South Carolina Living June 2023

THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS

VOLUME 77 • NUMBER 6

(ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240)

Read in more than 600,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc.

808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033

Tel: (803) 926 -3175

Fax: (803) 796 - 6064

Email: letters@scliving.coop

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Keith Phillips

Tel: (803) 739 -3040

Email: Keith.Phillips@ecsc.org

FIELD EDITOR

Josh P. Crotzer

PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Raphael Ofendo Reyes

ART DIRECTOR

Sharri Harris Wolfgang

DESIGNER

Trevor Bauknight

PRODUCTION

Andrew Chapman

WEB EDITOR

Chase Toler

COPY EDITORS

Jennifer Jas, Jim Poindexter

CONTRIBUTORS

Abby Berry, Mike Couick, Hastings Hensel, Jan A. Igoe, L.A. Jackson, Belinda Smith-Sullivan

PUBLISHER

Mike Couick

ADVERTISING

Mary Watts

Tel: (803) 739 -5074

Email: ads@scliving.coop

NATIONAL REPRESENTATION

American MainStreet Publications

Tel: (512) 441-5200

Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication. If you encounter a difficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor.

ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send to your local co-op. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Address Change, c/o the address above. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offices.

© COPYRIGHT 2023. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor.

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

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: $4.95 members, $8 nonmembers

14

The waterfowl forger

Nobody carves a wooden duck decoy better than Tom Boozer of Yonges Island. Join us on a visit to his humble wood shop to learn how 60 years of experience, vintage tools and dedication to his craft turn ordinary blocks of wood into functional objects of art.

4 CO-OP NEWS

Updates from your cooperative

6 AGENDA

Roll up your sleeves and dive into three home improvement projects you can easily accomplish this weekend.

8 DIALOGUE

Not everybody liked it

South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have always faced opposition to our mission of making life better for the people we serve, but the struggle only makes us stronger.

10 RECIPE

My favorite meal

From the first bite of the appetizer to the last bite of dessert, we hope you enjoy this make-at-home menu of Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s favorite recipes as much as she does.

12 SC STORIES

Swing for the fences

Dan Wilson stepped up to the plate to make his own line of handcrafted baseball bats. Now his backyard business is knocking it out of the park with everyone from trophy buyers to major league teams.

18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

19 MARKETPLACE + FISH & GAME CHART

20

GARDENER

Made for the shade: Japanese painted fern

Add a little visual zing to the shady corners of your landscape with an imported fern that loves South Carolina’s steamy summers.

22

HUMOR ME

I am woman, hear me scream

Gentlemen, take note: Humor columnist Jan A. Igoe is here with your emergency response plan to better understand— and respond to—your wife’s vocal distress calls.

Whether making beautiful duck decoys or models of Jenny, the famous shrimp boat from Forrest Gump

Member of the AMP network reaching more than 9 million homes and businesses

shows true dedication to his craft.

, Tom Boozer

Photo by Mic Smith.

SC | agenda

Home improvement for the weekend warrior

Are you a weekend warrior when it comes to home improvement tasks? Here are three new projects to consider.

u INSTALL A SMART THERMOSTAT. Cooling and heating your home account for a large portion of energy bills, but smart thermostats can help keep your energy costs in check.

Now that smart thermostats are more affordable than ever (as little as $70!), this simple upgrade is an easy weekend project. Smart thermostats offer a variety of bells and whistles, but even a basic model will allow you to set custom temperature schedules and adjust the settings from anywhere (via your phone), and over time, the device will learn your cooling and heating preferences.

Your new smart thermostat will come with step-by-step instructions, but this project typically involves shutting off

your HVAC at the breaker panel, disconnecting and removing the old thermostat, installing the new smart thermostat, and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi network.

u BOOST YOUR GREENERY WITH A RAIN BARREL.

If you’ve got a green thumb, you already know that rainwater is the best way to irrigate your outdoor plants. Installing a rain barrel is an easy way to harvest large amounts of rainwater and cut your water bill it’s a win-win. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one rain barrel can save a homeowner 1,300 gallons of water annually.

ONLY ON

Residential rain barrels range in size from 50 to 90 gallons, so the size you purchase will depend on your watering needs. The simplest way to install a rain barrel is to position a plastic or wooden barrel directly under your gutter downspout.

u CREATE FRESH SAVINGS WITH A CLOTHESLINE. If you have enough outdoor space, installing a clothesline is a great way to save energy. You’ll save on dryer costs, and in the summer, you will also lower cooling costs since unwanted heat from the clothes dryer won’t be added to your home. Additionally, air drying is much gentler on fabrics and will keep your clothes and linens looking fresh longer.

You can create your own clothesline with two T-posts, wire and hook-and-eye turnbuckles. Depending on your soil, you may need a small amount of Quikrete to set the posts. Another option is to install the line between two trees. A typical load of laundry requires about 35 feet of line, so keep this in mind as you’re determining the best location.

ABBY BERRY

Head to the hills

Our Reader Reply Travel Sweepstakes is back and better than ever, thanks to our sponsor Upcountry South Carolina. They are offering up a prize package with food, accommodation, entertainment and transportation—everything you need for a weekend escape to the Blue Ridge Foothills. Mail in the entry form on the facing page or register online at SCLiving.coop/reader-reply for your chance to win. But don’t delay. Entries must be received by June 30, 2023, to be eligible for the prize drawing.

What’s cooking?

In this month’s recipes column (page 10), Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shares the simple dishes that make up one of her all-time favorite meals. And at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda, she shares her cooking secrets in exclusive how-to videos. Watch and learn as she whips up Wilted Arugula and Prosciutto Peach Crostini. These videos are the next best thing to having the chef in your kitchen, cooking alongside you.

Down in the mud

If you enjoy this month’s stories on woodworkers like Dan Wilson (page 12) and Tom Boozer (page 14), there’s more in store for you on our website. Visit SCLiving.coop/logs for “Down in the mud”—the story of aquatic harvesters who salvage old-growth timber from the bottom of lakes and rivers.

IULIIA NEDRYGAILOVA

MIC SMITH

WIRESTOCK/DEPOSITPHOTOS

DANIEL SPASE ABBY BERRY

SLAVONIC777/DEPOSITPHOTOS

Wildwater Rafting and BMW. Find full sweepstakes rules at SCLiving.coop/sweepstakes-rules.

MIKE COUICK President and CEO, The Electric Cooperatives

Within the last month, we’ve heard troubling reports that a major for-profit entity may be lobbying Congress to exclude electric cooperatives from receiving federal grant money that is earmarked for broadband expansion.

Not everybody liked it

BACK IN THE DAY, WHEN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES first started to bring power to rural communities, they would often dig a series of holes along the road one day and return the next to set poles in them.

But on a number of unfortunate occasions, the co-op linemen would return in the morning to find poles and lines already installed in the holes they had just dug.

These “spite lines,” as they came to be known, had been placed in the middle of the night by a crew from an investor-owned utility.

Incredibly, the practice wasn’t illegal in those early years, though you could hardly call it ethical. Co-ops would go through the hard work of obtaining commitments from local citizens who still didn’t have electricity. They would invest in the planning, clearing and surveying work necessary to bring power to them. And then, at the very last minute, the for-profit utilities would usurp them under the cover of darkness.

Even more despicable was that investor-owned utilities had, for decades, rejected the pleas of these same hometowns for electricity. These forprofit providers only became interested in serving rural areas once they faced a little competition when people in these communities exercised selfhelp and started their own electric cooperative. Profit-motivated utility executives saw the cooperative movement as a threat to their bottom line, even though it was focused solely on improving the quality of life in rural communities.

The farming community I grew up in, Bethel in York County, was one such community. Prior to the creation of York Electric Cooperative, Bethel was a rural island of peach and dairy farms in between slightly larger towns like Clover, York, Gastonia and Rock Hill. Naturally, Bethel was left behind in the early days of electrification, despite its residents’ repeated pleas to the local investorowned utility.

“Not dense enough,” some neighbors were told. “You can’t afford it,” others heard.

Left unsaid was that the investor-owned utility simply didn’t see enough profit in those rural areas to bother stringing power lines out to people who desperately needed electricity.

Of course, we know the rest of that story. The people of Bethel and other rural enclaves helped form York Electric Cooperative. They brought power, economic development and even a little of that much-valued population density to the region.

Fortunately, investor-owned electric utilities don’t act that way anymore, but more than 70 years later, the saga is playing out all over again. Rural communities like Sharon and Hickory Grove are again left waiting for an essential service that others already have high-speed internet.

Even after decades of growth, they are still deemed “not dense enough” for some internet providers to invest in stringing fiber optic cable to their homes.

And so, York Electric has partnered with a local phone provider to change that. From Bullocks Creek to Smyrna, they are ensuring that students can access online instruction, parents and young professionals can work from home and everyone can stream videos and other media without lags.

And yet again, cooperatives like York Electric are facing resistance. This time around, instead of “spite lines,” larger for-profit internet providers are using lobbying and litigation to slow down cooperatives who are working on broadband expansion. Within the last month, we’ve heard troubling reports that a major for-profit entity may be lobbying Congress to exclude electric cooperatives from receiving federal grant money that is earmarked for broadband expansion. Fortunately, the cooperatives have persisted in expanding internet access to people who need it.

Cooperatives have learned over the years that if you try to do the right thing, not everybody is going to like it. In trying to help the people you serve, you might step on the toes of for-profit companies with different motives.

As long as there are electric cooperatives, there will be hometown people trying to solve hometown problems. They might meet resistance, but South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have shown time and time again that they are willing to fight on behalf of their members.

of South Carolina

Throw Yourself a Bone

Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY

Thevery best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for.

The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion.

The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world.

This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers. But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this beauty slip through your fingers. Call today!

Huntsman Blade $249*

Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $170

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: HBK169-01

You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

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— H., Arvada, CO

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. HBK169-01 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.

California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product.

• 12” overall length; 6 ¹⁄2” stainless steel full tang blade

• Genuine bone handle with brass hand guard & bolsters • Includes genuine leather sheath

My favorite meal

BY BELINDA SMITH - SULLIVAN

PEACH CROSTINI

Let’s get this dinner party started with an easy appetizer that takes advantage of summer peaches and does not require cooking. The sweetness of the peaches countered by the saltiness of the prosciutto awakens the palate for the rest of the meal, but feel free to omit the prosciutto if you prefer a vegetarian-friendly version. You can purchase readymade crostini in the bakery section of your grocery store or make your own in a matter of minutes. Pair with a crisp chardonnay or sparkling water.

SERVES 8

Crostini (homemade, see below, or store-bought)

Spreadable cheese (brie, cream cheese or your favorite)

Fresh basil leaves (can substitute mint leaves)

2 small-medium peaches, peeled and quartered

4 slices prosciutto ham, halved lengthwise Honey, for drizzling

VERY HOME

CHEF

needs a “go-to” meal that is consistently good, is easy to prepare and satisfies the cook as well as any guests. For me, that meal consists of the following recipes, classic dishes that I can make ahead of time and that rely on easily accessible ingredients.

I also like the way the flavors of this meal complement and build on each other. From the first bite of the appetizer to the last morsel of the dessert, I hope you enjoy one of my favorite meals as much as I do.

Spread the top of each crostini slice with the spreadable cheese of your choice. Cover each crostini with a fresh basil leaf. Wrap each peach slice in a slice of prosciutto and place on top of basil leaves. Drizzle with honey and serve.

HOMEMADE CROSTINI

1 French or Italian loaf, sliced diagonally ¼-inch ¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place bread slices on a parchmentlined sheet pan or cookie sheet. Brush both sides with oil. Bake 5–6 minutes each side or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store at room temperature in airtight container or plastic bag for up to 1 week.

PEPPERCORN STEAK AND MUSHROOMS

This entire entrée can be cooked on the stovetop or outside on the grill, and the smokiness of the steak and mushrooms will be tempered by the peppery bitterness of the wilted arugula side dish. To save time and not feel rushed at the last minute, you can cook and refrigerate the mushrooms the day before. Prepare the steaks while guests enjoy their appetizer and beverage. Reheat mushrooms in skillet when you remove the steaks. Pair with a syrah, Carménère or iced tea.

SERVES 4

4 steaks (tenderloin, strip, ribeye or sirloin), 1-inch thick

¼ cup whole peppercorns, coarsely cracked Kosher salt

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound sliced mushrooms

2–3 tablespoons olive oil, as needed

Steak sauce (see below)

Season steak generously with cracked peppercorns and salt on both sides, pressing seasoning into steak. Let sit 30 minutes.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft. Set aside.

In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over mediumhigh heat, heat olive oil. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. If steaks are less than an inch thick, reduce cooking time; if thicker, cook longer. Remove from skillet to a platter, tent with foil and let sit 15 minutes. Serve on a bed of mushrooms with steak sauce on the side.

HOMEMADE STEAK SAUCE

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

WILTED ARUGULA

I like serving arugula as a side to steak because it is not overly filling. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, so wait to sauté arugula until just before serving. You can plate it up alongside the steak or nest the steak on top.

SERVES 4

1 tablespoon olive oil infused with garlic, or 2 garlic cloves, sliced (if using plain olive oil)

6 ounces baby arugula, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This delicious cake comes out of the oven ready to eat, no icing required, although I like to top mine with a generous sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar and raspberries. This bittersweet chocolate treat with coffee undertones brings the meal full circle. And did I mention it’s gluten-free? You can make this cake up to three days ahead of the meal. Just wrap it tightly in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Pair with prosecco or pomegranate juice.

SERVES 8

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon espresso coffee powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup Dutch cocoa powder

1 pint raspberries, for garnish Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

¼ teaspoon pepper sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of half lemon

Combine all steak sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while steak cooks. Serve with prepared steaks.

What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and garlic. Add the arugula and sauté, stirring constantly until lightly wilted, about 1–2 minutes. Add vinegar and continue stirring until most of the vinegar has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper and gently toss. Take care not to overcook. Serve immediately.

WATCH AND LEARN Chef Belinda’s helpful how-to cooking videos for Wilted Arugula and Prosciutto Peach Crostini will help you prepare a mouthwatering meal for your guests.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and cover the bottom with parchment paper.

Into a medium bowl, put chocolate and butter. Cover with plastic wrap and place bowl over a medium saucepan half-filled with water. (Make sure water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.) Over medium heat, allow water to come to a boil and continue for about 20 minutes until butter is melted and chocolate is soft. Remove bowl from over pan and remove plastic wrap. Stir until butter and chocolate are well combined. Scrape chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in sugar, salt, espresso powder and vanilla. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Fold in the cocoa powder until just combined. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and invert onto a serving dish. Garnish with raspberries and sift with confectioners’ sugar.

KAREN HERMANN

IULIIA NEDRYGAILOVA

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

Dan Wilson

CLAIM TO FAME: Owner of Dan Bats (danbats.com), a home-based baseball bat manufacturer in Fountain Inn that creates customized bats for both performance and display.

AROUND THE HORN: Wilson and his wife, Erica, grew up in the Midwest and met at a small college in Indiana before making their way to the Upstate. A highly regarded knuckleball pitcher and cleanup hitter in high school, Wilson rejected Division I offers in favor of ministerial studies in college.

FULL COUNT: The Wilsons have three young children, including a set of twins. Dan is an Edward Jones financial advisor with an office in Laurens.

CHATTER: “Any sport where a 33% success rate makes you an all-star is a really tough sport. Owning your own business is just as hard.”

Swing for the fences

Dan Wilson is a problem solver who knows a thing or two about woodworking and baseball. So, when his bat kept busting during recreation league games, Wilson went to work creating a solution that could withstand his big swings.

His custom-made bat—sourced from wood grown in extremely cold climates and rubbed with a cow femur to compress the already dense grain—was not only a smashing success for him, but soon became the preferred lumber for everyone who stepped to the plate with it.

“The first time I used it, it just sounded different,” says Wilson. “That’s when I knew I was on to something. Pretty soon, my teammates were using it and so were guys on the other teams.”

Wilson went from hand-crafting bats for league friends and fulfilling custom online requests, to buying out a precut bat manufacturer in New York, which provided the equipment and clients to fill larger orders and expand his business, Dan Bats. At his shop, which is next to his home in Fountain Inn, Wilson and his wife, Erica, craft premium bats with just about any color or stain, flametreatments and engravings.

While they still make bats for the purpose of ripping a baseball across the diamond, most of their orders are now of the trophy variety.

“Wooden bats are a $300 million industry,” says Wilson. “Trophies and awards are a $3 billion industry. If you have a custom-made bat hanging in your office, it’s eye-catching. It’s a conversation starter.”

The Wilsons keep swinging for the fences. Dan has helped develop a bat with embedded sensors that can provide metrics to batters and coaches. Wilson says the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals tested prototypes during spring training.

“Baseball is all about data and analytics,” says Wilson. “With this technology, we can customize a bat to the individual player.”

Another problem Dan Wilson has solved with a good, wood bat.

—TEXT AND PHOTO BY JOSH P. CROTZER

Project assisted by town of Fort Mill & York County Accommodations Tax Grants. Photo Courtesy of Tony McMehan. Designed by White Paw Studio.

The waterfowl forger

BY HASTINGS HENSEL | PHOTOS BY MIC SMITH

AT HIS WORKBENCH IN HIS YONGES ISLAND WOOD SHOP, Tom Boozer sits with his draw knife and begins to carve a crude wooden block.

With each pull of the knife, long strips of wood peel away until a familiar form begins to take shape the body of a duck one of the more than 3,200 decoys he’s fashioned in his world-renowned career as a woodcarver.

The hand tool itself is over 200 years old, and he sharpens it daily with a whetstone and leather strop. The wood the rare but prized Atlantic white cedar he logged from the swamps and roughed out with a hatchet. He custom-built the workbench.

“It’s preservation of history. With using these tools and techniques, everything you’re doing is the way it was done 200 years ago,” Boozer says. “A Skil saw will cut through whatever you want to cut through. With a hand tool, you’ve got to work the wood the way the wood grew.”

After he fashions the body and hollows it out with a fishtail chisel, he carves one of eight different heads, including preeners, feeders, stalkers and sleepers. Then he paints the feathers using special paints and painting techniques so that the wood comes to resemble a wood duck or a mallard or a blue-winged teal or whatever his client has commissioned.

A meticulous craftsman who’s also an avid duck hunter he has a sleeping black duck on his shelf that’s been on every duck hunt with him since 1970 Boozer has perfected his process for nearly sixty years, ever since he learned as a 10-year-old boy how to do it from a boat builder named Olin Ballentine.

“He would come to my grandaddy’s store on Saturdays and tell tall tales and carve heads. I took right up with him,” Boozer says. “He was a nut about the basics. I made the first bird, and he said, ‘Boy, no self-respecting duck is gonna stool to that thing. You gotta round them up. There ain’t no square

A LURING PLOY This decoy of a wood duck is a patient hunting partner.

A CRAFTY PASSION Tom Boozer has been fashioning decoys such as this mallard from Atlantic white cedar for nearly sixty years.

edges on a duck!’ And when I’m sitting on the bench to this day, I’m hearing: ‘There ain’t no square edges on a duck!’ He stayed with me.”

A few years ago, Boozer began to make wooden turkey decoys on the suggestion of legendary DNR game warden Ben McMoise. The models are so popular with collectors that the National Wild Turkey Federation ordered 28 of them for their 50th anniversary celebration, and Boozer also has a pair of turkeys on display in the South Carolina State Museum.

In addition to decoys and ducks, Boozer also makes dioramas and model ships for museums and private collectors. One of his next projects is a diorama of the Georgetown harbor, working to construct the scene from a collection of photographs by Frank Tarbox in the early 1900s. But perhaps his most popular piece is a model of Jenny, the shrimp boat from Forrest Gump, which Boozer builds from the cypress boards of the real boat in the film.

“I tell you, right after the movie, them things were hot,” he says. “And every time they re-run Forrest Gump, I’ll get a call.”

GET MORE For more on Tom Boozer’s handcrafted decoys or to schedule a visit to his workshop, call (843) 889-3390.

“THERE AIN’T NO SQUARE EDGES ON A DUCK!”

Embracing the wisdom of his mentor and using traditional hand tools, including a draw knife more than 200 years old, Tom Boozer first carves and hollows out a body, then fashions a head in one of eight different positions.

“It’s preservation of history.

Everything you’re doing is the way it was done 200 years ago.”

SCLiving.coop/calendar

Our mobile-friendly site lists even more festivals, shows and events. You’ll also find instructions on submitting your event. Please confirm information with the hosting event before attending.

Upstate

JUNE

11 Greenville Fun Fest, Fluor Field, Greenville. greenvillefunfest.com.

15, 22, 29 Simpsonville Summer Music Series & Food Truck Rodeo, CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, Simpsonville. svillesummerseries.com.

15–17 Landrum Quilters 2023 Quilt Show, Landrum Farmers Market, Landrum. landrumquilters.com.

15–18 Chautauqua History Comes Alive Festival, multiple venues, Greenville area. historycomesalive.org.

16–17 The Mighty Moo Festival, Veterans Memorial Park, Cowpens. thecowpensmightymoo.com.

17 Americana Folk Festival, Hagood Mill Historic Site, Pickens. (864) 898‑2936 or hagoodmillhistoricsite.com.

21–24 South Carolina Festival of Stars, Main and Saluda streets, Ninety Six. (864) 543‑3396 or scfestivalofstars.com.

24 Freedom Blast, Greer City Park, Greer. (864) 968‑7008 or freedomblast.org.

JULY

1 America’s 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run, Anderson County Courthouse Square, Anderson. runsignup.com/race/sc/ anderson/americas5k.

1 Fountain Inn Fireworks Spectacular, Main Street, Fountain Inn. (864) 862‑4421 or fountaininn.org.

2 Simpsonville Simply Freedom Fest, CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, Simpsonville. ccnbamphitheatre.com.

4 Fireworks on the Fourth, Unity Park, Greenville. (864) 232‑2273.

4 Hillbilly Day, Mountain Rest Community Club, Mountain Rest. mountainrestcommunityclub.com.

4 Red, White & Boom, Barnet Park, Spartanburg. (864) 596‑2000 or cityofspartanburg.org.

6–8 BBQ & Blues Festival of Discovery, downtown, Greenwood. uptowngreenwood.com.

12–22 South Carolina Peach Festival, downtown, Gaffney. southcarolinapeachfestival.weebly.com.

15 Banjo Extravaganza, Hagood Mill Historic Site, Pickens. (864) 898‑2936 or hagoodmillhistoricsite.com.

ONGOING

Fridays through Labor Day Bluegrass Music and Square Dancing, The Barn at Oconee State Park, Mountain Rest. (864) 638 5353.

Midlands

JUNE

11 Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra presents Concertos & Cupcakes, Harbison Theatre, Irmo. (803) 400‑3540 or lmso.org.

16 Aiken Master Gardener Lunch Box: “Butterfly Gardening,” Millbrook Baptist Church, Aiken. (803) 508‑7739 or aikenmastergardeners.org.

16–17 Juneteenth Rock Hill, downtown, Rock Hill. juneteenthrockhill.com.

17 The South Carolina Juneteenth Freedom Fest, Segra Park, Columbia. (803) 599‑9183 or juneteenthfreedomfest.com.

17 Juneteenth Mega Festival, The Landing on Bogus Hill, North Augusta. (803) 270‑5930 or juneteenthmegafestival.com.

17 Newberry Juneteenth, downtown, Newberry. newberryjuneteenth.com.

17 South Carolina Scale Model Mega Show, Seven Oaks Park, Columbia. (803) 665‑9263 or scmegashow.com.

19 Hopeland Gardens Concert Series: The Experiment & the I-20 Horn, Hopeland Gardens, Aiken. (803) 642‑7631.

19 Juneteenth at the CMA, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia. (803) 799‑2810 or columbiamuseum.org.

19 Hopeland Gardens Concert Series: Parris Island Marine Band, Hopeland Gardens, Aiken. (803) 642‑7631.

23 Rice Culture in South Carolina, Past and Present, USC Lancaster Native American Studies Center, Lancaster. (803) 313‑7172.

24 Columbia Shrimp & Grits Fest, Seawell’s, Columbia. columbiafoodtours.com.

24 Lizard Man Stomp, downtown, Bishopville. (803) 486‑5093 or facebook.com/lizardmanstomp.

24–25 AG + ART Tour, various farms and markets, Chester County. agandarttour.com.

JULY

1 4th of July Celebration on Lake Murray, Lake Murray, Columbia. lakemurraycountry.com.

1 Independence Day Celebration, Fort Jackson Hilton Field, Columbia. jackson.armymwr.com.

4 Lexington County Peach Festival, Gilbert Community Park, Gilbert. lexingtoncountypeachfestival.com.

14–22 God of Carnage, Aiken Community Theatre, Aiken. (803) 648‑1438 or aikencommunitytheatre.org.

Lowcountry

JUNE

15–16 Juneteenth Celebration, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, Hilton Head Island. (843) 255‑7301 or exploremitchelville.org.

16–17 Florence Food Truck Festival, Florence Center, Florence. (803) 679‑4525 or florencecenter.com.

17 Paddle the May Race, Bluffton Oyster Factory Park, Bluffton. standandpaddle.com/paddle the may.

17–24 Hampton County Watermelon Festival, downtown, Hampton. hcmelonfest.org.

20 A Monumental Occasion: 250 Years in the Making, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland. (843) 284‑9227 or morrisheritagecenter.org.

24 Conway Riverfest, 6 Elm Street, Conway. conwayriverfest.com.

25–July 31 Muzika! The Grand Strand Music Festival, multiple venues, Myrtle Beach. (803) 545‑4166 or varnainternational.com/muzika.

JULY

1 July 4th Concert, Edisto Beach Baptist Church, Edisto Beach. (843) 869‑2505.

4 4th of July Concert at Kaminski House, Kaminski House Museum, Georgetown. (843) 546‑7706.

4 4th of July Fireworks, downtown, Folly Beach. visitfolly.com/fireworks.

4 Hilton Head Firecracker 5K Run, Jarvis Creek Park, Hilton Head Island. firecracker 5k.com.

4 Salute from the Shore, Cherry Grove to Bluffton. salutefromtheshore.org.

4 Surfside Beach 4th of July Celebration, Martin Field, Surfside Beach. (843) 913‑6111.

11 Cecil Williams and the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina, Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, Ridgeland. (843) 284‑9227 or morrisheritagecenter.org.

14–23 Beaufort Water Festival, Waterfront Park, Beaufort. bftwaterfestival.com.

JUNE IN THE GARDEN

n If your inner gardener just wouldn’t allow you to toss a pretty poinsettia away after last Christmas became a memory, now is a good time to give it a vacation outside in a semi-shaded spot. For a fuller, more compact plant later, prune each branch back now, leaving three to five leaves on each stem.

n Do something different for the gardening dad in your life this Father’s Day by planting a specimen, unusual or hard-to-find tree, shrub or perennial in his honor.

Made for the shade: Japanese painted fern

BY L.A. JACKSON

I AM A BIG FAN OF USING native ferns in shady landscapes, but there is one elegant Far East import that has found its way into my garden: Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum). This dazzling shadow dancer sports an alt-green presence where the sun doesn’t shine, with colorful fronds stretching to 18 inches long.

To defend my fancy for this foreign fern, I only have to crank my time machine back to 2004, when the Japanese painted fern cultivar Pictum was named Perennial of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. It was a well-deserved award because Pictum’s variegated green fronds heavily dusted in silver supported on wine-red stems refused to be ignored in the low light of shady gardens.

TIP OF THE MONTH Crape myrtles can be purchased anytime during the year, but buying them in midsummer gives you the advantage of seeing these beauties in bloom—and their flowers’ true colors. Plant tag images can fade, and they aren’t always accurate, so eyeballing the actual blossoms is a good way to go. Crapes planted in the summer scorch should be given well-prepared holes, plenty of mulch and regular waterings. A good alternative is to temporarily tuck away your potted crape cuties in a semi-shady spot, water them weekly and wait until the fall, which is the prime planting time for woody ornamentals.

Almost 20 years after the PPA kudos, Pictum still remains popular, making it an easy find both at local garden centers and online nurseries. However, this eye-catcher now has competition from other elegant cultivars. Burgundy Lace and Metallicum sport colors similar to Pictum, while the pale, silverygray Ghost is a spectral treat in waiting. Ditto for the soft beauty of Silver Falls with its shimmering fronds complemented by reddish-purple veins.

Japanese painted ferns are made for the shade, but you don’t have to treat them like botanical vampires. In fact, if they are planted in an area that receives some early morning sun, their colors tend to have more zing.

While Japanese painted ferns are shade-lovers, they also prefer moist, humid conditions, meaning they are

ideal plants for South Carolina’s steamy summers. In well-drained, humus-rich soil, these hardy deciduous perennials will spread by creeping rhizomes, forming colony clumps that can be divided in the spring to add their special shine into other dimly lit nooks and crannies in your landscape.

These deer-resistant ferns can stand some drought, but they survive rather than thrive in extended dry conditions, so supplemental waterings when the rains don’t come are advised. As long as their moisture needs are met, Japanese painted ferns can even make pleasing additions to shady containers, but do provide room to grow by tucking them away in individual pots that are at least 12 inches in diameter.

Japanese painted ferns don’t require a lot of fertilizer, so if you have the need to feed, use either a time-release product at half the recommended rate for other perennials or a low-nitrogen organic fertilizer.

L.A. JACKSON is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.

L.A. JACKSON

L.A. JACKSON

CRAPE MAGIC Crape myrtles such as Prairie Lace show their true colors in the summer.

PRETTY AS A PICTURE The shady shine of the Japanese painted fern known as Pictum.

They prefer moist, humid conditions, meaning they are ideal plants for South Carolina’s steamy summers.

I am woman, hear me scream

BY JAN A. IGOE

HUSBANDS HAVE BAFFLED ME ever since mine failed to thrive in captivity, like so many houseplants. Although I fed him regularly, kept his cage clean (OK, I paid the maid) and offered lots of toys, he kept trying to escape in his kayak. Ideally, men should be packaged with instructions.

When consenting adults promise to tolerate each other until death do them part, they need a sixth sense of their partner’s needs. I just needed mine to understand the degree of urgency in my screams and to rescue me accordingly. To help him out, I wrote my own manual, which covers emergency responses on page 386:

u Spontaneous Screech

(like front row at an AC/DC concert)

MEANING: A bug wearing the

Goodyear logo is hovering in the kitchen. Immediate rescue required.

u Mid-range Yelp

(up there with a rocket launch)

MEANING: There’s an alligator in the pool. With the kids. Remove children before wrestling.

u Full-on Panic Attack

(like a trumpeting elephant)

MEANING: The cable went out while The Voice was on. Damsel in distress. Put down the beer.

Being single hasn’t stopped me from screaming, but now, only my dogs come running. And they’re just making sure I’ll be alive to feed them dinner. Reluctantly, I’ve learned to confront the menagerie of cords and connectors that juice the TV and have gone up against bugs, armed only with a can of wasp killer and an upright vacuum.

To be fair, my ex was great at all that stuff. He could assassinate bugs, cure computer viruses and un-leak rebellious toilets. He even remodeled our kitchen by himself. Well, eventually.

After a little culinary mishap, which could have happened to anyone, he

bought beautiful new cabinets for our pre-war kitchen. Then he let them ripen (I’m guessing) in the garage for three years. While seasons changed and birthdays passed, our cars went homeless while the lonely cabinets waited to be invited inside. They were pleading to be installed, but in frequencies only frazzled wives can hear.

I tried to hire professional installers, but he wanted to “wait for the right time.” Like he did with the new deck, the backyard fence and other projects that required raw material to be delivered several years in advance. That spark of inspiration would eventually come, but there was no point in asking when it might ignite.

Meanwhile, somebody else’s husband built an ark in Kentucky, and his wife didn’t even nag him. A devout Christian, former science teacher Ken Ham built a full-size ark just like Noah’s to the exact dimensions outlined in the Bible. About $100 million later, his creation was 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 5 stories tall, according to news reports. Now, it’s a

successful theme park, complete with fake animals.

It’s not like I’m comparing husbands, since it would be difficult to fit an ark in my garage, but you’ve got to admire this guy’s speed. Some historians estimate it took Noah at least 50 years to build his boat. Ham did it in six. Of course, Ham had power tools, backers and Home Depot. Today, a family of four can visit the Ark Encounter for just shy of $180. It’s free for kids under 10, so leave the big ones home.

Maybe I should have charged admission to my kitchen, which took longer to finish and had real live animals. (Family members count.) You may not experience a flood, but you might catch my next three-alarm fire.

JAN A. IGOE continues to battle belligerent bugs and defiant computers, with no training and zero natural ability. Next time she needs to update the kitchen, she’ll call Ken Ham. Maybe he’ll trade building services for a kayak. Come say hello at HumorMe@SCLiving.coop

Ifyou’re anything like my dad, you give your family everything. Your name, your time, your values — the people in your life know they can depend on you for practically anything. In exchange for imparting all of this energy and experience, you expect nothing in return.

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