military personnel. Civilians and troops come together, engage in a little healthy fishing competition, consume several delicious meals, and enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship with the greater purpose of supporting as many as four local charities providing services to our servicemen. Lee Steinberg, the founder and organizer of this particular charity event, recalls fond memories of fishing with his father when he was a child. When his father, an Army veteran, finally passed away, fellow service members honored him with a military funeral, and Lee says that he has never forgotten those experiences. He wanted to do something to repay them. Through this passion for our soldiers coupled with an intense love of fishing, “Fishing with Military Heroes” was born. This tournament gives wounded military heroes who would rather fish than golf the opportunity to participate in a sport, as well as to enjoy time in the outdoors with 35
friends new and old. It is also a chance for the community to band together to show the band of brothers that they are not alone, that the people of the Lowcountry love them, respect them, and appreciate the sacrifice they have made for our country.
THE AUCTION
The two day event officially kicks off on Sunday, April 3rd, with an auction fundraiser from 5-8 p.m. Open to the public, the fundraiser will be held at the private lake house at Hampton Lake. A single ticket costs $30 and includes live music, dancing, food, a selection of craft beer (a cash bar is provided for wine and spirits), and both a live and silent auction. The chance to relax with family and friends on Hampton Lake’s beautiful shore while watching a classic South Carolina sunset is just an added bonus! Information for donating either money or auction items can be found on the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes’ website woundedmilitaryheroes.org. So far, over 90 items have been donated for the silent auction, many of them one of a kind with about a dozen highervalue items including a boat! Corporal Rick Smith, a wounded veteran and K9s for Warriors’s first servicedog recipient, will be the keynote speaker for the evening. Bluffton’s Mayor Sulka will be joining the festivities along with several VIP guests from around the area.
THE TOURNAMENT
On April 4th, the Fishing with Military Heroes Tournament begins when some folks are getting out of bed, 7 a.m. Twentyeight boats, on loan for the event and captained by residents and other locals donating their time to offer support, will hold up to 200 participants as they engage in a catch and release bass tournament on Hampton Lake. The tournament will also raise awareness for Hampton Lake, whose extensive fishery is one of Bluffton’s wellkept secrets. At 165 acres, the lake is home to several species of fish. Close to anglers’ hearts and the primary focus of the competition, the fishery is known for the largemouth tiger bass with specimens
weighing in at up to 7 pounds. After the morning’s activities, a luncheon will be provided in the Hampton Lake lake house, where civilians and military alike can get to know each other better over a meal following the hours of friendly competition. The tournament is open to Purple Heart recipients, combat injured or medically retired military personnel, and sport fishermen around the area. Space is limited, so interested parties go online to woundedmilitaryheroes.org to register and pay. Tickets may be purchased for the entire event (the fundraiser gala, fishing tournament, and luncheon) or for just the tournament or Monday’s luncheon. The deadline for all ticket purchases is March 27.
LOCAL IMPACT
Over the past five years, the Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes has donated in excess of $500,000 to the Birdies for the Brave, the PGA Tour’s military outreach program. LFWMH made its largest annual donation to them last year a grand total of $185,000. Donations made to the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes are then distributed through Birdies for the Brave to individual charities specifically selected by LFWMH to benefit military personnel in Georgia and South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Several of these charities include the Military Warriors Support Foundation, the Navy Seal Foundation,
the Green Beret Foundation, and K9s for Warriors, among others. No administrative fees or overhead are deducted from the donations LFWMH makes to Birdies for the Brave.
Charity Spotlight: K9s for Warriors
This year, all proceeds raised from LFWMH’s Fishing Classic will go to support K9s for Warriors, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Operation Homefront, and the Military Warriors Support Foundation.
K9s for Warriors is a training program for service dogs given to military personnel suffering from PTSD. 2015 Donation: $80,000 Special Operations Warrior Foundation helps fund four- year college scholarships to surviving family members of fallen Special Operations Warriors. 2015 Donation: $40,000 Operation Homefront is designed to aid the families of service members and wounded warriors. 2015 Donation: $30,000 Military Warriors Support Foundation provides assistance like mortgagefree homes to injured service 2015 Donation: $25,000 members and their families. Lowcountry Foundation focuses on supporting our community, and requested we honor those businesses that have supported their efforts. They would like to thank these companies for helping make the tournament possible: Alpha Media, Hilton Head Boathouse, Nosoco, Lang 72 Degrees Heating and Air, Hampton Lake Realty LLC, Gonzalez Knife Company, Big D’s Royal Tees, Coastal States Wealth Management, Raymond James, Kevin Sevier State Farm, Carolina Volvo, and Savannah Mitsubishi, as well as the individuals and companies who sponsored boats for the competition. LFWMH is solely volunteer based, and almost 100 volunteers have contributed to Fishing with Military Heroes. For additional information about the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, the Fishing with Military Heroes Tournament, or the upcoming Wounded Heroes Golf Classic, visit woundedmilitaryheroes.org. If you would like to donate to LFWMH or want to find out other ways to help our wounded military, please visit their website.
Happy fishing!
A
lthough most who enlist in the military understand the possibility of injury, few ever plan on it actually happening. When Corporal Rick Smith reenlisted after 9/11, he didn’t plan to get a severe concussion and head injury as a result of a falling turret hatch. But it happened. He didn’t plan on being diagnosed with PTSD and mild brain injury after becoming disoriented during a explosion. But it happened. Back home, focus became harder, and guilt, depression, and anger mounted within him due to recurring flashbacks, blackouts, and head injuries. He was put on more and more medication, lost his job because of the frequent blackouts, and began to feel isolated and increasingly suicidal. After nearly taking the life of another person and then his own, Corporal Smith committed himself to a hospital. Months of neurological and PTSD treatments went by, and still he felt like the only solution to his problem was to isolate himself from everything and everyone. It was then that he was introduced through the VA clinic to K9s for Warriors. He was paired up with a shelter turnedservice dog named Berkeley (named after Bluffton’s Berkeley Hall community), and suddenly, things began looking up. In his own words, “I am no longer isolating myself from life. I have began to reengage in many of the activities that previously were impossible. Berkeley has helped me to rebuild my self confidence and ability to cope with and confront the things that have been causing me a lot of anxiety and stress.” Berkeley has not only curbed Smith’s previously suicidal thoughts, he says that the dog “has allowed me to reduce the amount of medication I take for anxiety by half.” Since September 11, 2001, over 130,000 veterans have been lost to suicide, and it has been determined that an average of 22 veterans commit suicide a day. By carefully pairing service dogs with post 9/11 military members suffering from PTSD, K9s for Warriors has embarked on a mission to drastically decrease this statistic. The people behind this organization hope to give both wounded warriors and former shelter dogs a second chance and, in their own words, “empower them to return to civilian life with dignity and independence.” To learn more about or donate to this organization, please visit their website, k9sforwarriors.org.
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Missing your favorite Non-Profit or Business, Email us @tailsofthelowcountry.com Ogeechee Audubon Society PO Box 13423 Savannah, Ga 31416 Ogeecheeaudubon.org
Shelters & Refuges Georgia Bulloch County Animal Shelter 81 Mill Creek Rd, Statesboro, GA 30461 912-764-4529
H.O.P.E. Acres Rescue 1044 Eagle Harbor Ln, Summerville, SC 29483 843-412-3519 hopeacresrescue.org
Chatham County Animal Control 7215 Sallie Mood Dr, Savannah, GA 31406 912-351-6750 animalcontrol.chathamcounty.org
Jasper Animal Rescue Mission (JARM) 1352 Carters Mill Rd, Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-726-7799 JARMission.org
Coastal Pet Rescue (Pooler) PO Box 30462 Savannah, GA 31406 912-228-3538 coastalpetrescue.org
L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue 6854 Ethel Post Office Rd, Meggett, SC 29449 843-991-4879 learnhorserescue.org
Companion Animal Aid 1145 W Hwy 80 Pooler, GA 31322 912-748-9718 Effingham County Animal Control 307 GA-119, Springfield, GA 31329 912-754-2109 effinghamcounty.org/departmentsaf/animalshelter.aspx GRRR! Savannah, GA 31411 912-656-9792 g-r-r-r.com Humane Society for Greater Savannah 7215 Sallie Mood Dr, Savannah, GA 31406 912-354-9515 humanesocietysav.org Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia 4627 US-17, Brunswick, GA 31525 912-264-6246 hsscg.org One Love Animal Rescue, Inc Savannah, GA 31410 912-572-1251 oneloveanimalrescue.com The Humane Society of Statesboro and Bulloch County 105 North College Street Statesboro, GA 30458 912-681-9393 statesborohumane.org Save-A-Life Savannah, GA 31411 912-598-7729 savealifepets.org Second Chances Equine Rescue Inc 7663 GA-196, Hinesville, GA 31313 912-385-8512 scer-ga.org South Carolina Beaufort County Animal Shelter 23 Shelter Church Rd Beaufort, South Carolina 29906 843-255-5010 bcgov.net/departments/public-safety/ animal-control Frances R. Willis SPCA 136 4 Paws Ln, Summerville, SC 29483 843-871-3820 summervillespca.org Friends of Colleton County Animal Shelter 33 Poor Farm Rd Walterboro, SC 29488 843-893-2651 Foccas-sc.org Hilton Head Humane Association 10 Humane Way, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 843-681-8686 hhhumane.org
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Maranatha Farm Rescue for Tails 342 Crabapple Ln, Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-816-6676 Maranathafarm.net Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center 56 Riverwalk Blvd Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-645-1725 Palmettoanimalleague.org Rogue Rescue & Sanctuary 15 Tillman St, Bluffton, South Carolina 843-816-0097 roguerescue.org Tabby House 2127 Boundary St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902 843-255-5031 Tabbyhousebeaufort.com
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Edisto Island Serpentarium 1374 Hwy 174 Edisto Island, SC 29438 843-869-1171 edistoserpentarium.com
Folly Beach Turtle Watch Folly Beach, SC 29439 843-588-2433 follyturtles.com Georgia Beekeepers Associations 534 Mt Gerizim Rd. Mableton GA 30126 770-732-6007 Gabeekeeping.com Georgia Sea Turtle Center 214 Stable Rd Jekyll Island, GA 31527 912-635-4444 Gstc.jekyllisland.com Hilton Head Island Audubon Society PO Box 6185 Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 Hiltonheadaudubon.org Heroes on Horseback P.O. Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 843-757-5607 heroesonhorseback.org Lowcountry Raptors 2509 Lumber Rd, Ruffin, South Carolina 29475 843-908-3235 Lowcountryraptors.org Oconee Rivers Audubon Society PO Box 81082 Athens, GA oconeeriversaudubon.org
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South Carolina Waterfowl Association 9833 Old River Rd, Pinewood, SC 29125 803-452-6001 scwa.org
Nonprofit Associations NonProfits Augusta-Aiken Audubon Society Augusta, GA Augustaaikenaudubon.org
Coastal Georgia Audubon Society PO Box 21726 St Simons, GA 31522 Coastalgeorgiabirding.org
Friends of Wildlife Aunt Laurie’s 11 Bartons Run Drive, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-940-7116 auntlauries.com
Gogo Jewelry 217 Redfern Vlg, Saint Simons Island, GA 31522 912-634-8875 gogojewelry.com Healthsmart 67 Towne Dr, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-815-5525 healthsmartsc.com Mike Reichenbach Chevrolet 10 University Pkwy, Okatie, SC 29909 877-853-6021 mrchevrolet.com Nosoco 175 Boardwalk Dr, Suite H Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-882-7801 nosoco.com Pick-A-Pet-2 3229 Argent Blvd, Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-987-0068 Port Royal Sound Crossfit 175 Boardwalk Dr, Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-637-8358 pepperfitness.com Savannah Bananas 1401 E Victory Dr, Savannah, GA 31404 912-712-2482 thesavannahbananas.com
Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 404-581-4000 Georgiaaquarium.org
Savannah Mitsubishi 8203 White Bluff Rd, Savannah, GA 31406 912-927-4741 savannahmitsubishi.com
The Lowcountry Institute 40 Mobley Oaks Ln., Okatie, SC 29909 843-987-7008 lowcountryinstitute.org
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Jacksonville Zoo 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218 904-757-4463 jacksonvillezoo.org
Seimitsu (TrueConnX) 1523 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401 912-352-3689 seimitsu.com
Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah 711 Sandtown Rd Savannah, GA 31410 912-395-1212 oatlandisland.org
Tails of the Lowcountry 175 Boardwalk Dr, Suite H Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-882-7801 tailsofthelowcountry.com
Port Royal Sound Maritime Center 310 Okatie Highway, Okatie, SC 29909 843-645-7774 portroyalsoundfoundation.org
The Wall 175 Boardwalk Dr, Suite H Ridgeland, SC 29936 843-882-7801 thewall.events
South Carolina Aquarium 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401 843-577-3474 scaquarium.org Waddell Maritime Center 211 Sawmill Creek Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-837-3795
Three D Golf Car 159 Burnt Church Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-815-2203 threedgolfcar.com Timeless Interiors 4376 Bluffton Parkway, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-837-8088 timelessinteriorshiltonhead.com
cl ssified Nubian Baby Goats for Sale Call Sharon • 843.694.3144 Great Milk Cow Needs New Home! Call Sharon • 843.694.3144
Huge, Gentle Chickens near Charleston. English Orpingtons & Brahmas. Contact Diana • 843.509.9015 Farmhand needed Experience a must. Stable experience a plus. Call Michelle • 912-525-6750
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Farm Fresh Eggs Chicken, duck & quail. Free range, happy hens. Pick up in Okatie area. Text Kelsey • 843.368.6227
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