December 2017, Foothills Magazine, Tryon Daily Bulletin, Tryon Newsmedia

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2017

HOLIDAY DELIGHTS

Charm, magic and fun in the Foothills

DECEMBER 2017

GET FUNKY!

With the Arts Outreach for Kids $4.95 1

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

SCENTS OF THE SEASON Holiday Aromatherapy

THE COMMON THREAD of Tryon’s Lacemakers

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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WELCOME

Awonderful season

DECEMBER 2017

W

e really do have four seasons of wonderful here in the Foothills. I’m always struck by the beauty of the change of seasons, the festivals and events that fall in a recurring rhythm, and the people who are dedicated to making our little corner of the world a better place in all they do. It’s what we strive to cover in each and every issue of this magazine, to make it a reflection of where we live and who we are.

Each month is unique here, and as the last month of the year arrives, our community kicks it up a few notches with a flurry of activity. From TubaChristmas to Shepherd’s Feast, angel trees to holiday strolls, from Christmas movies to first class musical performances to Christmas parades, there’s an abundance to keep you busy this month, and to remind one how wonderful the holiday season is here. Our calendar on page 62 will keep you on schedule. (We hope you like parades!)

But no matter how busy we get this month -- with shopping, wrapping and cooking (several recipes are inside this issue, too, including for your horse!) -- our hope is that, like the child in Santa’s lap on our cover, with eyes full of wonder and excitement, this holiday season is full of enchantment, magic and peace for you and your family.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Kevin Powell General Manager Kevin.Powell@TryonDailyBulletin.com S FOOTHILL E MAGAZIN

Foothills Magazine is published monthly by Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. Foothills Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Please address all correspondence (including, but not limited to, letters, story ideas, and requests to reprint materials) to Editor, Foothills Magazine, 16. N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782, or email to claire.sachse@ tryondailybulletin.com. Foothills Magazine is available free of charge at locations throughout Polk County and the Upstate of South Carolina, and online at TryonDailyBulletin.com, and on Facebook @LIOFMagazine.

Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35 per year by calling 828-859-9151. To advertise, call 828-859-9151.

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Administration Samantha Willis

Managing Editor Claire Sachse

Contributors Jimmi Buell Les Duggins, Sr. Amanda Edwards Michelle Fleming Heather Freeman Alex Greene Judy Heinrich Catherine Hunter Leah Justice Beth Laughridge Zach Pace Claire Sachse Vincent Verrecchio David Widdicombe Steve Wong

Marketing Magan Etheridge Trish Boyter Production Gwen Ring Distribution Jeff Allison Jamie Lewis Alex Greene Conner Peeler

S L L I TH

ZINE MAGA DECEMBER

2017

on the cover Meet Santa, tell him whether you’ve been naughty or nice, and pass on to him your wishes for Christmas morning, at the Tryon Christmas Stroll, to be held throughout downtown Tryon on Friday, December 1 from 5-8 p.m.

Photo by Claire Sachse

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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INSIDE

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS 10 Kiwanis Pancake Supper 12 AAUW Scholarship Tea 14 Shuckin & Shakin Seafood Extravaganza

DEPARTMENTS 8 Parading Around

Small Town Christmas at its Charming Best

18 On Stage

Partners in Music Outreach Bring Music to Area Students

24 Home Sweet Home Scents of the Season

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

28 Work of Art

The Common Thread of the Tryon Lacemakers

36 Movers & Shakers

Dr. Warren Carson on a Lifetime of Literature, Music and Service

COLUMNS 22 Much Ado

Truth or Fiction?

40 Let’s Eat!

Secrets to the Best Holiday Turkey

60 Pebbles

Deck the Stalls

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50

APPOINTMENTS

43 Local Carriage Shop Supplies the World 48 Horse Treats 50 Eventing with the Best 57 Two Lost Horses & Some Tips

SOCIAL LIFE

62 December Calendar of Events

ONE LAST THING 64 Bird’s Eye Views

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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PARADING AROUND

Small town Christmas at its charming best!

BY LEAH JUSTICE

A

rea towns will be celebrating the holidays with Christmas parades this month.

The Towns of Columbus and Tryon and City of Landrum all host Christmas parades, filled with area floats and displays making their way through the decorated downtowns.

The parades are all hosted downtown with the community invited to attend to see the various fire trucks, church floats, veterans, marching bands, organizations that deco-

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

rate for the holidays and of course, Santa Claus.

Both Landrum and Tryon hold their parades at night with the downtowns lit up for the holidays. Columbus’ parade is during the day, always on the first Saturday of the month.

Saluda does not have a Christmas parade, but does have a hometown Christmas. Tryon and Landrum also have Christmas strolls.

For more information about the parades or how to enter, contact the town or city hall.

COLUMBUS PARADE Saturday, Dec. 2, 4 p.m.

Kicking off the season in the Foothills area is the Columbus Parade, organized by the Columbus Fire Department, and covering ground from the Food Lion plaza to Mills St. downtown. Santa will be on one of the fire trucks, and you’ll also see floats from churches, civic organizations, schools, and you might catch a glimpse of some superheroes!

LANDRUM PARADE Thursday, Dec. 7, 6 p.m.

Dignitaries include the parade’s grand marshal who is the Lions Club’s Citizen of the Year, local elected officials and, of course, Santa. The route begins on N. Trade Avenue between the depot and the fire station, continues down N. Trade Avenue, turning left on E. Rutherford and progressing to Redland Road with a right turn at O.P. Earle Elementary School. The parade ends at Landrum Middle School. The Christmas Stroll begins after the parade passes, with shops open until 8 p.m.

TRYON PARADE Wednesday, Dec. 13, 5 p.m. (rain date Dec. 20) Santa will make his third swing through the Foothills for Tryon’s Christmas Parade. Prepare for loud firetrucks with

riders tossing candy, fun floats, carolers and more. Shops and businesses in downtown Tryon also welcome you this holiday season with the annual Christmas Stroll, Friday, Dec. 1, 5-8 p.m.

SALUDA HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS Friday, Dec. 8, 6-8 p.m.

Saluda’s businesses will host a community-wide open house and music on Main St., Greenville St., and across the bridge. Saluda shopkeepers will greet you for the holiday with refreshments and music.

Designed by Tryon architect John Walters, 2017 marks the 27th edition of the collectible Morris Ornaments, made by the Chareston Mint. This year’s ornament nds the celebrated steed tickling the ivories of a ne Steinway Grand Piano.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 TFAC NUTCRACKER BALL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 JAMIE LAVAL’S CELTIC CHRISTMAS THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 BALLET SPARTANBURG: DECADA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 SHANA TUCKER SATURDAY, MARCH 3 CHASE AWAY THE BLUES FRIDAY, MARCH 9 GOITSE SATURDAY, APRIL 21 EDWIN MCCAIN PLUS FILM SCREENINGS, STAGE DOOR SERIES, ARTS IN EDUCATION & MORE

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

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Kiwanis Pancake Supper

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Photos by Catherine Hunter The Kiwanis Club of Tryon held their annual Pancake Supper fundraiser on Nov. 2 at Tryon Elementary School Cafeteria. Monies raised from the popular event fund multiple scholarships for high school students.

1. Tryon Girl Scouts from Troop 13 volunteer to help serve, including Emma Green, Izzy Adams, Lauran Lanford and Ciera Weatherers, front row. Behind them are Polk County High School students Lauren Ketwitz and Sophie Young.

2. Eloise Johnson, Leslie Brooks and Mig Sertl 3. Kiwanis Pancake Supper cook Denny Brook 4. Jeff Arrowwood, Aaron Greene, Cam Lawrence, Bill Hague, Gena McCall Meredith and Bob Swann 5. John Salmon and Father Robert Ard 6. Cathy and Al Seal 7. Niesha Coleman, Sara Station, Bill McCall and Bob Swann 8. Marianne Carruth and Leonard Rizzo

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

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AAUW Scholarship Tea

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Photos submitted

by Beth Laughridge The American Association of University Women held their 7th annual Porcelain, Poetry and Prose Scholarship Tea at Sunnydale in Tryon on Oct. 14.

1. Polk County Key Club Volunteers 2. Sidney Gooding and daughter, Mary Catherine Holdomb 3. Jacque Hedden and Carolyn Thompson 4. Beth Laughridge and Barbara Jurs 5. Gayle Lane and Marie King 6. Author Elizabeth Cox 7. Jacque Hedden and Robin Rice 8. Author Sally Hursey

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

1

Shuckin & Shakin Seafood Extravaganza

2

Photos by Catherine Hunter The Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce holds this food and dance event annually, featuring all-you-can-eat seafood, chicken and gumbo, with a mix of shag, disco and line dancing, all under an October night sky at Harmon Field.

1. Gayle Lane, Bill Cumming, Rick Deluciano, Scott Lane, Jean Cumming, Anne Nagel and Denis Nagel 2. Tim and Tiffany Dodge with Molly, Erin and Bill Taylor with Winston 3. Miles Ellingburg and grandfather Rick Ellingburg 4. Debra Sawyer and Mark Sawyer 5. Gracie Lynch and Randy Lynch 6. Larry Simons and Susan Hill 7. Anna Kate Leverette and Nick Tousey 8. Paul Brown and Suess Fraser

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FOOTHILLS FAMOUS

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12 9. Keith Gilliland, Robert Carter, Brian Jones, Jeff Harmon, Ethan Waldman 10. Jessica Lonnes, Joan Loness and Michael Wilder 11. Dominick Sciacca and Janet Sciacca 12. Mike Karaman, Lisa Quitoni, Kim Karaman and Candy Butler

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

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ON STAGE

‘Get Funky!’

Partners in music outreach bring music to area students

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n a sunny November afternoon, Gwen Suesse stood at the back of the Tryon Fine Arts Center auditorium as the audience packed in, filling the house. As the president of Tryon Concert Association, Gwen has seen many concerts from that vantage point. Few, however, could top this audience for enthusiasm. The 309 young students and adults spent the concert dancing, “dabbing” 18

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

BY MICHELLE FLEMING and waving from the aisles as the Charleston, S.C.-based quintet Ranky Tanky performed.

The enthusiastic response was just what was hoped for from Arts Outreach for Kids (A-OK), a new educational series born from a partnership between Tryon Fine Arts Center and Tryon Concert Association.

“The students’ enthusiasm took our energy to new heights,” said Clay

Ross, singer and guitarist with Ranky Tanky. “We were literally running into the balcony to play with them!”

Clay and the four other members of Ranky Tanky were the first performance of the new A-OK program, and delighted area homeschoolers and students from Polk County and Spartanburg District 1 schools with a high-energy, educational concert featuring their unique mix of traditional Gullah

Ranky Tanky

Want to go?

Tryon Concert Association presents Calmus Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.

Tryon Fine Arts Center presents Shana Tucker Jan. 31, 2018, 10 a.m.

Tryon Concert Association presents WindSync March 29, 2018, 10 a.m.

Be sure to reserve your seats in advance at www.tryonarts.org or by calling 828-859-8322.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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Excitement and exuberance was written all over the faces of these four students who attended the rousing performance of Ranky Tanky.

music from the Low Country with jazz, gospel and R&B. This was for many students their first experience with a live performance.

“So much of the music and performances that young people are exposed to in our time comes to them through YouTube and their computers,” explained Gwen. “It’s exciting to create opportunities to see and hear performers live, to experience the sense of interaction that happens between performers and audience members.”

It’s an experience A-OK will replicate with three more performances. Calmus, a worldrenowned choral music quintet, will perform for A-OK in December just days before their performance at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.

Soloist Shana Tucker is a top vocalist, songwriter, and cellist and will perform her unique blend of ChamberSoul in late January. The season ends with WindSync in March, performing a wide-ranging repertoire of winds chamber music.

Shana Tucker and Ranky Tanky 20

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

are TFAC Main Stage artists; Calmus and WindSync will be presented as part of TCA’s 63rd season. All four are top artists in their genre.

“By offering young people the ‘best of the best,’ we hope to whet their appetites, to broaden their horizons, and encourage them to participate in the arts themselves, both as music-makers and as audience members,” Gwen explained. “Presenting high caliber performances is actually key: if performances are mediocre, the takeaway reaction will likely also be mediocre. What we aspire to is showcasing excellence to encourage excellence.”

To ensure the high-quality performances are as accessible for as many as possible, tickets for A-OK shows are only $3 for students and teachers and $7 for adults. In addition to area students, a limited number of tickets are available for retirees who may be unable to attend evening performances.

“TCA and TFAC have many of the same visions, and one right at

the top of that list is nurturing and encouraging future audiences for our organizations,” said Gwen. “Perhaps even more compelling, we share the belief that young people’s lives are greatly enhanced by exposure to the arts, because this exposure cultivates wonder and beauty, sparks imagination, and helps young people to get beyond their everyday experiences, which often are fraught with competition, challenges, and difficulties. Ratcheting up our outreach has been an ongoing goal for us, but has also been challenging to put into practice. A-OK provides the vehicle. It was natural for TFAC and TCA to partner for this initiative, and it’s a big win for both organizations.” A-OK is also a big win for area students and the artists they get to meet.

“I learned that Ranky Tanky means ‘get funky’ [in the Gullah dialect]!” said Tommy, a beaming Tryon Elementary student after the performance. “They really got into the music!” With A-OK, the students can get into the music, too. •

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MUCH ADO

By Alex Greene

Truth or Fiction?

The lines can blur when writing about life

BY STEVE WONG

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

What if I invest the time and effort, and nobody likes it?

The unwritten novel is bad enough, but the unpublished novel is even worse.

A

s a columnist for this magazine, I am obligated to write the truth, however embellished it might be at times.

Admittedly, I sometimes have to remind myself that whatever topic I am cultivating for the month’s reflection, it has to be rooted in the truth. Recently, though, I had the pleasure of writing all the lies I wanted. For the first time in many years, I indulged in fiction writing.

I got to make up wild and crazy stuff, whatever my wondering mind wanted to say. At least one person -- a Hollywood director of horror movies -- liked it enough to have it read aloud in public.

Actually, that’s not totally true.

The task was to write a short story for a Halloween reading. It was a national writing contest, and the story had to include a ghost. It was not my intention to be truthful in any way, but old-school journalism dies hard, and before I realized it, I had written an ugly little story that had been passed down on my mother’s side of the family for generations. It was a story I had heard many times as a child, told by aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, and, of course, my mother, who I’ve always said should have been a writer. She had a true knack for taking a kernel of truth and growing a tangled jungle of elaborations. To my amazement,

I took third place in the contest and was flattered that the panel of judges reading my words “blind” would take notice.

I would like to write more fiction, but after all these years of qualifying the facts with “He said” and “She said,” I’m just not sure I can write about something that never happened, except in my head. I tried it many years ago, when I was a karate student who read martial arts magazines. I had never seen any fiction in Black Belt magazine or Karate Illustrated, but I figured if guys like articles about how to kick, punch, and block, they might like a story about someone using those techniques in a fantasy fight. After setting up a rather flimsy scenario about a champion fighter with a bad attitude using his skills to bait overweight lowlifes into street fights, I detailed the blow-by-blow combat between the bully and his victim. It was bloody and gory, and morally challenging. But the editor liked it, and my short story was published in a national magazine. High-five!

Today, a few of those magazines are somewhere in the back of my closet in a box of old byline clippings. Old articles can be like old lovers: You don’t want to see them after time has taken its toll because it is so embarrassing.

It would be decades before I would try my hand at fiction again.

At least with journalism, the article

might be accepted on the merits of the topic, regardless of the quality of the writing. Like many short-work writers, I secretly want to write that Great American Novel that will be made into a blockbuster movie and a multi-season television series — and solve all of my money and ego problems. But like so many others, I fear failure. What if I invest the time and effort, and nobody likes it? The unwritten novel is bad enough, but the unpublished novel is even worse. I greatly admire people like Pam Stone who have the discipline, creativity, energy, and daring to follow their heart’s desire to write that story that rattles around in the back of their heads for years.

For now, I’ll continue to write about the world around me, the people, places, and things that are slices of life in the Great American Pie. The truth of the matter is that someday I hope to write a huge pack of lies and not cringe when I find it in my clip files. • Steve Wong is a writer living in the peach orchards in Gramling, S.C. He can be reached online at Just4Wong@Gmail.com.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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HOME SWEET HOME

Scents of the Season

BY AMANDA EDWARDS

T

he sense of smell is closely tied to memory. When you think of scents that evoke warm memories of holidays spent baking pies in the kitchen with grandma or creating decorative accents for the home, what aromas come to mind?

Vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, and orange are all scents that immediately come to my mind when reflecting on precious 24

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family gatherings at the dinner table, or cozy evenings spent in front of a crackling fire, sipping on hot chocolate with a fuzzy cat on my lap.

You can create incredibly personal and thoughtful holiday gifts for family and friends using essential oils.

Remember old-fashioned pomanders? A pomander, from French pomme d’ambre, is a ball—usually an

orange or apple—filled with spices, herbs, or perfumes. The most common pomander used during the holiday season is an orange pierced with whole cloves and tied with a satin ribbon.

These can be gathered in bowls, tied to wreaths, or placed on fireplace mantels.

Even better, you can create a holiday pomander spray that will leave your home smelling fresh and inviting.

Holiday Pomander Aroma Spray 4-ounce glass spray bottle Rubbing Alcohol- 2 oz.

Distilled Water- 2 oz.

ESSENTIAL OILS Sweet Orange- 10 drops Clove Bud- 10 drops Cinnamon- 10 drops DIRECTIONS First, place essential oils into the spray bottle. Next, add rubbing alcohol and distilled water. Place the lid on the bottle, then shake well. Put the bottle in a dark cabinet for at least 48 hours to let the oils incorporate. Shake contents well before using and misting into the air.

Aromatherapy diffuser Another wonderful option is to use an aromatherapy diffuser to scent the air. If candles make you nervous, especially in close proximity to the Christmas tree, try incorporating a diffuser into your everyday décor.

These can be found in some health food stores, spas, or online. They are incredibly simple to use. You simply fill the bowl with water per the unit’s instructions and add a few drops of essential oil. A light mist will be expelled and the most delightful fragrance will fill the air.

Here are a few diffuser recipes I use in my home during the holiday season: Grandma’s Kitchen Diffuser Blend Sweet Orange- 3 drops Lemon- 1 drop Cinnamon- 3 drops Clove Bud- 2 drops A Walk in the Forest Diffuser Blend Spruce- 3 drops Cedar- 2 drops Fir Needle- 2 drops

Spiced Cider Diffuser Blend Ginger- 5 drops Sweet Orange- 3 drops Cinnamon- 1 drop Christmas Night Diffuser Blend Frankincense- 5 drops Myrrh- 4 drops

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Body Scrubs For an extra personal gift, you can make a delightful body scrub that not only exfoliates, but adds an extra layer of moisture to the skin, especially when using my favorite carrier oil—Sweet Almond. I’ve included two of my favorite body scrub recipes.

Ginger & Almond Body Scrub Epsom or Sea Salt- 1 cup Sweet Almond Oil- ½ cup Ginger Essential Oil- 6 drops to ¼ teaspoon

Lemon Sugar Body Scrub Granulated Sugar- 1 cup Sweet Almond Oil- ½ cup Lemon Essential Oil- 6 drops to ¼ teaspoon

DIRECTIONS Mix ingredients in a glass or metal bowl. Do not use plastic, as it will absorb the oils. I also recommend using a metal spoon.

After incorporating the ingredients, spoon mixture into a glass

mason jar and tie a festive ribbon around the lid. This yields 1.5 cups of body scrub.

Holiday Body Cream A perfect addition to either of the body scrubs would be to pair it up with my Holiday Body Cream recipe.

Coconut Oil- ½ cup Shea Butter- 1/4 cup Cocoa Butter- 1/4 cup Sweet Almond Oil- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Essential Oil- 5 drops Sweet Orange Oil- 5 drops DIRECTIONS Heat the shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat and add the sweet almond oil and the essential oils.

Stir and combine well. Pour into a mason jar and close lid tightly. The mixture will stay a little runny, but a quick stir with a spoon before using will help.

By using essential oils, not only will you be giving friends and loved ones something uniquely made from the heart, but also a gift that is good for them. Made directly from plants and flowers, essential oils are all natural and if you purchase organic oils, there are no harmful additives or chemicals to irritate the skin.

I hope my aromatherapy recipes enhance your homes and loved ones with joy this holiday season. • 26

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Amanda Edwards is a certified aromatherapist, member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, and owner of her own company, Juniper Jade Essentials. Amanda lives in Tryon, N.C. with her husband and two children. She writes a lifestyle blog at www.myblueridgelife.com.

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WORK OF ART

The Common Thread of the Tryon Lacemakers

BY VINCENT VERRECCHIO 28

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

T

he most fragile of textile arts binds them together with strength that far surpasses what one would expect from “delicate threads wrapped around air.” Jane Armstrong, retired geriatric social worker; Michelle Chase, elementary school teacher; Linda Sokalski, PhD., retired electrical engineer; and Nora Worthen, retired court reporter, are four of the Tryon Lacemakers. In this local affiliate of the North Carolina Regional Lacers and International Organization of Lacemakers, women and men from many backgrounds have come together to continue a tradition that once fitted caps to Egyptian mummies and employed peasants to fancy the cuffs and collars of ladies and lords.

From the 20 names on the Tryon Lacemakers’ mailing list, a varying mix of three to 12 lacemakers attend regular lacemaking gatherings at Lanier Library and special workshops with renowned teachers such as Louise Colgan from California and Kumiko Nagasaki from Japan. Among the diverse Tryon Lacemakers are a printer, importer, retired CEO of an international manufacturer, and a nurse practitioner, all with a commonality of terminology, tools, and technique.

From my meeting with Jane, Michelle, Linda, and Nora, I would also conclude tenacity as a common thread.

Linda Sokalski, PhD., retired electrical engineer, says, “I am not an artist but an engineer. I start with a product in mind and want to craft it as precisely as possible.”

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Linda Sokalski, PhD., Michelle Chase, Nora Worthen, and Jane Armstrong.

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Michelle Chase, elementary school teacher and librarian, describes lace as “delicate threads wrapped around air.”

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TERMINOLOGY There is a language of lace with such terms as bobbin, cordonnet, footing, gimp, Torchon, picot, and woof. Jane, organizer of group activities, says, “There are many styles of lace and each has it’s own vocabulary. For example, there’s bobbin lace, needle lace, Burano lace... Take the word bobbin and you have spangled-style Midland bobbins from England, continental-style Bayeaux bobbins from France, and others.

There are many lace dictionaries to keep it all straight so no need to remember every word. What to remember is that you can start making lace with just a few basic tools and steps.”

TOOLS Lace thread is typically cotton today since traditional flax is no longer commercially available.

A pattern placed over a pillow is a guide to show where to place pins that hold the thread to the pillow while making the lace. Nora, who started lacemaking in 2013, explains, “You can choose a bolster, cookie-round, domed, or block style pillow.”

The bobbin is a wood dowel lathed with a thicker and thinner end. For every length of thread there is a bobbin at each end. Thread is wound around the thinner ends of the bobbins and forms a loop between the pair. The lacemaker holds the thicker ends while unwinding thread. Linda, a bobbin lacemaker since 1987, notes that bobbins can be mass-produced and strictly utilitarian or be handcrafted and collectible as those made by Nora’s husband. “Each of Richard’s bobbins is a unique combination of shape, color, and motif,” says Jane. “Of course they do the job but I also enjoy looking at them.” That’s the same appreciation as an avid reader who enjoys a great book bound in tooled leather.

Needlepins separate and group bobbins and thread for organizational simplicity, especially when working with up to 200 bobbins for Danish TØnder lace. A pillow dressing protects lace in progress from dirt and finger oils. “Let’s not forget the lacemakers mascot,” exclaims Jane. “For good luck, a spiny hedgehog is essential at every project.” I spotted a variety of them in various degrees of whimsy throughout the work area.

TECHNIQUE My expression must have reminded Michelle, the teacher, of the occasional uncertainty seen among some of her third graders. Bringing to bear her 30 years of lacemaking, she was not going to let me get away without at least an elementary understanding. “Lacemaking is basically two motions, cross and twist.”

Got it. So far so good.

First, push a pin halfway into a pillow. Next, take one pair FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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The essential tools of bobbin lacemaking include the lacemaker mascot of a spiny hedgehog.

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2017 HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

Nora Worthen, retired court reporter, explains, “My ghost pillow is an enlargement of the pattern on my pillow...easier to see to help me remember where I am and where I’m going.”

of bobbins, loop their thread over the pin, and set them to the left. Then loop the thread of a second pair of bobbins over the pin and set them to the right. Four bobbins are sideby-side, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

“You cross the center bobbins and then twist both pairs of bobbins,” Michelle explains. ”Crossing is always left over right. Twisting is right over left,” I had to sketch and number that on my notepad to envision the first crossing of 2 over 3.

Next, twisting each pair of bobbins gives a new order of 3, 1, 4, and 2. A pin under the “X” of 3 and 2 holds the thread.

“Got it,” I said with satisfaction.

“Repeat the cross and twist and you’ve finished a whole stitch and made bobbin lace.”

What I readily understood was the virtue of tenacity.

TENACITY Thinking of a 4-foot-long Norman lace headdress in an 18th century engraving, I felt awe at a lacemaker’s ability to narrow the world to a pin and forget the hours passing pin by pin. I read that a novice lacemaker should feel happy with FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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Tatting is a lacemaking technique with a distinctive bobbin for looping and knotting thread into a durable lace.

Torchon lace is one of the oldest and simplest laces and generally one of the first to be learned.

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

10 pins a day. Michelle feels that ¼ inch in length by an inch and a half wide is a productive session and on some days it’s best to postpone until “you feel it.” She notes, “You’ll know when you’re on, you simply get drawn into your own place.” Linda and Nora both agree on the need to concentrate in good light with good magnification.

Jane feels that many errors come from a lapse in focus. “Lacemaking is perfection by the inch and the dreaded ‘boing’ of a broken thread is right after you look away.”

Married to an Englishman, she has adopted “bloody hell” as a near satisfactory response before pushing on.

“We teach one another,” says Michelle. “We welcome each other’s thoughts and experience, and are eager to demonstrate to one another what we know. I found an instant group of friends.” Jane concurs, “We all love the beauty of what we do, but friendship is the primary reward.” Nora adds, “At home, when I get stuck, I email

pictures to Michelle for advice.”

Linda concludes, “The joy of accomplishment and seeing others having fun is worth the work.”

Tryon Lacemakers welcome anyone interested in the beauty of lace. Gatherings are the fourth Saturday of the month, January through October, in the good light of the LeDuc Room at Lanier Library, 72 Chestnut Street, Tryon, N.C. For details, contact Jane Armstrong, lacemaker1950@gmail. com. • A photo waits in all things, all places, and everyone with a passion has a story to be told. That’s the perspective Vince Verrecchio, lightly retired ad agency creative director, brings as a writer and photographer contributing to Foothills Magazine. He can be reached at vincent.verrecchio@gmail.com.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

From James Baldwin and Richard Wright to Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, Professor Carson discuses with USC Upstate students how to read a many layered literary work and see how all the elements work together to create a work of art.

For the Love of Literature Tryon’s Professor Carson to retire from university service

BY CATHERINE HUNTER / PHOTOS BY LES DUGGINS, SR.

H

e grew up with segregation, became a respected college professor and served the community. Dr. Warren Carson is retiring after more than 40 years of teaching.

Carson grew up in a different Tryon than today’s community. He said although times were different, he had some wonderful role models that inspired him to turn his efforts to education and community service.

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After earning a doctoral degree in English from the University of South Carolina, Carson spent a few years teaching at various schools. Then, after serving as dean of Rutledge College in Spartanburg, he began teaching at the University of South Carolina Upstate where he has served as a professor and an administrator for 34 years.

“African American literature is my area of specialty,” Carson said. “It wasn’t a formalized discipline when I began

my college career, but it was always an interest of mine.”

Carson said the two most influential professors he had were Dr. Blyden Jackson at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Dr. Richard Long, chair of the Center for African American Studies at Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. where Carson received his master’s degree.

“I tend to teach James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Toni Morrison

In addition to teaching African American literature, Dr. Warren Carson directed, and still advises, the University of South Carolina Upstate Gospel Choir.

most frequently,” said Carson. He added that these writers were the authority in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s.

“This was the first really selfconscious literary and artistic movement among African Americans,” Carson said. “During this time Harlem was sort of the main site of activity.

Many African Americans migrated from the South to Harlem during that time.”

Carson added that he did his doctoral dissertation mainly on Zora Neale Hurston’s early career. Hurston was an American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, and anthropologist who, in Carson’s words, “. . . had a short but storied writing career.” Carson said when he entered graduate school most of her books were out of print, but today it’s hard not to find her work in literary collections.

Carson uses the words of these great writers to inspire his students. “I’m an

old fashioned teacher,” he said, adding that he insists his students read the works very thoroughly and look for nuances, themes and symbols that work together to create first rate literature.

“I want my students to come away with a knowledge of how to read and critique any given work,” he explained.

“That will give them a greater appreciation of African American life and culture as represented in literature.”

Though he grew up during segregation and attended segregated schools until eighth grade, Carson said it didn’t have much effect on his ability to find good jobs.

“I am who I am,” he said. “If there were any issues, they certainly weren’t mine. Segregation was a very important part of my life. I’m a product of those experiences. I value those lessons that I learned and try to pass them on.”

Carson believes the lessons he learned growing up included learning to persevere, believing in oneself and

adopting one’s own standards rather than taking on someone else’s.

“Everybody’s not always going to be like-minded,” he said. “You need to figure out how best to live your own life. Don’t allow people to interfere with the trajectory you’ve planned for yourself.”

Crediting his family, his church, his community and even the segregated schools for preparing him and others to go out and contest what was out there, Carson also spoke of his parents as role models and hard workers.

“My folks and the community provided great role models of people who worked hard and role modeled for younger generations.” His dark eyes became reflective as he paused a moment in thought. “We’ve lost some of that along the way,” he added.

The need he sees for positive role models inspired Carson to serve in the community including as a Tryon town councilman. He held offices such as FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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Tryon resident and University of South Carolina Upstate professor, Dr. Warren Carson is retiring from the university in December.

president of the Roseland Community Center and served on numerous boards of local organizations such as the Tryon Fine Arts Center, Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry, the board of trustees for St. Luke’s Hospital and the Polk County Department of Social Services.

“I try to lend my knowledge, talent and expertise to anything that will benefit people and community,” Carson said. “I want to make sure people in the community are taken care of.”

In addition to serving in government and the community, Carson is very active in the Garrison Chapel Baptist Church, the church in which he grew up. As a member of the church choir, Carson sang tenor and baritone and later became the choir director. He also directed the 38

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

USC Upstate Gospel Choir for many years, then stayed on as advisor. For many years he has directed the Eastside Fellowship Choir.

Carson officially retires at the end of the current semester, this December.

He said he doesn’t have any immediate plans beyond helping his brother, Todd Boggett, care for their mother, Esther Carson.

“I want to kind of decompress,” he said. “I’ve been multitasking all my life and I’m anxious to see what it feels like not to.” He added that he might use his knowledge and love of literature to try writing books, then laughed and said, “I have lots of tales I could tell.”

Carson also doesn’t see himself giving up teaching completely and imagines he will continue to teach a course or two here and there. “Any time

spent with students ranks at the top of my experiences,” he said. “They keep you energized.” • Catherine Hunter’s journalism career spans 20 years of writing for newspapers and magazines, including The Chronicle of the Horse, The Western Horseman, the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine. In 2000, Hunter received a South Carolina Press Association award for reporting in depth. She is the author of “Sacred Connections Horsemanship: Empowering Horse and Rider through Chakra Energy.” Email her at catherine.hunter@ tryondailybulletin.com.

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FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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LET’S EAT!

SECRETS TO THE

best holiday turkey

BY JIMMI BUELL

T

here are literally hundreds of ways to cook a turkey and each year new recipes and techniques are created based on trendy regional ingredients and creative cooking methods. Some are good, some are bad, and some are downright unsafe.

All are designed to tantalize the senses and produce the perfect turkey - moist breast meat, tender legs and thighs, golden brown skin and memorable flavor.

The greatest challenge for new and experienced cooks alike is to avoid the dreaded “dry turkey,” which is usually in reference to the white meat of the turkey breast. Because the flavor of turkey marries well with a host of ingredients, turkey can be successfully

braised, roasted, grilled, fried, boiled, broiled, barbecued and so on.

Believe it or not, cooking a turkey is not that difficult. Which turkey cooking method chosen is up to the cook, just make sure it is a safe method. Cooking the turkey to the right doneness without loss of moisture takes a thermometer and digital ones are the better choice.

Believe it or not, do not wash the turkey. Bacteria in a sink is more dangerous than the turkey. If cooked properly the heat will kill the bacteria on the turkey. Wash hands, utensils, sink and anything else that has come in contact with the raw turkey with hot, soapy water immediately following preparation.

Marinating is a soaking technique,

which enhances the flavor and tenderness of meat. Since commercial turkeys are young (four to six months) and tender, the mission of this marinade is to spread flavor throughout the bird.• Jimmi Buell, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, Polk County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service, teaches cooking and nutrition classes with a focus on improving health with better food choices. She can be reached at jimmi_buell@ncsu.edu or 828-894-8218.

Spiced Apple Cider Brined Turkey One of my favorite recipes for creating a moist turkey is the Spiced Apple Cider Brined marinate:

INGREDIENTS 4 cups water 1/2 cup kosher salt 1/2 cup sugar 3 whole cloves 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces 4 slices fresh ginger 1 teaspoon whole allspice, crushed 40

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

1/2 gallon unsweetened apple cider, chilled (8 cups) Turkey, 12 to 14 pounds, fresh or completely thawed (With no injections or pre-basting) 2 turkey size oven cooking bags or large plastic tub 1 cup each chopped, celery, onions, carrots Zest of one lemon or orange Olive oil or butter

DIRECTIONS 1. Use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to crush whole peppercorns and allspice. Do not grind to a powder; large pieces should remain.

In a 4-quart saucepan combine water, kosher salt, sugar, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and ginger. Stir as you bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Add chilled apple cider. Stir to combine. Refrigerate brine while preparing the turkey.

3. Remove turkey from wrapper. Remove giblets and neck from body cavity and neck area. Refrigerate these parts for stock for making gravy, later.

4. Rinse turkey inside and out under cold running water. Twist wing tips and tuck behind turkey. Place two plastic oven cooking bags, one inside the other. Set the bags in a large stockpot or roasting pan. Or use a large plastic tub, bags not needed. Roll top of bags over for ease in handling. Place the turkey, breast first, inside the double thickness of bags. Do not use trash bags or any bag that is not food safe (chemicals from bag will leach into turkey).

5. Pour chilled brine into turkey cavity and around outside of turkey.

Pour an additional two cups cold water around turkey. Secure bag with twist tie. If using a roasting pan, turn turkey breast down.

Rotate turkey four times during brining so brine reaches all parts.

If using a stockpot the brine should cover the turkey, rotation is not needed. Refrigerate turkey for 12-14 hours.

6. Remove turkey from brine. Rinse under cold running water. Rinse well inside and out. Pat skin dry with towels.

7. Place turkey on a platter and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. This will allow the skin to dry. The skin will be very crisp with this drying step, however this step can be omitted. Turkey skin will still brown, but it will be less crispy.

8. Preheat oven to 350 F. Transfer turkey to a heavy roasting pan.

Stuff the bird with chopped vegetables and zest. Position meat thermometer in thickest part of thigh. Tie legs together and tuck wings underneath the bird.

9. Cover the skin with softened butter or olive oil. Add 1 cup water to bottom of pan and place turkey in hot oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the turkey. Check the wrapper and cook according to weight. Roast turkey until temperature in the innermost part of the thigh reaches 165°F or higher. A 12-pound turkey will take about 3 hours and 15 minutes to roast. Add 15 minutes for each additional pound.

11. The turkey is done when the thermometer reaches 165°F or higher.

Using an instant read thermometer, check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the wing. The internal temperature for all areas should be 165°F or higher. Use of an instant read thermometer is the best method to check for doneness in all three areas of the turkey. Poultry is safe to eat at 165°F. Allow the bird to rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute evenly through the meat. Reserve pan juices for use in gravy, dressing, etc. Store leftover turkey in the refrigerator or freezer promptly after the meal.

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

APPOINTMENTS

Carolina Carriage Superstore owner, Jack Moore, trains a Friesian sport horse mare named Jasmine that he bred on the farm near Landrum. (photo submitted by Kelly Moore)

Local carriage shop supplies the world

BY CATHERINE HUNTER

J

ust ten minutes down Hwy. 14 from Landrum is perhaps one of the largest horsedrawn carriage suppliers in the United States, possibly the world. With an 18,000 square foot store, a 10,000 square foot warehouse and 200 or more carriages in stock, the Carolina Carriage Superstore supplies carriages, harness and horse

equipment all over the world.

The store’s owner and founder, Jack Moore, has bought and sold carriages, wagons, harnesses and horses for 35 or 40 years. He grew up in Alexander, Va. and moved to this area in 1969. Since then he’s been raising and training riding and driving horses and custom making carriages. In 2011 he built the big

red barn that stands on the corner of Hwy. 14 and Fews Chapel Rd. “I started fooling with horses at age 6,” Moore said. “I trained my own pony to drive a cart.”

At nearly 70 years old, Moore still breaks and trains the horses on the farm and hooks and drives horses and mules. He said mules were his favorite to work with because they FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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Carolina Carriage Superstore Farm Manager Juan Perez and storeowner, Jack Moore, work a custom design part in the company’s 6,000 square foot fabrication shop. Photo submitted by Kelly Moore

were a bigger challenge than horses.

“The average trainer doesn’t have success with mules,” he said. “They’re altogether different. A good mule is very good. A bad mule is very bad.”

In addition to working with mules, Moore has raised and trained Walking horses, and many different kinds of draft horses, including Percherons, Belgians and even Clydesdales he purchased from Anheuser Busch.

“Of all the horses I’ve trained Friesians are the smartest and easiest to train by far,” he said. “They’re very versatile.”

Moore said he trains all his horses to both ride and drive. He stands three Friesian stallions that are Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA) registered. “This is one of the only places you can pick out a horse and see its mama and daddy perform as well,” he said.

Moore’s daughter-in-law, Kelly Moore, manages the store and helps train the horses. Kelly said not only 44

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

can a person buy a well-trained driving horse at the store, they can purchase everything needed to start driving immediately. “If you have a dream of driving or starting a carriage company, you can get everything you need right here,” she said.

Moore added that not only could a customer buy the horse, carriage and harness, they can learn to drive as well. Moore teaches hands on driving lessons from beginner through advanced.

“We teach proper harnessing and fit [of the harness],” he said. “You’d be surprised how many people drive and can’t harness their horse or don’t know if it’s [the harness] fitted properly.”

The carriage store not only includes horses and carriages, they carry all types of harnesses including nylon, leather and biothane. They stock new and used harnesses in all sizes from mini to extra-large draft. In addition to the harness, the carriage store carries all sorts of new

and used horse tack and equipment.

“We carry primarily Western saddles because there are plenty of English tack stores in the area,” said Kelly, explaining that they don’t intend to compete with the local hunter tack stores. “There’s a big demand for Western tack around here because not many other stores [in the area] sell it.”

One of the big draws for the carriage store is their custom made equipment. Moore said because they have a 6,000-square-foot fabrication shop, they can custom design and make any type of carriage, cart, wagon, harness and many other types of horse related equipment.

With their custom design capabilities, the company builds a lot of handicap accessible carriages and carts for therapeutic riding and driving programs.

In addition to the more than 300 harnesses and 100 saddles they have in stock, the store stocks more than 200 carriage and wagon wheels

Juan Perez and Jack Moore repair a carriage wheel. (photo submitted by Kelly Moore) FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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Adam is the top FHANA registered breeding stallion standing at Carolina Carriage Superstore near Landrum. Photo submitted by Kelly Moore

At nearly 70 years old, Carolina Carriage Superstore owner, Jack Moore, still breaks and trains all the horses, including Albert, one of the Friesian stallions they stand to stud.

Photo submitted by Kelly Moore 46

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

and does wheel repair on site. Moore said carriage companies often bring in a carriage they want to exchange and are able to leave the same day with exactly what they are looking for.

Because of their inventory and custom design work, the carriage store provides carriages, horses and equipment for the Biltmore Estate as well as large and small carriage tour businesses in Charleston, Atlanta, Texas and others throughout the U.S. They also supply Disney.

Moore travels to Ohio and Pennsylvania to buy harness and other equipment from the Amish craftsmen. About 70 to 80 percent of their product is hand made by the Amish. While visiting the Amish, Moore enjoys hooking up and driving horses and mules with them. Recently he helped hook and drive a 24-mule hitch in Ohio. The drivers hooked four teams of

Carolina Carriage Superstore farm manager Juan Perez prepares their Friesian stallion, Albert, for the 2015 Landrum parade that included the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Photo submitted by Kelly Moore

six mules abreast pulling a 24-foot plow.

In addition to the handmade Amish tack, some of the more unique items the carriage store offers are antique carriages from the 1800s and antique carriage lanterns, which are also a customer favorite.

While the store supplies many of the big carriage companies and ships to Canada, Mexico, South America and Europe, they also have a lot of local customers. Kelly said they keep a lot of supplies on hand for local driving enthusiasts,

those who enjoy trail riding or for farmers looking for work harness.

According to Moore, their inventory of carriages has filled the barn and warehouse, so they are currently planning a 10,000-square-foot addition to the barn. While he spends most of his time working with the horses and developing custom carriage designs, Moore and his wife, Gloria Moore, also own several other businesses including a motorcycle dealership in Taylors that is managed by their son, Chris Moore, and a waste management company in Greer. •

Catherine Hunter’s journalism career spans 20 years of writing for newspapers and magazines, including The Chronicle of the Horse, The Western Horseman, the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine. In 2000, Hunter received a South Carolina Press Association award for reporting in depth.

She is the author of “Sacred Connections Horsemanship: Empowering Horse and Rider through Chakra Energy.” Email her at catherine.hunter@tryondailybulletin.com.

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APPOINTMENTS

HORSE TREATS SWEET FEED HORSE COOKIES INGREDIENTS Powdered sugar 4 cups sweet feed 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 cups molasses 2 grated carrots 2 grated apples 1/2 cup flour DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all ingredients, except powdered sugar. Form into large balls and press flat onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

HORSE CARROT CRISPIES INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup oatmeal 1/3 cup molasses 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup bran 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 apple 2 carrots DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin. Shred apple and carrots. Mix apple and carrots with molasses. Add brown sugar, water, flour and oatmeal.

Scoop dough into muffin tin and sprinkle each muffin with brown sugar.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

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OAT CARROT HORSE COOKIES INGREDIENTS 1 cup uncooked oats 1 cup flour 1 cup shredded carrots 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup molasses DIRECTIONS Mix ingredients in bowl. Make small balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

APPLE AND OAT CHEWIES INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce 1 cup oat bran cereal or ground oatmeal 1/2 cup all purpose flour DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9” x 9” square baking pan. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until firm to the touch. Keep unused treats in the refrigerator.

HORSE COOKIES INGREDIENTS 1 cup oatmeal 1/4 cup molasses 2 carrots or an apple 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup flour 1/4 cup water Pinch of salt DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roughly chop carrots or apple and mix with dry ingredients. Stir in all wet ingredients and the fill a baking sheet. Score into sections and spray with a small amount of oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

HORSE CARROT/ APPLE CAKES INGREDIENTS 1 carrot 1 apple 1 cup molasses 2 1/2 cups oats 2 Tablespoons oil DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grate the carrot and apple. Mix together all ingredients. Place mixture in baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for four hours in refrigerator.

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APPOINTMENTS

Karen O’Connor (center) prepares riding participants for their show jumping session. (Michael Drumgool Photography).

Eventing with the Best

BY JUDY HEINRICH

I

t’s not often that amateur athletes can get personal instruction from someone who’s reached the pinnacle of their sport. So it’s no wonder the October Karen O’Connor Clinic, sponsored by the River Valley Pony Club (RVPC), filled all 18 of its riding spots and had more than 40 auditors attending.

Karen O’Connor has been on the U.S. Eventing Team at five Olympic games, winning Team Silver in 1996 and Team Bronze in 2000. At the 2012 Olympics, she was the oldest athlete representing Team USA and the 50

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

oldest female worldwide in the entire games. She was also the highest placed American, finishing 8th in a field of more than 60 riders from 13 nations.

Karen also won Individual and Team Gold at the 2007 Pan American Games, has ridden in five World Equestrian Games and Championships, won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event three times, and was named the U.S. Female Equestrian of the Year 10 times.

Karen stopped competing shortly after the 2012 Olympics when she broke her back in an on-course fall, with injuries that required two 11-inch

titanium rods and 16 three-inch screws for stabilization. She now keeps busy with the longtime teaching/training/ sales business she shares with her husband, David; traveling to give clinics and source horses for upper level and aspiring riders; and as coach of Mexico’s National Eventing team. “We have the Central American Games next year, and hopefully WEG, then the Pan Am Games and hopefully the Olympics,” she says of Team Mexico’s goals.

The October Tryon clinic was Karen’s second in our area after being TIEC’s first-ever clinician in 2014. This year’s

clinic was held at Eric and Trayce Dierks’ Renovatio Farm for show jumping and Jim and Ann Troppmanns’ Fox Knoll Farm for cross-country.

Clinic organizer and RVPC District Commissioner Ivette Drumgool thanked the Dierks and Troppmanns for hosting at their beautiful farms, Farm House Tack and Hare & Hound for providing beautiful boxed lunches both days, and the many volunteers who helped make the event a success.

followed the lectures and took up the better part of both days. Riders were split into three groups of six: Training/ Prelim (the most advanced at the clinic); Novice (with some planning moves up to Training); and Beginner Novice.

For those readers serious about eventing, you might want to start saving for a riding spot in a future clinic with Karen, whose experience and accomplishments in the sport remain unmatched.

STARTING WITH LECTURES Karen always starts clinic days with a morning “classroom” lecture so participants can focus, ask questions and take notes without the distraction of having horses in hand. Day 1 focused on show jumping and Day 2 on riding cross-country.

With permission from RVPC and Karen herself, I’m summarizing information from both morning lectures, much of which applies across riding disciplines. More details and advice for individual horse-and-rider pairs came at the riding portions of the clinic, which

DAY 1: HORSEMANSHIP & SHOW JUMPING Karen started her Day 1 lecture talking about getting the most out of clinics and some points on general horsemanship before focusing on Show Jumping. (Unless indicated otherwise, the words you’re reading from this point forward are Karen’s.)

“People come to a clinic to watch someone they assume knows what they’re talking about,” she said. “And the clinician wants to give you as much help as he or she possibly can.

“As participants, you should be

Clinic participant jumps for O’Connor’s evaluation and advice. (Michael Drumgool Photography).

giving 110 percent of yourselves even if it doesn’t seem to make sense at that moment. Even if I’m going down a road you’ve never gone before, try to go with me. If you take away one new piece that can go with you the rest of your riding career, that’s terrific. Take pieces from here and there and build your own style within a foundation that’s very clear and systematic.

“When we get to the riding part, you’ll be listening as I talk to other people, but don’t fall into the clinic trap of letting your horse just graze or do nothing as you stand and listen. If you do that, your horse won’t be switched on or in front of your leg when it’s your turn. So when your turn is coming up, start one or two horses ahead to get some adrenaline in your horse and make sure he’s ready.

“You should also come away understanding not just what a horse does, but why. The difference between people and horses is that people are smart and horses act on instinct. They are prey animals by nature, born with the ability to run, whereas people are

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Karen O’Connor (with megaphone) prepares for cross-country work with the Training/Prelim riders. (Photo by Judy Heinrich).

predators. When prey animals see a predator, their instinct is to get away by running a short distance, reassessing, maybe running again, or possibly seeing that the predator has given up.

“It’s a unique relationship between horses and humans. We predators are born to hunt, eat, sleep, do it again. Prey animals are moving all the time, eating all the time. But we’re able to take the normal instincts of horses and get them to fit into our world.

“Even in our world, a horse likes a variety of things in his day. If we take a horse out to ride for an hour and then he’s in his stall for 23 hours, that’s not meeting the horse’s needs. So think of some things to do: just being around him, picking things to do whether it’s hand walking, ground work, grooming or grazing.

COMMUNICATION “Horses don’t understand our language, so how do we communicate with them? Through physical aids. That’s 52

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across the board… all riding disciplines rely on our giving aids, which is ‘talking with our bodies.’ We have five natural aids: seat, legs, voice, hands and weight.

“We squeeze with our leg, literally pushing our muscle into the horse’s muscle, and we want the horse to respond by moving away from the pressure. If he pushes back into you, you have to add ‘volume’ to get the response you want. So you add more pressure with your leg until he moves away. Then you release the pressure, which is his reward. The rider puts on pressure, the horse moves away, the rider releases.

“If you keep the pressure on, the horse doesn’t like it and can get dull to your aids, get anxious, or become disobedient. The goal is to be slow to put pressure on and quick to release it.

knows you want him to move away.

The second level is ‘hair,’ when just a light touch gets the response. The third level is to put pressure a bit deeper, on ‘skin.’ The fourth level puts pressure on ‘muscle,’ and the fifth is putting enough pressure that you would actually feel ‘bone’ underneath. Early in teaching something, you may have to start with ‘bone’ and then move quickly back through ‘muscle,’ ‘skin,’ ‘hair’ and ‘air’ as your horse understands.

The horse has to be submissive – when you put pressure on, the horse has to move away from it. You guys are event riders and that’s great – but first you’re riders. The largest part of the education is to learn to talk to the horse with your body, whether you’re going around a barrel or jumping down a six-foot bank.

LEVELS OF PRESSURE “There are five levels of pressure for aids. The lightest amount is ‘air’ – you can just gesture with your hand in the air or move into his space and the horse

RESPONSIBILITIES OF RIDER TO HORSE “The first responsibility of the rider is to give the horse direction, whether it’s where you’re going in the arena or how

the horse should walk out of his stall so he doesn’t hit his hip on the wall.

The second responsibility of the rider is to set the appropriate speed for what you’re doing. The third responsibility is for the rider to be doing everything within the balance of the horse. And the more difficult the action, it also has to happen within the rhythm of the horse – a horse has rhythm in everything he does. When you’re first learning to ride, it’s all about keeping still and having your heels down. As you progress in your lessons, the focus becomes all about moving with the rhythm of the horse.

“The final rider responsibility is timing, which in jumping has to do with being able to see your distance and pick a take-off spot that’s appropriate for the horse. It’s not rocket science but you have to learn technique in order to have the timing you want.

“Where is the engine of the horse? In the rear. The horse creates power through the bend of its hind leg, bringing it up in a circle and then down, like a spring. When a horse bends its front leg under its body, it’s actually preparing to lie down – lying down is all it can do when it bends its weight over a front leg. But when he bends a hind leg he is gathering power. That’s why you want the horse on the hind leg – that’s where the spring and the power are.

“The faster a horse goes, the more its center of gravity is forward, so you don’t want to just go into a show jumping ring and speed the horse around. To jump, the horse has to be back on its hind legs, get them to bend, and get some trajectory.

“How do you pick a good distance to a jump in show jumping? There are several things to look at: The front face of the jump: is it vertical or ascending?

That will tell you where the horse needs to have the highest point of

his arc. You also have to look at what’s behind the front face: Is there nothing? Is there a right turn? Are you in a jump-off and have to do a roll-back? You need to know what’s coming behind the jump.

“Next is the actual jump itself: is it colorful, is it a ditch, will the horse be scared? What will you have to do to keep the horse comfortable?

We have to think about all the things that might scare a horse.

And what might a horse do if he’s uncomfortable? He could shift his shoulders or drop his mouth so he’s ‘empty’ and all the weight falls back into your leg. It’s always your job to keep the horse in front of your leg.

SJ RIDER POSITION “In dressage, your base of support is in your seat, with help from your core. In show jumping the most important part of your body is your lower leg. You won’t have the same level of speed as in cross-country to help you with impulsion, so you need your lower leg to create both impulsion and the engagement of the hind leg, to get that spring that creates the trajectory.

“We use three positions in show jumping. The first is full seat, which is like sitting with your butt completely in the saddle – you surrender your body to the saddle, to the horse’s back.

“Then there is two-point, where your butt is out of the saddle, not touching it at all. In show jumping we use two-point for ‘time around’ issues – to get across the arena in the fastest time you can.

“Last is three point – your butt touches the saddle but doesn’t surrender to it; you are carrying some of the weight in your legs.

If you’re riding in three-point and your leg muscles are burning just above your knees, it means you’re not fit enough.

“The best way to strengthen your lower legs is to drop your stirrups. If

Photo by Judy Heinrich

Biko Sydney Langley, 12, of Tryon, got an autograph on her Breyer model of “Biko,” Karen’s Olympic-medalist partner and U.S. Eventing Association’s “Horse of the Century.” Sydney had been trying to meet Karen for the autograph since her mom, Carla, gave her Biko four years ago. Carla got Biko shortly after attending the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where the pair won Team Silver.

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you’re asked to do a course and you don’t have any stirrups, it shouldn’t look any different. I can jump a 1.4 meter course and higher with no stirrups.

“The biggest problem I see with event riders is not having a landing strategy.

You have to know what’s coming up next and what you have to do. It’s never just about the jump, it’s always the things before and after the jump – the jump is just part of the pattern.

“If you land and find your horse is not available to you, you have to engage to get control. Do a downward transition within the gait or change the gait. Make a circle – the first thing trainers say when the pony is running away! If your horse lands and then jumps off to one side, use a lateral movement to get the hind engaged. The whole point is, it’s about the horse, but making things simple for the horse can be very complex.

(At the end of the morning lecture, the first group of riders prepared for their show jumping lesson, which was done with the other riders, auditors and volunteers there to watch and listen.

Karen not only analyzed and instructed in the riding session, she also got on and rode a bit to demonstrate particular points.)

DAY 2 CROSS-COUNTRY Karen started the morning talking about safety when riding cross-country.

“Riding cross-country is a game of footwork of the horse and instincts of the rider. It’s about staying in the moment and staying committed to your plan.

“Usually you walk your course before you ride in the competition, you don’t just go out there. Why? To know where you’re going, evaluate the jumps, make your plan. Some riders walk the course three times, spend 10 minutes at each jump with their trainer, then come out to ride it and their plan is just gone. You have to try to stick to your plan.

“Some specific tack advice for crosscountry: Tie a knot at the end of your reins just above the buckle, because the buckle is the weakest point of the reins.

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And I’m a real advocate of holding a bridge in the reins, which came from horseracing. I like a single bridge: open your non-whip hand and lay the rein across it, and make a short single bridge to the other hand that leaves you with a nice long rein. Then gather your reins into position and put your hands down into the neck.

“We carry a whip as an extension of our leg. Your horse can’t be afraid of the whip. How do you teach that? The wide part of the whip has to be absolutely quiet and not in the equation until you need it. Put an elastic around the handle and slip your middle finger in there; then you won’t lose the whip. Place the whip against your thigh and when you need to use it, move your whole arm back from the shoulder, then straighten your elbow and the whip moves down by the haunch.

CROSS-COUNTRY RIDER POSITIONS “In cross-country there are three things going on: galloping between the jumps, getting ready for the jump, and actually jumping the jump. So you’ll use three galloping positions – the first galloping position, a preparation position, and a jumping position – and go seamlessly from one position to the other. It’s repetitive, and that’s true between jumps and in combinations with A, B and C elements, etc.

“In the first galloping position you want to look like a race rider, low in the saddle. Where should your foot be in the irons? Not just touching the base of your toe like in dressage or show jumping – you want your foot a little further in. Not at the back of the arch where your heel starts – that’s a safety position when you’re in trouble. You want your iron at the back of the ball of your foot; that’s the base of your position and will stabilize your lower leg.

“You want to be ‘base wide’ – wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Your stability starts with your foot then the whole knee area. You have to keep your kneecaps in, which is easier now with the cushy knee rolls. Turn your kneecaps

into the knee rolls and hold them there.

“In first galloping position you want to place your hands right at the withers and be still with your hands, your lower legs and your upper body. When you want to go faster, you articulate your angles and get down in there behind the horse’s shoulder blades. When you want to go slower, you raise your upper body to create wind resistance – you ‘open the sail.’

“When you’re galloping uphill you’re in the closed position. When you’re galloping downhill you go in the open sail position. And keep your lower leg perpendicular to sea level or ‘on the plumb line.’

“The second galloping position is preparing the horse for the jump, where you’ll create the direction, speed, balance and rhythm for the jump. This is the most critical part of cross-country. You made the plan on your course walk, now you have to execute the jump. If a horse is going fast on the gallop, he’s on his forehand. He can’t jump safely from that so you have to put him in balance as you’re coming to the jump.

“How far before the jump do you need to have all that put together: ten strides, six strides, three? You should be able to see your distance from five to six strides out. You need to look at the front face, what’s behind it, whether it’s skinny or wide, the terrain, whether footing is firm or not. You want to have everything ready before you have to make your final decision on the take-off spot. And for jumps with A, B, C, D it’s a bigger deal, because you have to look at all of it.

“You also have to know your horse – whether he responds to you quickly or needs more time. If you have an aggressive horse who wants the last word, it’s going to take longer. And a downhill horse will take longer to balance and time for to get his front end up.

“The first thing I’m going to do coming to the jump is drop my bridge so I have freedom with my reins. Then I open my sail to raise my center of gravity and the horse will feel the wind resistance. With your own horse you need to know if you’re going to use

leverage, like leaning back, or use your leg, or use leverage and leg. If I feel a little emptiness in my hand and my horse doesn’t respond, I may move the bit side-to-side to tell him, “Get off of it!”

“In the take-off, the horse is going to come off the ground and close my position more but I’m still riding aggressively and defensively: I will change my position, lower the center of gravity, curl my tail under me.

“On cross-country we want the horse to use his head and neck as a counter balance. He will land with his head down and bring it up with the first stride, and I then bring my hands back. If you don’t do it right, you can get pulled forward and lose your center of gravity and lower leg.

“The other position you need in cross-country is for the drop fence.

When a horse jumps down a drop, his body actually goes up first. A horse always jumps up before he starts down because the hind leg bends only one way. So the rider has to follow the action of the horse. I can’t lean back before the horse jumps because I wouldn’t be allowing the hind leg to push off. I have to get my butt out of the saddle first, then I fold my position within the jump.

At some point in that drop I will stop

my shoulders but my hips will keep swinging forward. It’s all about the hip swinging forward and back to stay with the rhythm of the horse.

“The final things that are so important on a drop are that your eye has to stay straight ahead and you have to land like you’re landing on a trampoline.

“You need to own that position, especially if your horse is bucking. A buck is like a form of drop fence. Keep your feet out in front of you and follow that center of gravity, then get his head up.

“The beauty of knowing the three galloping positions is that you can land in any position you want depending on the terrain and what’s coming up next. I can use my position to change my horse’s speed: to go faster I go down more and my butt goes out a little. To slow down, I open my sail, my hand comes up with my whip, the horse’s head comes up and the horse slows down. When you feel the hind leg come up, you can drop back.

“You’re also ‘rowing the boat,’ moving your hands back and forward. All about folding and opening. When you’re opening your sail your knees are strong into that knee roll; your ‘hinge’ is secured into that knee roll.

“It’s really important that when

take your horse out for a gallop it’s not just about conditioning. It also has to be about teaching your horse how to gallop. He needs to get used to your different cross-country positions because some horses can be alarmed at changes in position. Practice getting your horse to go faster or slower with your body, raising or lowering your center of gravity to change speed. Your horse will learn to recognize those changes and know when to alter his speed and when to get ready for a jump.”

(Following the cross-country lecture the three groups of riders received instruction from Karen on a course of jumps at Fox Knoll that had been built to her specifications. Clinic auditors, volunteers and other groups of riders were again able to hear and learn from Karen’s advice.) • Judy Heinrich is a freelance writer serving national clients in diverse industries. Judy writes for the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine on all things horse related. She can be reached at jheinr@windstream.net.

Rider warms up her horse for the cross-country riding session (Photo by Judy Heinrich).

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APPOINTMENTS

Two Lost Horses & Some Tips

BY JUDY HEINRICH

“N

ot much can sink your heart as fast as discovering your horse is missing.” So said local equestrian Dana Kind, who was at FENCE for an October clinic when her horse escaped her stall and went missing.

A driver spotted the 28-year-old mare, “Hope,” on a road near the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center around 6:30 a.m., but she quickly disappeared into the darkness. FENCE Executive Director Tracie Hanson got a quick call and reached out to Patti Lovelace and Anita Williamson, both experienced horsewomen who work with Polk County Equine Rescue (PEER). An alert was immediately posted on Facebook, phone lines were soon burning up, and many area horsepeople began

swarming the roads and trails. Professional photographer Erik Olsen even put his drone up for an aerial search.

The happy ending was that Hope was found around 4:30

by Carol Ten Broek, who employed her British detection genes.

She knew that the farm where she boards is easily accessible overland from FENCE but not easily visible from the road, and the farm owners were away for a few days. Carol went hunting there with some grain and a halter, and found Hope in a field within sight of other horses: “She looked really happy to see me and walked right up so I could halter her.” Dana was quickly reunited with her horse, who had apparently been at the farm for a while based on the piles of evidence.

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APPOINTMENTS

Left: Hope looking relieved in Carol Ten Broek’s halter. Photo by Carol Ten Broek Right: Secured to trailer at horse camp… maybe! Photo by Judy Heinrich

7,000 ACRES OF PINES Hope’s story is the second missing horse I’ve known personally in the past few years. The other belonged to a friend who came off her horse at the H. Cooper Black Recreation Area in the Sand Hills near Cheraw, S.C. “Abby” ran

off into 7,000 acres of pines and trails and wasn’t found until three days later, a little worse for the wear but unhurt.

Facebook wasn’t as popular back then and the area didn’t have the active horse community we do, nor was it as easy to

search. But getting the story on the local TV news alerted area residents, so the man who eventually saw Abby near his home at the edge of the forest knew to secure her and contact the park’s ranger.

Another happy ending.

PREPARING FOR THE WORST / ADVANCE PRECAUTIONS A horse can go missing from a stall – even its own – or off-site, whether from a show grounds or on the trails. But there are some things you can do in advance and during the emergency to help bring about your own happy ending. Here are some tips.

• Always have ID attached to your saddle when riding – at home, on the trails, or at another facility.

A luggage tag with a business card is perfect. If you don’t have your own card, get one from a friend

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and clearly print your information on the back. Cross out irrelevant information on the front.

• When you’re away from home, keep a halter on your horse whenever you’re untacked, including overnight. Clearly write your contact information in permanent marker or attach a pet ID tag.

• If you don’t want to halter overnight, braid a small round pet ID tag into your horse’s mane.

• Keep an envelope in your tow vehicle with a good photo of your

horse and his current Coggins papers for ID. (Take your envelope with you when traveling in a friend’s rig.)

• Keep a copy of the photo and Coggins on your phone so you can easily post online; the Coggins can help prove ownership.

• Keep a halter, lead rope, and a small closed container of feed in your tow vehicle to shake and attract your loose horse, or someone else’s.

(My husband and I caught three loose horses on a Texas road one night doing just that).

WHEN YOUR HORSE IS LOST • What FENCE’s Tracie Hanson said she’d do differently is call 911 before anyone else. Not only does a loose horse present serious danger to drivers, 911 in our area has a network for quickly alerting nearby farms and other resources.

• First search places near where he escaped. Horses typically won’t go far but will search out grass, water and other horses, so check neighboring farms.

• If you don’t find him right away, enlist as many searchers as you can; they should take a halter, lead rope, and a can of grain to shake.

• Let searchers know what to do if they find your horse, such as call your cell, or maybe call 911, or someone on a landline if in an area with poor reception.

• If the horse is gone for hours, ask someone to round up contact

information for local TV stations – their contact person, phone number and email. Prepare a basic news release about the horse, including his name, when and where lost, owner’s name and contact number, and have your good photo to email or text to the stations. Depending on where you are and the timeframe involved, you might want to send it the same day for the evening news or give it another day to search first.

• When the horse is found, be sure the good news is communicated to searchers.

Facebook and a phone chain are good ways to get the word out. If the search was featured on local news, be sure and let the station(s) know the result.

Hopefully you’ll never need these tips, but being prepared for a possible equine emergency is never a bad thing. •

Judy Heinrich is a freelance writer serving national clients in diverse industries. Judy writes for the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Foothills Magazine on all things horse related. She can be reached at jheinr@windstream.net.

Tankless Gas Water Heaters

Freeman Gas Company 115 North Howard Ave, Landrum, SC 29356 (864) 457-2246

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APPOINTMENTS

Deck the stalls

BY PEBBLES

W

ell, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go … and at this moment, I am a holiday “horse-guest” with Lee and John Major in Tryon. Knowing of my celebrity status as a columnist, they have gleefully rolled out the red carpet for my stay. Heather is so relieved that I have landed in such a nice place for the winter months ahead.

I have a new job here on this lovely farm. I am keeping the Majors’ two donkeys, Lilly and Claree, company. I delight in filling them in on what has been happening in the Foothills. They clearly don’t

get out and about as much as I do.

It is also with pleasure that I chase them around so they get some much-needed exercise. You see, I used to gallop around with Inca and Certain to keep my figure in fine shape. These two can use my help around this holiday season when we all tend to overindulge.

By day, I move my companions around a nice hilly pasture, sprinkled with large trees and a comfortable run-in shed. At dusk, Lee has fallen into the proper routine of bringing me in first. I have my own spacious stall here, very similar to my previous digs next to Miss Sophie.

The donkeys share a stall just across

Pebbles, Lee Major and the donkeys, Lilly and Claree 60

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

the aisle. Lee says they always have, so I didn’t displace anyone with my arrival.

The Major clan keeps our stalls full of fragrant pine shavings. I love to roll in these repeatedly. It takes quite a bit of effort for Lee to brush and remove all the shavings that I collect during my beauty rest. My plush tail is one of my most alluring features, along with my luxurious mane. Lee is compelled to tidy me up to look my best as I have visitors to receive. HERD President Stuart Evans, who lives down the lane, is one of my carrot-carrying admirers.

Heather has cautioned me I must be an excellent guest. No “into the woods” escaping this time, or “catch me if you can” games are permitted.

Lee and John are being so incredibly gracious to foster me here, I must “toe the line.”

The Major family loves to decorate for the holidays and the barn is no exception. Lilly, Claree and I are lucky to see our stall doors decked with festive trimmings. This countdown to Christmas is full of delicious anticipation. I am told I get one big wish for Christmas.

“What shall I wish for?” I ponder.

Heather has come over to share Good Tidings of Great Joy with what is happening within HERD. First and foremost, Cherokee was adopted by Ivey Sumrell and has the home of his dreams.

HERD also has a special new

horse arriving to North Carolina from Texas. A beautiful big gray mare named Miss Lucy. This sweet girl was a victim of Hurricane Harvey. The hunter stable where she performed dressage and jumping as a lesson horse has closed. Three horses owned by the barn were driven to Kaufman ship pen and dumped off with no hope. In the ship pen, the horses do not have their pictures posted so they just go straight to slaughter in Mexico.

Lucky for Miss Lucy, Heather’s friend Amy Douglas saw Lucy and noticed her beauty and gentle eye. Amy climbed into the pen and went to pet her and pick up her feet.

Next came the quick phone call to Heather expressing the urgency of this dire situation. No time to fundraise, the full bail had to be paid. Miss Lucy would ship within the hour.

The livestock semi-truck was already parked at the lot.

Miss Lucy’s ride to freedom was secured. Amy went to load her into her trailer with the horse she had originally come to transport. But something was wrong. Miss Lucy did not want to leave, she called repeatedly to a lovely bay gelding and a big chestnut mare still in the ship pen. They in turn ran to the edge of the pen answering her pleas of distress. Amy’s stomach churned as she realized they were bonded friends from the same farm. The lot was now officially closed to the public and the chute is opened to load the remaining horses. No time to call Heather, no time to save these two friends. Amy drove off with Miss Lucy hollering in the trailer. She knew too well where they were headed, as did they.

Once at Amy’s farm, Miss Lucy went out into a big quarantine field. For days, Amy reported she stood under the tree, grieving, head down not grazing or socializing with anyone. She was heartbroken for her friends. Amy was so concerned she brought Lucy up to a smaller holding pen near the house to keep an eye on her. Slowly her spirits improved.

Miss Lucy will be making her way to HERD and is going to go get some refresher work at Amy Barrington’s farm in Tryon. She is a wonderful candidate for someone looking for a seasoned, lovely horse. Hopefully the holiday will be a joyous one for her too. Miss Lucy so deserves it!

That’s it, I have my wish … the gift of a perfect home for Miss Lucy! In fact, maybe she is the answer to someone else’s Christmas wish? • Pebbles is the “spokespony” for HERD, or Helping Equines Regain Dignity, a local nonprofit that saves equines from dire conditions and in many cases slaughter. She dictates her monthly columns about her adventures and what a rescue organization does to Heather Freeman. Pebbles and Freeman can be reached through HerdRescue.org.

Pebbles’ Eggnog Serve while decking the halls (and stalls!)

12 servings (about three quarts)

INGREDIENTS 12 large eggs 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 cups whole milk, divided

2 tablespoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 cups heavy whipping cream Additional nutmeg, optional

DIRECTIONS In a heavy saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt.

Gradually add 4 cups milk; cook and stir over low heat until a thermometer reads 160°-170°, about 30-35 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Immediately transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in vanilla, nutmeg and remaining milk. Place bowl in an ice-water bath, stirring until milk mixture is cool. (If mixture separates, process in a blender until smooth.) Refrigerate, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

To serve, beat cream until soft peaks form. Whisk gently into cooled milk mixture. If desired, sprinkle with additional nutmeg before serving.

Pebbles’ Note: Eggnog may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Whisk before serving. Add some spirits to make it more festive. You should typically stick with dark, amber-colored spirits with a higher proof, such as Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, E & J VSOP Brandy or Maker’s Mark Bourbon. The spiced liqueur and higher alcohol content will neutralize the eggnog’s sweetness.

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SOCIAL LIFE

Tryon Midnight. Photo by David Widdicombe

It’s Midnight Somewhere!

I

f you don’t like parades, well, you shouldn’t bother to leave your house this month because you’re bound to get caught up in one. They’re everywhere!

And it’s worth going to them, if just to watch the children’s faces light up at the sight of the silly cars of the Hillbilly Clan, candy tossed from floats, the ROTC looking spiffy, the majesty of prancing horses, and Santa atop a vintage fire truck. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, there is always the quirky Tryon Midnight celebration, held not at midnight, to ring in the promise of a fresh new year in the Foothills.

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Dec. 1, 8 p.m.

WINE & CRAFTS FUSED GLASS HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS WORKSHOP Tryon Arts & Crafts School 373 Harmon Field Rd., Tryon 828-859-8323 Dec. 1, 5 p.m.

TRYON CHRISTMAS STROLL Businesses in downtown Tryon Sponsored by the Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) Downtowntryon.org Dec. 2, 1:30 p.m.

TUBA CHRISTMAS Polk County High School 1681 NC-108, Columbus

Dec. 2, 4 p.m.

COLUMBUS CHRISTMAS PARADE Downtown Columbus Dec. 5, 7 p.m.

“MOONSTRUCK” Leading Ladies Film Series Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or tryonarts.org Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m.

LANDRUM’S HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS PARADE AND STROLL Downtown Landrum Dec. 8, 12 p.m.

COOKIE SWAP Polk County Public Library Columbus Dec. 8, 5 p.m.

CARTER BROWN EXHIBIT OPENING Tryon Fine Arts Center 24 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or tryonarts.org Dec. 8, 6-8 p.m.

SALUDA HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS Main St., Greenville St., Across the Bridge Saluda.com Dec. 10, 3 p.m.

COMMUNITY CHORUS CHRISTMAS CONCERT Polk County High School 1681 NC-108, Columbus

Dec. 12, 8 p.m.

CALMUS, VOCAL ENSEMBLE Sponsored by the Tryon Concert Association Tryon Fine Arts Center 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon 828-859-8322 or tryonarts.org Dec. 13, 5 p.m.

TRYON CHRISTMAS PARADE Downtown Tryon Dec. 17, 3 p.m.

MUSIC IN LANDRUM Miles Hoffman, Viola and Fabio Parrini, piano Landrum Methodist Church 227 N. Howard Ave., Landrum Dec. 19, 7 p.m.

“A CHRISTMAS STORY” Tryon Theatre 45 S. Trade St., Tryon Dec. 31, 10 p.m.

TRYON MIDNIGHT Celebrate New Year’s at 10 p.m. in downtown Tryon with a ball drop Sponsored by TDDA Downtowntryon.org

Yum!

Dec. 10, 4 p.m.

FREE FAMILY CONCERT WITH BLISSING TRIO Foothills Equestrian Nature Center 3381 Hunting Country Rd., Tryon 828-859-9021 or fence.org

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ONE LAST THING

Bird’s Eye Views S

ometimes a new vantage point can change our whole perception – of where we live, of how we live our lives, and of how small we are on this great big planet. A drone photo, like this one taken by Zach Pace, above, provides a stunning view of Saluda and our mountains that only the birds have had till now. Or, from high atop a 300-foot cell phone tower with I-26 stretching out in the distance, Columbus resident Will Sachse, after replacing a transmitter, admired the 360-degree views and, of course, took a selfie.

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December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Walker

ECHO

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GO-FORTH SERVICES INC Integrated Maintenance_Unlimited Pest Management •Termites •Fire Ants For all your home •Bees •Mosquitos maintenance needs.

•Spiders •Roaches •Fleas We can fix everything •Rodents •Bed Bugs but the kitchen sink...

•Crawlspaces •Moisture no wait, we can fix that Control •Organic Pest too! 828-447-0669 or Control Call 828-817-4284 828-859-9773 www.goforthpest.com Days Inn is Hiring a Night Auditor. Five GOOD BY STUMPS Nights. Apply in person: Stump Removal Fully 626 W. Mills St, Insured Free Quotes! Call Columbus, NC Ron at 828-447-8775 828-894-3303

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

Gran’ide Stone Works is looking to hire a FullTime General Laborer for manufacturing architectural stone products. Must have a good work ethic and be able to lift 50+ lbs. Call 864-510-1068 for an appointment to apply.

Now Accepting Applications for Several Positions • Class A CDL Drivers • Heavy Equipment Operators • Landscape Supply Yard Associates www.hensonsinc.net Click on Employment Opportunities 828-859-5836 Holt’s Grading No Job Too Small Lawncare, Bobcat Service, Snow Removal, Mechanic and Servicing, Fence Building, Deck Building and Repairs, Bush Hogging, Driveway Repair, Waterline Repair and Insulation, Tractor Work, Trenching Call Brandon Holt at: (828) 899-0116 Now Hiring: Hospice of the Carolina Foothills: •Case Manager RN FullTime •RNs & CNAs for Crisis Care as needed Visit www.hocf.org Email hr@hocf.org EOE I WILL HAUL OFF YOUR TRASH $20 a truck load for household garbage to Polk Co residents.

828-447-6559 REALTOR®, KATHERINE FOX Broker-in-Charge, Licensed in NC & SC Working with Buyers & Sellers. PREFERRED REALTY, “The Proven

Professionals” Call/Text: 828-817-0755 Email: katherinefox01@gmail. com Website: www.prefhomesnc.com EASY LIVING! Updated Open floor-plan, 3bed/3bath Double laundry and 2-master suites Mountain views and walk to downtown Tryon Call Rachel at: 828-707-1812 HIRING CNA’s, PCA’s & Experienced Med Techs (cert. req’d). Weekday & weekend. Background check & drug screening req’d. APPLY IN PERSON. Laurel Woods Assisted Living & Memory Care, 1062 W. Mills St, Columbus, NC 28722.

No phone calls.

For Sale by Owner Land in Ingleside Community Appox. 25 Acres Barn, Pond, and Pasture Asking $350,000 Call: 864-979-8665 or 864-457-3180 MAHEC is seeking to hire experienced Practice Manager for Primary Care Practice/ Rural Teaching Site in Lake Lure. To enquire, please contact Human Resources at john. hamilton@mahec.net.

Private House Cleaning. Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly or 1 Time. 15 yrs exp.

References upon request.

Free In-home Estimates!

Marjorie 828-817-6350 Help Wanted McGourty’s Pub Line cooks, food runner/ dishwasher Come by M ay 2 0 1 6

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Wed-Fri after 4pm to submit application at: 74 North Trade Street 828-859-2036 Mitch Contracting Serving your demolition needs since 1918. We offer roll-off waste containers for home and commercial use.

Call 828-252-0694 or visit us at www. mitchcontracting.com.

Stunning NC Mtn. ViewsNew log cabin on nearly 2 acres, features vaulted ceilings, fireplace, hardwood floors, large screened porch, ½ basement, Only $194,900 Call (828)286-2981 Nelon-Cole Termite and Pest Control- Locally Owned and Operated.

Pest control including termite, general, carpenter bees/ants, mosquitoes, moisturecontrol including waterproofing, mold/ mildew remediation, indoor air quality and odor control, termite & water damage, repairs.

828-894-2211 Mill Spring 2BR/1BA Home Recently remodeled.

Hardwood floors, all new Kitchen appliances NO PETS NO SMOKERS $875/month References required and first+last+sec deposit First Real Estate 828-859-7653 NOW HIRING: Full-Time Chemical Dependency Technician Evening & Overnight Shifts. Must have: HS Diploma/ GED, 12-Step Program Knowledge. Excellent Benefits Include: •8 paid holidays •12 paid time-off days •MedicalDental-Vision $50k Life Insurance •401K 2 May 2016

matching up to 4% •Chef-prepared shift meals on our beautiful 140 acre campus View application at: pavillon. org/employment.php Email: HumanResources SupportTeam@Pavillon. org 1BR/1BA Spacious Apartment on Lake on Melrose Mountain in Tryon Large Open Living & Dining, Kitchen appliances, W/D included $1000/mo + $1000 deposit Call-813 3827200 POLK COUNTY SCHOOLS Substitute Food Service $8.12 Hour Bus Drivers $12.63 Hour Visit www.polkschools. org/employment Or call 828-894-1001 Pure Country Inc. is Hiring BtoB Inside Sales Executive. Must have prospecting and customer management/ strong people skills and the ability to work with professionals in a team environment. MondayFriday, full-time. Send resumes to: karlw@purecountry.com 2BR/2BA 1726 square feet, A-frame style home, wood & tile floors, fireplace, central heat & air. Utilities included. $1200/month plucs deposit.

(828)899-0000 CAREGIVER SERVICES Elderly Care in a Christian Home, School Teacher for 20-years CNA experience for 10-years Reasonable Rates Call 828-817-8141 Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation currently accepting applications for CNA’S ALL SHIFTS Please apply at: 104 College Drive Flat

Rock, NC 28731 or Call Lori Garren at 828-693-8600 EOE 7-K Garbage Service Monthly • Weekly One Time Service We Pick It Up! 828-894-9948 hyatt2658@yahoo.com Owner - Suzette Hyatt Under new management We have mini golf, pool and fishing pond for residents. Tubing company during summer. We have 30 amp permanent sites for 450 a month w/deposit.

Water and electric furnished. Located at: 3111 Silver Creek Road Mill Spring, NC 28756 828-894-2331 South Carolina Elastic a division of Rhode Island Textile Company is expanding & hiring for full-time positions, all shifts. We offer Medical Insurance, 401k, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Accrued Vacation, Seven Paid Holidays. Apply in person at: 300 Landrum Mill Road Landrum, SC 29356 (8:30am to 4:00pm) A Great Place to Work! Come Join Our Team!

Part-Time Thrift Store Warehouse Assistant.

Must be able to lift 50lb and work some Saturdays. 20-28 daytime hours per week.

Valid driver’s license required. Send resume to: Steps to HOPE, PO Box 518, Columbus, NC 28722, or apply in personal at: Second Chance Thrift Store, 232 East Mills Stree, Columbus, NC

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. Synergy In Action is seeking motivated, dedicated employees to work in group homes and in the community with adults with disabilities in Polk and Rutherford Counties.

All Shifts Available.

Duties include, but not limited to: supervision of residents, assistance with daily activities, cooking, cleaning, etc. Applicants must be 18+ years old, have a HS diploma/GED, current driver’s license, be able to bend and lift, and have current automobile insurance.

Call 828-859-0259 for information.

14x76 Mobile Home Two Full Bedrooms/ Baths Two large decks, central heating and air, appliances, office/ computer room, in country, large lot, private drive, masonary under pending. Campobello location. $500/month First/last/security deposit.

Taking applications.

864-804-0035 864-895-1278 Fifth Wheel 32 Ft. Three Slides. Fully Loaded. Like New. 2007 Sundance by Heartland $15,000 OBO Call: 864-804-0035 or 864-895-1278 Tommy’s Home Improvement. Roofs, renovations, siding, carpentry, decks, windows, screening.

All Home Repairs.

FREE Estimates. Home: (828)859-5608. Cell: (828)817-0436 VFW Post 10349 Annual Turkey Shoot. Every Saturday Until December 9th. 10:00am-1:00 pm (except holidays).

We supply the shells.

12ga/16ga/20ga/410ga

Lot of good prizes!

3788 E Hwy 108, Mill Spring (828)817-9775 (828)817-0470 Waste Industries.

Now Hiring Mechanic.

Excellent Pay/Bonuses.

Full-Benefits Packages. $1,500 Sign-on. Diesel & CNG Experience a MUST. Apply in person: 180 Ada Moore St, Columbus wasteindustries.com/ careers EOE/AA/DV The Foley Center at Chestnut Ridge is a new state of the art healthcare facility in Blowing Rock with positions available in Environmental Services and Nutrition Services.

We offer competitive pay, benefits, paid vacation, and uniforms.

Apply online at: www.apprhs.org For more information: 828-262-4116 WCCA Early Head Start is accepting applications for Early Head Start Teachers in Polk and Henderson Counties.

Minimum education requirement is an Infant Toddler CDA. Prefer an Associate’s Degree in early childhood education. For more information and applications go to www.wcca.net (EOE) F/T CNA’s, All Shifts 3rd shift LPN’s. 5 star rated facility with benefits.

Great work environment and welcoming staff!

Come join the team at White Oak of Tryon!

Applications Currently Accepted at White Oak of Tryon. 70 Oak Street.

Tryon, NC 28782. White Oak of Tryon is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE December 2017

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NOW ACCEPTING PATIENTS

St. Luke’s Hospital Infusion Center Affiliated with world-class cancer care through Levine Cancer Institute

Chemotherapy and Infusion Care Close to Home Through our partnership with the Levine Cancer Institute, we're changing the course of cancer and infusion care at St. Luke’s Hospital. Our patients, and those who see other specialists, now benefit from the convenient access to world-class research and breakthrough treatments.

We are now able to offer you the best in cancer care.

At St. Luke’s Hospital Infusion Center, we’re bringing you the latest advances in technology and are now delivering the most innovative, value-driven care where it's needed most – close to home.

Chemotherapy – IV and Oral IV Antibiotics IV Hydrations IV Infusion for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis Injections Blood Transfusions Oncology Physician Consults & Treatment Hematology Diagnoses

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(828) 894-0638 • SaintLukesHospital.com

December 2017 FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE

56 Hospital Drive, Building 4, Columbus, NC 28722