Magnolia
& MOONSHINE
WEWA
Alabama’s Premiere Wildlife Art Exhibition November 11, 2023
Historic Downtown Wetumpka, Alabama
Juried Art Show/Sale • Wildrose Kennels Sporting Dog Demo • Dock Dogs Competitions Chef Chris Hastings Wild Game Dishes • Music, Vendors AND Youth Activities • Art Workshops and More Thekelly.org
Cold Drinks, Good Eats & Back Road Treats
Tour the trails
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HH GET YOUR MOBILE TRAIL PASS and WIN PRIZES! • www.flavorsoftheblackbelt.com HH
Enter the world of WINNIE and discover the latest in bridal fashion. www.WINNIECOUTURE.com #WinnieBRIDE #iDoinWinnie
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ATLANTA . BEVERLY HILLS . HOUSTON . CHICAGO . BOSTON . DALLAS . COLUMBUS SAN FRANCISCO . NASHVILLE . CHARLOTTE . AUSTIN
Magnolia
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
& MOONSHINE
Publisher: Katie Waldrep
Content Editors: Leslie Anne Jones & Joan McLendon Budd Layout & Design: Denise DuBois Advertising Sales: Darlene Spears & Taylor White Graphic Designer: Brad Beasley Contributing Writers & Photographers Katie Waldrep Katharyn Privett-Duren Mary Dansak Marian Carcache John N. Felsher Leslie Anne Jones Denise DuBois Bolden Sams Kristina Hendrix Sally Anne Sessitte Toni Shah Morgan Duke Eliza Daffin
On the Cover Spirit of ‘76 Photo by Eliza Daffin Summer 2023 • Volume 2, Number 3 Magnolia and Moonshine is a product of Magnolia Greene, Inc. in Seale, Alabama Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @magnoliaandmoonshine Email us your story ideas at ContactUs@MagnoliaAndMoonshine.com Join the mailing list by scanning the QR code
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S
ummertime is here in the South! Honestly, in the South, the season should actually begin a few weeks earlier on the calendar since it gets hot so early in the year! I love summer. I love the smell of the flowers and the taste of a tall glass of lemonade. It is so much fun to have some friends over and host a summer soirée in your own backyard. In this issue, you will see a beautiful table setting and ideas to host your own backyard bash. If you need some gorgeous plants and delicious food to use in your own summer soirée, take a trip to Opelika, Alabama. The Botanic is a new landscape center that also sells delicious food that you can serve at your gathering. If hosting a party isn’t your thing, Botanic also features a delicious restaurant and event center. In this issue, we also go on an adventure to the Dismals Canyon. This National Natural Landmark has light-up, worm-like insects that can be found throughout. It is defi nitely worth a visit. We also learn about a wild mustang
that was saved from death and is being trained under the guidance of Erica Franklin using the Parelli method. And to her surprise, the mustang was a mother-to-be! If fi shing is more interesting to you, we talk about how different states have used leftover storm debris to make fi sh habitats. This is a great way to recycle and reuse! We also share some great recipes from our dear friend, Pat Waldrop (The Biscuit Queen), and some delicious bourbon recipes from Blue Note Bourbon to make a cocktail. We even feature derby mule rimmers that you can add to the rim of your cocktail glass to give it a special kick! We hope you enjoy the summer edition of Magnolia and Moonshine, and remember as Kenny Chesney says, “It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine… it’s summertime!” Katie Waldrep Publisher Magnolia and Moonshine MagnoliaandMoonshine.com
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46 From Wild to Domestic Bliss 12 18 20 28 38 42 46
Summer Soirée Can We Talk About Food? The Art of Homemade Biscuits Botanic: Unwind, Savor, and Shop Accidental Farmer: A Sustainable Southern Legacy Maizie Clark: Artist, Designer, Savvy Southern Business Woman From Wild to Domestic Bliss: The Journey of a Rescued Cracker Horse and a Surprise Within
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Spirit of ‘76: Cruising with Pride on the Lake Canvas to Culture: Exploring Jonathan Green’s Masterpieces Double Delight: Kyle Wilson Releases Two Singles this Summer The Perfect Sip: Discovering Gourmet Drink Rimmers Blue Note Bourbon: the Allure of Blue Note Bourbon by B.R. Distilling
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Life from Destruction: Materials Left by Storms Create Fish Habitat Dismals Canyon: An Alabama Primeval Forest Jewell, Georgia: Discovering the Charms of a Historic Gem Goings-On Under the Muscadine Vine with Marian Carcache Mama Said: Let’s Go to the Beach
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20 The Art of Homemade Biscuits
66 The Perfect Sip 64 Kyle Wilson 28 Botanic
12 Summer Soirée
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Katie’s Summ er FASHIONIT U MICRO SPEAKER This is the smallest speaker that I have seen but it can get really loud! It is easy to pair with any phone through bluetooth, and it has three hours of playtime with one charge. Amazon.com
HOMDOX ELECTRIC PRESSURE WASHER While the weather is warm, it is a good idea to get outside and do some cleaning. This corded electric high pressure washer makes cleaning a cinch! It isn’t heavy and doesn’t need any gas. I use it on just about anything outside, but my favorite is to get my patio furniture cleaned up. It comes with five nozzle options and has upgraded leak-proof connections. alcojewelry.com
THE TOPTOTE HAT HOLDER This fabulous detail created by Lindsay Albanese is a wonderful accessory to any summer wardrobe collection. This simply clips to the handle of any bag and then clips to the edge of any hat. That way, the hat doesn’t get crushed in your suitcase or your bag. It comes in many styles and colors. thefileist.com
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BALLAST PILLOW This inflatable pillow can be used anywhere. It has a pouch that you can fill with sand so that it won’t blow away. Or you can strap in on to your chair if there isn’t any sand around. It blows up in seconds, and it is water resistant. The coolest feature is that on those super hot days, there is a pocket that you can insert an ice pack to keep your neck cool. ballastgear.com
COOL CABANA I have tried many umbrellas and tents on the beach, and this seems to be the easiest to set up. It has one pole in the middle and four arms that extend. Then you fill the bottom of each arm with sand. When you are ready to call it a day on the beach, you just dump out the sand and fold it into its case. It’s lightweight and easy to carry over your shoulder. www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com
Picks ERIC JAVITS SQUISHEE VIP STRAW HAT I am always on the lookout for a new hat. This hat fits well on my head and has a bolo rope chin strap so that when you are on the boat, it doesn’t fly away. It is easily packable and light weight. The hat will block up to 95% of the suns UV rays. ericjavits.com
RELAXIXI 80 QUART RATTAN ROLLING COOLER CART I keep this on my back porch all year long. The cooler looks great and is easy to fill up and drain. It features refrigeration insulation and can keep drinks cool for 48 hours. Amazon.com
LIPUWS MINI VACUUM This mini vacuum has been a game changer! I use it everywhere. It is great to get in drawers that need a little cleaning out. I have even used it to get my suitcase cleaned out from a beach trip. And it’s rechargeable! Amazon.com
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ALCO JEWELRY Everyone always looks so pretty wearing jewelry on the beach and lake, but I often worry the water or salt will change the color. These High Tide Large Hoops are made of 18k gold-plated marine-grade stainless steel. All of the jewelry made by Alco are designed to be worn at all times and doing all activities. They offer necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets. alcojewelry.com
SEYMOUR GRASS AND SHRUB RENEW SPRAY PAINT So, I don’t like to cheat in my yard but sometimes, those boxwoods just get a brown spot. I know I am supposed to cut it out but every now and then, I need to apply a little makeup on it. This product is a great way to put a little cover-up on my grass or plants that have seen their better days. Amazon.com
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WETUMPKA Celebrating the Arts • Art Galleries • Events • Museums • Shopping • Fishing • White Water Kayaking • Restaurants
Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival November 11th 10:00 - 4:00
July 15, 2023 4:00 - 11:00 Downtown Wetumpka Good food, historic sites and events It’s all here… Visit Wetumpka
w w w.Wetumpka AL .gov CIT Y OF WETUMPK A | 408 S. MAIN STREET | WETUMPK A, AL. 36092
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sun-drenched afternoon sets the stage for a spectacular summer soirée. Friends gather in a vibrant garden as drinks and food are ready to enjoy. A delightful surprise awaits guests: popsicle-infused champagne! The table is set in the garden and ready to entertain. What a fun way to celebrate summer. Photos by Morgan Duke. Styled by Betsy Illges.
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Summ er Soirée
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CAN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD? TOMATOES, SUMMER PEACHES, AND PEAS IN PARTICULAR Story by Sally Anne Sessitte Every summer, around the time the kids’ under eyes are permanently red, the south as a region enters into annual sport I like to call summer produce. Like SEC football in the fall, this sport is universal across the region and important to every single one of us. Whether in a private club with a monogrammed linen napkin or a backyard barbecue with a paper towl ripped off the role, when the peaches or tomatoes are good, we are all talking about it. Why are we like this? We love the hunt, we know what’s good, and also, this obsession combines three of our favorite pastimes: eating good food, cooking good food, and talking about good food. The age old question of the vine-ripened tomato. Fruit? Vegetable? I say it’s a religion. This is a regional obsession southern cooks (or just enthusiastic tomato sandwich makers, salt, pepper, Duke’s, white bread, absolutely anything else is a sin) do not and will not apologize for. In full disclosure, this author shocked some Cape Codders last summer by spending the better part of a workday bubble wrapping and packing up thirty pounds of 3-days-away-from-perfect peaches and having them overnight shipped to Massachusetts. It was not shocking that the peaches didn’t arrive, no doubt confiscated by a lucky Fed Ex driver smart enough to know they were worth more than the insured value, and I can’t say I blame him. This story gets confused gasps when told in Massachusetts, but just nods and quiet murmurs of understanding from Georgians. A perfect peach is the type of thing you’d, as my best friend says, wake a sleeping baby to get. When our local peach and pecan farmer brings her truck to town (cash only, first come first served, no holds) with a load of tree-ripened freestones, the folks in the line in the muggy parking lot will range from a bank president with sleeves rolled up, to a grande dame of southern society in a perfectly ironed linen shift and a driver waiting in the car with a/c blasting, to your local school’s custodian, and they will all be holding their hands over their eyes in makeshift visors, squinting into the sun and chatting with each other as if lifelong best friends. Love of a good summer peach is a common thread
that ties all southerners together, binding us across all class, race, religion, politics, or any other differences. Sea Island serves up a dish featuring red peas on Bernardaud “Constance” fine china while down the street, those same “Sea Island Reds” peas are boiled with ham hocks and put out for a casual Sunday lunch at the end of a dirt road. The produce line at the peach truck is the morein-common-than-not-south that southerners recognize. The folks in that line come from different tax brackets, but as they wait for those peaches they are swapping recipes, canning instructions, and memories of tomatoes grown in the past by themselves or their favorite grandfather. Yes we tell stories about past tomato crops. Everyone in that line agrees on the rules of southern produce: Don’t put a tomato in the refrigerator. Don’t peel a peach. Most importantly: don’t ever let a tomato or peach go past ripe on the windowsill - bake it into a pie, take it to a neighbor, give it to your mailman, even call your mother in law over if you have to. We don’t throw away a good tomato down here. I once overheard someone telling a friend whose son had married a lovely gal “not from down here” that her daughter-in-law had “thrown AWAY some tomatoes - she said they couldn’t eat them all, bless her heart.” And that’s what it is about the south that makes us southern. Community. We can’t eat them all, but we don’t throw them away. Your neighbor may have painted her brick house a creamy white color, and she may leave her trash cans out for days, but if you have a tomato going ripe on the windowsill, you’ll walk it over to her, right past that political sign in her yard, before you throw it away. And that’s just southern. And if that same neighbor suffers a tragedy, you’ll walk right back over again with something else to eat, and with the handoff of that dish, you’ll become part of the community that supports her getting back on her feet. So yes, we’re a bit crazy about our southern summer produce, but we know you’ll understand once you stand over the sink with peach juice dripping down your chin, or sit down on the porch steps with a perfect slice of ice-cold watermelon, or bite into the first tomato sandwich of the season. True, it’s about the produce, but it is also - most importantly - about the people.
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Homemade Biscuits THE ART OF
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From Scratch to Savory, Mastering the Perfect Biscuits Story by Denise DuBois Photos by Morgan Duke
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e’d call her from the duck blind. “Mama, I want some biscuits.” She heard it all the time, and it’s no wonder. Mrs. Pat Waldrop’s biscuits are legendary. She learned everything she knows about homemade biscuits from her grandmama. “She’d make biscuits three times a day,” Pat recalled as she sifted the flour for her famous biscuits. Her grandmama ran a boarding house and cooked for everyone who was there. “That’s just what you did. People cooked back in those days,” she said. Pat learned to cook the soft, fluffy biscuits simply by watching her grandmama in the kitchen. She had a 25-pound sack of flour in the closet that she scooped out of. “She was always making cornbread or biscuits,” Pat continued. “It’s easy to remember the smell of them coming fresh out of the oven. They were golden brown and buttery.” Pat is a true southern lady. She knows how to make biscuits like nobody’s business. She always
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starts by sifting her flour with a vintage sifter. None of those fancy kinds with a squeeze handle. You have to turn the crank. “It makes the flour lighter and fluffier,” she said. Pat likes to give old sifters and rolling pins to new brides as wedding gifts. She gives them in hopes that they will learn to make the southern delicacy. And she knows that the way to a husband’s heart is through his stomach. After the flour, she adds Crisco. While there is a measurement to it, she eyeballs just the right amount on the spoon and pushes it off with her finger into the bowl. With a pastry blender, it’s time to cut the Crisco into the flour. “Some people use their hands,” Pat said. When it’s time to add buttermilk to the mixture, Pat cautioned that it’s important to add it to the center and then gently work the flour around. But be careful. This is the step where you can overwork the dough and have biscuits that come out flat and hard. “Don’t venture out on your own. Do it the traditional way,” Pat said. “Stir a little hole in the center
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and work your flour into the milk. Make it into a ball where it’s all incorporated, and it’s all a little wet. It doesn’t have to be mixed perfectly. Do it real easy – not hard.” At the right consistency, it’s time to roll out the biscuit dough. She sprinkles a little sifted flour over a dish towel for easy cleanup. Then she dumps out the dough, sifts a little more flour over the top, and uses a wooden rolling pin to gently roll the dough. Her rolling pin might not have been passed down from generation to generation in her own family, but it’s certain to have rolled out many years of biscuits before Pat found it in a thrift store. It was the best kind of kitchen utensil. When the dough is the right size, she cuts out the biscuits and lines them on a greased cookie sheet. “Close together, and they’ll be softer,” she said as
she laid them on the pan. And just when you think all the dough is gone, she comes up with a little round ball of leftovers. “You gotta make a little one. Grandmama used to always make a little one for me,” she said. Waiting for them to cook is the hardest part. The smell that fills the house is absolutely heavenly. Pat has been known to make biscuits on a whim. She makes them for her family and friends, but she also makes them just for herself. As soon as they’re done, Pat pulls them out of the oven, covers one with some sawmill gravy (that she’s been making in an iron skillet while the biscuits bake), and sits down to eat. And it’s just so obvious that every time she takes a bite, she’s transported back to the kitchen she remembers so well, a biscuit in her hand, and her grandmama by her side.
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rs. Pat’s biscuits are so good that Publisher Katie Waldrep and Content Editor Leslie Anne Jones wanted to learn how to make the fluffy southern staple. The two ladies joined Pat in the kitchen ready to learn. Leslie Anne had previously attempted to make biscuits only once and said they came out hard and didn’t rise. Pat told her she had overworked her dough, but this time, she’d learn the proper way. Both enjoyed the time, but even more, got to reminisce about seeing their grandmother in the kitchen and carrying on the tradition of homemade meals. Pictured is Leslie Anne learning from the best. All the biscuits that day came out just perfectly and were served with sawmill gravy or jam. 26 | Summer 2023 www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com
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ake Mrs. Pat’s legendary biscuits yourself this Saturday morning. You can even freeze the dough, and pop the uncooked biscuits in the oven later. Ingredients: 2 c. White Lily Self Rising Flour, sifted 4 tbsp Crisco 1 c. Buttermilk 2 c. Shredded Cheese (optional) Directions: Grease your baking pan really well with additional Crisco. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift flour into a bowl. Add Crisco into the center of the flour. Cut in Crisco with a pastry cutter (or a fork) until small balls are formed. Add buttermilk into the center of your flour/Crisco mixture. This is also the time to add cheese. Take a fork and start in the center of the mixture. Begin stirring in a circular motion until all is incorporated into a ball. Pour ball onto a floured surface. Sift a little flour onto your ball if the mixture is really wet. Turn the ball over about three times. Don’t overwork your dough or the biscuits will be tough. Pat the mixture into a circle. Cut dough with a biscuit cutter and place your biscuits, touching each other, onto your baking sheet. Use an iron skillet if you want your biscuits to be crisp. Put a little pat of butter on top of each biscuit and bake 20-25 minutes until golden
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Botanic: Of and For the Earth
Unwind, Savor, and Shop: Where Gifts, Greenhouse, and Great Food Collide Story by Mary Dansak Photos by Morgan Duke “Have you been to Botanic? It’s a question I’d been asked many times. Weary of the head-shaking and tsk-tsking when I answered that I had not, I welcomed an opportunity to visit and see for myself what the hoopla is all about. Botanic, a sprawling 12-acre venue in Opelika, Alabama, has been described as a restaurant, a bar, a greenhouse, a coffee shop, a garden, a nursery, and a gift shop. And yet there’s something else, a thread weaving all these pieces together, which defies description. I was determined to put my finger on that mysterious quality that gives Botanic its essence. Stacy Brown, who dreamed of and created Botanic along with her husband, King Braswell, and I had coffee together on an unseasonably chilly spring morning, looking out over the deck of the cottage which serves as an administrative building, to the pond where Canada geese glided lazily across the still water. “The intention is that nothing here can be replaced by technology,” explained Stacy. “The isolation of Covid brought to our attention that we
require genuine experiences. We realized that no amount of screen time, beautiful photographs, videos, or Zoom meetings could replace the connections we crave. We need to be in nature, to touch the trees, the plants, the animals, to be outside in the dirt, to be among people, to create memories.” “Our vision for Botanic was to create opportunities for lifelong memories to form.” By drawing on their combined energy, knowledge, and passions, Stacy and King brought this vision to life. King’s passion is horticulture. He is the mastermind behind the Garden Center which includes the indoor Greenhouse; the outdoor nursery; the Garden Shoppe that features handmade jewelry, pottery, and local art as well as gardening tools and containers; and the development of the 10,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse, slated to open this fall. As we talked, workers and visitors alike milled about the Garden Center, pulling red wagons brimming with lush plants and flowers. Children and chickens tagged along. King’s energy extends into the community. He
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conducts gardening classes and provides services including creating outdoor living spaces for clients and setting up gardens. In Stacy’s words, King is a brilliant horticulturist. “And what is your passion?” I asked Stacy, who made her mark on chicken salad forever with the development of the Chicken Salad Chick franchise. She paused, took a sip of coffee, and told me a story. “When I was little, we used to visit Hilton Head, our huge family of 45, for summer vacations. Some nights we’d go over to Harbor Town and gather under a big oak tree to hear a musician named Greg Russel. Those nights with my family, singing together around that tree, are some of my favorite childhood memories. “When we bought this property, we walked
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around to the back of the original building and there was a big oak tree. Suddenly, it came together. We’d build a stage around that tree where people would gather and listen to live music under the stars. We had our own Greg Russel Tree!” Stacy’s eyes sparkled on recalling that moment. So did mine, as I thought I’d discovered the source of Botanic’s indescribable essence. Answering my original question, Stacy went on. “My passion is providing hospitality in a special way. I love to bring people together to make memories. Botanic offers a whole new way to make memories that includes the sounds, the smells, and the feeling of being outside, in nature, together with loved ones.” This is exactly what is happening at the Botanic campus. Every evening, families and friends gather under that oak tree for live music, with a game night
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thrown in once a week to shake things up. Adults and children alike can enjoy small bites and a variety of beverages from the Patio Bar. Live music lights up the night, the children and the dogs dance, and if there’s fresh baked bread left over, everyone heads down to the pond to Cypress Point to feed the geese and the fish. Vision accomplished, but Stacy and King’s creative dreams are huge. There’s more. “You know what else everyone needs? We need some romance.” Stacy smiled, then described the restaurant at Botanic. The Grille offers fine dining with fresh, locally sourced food, soon to be harvested directly from the hydroponic greenhouse. I’d heard that the food is exquisite, but that wrangling a reservation is difficult. “That’s a dirty rumor,” Stacy laughed. She encourages people to call rather than use the app, Resy, to make reservations. Not only will that improve your chances of getting a table sooner, but the person-to-person contact allows the staff to customize your experience based on any special occasion. From a surprise delivery of a lemon tree, to revealing a custom painting hidden in the Greenhouse, to providing unexpected gifts for everyone at the table, the Botanic team loves to create unique experiences for their diners. So far, there have been seven marriage proposals at the Grille, often taking place in the private dining room nestled behind lush curtains. It was time for me to wander the grounds and see all this first-hand. I met up with Tim Jaros, Vice President of Food and Beverage, who relocated from Chicago to bring over 25 years of experience to Botanic. After a quick stop to take in the gleaming, golden atmosphere in the Bourbon Bar, Tim led me through the dining rooms of the Grille: first the Orchid Room where I ran my hand across the deep velvet of the seats and marveled over the heft of the handcrafted dishware, then past the player piano into the Evergreen Room where, behind the tables, King’s “living wall” burst forth with live plants. Brilliant green foliage and bright red blossoms tangled and wove a breathtaking tapestry. We then wandered into the Market, an area which offers casual dining. Here you can get coffee and handmade pastries, including fruit tarts, quiche, and muffins, or shop for gifts ranging from savory rubs to handcrafted silver serving utensils. Inside the Market, one might enjoy a caprese salad while seated in the walk-in fireplace turned
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cozy seating cubby, or savor a scone outside at a bistro table. “Let’s walk back out through the Garden,” Tim said, the walled structure which encompasses the Bourbon Bar, the Grille, and the Market. If Botanic is a town, the Garden is the town square. From the outside, it appears as a large brick building. Once inside, however, you feel as if you are back outside. Mature trees grow alongside a flowing creek. Colorful flowers bloom beside a waterfall. “The roof is retractable, fully automated,” Tim explained. “What can be better than music and martinis under the stars?” As of now, the Garden offers carefully placed seating and an invitation to linger. It will soon house a beer garden, a martini bar, and a wine cellar. Perhaps the most unusual feature in the Garden is the grain bin, conspicuously dominating a corner near the entryway. King found the crumbling structure in Dawson, Georgia and brought it home brick by brick. Soon the grain bin will be available as a private dining option for parties up to 12, lit by a sparkling chandelier. Tim led me through a hidden door down a dark set of stairs to the wine cellar. Unlike other wine cellars, this one hosted a large, wooden table. “Soon to be a private dining room,” Tim said, “really private.” “Like a speakeasy?” I asked, intrigued. “Like a speakeasy,” he answered. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed the bricks in the wall were flecked with traces of paint. Tim saw me studying the bricks. “Reclaimed brick, 200 years old,” he said. The bricks are no accident. Such stories are woven into the details everywhere I looked. The beams of the Garden’s portico, another of King’s reclamations, once supported an old shoe factory that was destroyed in a tornado. The wooden railings of the martini bar were hewn from trees which were cut when expanding the original building. It occurred to me that I’d discovered another source of Botanic’s magical essence. No wonder it is difficult to capture the true spirit of Botanic in words and pictures. By design, Stacy and King’s vision requires our presence, our full engagement with all our senses, and active connection with others to create those cherished memories. After saying my goodbyes and getting a friendly boop on the hand from Tucker, King and Stacy’s dog who is quite at home on the campus, I immediately reached for my phone and called one of my girlfriends. “Hey,” I said, “have you been to Botanic?”
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xplore the flowers and plants at the Botanics garden and greenhouse. There’s so much for gardeners to choose from with lush greenery and colorful flowers.
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ACCIDENTAL FARMER: A SUSTAINABLE SOUTHERN LEGACY Story by Katharyn Privett-Duren Little Halawakee Farm was not a planned endeavor. My husband and I landed upon this 1.29-acre plot of land in 2012, unaware that it would be anything other than a restoration project. Over a decade later, we know that it was always supposed to be something so much more. While I do remember the shape of my life before, its edges have worn away. There was a time when Saturdays meant freshly cut grass, when the water from my hose tasted of chlorine, and the green beans simmering on the stove came from the grocery store on the corner. It was a fine way to go about things, really. Or, at least, it was good enough. It’s funny how we rarely realize the limits we’ve spun around our lives until something tears into the careful weave of their borders. Today, our water is sourced from a natural aquafer upon the property, its flavor quite indistinguishable from that of rain on the pallet. Our well sustains chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, humans and (of course) the only green beans worth a cast iron skillet and a hearty slice of onion. The faraway roar of our local football game has been usurped by the songs of owls and tree frogs, crickets and Carolina wrens. And, perhaps most delightful of all, I no longer worry that streetlights will overcharge the circadian rhythm of the garden. Or, for that matter, my own aging body. I became a farmer quite by accident. I worried over the bees, these delightful creatures that buzzed along the clover “lawn” and made merry over any flowering shrub along the wood line. And so, we learned alternative ways to dispatch the poison oak and ivy within the first year. In
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tribute to my beloved pollinators, we also left patches of wildflowers and grasses that no city ordinance could dispatch. It became wild and feral, and within it, so did I. It’s addictive, this collaborative work with nature. I had always believed, as many do, that herbicides and pesticides were necessary tools for any farm. And yet, here were lady bugs lunching on aphids, praying mantis doing the dirtier work, and garden snakes taking out the larger vermin who might otherwise desecrate my favorite salad greens. That balance took years to obtain, but once it took hold: there was nothing that I couldn’t grow. We retired the tiller, that lumbering beast, in favor of raised beds that produced healthier, tastier food. We sourced aged hay bales at minimal cost from local farmers to mulch and protect our plants. Suddenly, canning jars became our treasures, lining our shelves in wait of peaches, pickles, and homemade tomato sauce. In the beginning, it was a hobby. Today—if the weather cooperates—we can produce at least half of our food needs here on this tiny patch of land. Little Halawakee Farm sustains a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which provides just enough funds to keep us in seed, tools, and fresh mycelium for our mushroom logs. As I’ve been a university teacher for roughly twenty-three years, it occurred to me that a teaching farm might be in order. And so, we’ve created videos for future release on teaching platforms that might help others learn to grow their own food in limited spaces. One day, we hope that our micro farm can fully sustain itself. Yet, even if it couldn’t, I would continue this work. As our area has become increasingly encroached upon by land developers, it has become my mission to hold safe harbor for all that reside upon this little plot of land. I can’t help but chuckle a bit when my beloved townsfolk come for a visit and find that the crisp, organized flower beds of my past gardens have tumbled into the cracks and crevices of our front yard. Rabbits and deer, snakes and hummingbirds dance along the borders of the farm without fear of shotguns, poisons, or traps. We’ve fallen into quite a balance out here. It is not, I’m afraid, the aesthetic that most proper gardeners would attempt to curate for their homes. It is, I’m sure, the most sustainable and ecologically-sound little farm within our area. Still, I am asked quite often why I continue. After all, the grocery store is just a few miles away and I’m nearing the age that might disqualify such an arduous, physical life. It’s a question that I fully expect, and the answer is not one that I could answer in succinct terms. In the end, I suppose it’s the homegrown ratatouille glistening on
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dinner plates on a summer evening. Perhaps it’s the feel of my hands against the sway of a scuppernong vine just before those coppery globes swell and threaten to become wine. It might even have something to do with my feet sunk deeply into the soil of a sweet potato bed, digging for gold in early December. Yet, that kind of connection isn’t in fashion anymore, and a more decidedly pragmatic answer just won’t manifest itself. And so, I tend this place, sharing and teaching something beautiful and forgotten. I remind folks that they can grow salad and herbs in tight spaces and even tighter budgets. Our farm suggests the outrageous possibilities of chickweed and mint grown over barren land, rather than the high
maintenance of cultivated lawns. We argue for organic, sustainable processes that hark back to our southern ancestors, a legacy that’s been long passed over for the more modern methodologies that strip our fields of pollinators and the songs of native birds. It’s a worthy struggle, I tell myself, as the day begins to dim and fall into the chorus of frog and cicada. It’s important work, I whisper to the fireflies as they dip and flash against the wood line. And just as I head off to bed, my little farm sighs into sleep behind me, unencumbered by the frivolity of explaining itself. I tuck myself within it, this verdant quilt of a farming life, and find it good enough.
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MAIZIE CLARK: ARTIST, DESIGNER, SAVVY SOUTHERN BUSINESS WOMAN Story by Kristina Hendrix Maizie Clarke is a Louisville, Kentucky, designer and illustrator who has garnered some prestigious acclaim lately…she illustrated a watercolor birthday card for Reese Witherspoon commissioned by the actress’s Draper James colleagues. But when we met up over Zoom, the only star I wanted to talk about was Maizie herself. She has lit up the Southeast with a career that encompasses several disciplines across the design and art community, and new designers should take heed: you can be a savvy business woman with a thriving illustrating business, work behind the scenes at museums, build a solid reputation as a designer, and still be able to chill out in your chic basement studio with headphones, drawing and painting all day long. Maizie has a breezy affability, wit, and a beautiful smile.
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Maizie holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Marymount in Arlington, and a master’s degree in Exhibition Design from what is now George Washington University. She worked for the Smithsonian Museums of Air and Space and American History while living near Washington, D.C. In 2014, she relocated to Louisville, where she currently resides with her husband and their dog and cat. She loves Louisville, and has particularly enjoyed collaborations with other designers, the local artists’ community, and teaching opportunities that have come her way during her time there. I especially wanted to know more about her museum design projects. “There are built-in parameters with a traveling show, and it’s my job to work the art exhibit to fit within the space, in accordance with the art owners, private or public, who have loaned their collections. Curators of the exhibition have already created the “feel,” she says. Within her online illustrating brand, Maizie Clarke, LLC, she has built a career that seems ideal, the diversity of her work and creative freedom giving her an independence rarely found in young designers. Her fine architectural drawing skills - she started early in life drawing houses as a small girl - are showcased in delicate watercolor portraits of homes, museums and hotels commissioned by clients from across the country. On her website she writes, “I’ve always loved hearing the details of what
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you cherish about your home: the swing on your front porch or the red geraniums your mom always planted in the yard and bringing those to life. These little details are the fabric of our lives and they deserve to be celebrated and commemorated.” These days, along with her bespoke illustrations and heirloom gift business, she tells me that she is designing a silk scarf, just in time for this year’s Kentucky Derby, and is illustrating a book cover. During Covid, she found herself illustrating interiors for an art photographer who had to cancel in-person shoots; the opportunity provided some much-needed optimism during those times, and she now has a new avenue for positioning her business in custom marketing and social media. Her entrepreneurial spirit sparked early on, when she sold jewelry from her boarding school dorm room. Even earlier, she sold snacks to peckish neighborhood children from her snack bar business. “I have two older brothers,” she explains. “They would tell you I’m bossy, but you have to make yourself heard.” Seeing young, empowered women making their way in the world today with passion and love for what they do inspires me as I grow older. I marvel at the confident and intelligent women designing thoughtful, meaningful lives for themselves across all industries and finding their voices early in their careers. My thanks to you, Maizie Clarke, for giving us a glimpse of your beautifully loud life. And save me one of those scarves by the way.
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From Wild to Domestic Bliss
The Journey of a Rescued Cracker Horse and a Surprise Within Story by Mary Dansak Photos by Denise DuBois and Bradley Beasley Meet Justice, a gentle gray pony with a surprising red mane and bright, black eyes. As Justice sees Erica, her trainer, she lifts her head and nickers in welcome anticipation. Justice walks over to Erica and puts her muzzle on Erica’s shoulder. They stand together for a minute, then go about the business of training. It defies belief that just two months ago, Justice ran wild as part of a herd of free-roaming Florida Cracker Horses. Cracker Horses, so called because the cattle drivers of the 1930s rode them through the woods cracking whips, arrived in Florida in the mid-16th century along with the Spanish conquistadors. They found favor with both the Native Americans
and the pioneers, and over time, escapees formed herds. At one time, thousands of these small, sturdy horses roamed free throughout the territory now known as Florida. Today, very few free-roaming Cracker Horses remain. According to the Equus Survival Trust, a group dedicated to preserving endangered equine breeds, the Florida Cracker Horse population overall is considered “critical,” with an estimated population of just over 1,000. How did this gray pony go from wild to tame in such a short amount of time? This seemingly miraculous transformation came about through the gentle, systematic method of horse taming known as Parelli Natural Horsemanship, which builds on teaching people to respond to how horses feel,
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think, act, and play. Pat Parelli, founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and Justice crossed paths when a Florida landowner contacted Parelli about removing a herd of mustangs from his property. The timing of this call coincided with a near 500-year anniversary of Cracker Horses arriving in Florida and the 41st anniversary of Parelli’s first Natural Horsemanship seminar. Parelli rounded up eight Cracker Horses, including three stallions, for a horse taming event to be held March 3-5, 2023, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Before a live audience, he and a team of high-level Parelli certified trainers sought to gain the trust of these horses who had never been handled and who had no previous contact with people. It may sound ambitious, but according to Parelli, “Anything is possible as long as the horse is in charge of the principles and the timeline.” Parelli has hosted live training events for 41 years. With this situation, he envisioned an opportunity to let people experience the behind-thescenes gentling of free-roaming horses prior to training. As with all Parelli events, education and awareness are paramount. “Parelli Natural Horsemanship is about teaching ordinary people to get extraordinary results,” he explained. Its reach extends well beyond training horses. When the herd, tired and bone thin, was brought to the event, all the horses were rightfully terrified. “Justice had a high self-preservation instinct,” according to John Baar, the instructor and self-described lifelong student of the horse, who worked with Justice at the event. “She’d gone through a few fences. Mother Nature was loud in her ear.” Justice’s gray coat showed signs of these battles, displaying scrapes and wounds from the herd, or herds, as there was more than one stallion involved. “She showed the temperament of being a herd leader,” Baar noticed, which perhaps led her to display such protective behavior. Recognizing and honoring a horse’s distinct personality, or Horsenality®, a term Parelli coined, is part of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship method. “Through her wariness, Justice was curious,” according to Parelli, who remembered her bright eyes and her perked ears. “Curiosity produces serotonin and dopamine in the brain, whereas fear produces adrenaline and cortisol. Curiosity induces a
good learning attitude. That’s why they say laughter is the best medicine.” Well-seasoned in working with mustangs out West, this was Baar’s first experience with Florida Cracker Horses. “You can definitely see the influence of the Spanish breeds in them, Paso Finos and Andalusians.” Known for their agility, endurance, and hardiness, these horses were integral to the settling of the territory now known as Florida. The breed is now recognized as Florida’s state horse. Over the course of the three-day event, Justice came to trust Baar, who was able to convince her that he, a human, was not a predator but a partner. Erica Franklin was one of those people in the audience. Well acquainted with Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Erica employs the Parelli method when working with horses herself. Erica was drawn to Parelli Natural Horsemanship as a child. “It never sat right with me when people gave up on horses, saying they were bad or couldn’t be trained. I loved finding a program where there was never a horse or a human left behind.” Seeing Justice and the other horses gentling under the skilled direction of the Parelli certified instructors, who’d come from places as far away as Italy and Sweden for the event, confirmed what Erica knew about working with horses. “Nobody got a bite or a kick. None of the horses bucked. The trainers never roped the horses.” Moved by what she was witnessing, Erica called her friend and client, Katie Waldrep, who not only owns horses but is also the publisher of this magazine. “You need someone to write a story about what’s going on down here,” Erica told Katie, describing the impressive horsemanship on display at the World Equestrian Center, including the auction of the horses to benefit H.O.O.V.E.S., a program that partners veterans with rescue horses. Not only was Katie interested in the process, but also, she soon found herself the proud owner of a new horse, a 13-hand pony named Justice, just right for her children. As anticipated, the event was a success. “This was not about getting the horses ready to ride,” Parelli explained, “it was about getting them to trust. Remember, they aren’t wild horses, they’re feral descendants of domesticated horses. Even though they are born in the wild, they are no different from any other horse. At the end of the event, we
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went ahead and rode every horse that was fit and big enough to ride. There’s a 13-year-old girl riding one of the stallions, who has since been gelded.” As part of her purchase package, Justice remained in Ocala for two weeks for further handling before moving to Alabama where Erica would continue taming and training Justice in preparation for her new life as a riding pony. “Justice responded well to nutrition. Her coat improved, and she gained weight quickly,” according to Erica. She also responded well to love. “She nickers every time she sees me.” As Justice’s health improved, it became apparent a surprise was in the works. Justice was pregnant. Justice’s story and that of her foal, due to arrive as this article goes to print, are now remarkably different stories than they would’ve been if not for Pat Parelli, John Baar, Erica Franklin, Katie Waldrep, and the many unseen hands behind her salvation. “Before the event, she really didn’t have much
of a future,” Baar said. “Feral horses often end up in kill pens. Horses and humans are very different, opposites actually. Using Natural Horsemanship, we’re able to come together, to harmonize. This affects all our futures.” “The event was a matter of saving lives, spreading education and awareness, turning these horses’ futures around,” agreed Erica. “It’s all about the safety of the horses and the humans.” According to Parelli, whose life’s passion and mission has focused on understanding the minds of horses, “The easy part’s the horse; the hard part’s the people. Our Natural Horsemanship method is applicable to how we handle not just horses but each other. It’s all about relationships.” Baar, summarizing the event, reiterated this sentiment. “In the end, the horses, the people in the audience, and I were all better for the process.” Justice and her foal are a thriving testament to these words.
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Spirit of ‘76
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CRUISING WITH PRIDE ON THE LAKE Story by Denise DuBois
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ake Harding, nestled in the heart of the South, has long been a destination for boating enthusiasts. This July, the Spirit of ’76, a sleek speedboat that pays homage to the founding of our nation in 1776, will glide through the beautiful waters of Lake Harding. Aptly named for the year the United States of America declared its independence, Spirit of ‘76 represents more than just a vessel for Mark Morrison. It embodies the spirit of patriotism, reminding everyone who encounters it of the nation’s rich history and the pursuit of freedom. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Spirit of ‘76 boasts a hard top, which is rare for a boat of its kind. It’s a Century Coronado, 1976 model. And it’s decorated with the stars and stripes that gracefully dance in the wind. As Independence Day celebrations take shape this summer, Spirit of ’76 will cruise across the lake’s glistening surface, a trail of foamy white water following in its wake, captivating onlookers. Mark bought the boat simply because he has always loved the model. He grew up on the river and adores his life finding beauty and tranquility
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in the water. “I love coming home and watching the sunrises and sunsets on the river,” he said. The canvas of warm oranges, pinks, and purples casting a glow upon the river’s surface is enough to draw anyone in. He calls Spirit of ’76 his cocktail cruiser. The boat comfortably seats six people, but he and his wife are the main occupants. They tour the waterways enjoying the peacefulness around them. In addition to the Spirit, Mark has a pontoon boat where family and friends gather for festivity. He calls it the party boat. As entertainers, Mark, affectionately known as Dr. Fun, and his wife surround themselves with family and friends to enjoy each other’s company. His granddaughter, Willow, even has a favorite pastime of riding around in the Spirit. “She says it gives her energy,” he said. This July, Spirit of ‘76 and its patriotic voyages on Lake Harding will serve as a reminder that America’s history and values continue to inspire and unite the people, especially in the South. As the speedboat glides through the waters, it carries the hopes and dreams of a nation, forever etching its mark on the hearts of those who witness its journey.
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CANVAS TO CULTURE: EXPLORING JONATHAN GREEN’S MASTERPIECES Story by Toni Shah From serene days on the beach to stormy, white capped waves, the wind on the South Carolina coast is a captivating force of nature that adds its own distinctive charm to the coastal experience, as does Jonathan Green, world-renowned painter, printmaker, and storyteller. The wind was ever present in Jonathan’s life in the small, lowcountry, coastal town of Gardens Corner, South Carolina, where he grew up in the Gullah culture – a distinct and vibrant culture evolved over centuries from West African heritage. Reflecting on the inspirational origins for his work, Jonathan explained, “Every day of my life consisted of wind – sometimes a windy day, sometimes very slow, hot wind - there was always wind. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, people wore more fabric, seemingly, and visually, you had much more to discern itself with. It wasn’t just about a dress. It was about a dress and shadows and then folds in the dress ... all up against a landscape that may have some moving leaves or grass. So, I think my biggest inspiration from Gardens Corner probably could be movement.” Growing up in Gardens Corner didn’t just lend inspiration from a visual point of view, but also from a cultural one. “My mentor, Mr. Jacob Lawrence, told me in the ‘70s - when all young artists want to show an older artist their work – ‘Just keep telling your story, and that’s what I’m doing – I’m telling stories. So then, I took that advice seriously and started to record my life history as best I could for me. That’s my experience and my visual outlook on things, my sensibility to nature, water, people with dignity.” In his 20’s, Jonathan attended and graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, after a stint in the Air Force. He even became a security guard at the museum because he loved being there so much. During this time, he developed a deep appreciation for Impressionism. “It’s one of the most incredible periods of art for me,” he said. “There were so many variations on skin color, even though the artists themselves were half-blind. And so, that just resonated with me. So much of it was set in the idyllic countryside, which is where I’m from. Many of those artists were able to bring in such light and beauty into hardship. People were having difficult times during that period in Europe (18671886), but there’s always beauty in living, and that’s basically what I strive for.” His love of Impressionism led to a discovery of Africanism as an influence, followed by Asian and Mexican art. His works often depict scenes from his Gullah culture and African American life in vibrant, primary colors. But his works also include African and maritime themes, with water present in most of his paintings. “Well, my color choice is very, very simple. It’s blue, and green, and white, and brown, and black, and red, mostly primary colors. That’s what people wore in terms of colored clothing, in the ‘50s and ‘60s, - pri-
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mary colors and very simple graphic designs on the clothing itself.” Jonathan said that he didn’t think very much about bringing in the African component while he was growing up in Gardens Corner, but as an older, traveled, and well-read person, he realized its importance and began to incorporate it into his work. Jonathan recalls advice from respected artists during his early European travels. They all told him, “paint what you know.” And it dawned on him that, “all those great European artists, they simply painted what they knew. And I came to a point of understanding the value in that simple advice because when you paint what you know, it’s endless, endless imagination - you never run out of subject matter.” While his work is celebratory of the beauty and resilience in the Gullah community, he also addresses the challenges that the Gullah face, which he says are challenges that they and everyone else in America and around the world are facing. “People are moving around the world, and land is becoming a very scarce commodity. I actually see the Gullah community and culture more as explosive.” According to Jonathan, the reality of the Gullah culture is that over the past 100 years, it has been merging with other cultures, as more and more of the Gullah young people have migrated to big cities, such as New York and Philadelphia. In further elaborating on the Gullah culture, Jonathon explains, “When you think of it as a culture, then everyone has access into a culture; you just have to be mindful of what the culture is in your behavior. If anything, it’s more about people choosing between being a part of the distinctive Gullah culture of the lowcountry, or just being a part of the general southern culture, which is also Gullah culture.” Jonathan isn’t just a painter. He is also a master storyteller. Stories and their narratives play an important part in his work, though it took time for him to hone his craft well enough to tell the stories the way he felt they should be told. “In order to be a storyteller, you have to have pretty good craftsmanship in the art, you have to know how to draw the figure, and yet draw different types of things when you may not have access to imagery,” he explained. “And so, storytelling is very easy for me because I know how to draw. And I know how to paint well. So, it’s never an issue of my trying
to convey a story. It’s a matter of what story I want to tell, like when I did the series of moonshine paintings in homage of my grandfather who was a great moonshiner. I mean, that was very easy, and simple for me, but for many people a very complex story, because most people don’t know about moonshining. They don’t know about the principle of moonshining, the making of moonshine, the ingredients, and the locations of people who hide the moonshine stills in the thickets, so that they can’t be found when planes fly overhead. So by the time you look at the series, you immediately know the story. In looking at the series, I want people to create their own story, so it becomes sort of interconnected.” Jonathan’s art has been exhibited and collected all across the world. When asked how he perceives the reception of his work in different cultural contexts, he responded that the reactions to his shows are always enthusiastic, robust, and joyful, from women, especially. “People leave the paintings feeling much better than before seeing them – that’s what I’ve been told over and over again,” he said. He also uses a multidisciplinary approach, working with different artists in other genres. “That allows other artists to work from and with my paintings. I’ve had ballet, symphony, theater, movies, entertainers, and musicians using my work.” His work is now used in every facet of creative expression. The most accessible one to date would be ‘Off the Wall and Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green.’” He is also a talented muralist and has murals featured in Charleston and Japan. As an artist who has achieved such great success, one might wonder how he navigates the tension between commercial viability and remaining true to his vision. Jonathan attributes the sustainability of his vision to the consistent support from buyers and collectors. “I have buyers that are three and four generations within a family that have supported me. I have always relied on my collectors,” he said. These days, Jonathan listens to the wind in Charleston where he works in his studio and takes visitors by appointment only. To learn more about Jonathan and his work, visit jonathangreenstudios. com. To learn more about the rich history of the Gullah Geechee culture and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, visit gullahgeecheecorridor.com.
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Marsh Silence, 2016 – Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10” x 14” © Jonathan Green
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DOUBLE DELIGHT
KYLE WILSON RELEASES TWO SINGLES THIS SUMMER Story by Bolden Sams Country singer and songwriter Kyle Wilson seems to stay on the run. A cursory look at his Facebook feed maps a string of performances across the gulf coast from his current home in Louisiana on down to the Florida Keys. Regular shows at the Flora-Bama, around Panama City, and a recent performance at the Key West Song Writers Festival have kept him busy. An upcoming slot at the Lake Martin Song Writers Festival this July, however, will give the Alexander City, Alabama, native a chance to bring his personal brand of classic tinged country to a hometown audience. It will also be Wilson’s first time performing at the festival. “I’m super excited. I didn’t get to make the first ones, but I’m glad that this year it worked out,” Kyle said. “I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of my hometown people for sure, but also a lot of songwriters that I write with and also look up to… whenever you do one of these things, it’s like a big homecoming.” The Lake Martin show is just one of several big moments in what looks to be an eventful year for Kyle. The songwriter also has two new singles coming out this summer and is planning a full album for later in the year. His next single, called “Catastrophe,” was expected to be released in June. His other single is coming out in July. Both songs were recorded in the same Muscle Shoals sessions that produced his most recent release, “Love Me Crazy.” That song, with its modern classic leanings, could fit comfortably into any early Brad Paisley or Keith Urban playlist. Music has been a huge part of Kyle’s life for as long as he can remember. Now 38, he grew up in a family of musicians. His grandparents sang in a gospel quartet and his mother and father traveled as a musician/preacher team. His brother Chad, who he performed with in the Wilson Brothers Band, is a Nashville music producer. The family was always involved in something musical as he was growing up. Wilson was just a kid, no older than eight or nine, when those experiences began to shape him. “We grew up around all the harmonies, the Saturday afternoon picking and grinnings, the gospel singings, revivals,” Kyle said. “I couldn’t wait for the preacher to get through. I wanted to hear the music again. I was just fascinated by it.” With a background soaked in southern gospel, it should be no surprise Wilson went on to forge a career in music. He has spent the last 20 years writ-
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ing songs and playing stages as both a solo artist and alongside his brother. As the Wilson Brothers Band, the duo performed modern country built on the harmonies of their southern gospel upbringing. Their 2018 single, “It All Looks Good From Here,” was a number one hit on CMT. Their second single, “Loving You Loving On Me,” was also a billboard top 40 hit. They shared the stage alongside the likes of Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, Joe Dee Messina, and Riley Green. While the brothers have since parted ways as musical partners, Wilson still travels as a solo act. At this stage in his career, though, he’s more interested in being a singer-songwriter his listeners can relate to. Relatability is what he loves most about country music. Kyle points to outlaw musicians like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard as being big influences. Their lives, with all their loves and troubles, gives audiences something to connect with. “Whenever the real deal country started coming out and they started singing about drinking and cheating and drugs and jail and stuff that they were experiencing, it kind of let everybody else know that everybody has a bad day, bad luck,” Kyle said. “You just got to get through it. You know, the people that we idolize and love to listen to are in the same boat. That made it very relatable.” Despite the hard living lifestyle of his influences, Wilson says his own writing process comes from a positive place. Everyone goes through a rough patch, and he wants to help them keep moving through to the next day. “We lose people in life, we fall out of love, we fall back in love. Life is very emotional,” Kyle said. “You can’t just write how you got money, and got land, and this and that because a lot of people don’t have that and they don’t relate to it. But we start talking about heartaches and losing the love or your life, or anything like that, people can relate to stuff like that so they’re more drawn into it.” It’s an attitude that has shaped Kyle’s music career through the highs and lows. He says his experiences in the industry have been very rewarding, but also very humbling. From number one hits to band break ups, he’s experienced a lot over the past 20 years. Still, he continues to stay positive. “I’m very grateful for every step, every milestone, every accomplishment, and I always stay humble about it because I push myself to be better,” Kyle said. “There’s been a lot of cool things, man. I just keep those kinda buried, that way it don’t get your head too big. It should make you want to work harder, strive to be better no matter what. That’s what I try to live by.”
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THE PERFECT SIP: DISCOVERING GOURMET DRINK RIMMERS Story by Denise DuBois Creating a beautiful cocktail means more than just adding fruit garnishes and an umbrella. It should also involve adding flavor. A sweet or savory infused salt rimmer is a delightful way to enhance the tasting experience and elevate the drink’s flavors. To prepare the glass, dip the rim in a liquid and then gently dip it into a salt or sugar mixture to create a visual appeal. When sipping, the rim subtly interacts with the taste buds. With each sip, the mar-
riage of flavors becomes more pronounced, offering a tantalizing and memorable drinking experience that lingers long after the glass is empty. Derby Mule Rimmers has made the task of finding the perfect balance of palatable rimmers easy with their recipes. What started as a mobile bar and beverage service by Brian Bonner and Sanna Moravek, eventually evolved into creating delicious garnishes. Finding her love on the other side of the bar, the side that doesn’t require her to make drinks, Sanna wanted to
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help customers design gorgeous cocktails that look like they’re from a fancy restaurant. Don’t worry, the mobile beverage service still exists, but these decadent salts and sugars are something to talk about. “It actually started out with dehydrated garnishes. I discovered that I didn’t like bartending,” Sanna said, “but I wanted to help the business grow. During a tailgate with friends, we had these apple cider mimosas with caramel on the rim, and it was definitely a bit different.” The idea formed and the duo began playing around with recipes. “The first thing we did was a fall spice, then peppermint, and a sugar cookie. We thought we were on to something,” she added. Sanna loves being in the kitchen, and creating these new flavors was right up her ally. She even feared giving Brian high blood pressure from all the infused salts she made him sample. He didn’t let that stop them. Together they’ve created candied pecan, sweet orange infused sugar, island time pineapple infused sugar, dill pickle infused salt, cowboy caviar salt and sugar, and so many more flavors that it’s hard to pick a favorite. Or perhaps, an enthusiast doesn’t have to pick just one, but instead finds the perfect drink to
add them to and enjoys them all. Brian’s favorite is undoubtedly the candied pecan because he’s a bourbon guy, and the candied pecan brings out all the perfect flavors. Sanna is all over the place, just like a true aficionado. She loves them all. When customers began asking for something spicy, they delivered. “It had to be something that tickled the lips but didn’t burn the tongue or the throat so you can still enjoy the cocktail,” Brian said. They created the habanero and red pepper infused salt. “I tell people to sample it. You feel the burn on your lips, and if you kiss her, she’s going to feel it, too,” Brian laughed. “But that’s as far as it will go.” Because ultimately, the spice is only there to enhance the drink flavors, not overtake them. Keeping people happy and allowing them to entertain confidently with beautiful presentation is their aim. “We really wanted to have people create and build cocktails at home or share with friends at a gathering … to create and have fun entertaining,” Sanna said. This summer, as you’re gearing up for your soirée, remember Derby Mule Rimmers. Find them online at derbymulerimmers.com.
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BLUE NOTE BOURBON THE ALLURE OF BLUE NOTE BOURBON BY B.R. DISTILLING
Story by Denise DuBois B.R. Distilling has an interesting past, explained Logan Welk, a financier-turned-whiskey sommelier who is the President of the company. B.R. Distilling produces Blue Note Bourbon. “The company was actually founded back in 2013. Our DSP, which is our federal license, was granted in 2014. But back then the company was focused on grain to glass vodka. In 2017, that side of the business went under. And the switch to focusing on brown spirits, bourbon in particular, was made in 2017 into 2018,” he said. B.R. Distilling worked with the largest brokers in the business, as well as publicly traded companies on storing their products. They also did modeling for some third-party brands with celebrity endorsements behind them. “Those were the early days of the business,” Logan said. “That was late 2018, when we just started to get into the branded side of our business, which would have been when Blue Note was first launched in Memphis.” “It’s kind of interesting, because we’ve flown under the radar of the industry. Now, the industry as a whole doesn’t understand how well we’ve actually been doing,” he said. Along with several awards, Logan said they have been moving in the right direction. Some of those awards include: No. 7 Top 20 Whiskies of 2022 for Blue Note Uncut from Whisky Advocate 2022; Gold Medals from Ascot Awards 2022; Platinum Medal for Blue Note Juke Joint from SIP Awards 2022; and Double Gold
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Medals for Blue Note Juke Joint from San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022. “The nice thing is, all of our products have these great awards behind them, and they’re at very accessible price points. Because of that, we’ve just been very successful in growing our sales,” Logan said. Blue Note Juke Joint is a 93-proof bourbon that is a good sipper to introduce people to that category of bourbons, or for those who are used to drinking 80-proof bourbon. The 93-proof, Logan explained, is actually a lot smoother than those in the 80s. “A lot of people are really surprised that a 93-proof and even 100-proof product can be much smoother and have less burn than 80-proof. Part of that process is, whenever you go below approximately 90-proof, you get this phenomenon called flocking, which is where the oils in the bourbon actually begin to separate. And it sort of congeals into these little clumps that are floating around inside the bottle. Well, nobody wants to see stuff floating inside the bottle. So, there’s this process called chill filtration, where you strip out all of
those fusel oils. Well, when you do that, you ultimately strip out everything that protects your palate from the burn. When you don’t go through that chill filtration process, you’re leaving all of the natural components in the bourbon.” As a favorite, Logan enjoys Blue Note Crossroads. “There are just some really interesting, nuanced flavors. It’s one of the few that I actually drink with an ice cube in it just because it opens up more,” he said. But if he’s sipping a cocktail, it’s a whisky sour. The small staff at B.R. Distilling is more like a family. That’s what makes them unique. “We may seem to be like this large group, because of all the awards, but ultimately, it is just a very small group of individuals who are behind this brand”, he said. He knows that all it takes are a few good people who love what they do to take a product and make it better every day. Find Blue Note Bourbon in 17 states and online at bluenotebourbon.com or brdistilling.com.
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SUMMER MINT SOUR
2 oz. Juke Joint Whiskey .75 oz lemon juice .75 oz simple syrup 1 mint sprig Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wheel Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously and double strain into a double old fashioned glass with freshly cracked ice. Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wheel. Serve and enjoy. Our take: I knew going into this that the whiskey I was drinking was smoother and easier to sip than a lot of others. Before this magazine, I wasn’t a big whiskey or bourbon drinker. Now, I’m appreciating what I’ve always seen as a sophisticated drink. I’m always a fan when we take a single liquor and turn it into a cocktail. This one was no different. I truly enjoyed sipping this zesty, icy treat. It gave me the summer vibes and a moment of relaxation that I needed.
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B. R. BRAMBLE
2 oz. Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey .75 oz Fresh lemon juice .5 oz Raspberry Syrup .75 oz Dry Curacao 1 Dash Rhubarb Bitters (orange if not available) Raspberry syrup: 2 parts sugar, one part raspberries, 1 part water. Muddle 100 grams (3.5 oz) of raspberries and mix thoroughly with 200 grams (7 oz) of sugar. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes until the mix becomes thick and syrupy. Add 100 grams (3.5 oz) of water and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Store in a refrigerator. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Strain over ice in a double old fashioned glass and add picked raspberry, mint, powdered sugar for garnish. Our Take: This cocktail intimidated me a little because of the raspberry syrup it calls for. But it turned out really well. Plus, now I have the syrup to enhance other drinks, like a glass of sweet tea. I really enjoyed the sweet rim on this blend. The vibrant hue adds a visual appeal, further enhancing the enjoyment. Indulging in this delightful blend of fruity sweetness and spirited warmth is like capturing the essence of summer in a glass.
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Life from Destruction MATERIALS LEFT BY STORMS CREATE FISH HABITATS
Story by John N. Felsher For eons, hurricanes have battered the Gulf Coast, leaving massive destruction in their wakes. Nobody likes to see a hurricane approaching, but good things can spring out of disaster. Over many millennia, the Mississippi River and other streams deposited uncountable volumes of silt into the Gulf of Mexico, turning the bottom into a giant mudflat largely devoid of life. Few natural hard spots created places where fish could congregate. In recent years, some states have used material left behind by storms to build fish habitat. Alabama Despite the smallest coastline on the gulf, Alabama built a very comprehensive artificial reef program that holds red snapper, amberjack, grouper and many other fish. Artificial reefs range from just off the beaches almost to the continental shelf with some inside Mobile Bay. “We have more than 10,000 artificial reefs off Alabama and expanded our reef zones to about 1,100 square miles,” explained Craig Newton, the Alabama Marine Resources Division Artificial Reef Program coordinator. “We take demolished structures and put them to good use, creating beneficial substrate to sustain fisheries and build resilience against future hurricanes.” Hurricane Frederick slammed into the Gulf Coast in September 1979. The storm demolished the bridge to Dauphin Island. The state “repurposed” some spans and rubble to construct reefs. The same thing happened with the old pavilion and fishing pier at
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Gulf State Park near Gulf Shores. “We’ve had quite a few projects over the years where hurricane damaged structures were repurposed as artificial reefs,” Newton stated. “Parts of the old Dauphin Island bridge were loaded onto barges and taken offshore to be used for artificial reefs. Having this much material available after a storm saves the state money.” Inert and durable, concrete makes excellent substrate for building reefs that form the basis for an entire food web. Small encrusting organisms attach to it. Algae grows on the objects, feeding tiny organisms. Those organisms attract larger animals, such as shrimp, crabs, and small fish. These species provide forage for bigger reef fish. Sharks, king mackerel, cobia and other predators
hunt around the reefs. Mississippi Other than oysters, no natural reefs exist in Mississippi waters. Therefore, the state established 61 inshore reefs and 15 nearshore or offshore reefs, many comprised of material deposited by hurricanes. Some reefs sit in the Back Bay or Bay St. Louis. Anglers in small boats, even kayaks, can reach some reefs just off the beaches that line nearly the entire Mississippi coastline. “We have captured some material after hurricanes and deployed that material to create several artificial reefs,” advised Travis Williams, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
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Artificial Reef director. “In 2005, Hurricane Katrina gave us the most material, but some of the biggest and most notable early deployments came after Hurricane Camile hit in 1969. Even before Camile, some local anglers began bringing stuff out and creating their own artificial reefs.” Katrina demolished the Highway 90 bridge that spanned the pass connecting the Back Bay, also called Biloxi Bay, to Mississippi Sound, part of the Gulf of Mexico. Now, entire bridge spans form Katrina Key just outside the pass. The concrete slabs protrude above the surface so even the most casual observer can still discern intact spans piled atop each other. Also called Katrina Reef, the structure holds speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead, flounder, and other sport fish. “We catch fish off Katrina Reef all year long, but the species vary according to the season,” commented Robert Brodie of Team Brodie Charters. “The reefs give cover to baitfish. Once baitfish get around the reefs, everything else follows.” Katrina also destroyed the Hancock County Jail in the town of Bay St. Louis. Now, rubble from that correctional facility created Jailhouse Key near Waveland. Some of that rubble also formed Pass Christian Key. “Each reef is a fish oasis,” opined Sonny Schindler of Shore Thing Fishing Charters. “Jailhouse Reef is one of our favorite places to fish. It has a lot of rubble and shell that holds a ton of bait. I wish there were more reefs all along the coast because every one of them holds fish.” Besides storm damage, Mississippi also obtains various materials from road repairs, demolished buildings and other renovation or construction projects. These “secondary use materials” include things like old concrete culverts that make outstanding fish habitat. Most people just want to get
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rid of the old material and would rather donate it to the state to put to good use than pay to haul it off and pay again to dump it in a landfill. “Storms are devastating, but we look for opportunities to capture material that we can use for artificial reefs,” Williams remarked. “We work with local construction companies and contractors. When we reuse donated material, it saves the taxpayers money. It also saves the contractors from having to bring that material to a landfill. Most contractors are more than happy to donate material to us. Some even transport it for us.” Louisiana Like elsewhere, Hurricane Katrina tore apart the twin spans of Interstate 10 crossing Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans. Two new bridges now carry the interstate across the lake, but the old spans became fish habitat and a fishing pier. “We didn’t use whole spans, but turned the material into rubble to build reefs in Lake Pontchartrain,” reported Mike McDonough, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Artificial Reef Program coordinator. “The reefs are between Highway 11 and the current Twin Spans of the new I-10.” People can’t just dump anything into the water. First, they must remove toxins and anything else that might hurt the environment or marine life. Even state agencies must obtain permits and undergo inspections. They must put reefs where they pose no threat to the environment or navigation. Once established, these structures quickly become thriving habitat for diverse species where once they could not survive, enabling new life to spring from destruction.
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DISMALS CANYON: AN ALABAMA PRIMEVAL FOREST Story by Mary Dansak The drive along County Road 8 in Phil Campbell, Alabama is a lovely route through rural farmland, reminiscent of a forgotten way of life. One might drift into a gentle reverie of childhood while driving along the highway here. Few cars pass to break the spell. Suddenly a sign framed in rocks and topped with flags appears. “Dismals Canyon: A National Natural Landmark: U.S. Department of the Interior.” The name alone beckons a visit. Dismals Canyon is an extraordinary geographical wonder, a work in progress over some 300 million years. Imagine a primeval swamp slowly lifted by tectonic movements underground. The force of the water seeping through the bottom of the swamp carves chasms and caves, tumbles boulders, upsets slabs of sandstone, and creates waterfalls and pools below. Now imagine how,
over the years, the water continues to shape the rocks, and a deep, secluded canyon forms. Hundreds of species of trees grow undisturbed there, majestically tall, and secretive critters including humans take shelter in the eaves and overhangs of the rock walls. This is the Dismals Canyon. Today, people can follow a craggily set of stairs down into the canyon and spend a day exploring 1.5 miles of trails that lead through narrow gorges; across the clear, rocky bottomed Dismals Creek; around and atop moss-covered boulders; and into grottos and overhangs of sandstone walls. Weeping walls, waterfalls, and roots growing into and out of rocky boulders adorn this lush landscape. Hemlocks, undeterred by ax or fire, grow massive; long leaf magnolias rise from rocks; mountain laurel reaches skyward, tinging the blue sky pink. This 85-acre parcel of land, which includes the
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canyon, was named a U.S. Natural Landmark in 1975 due to its geographical and human history and biological diversity. Privately owned and operated, the Dismals Canyon hosts a country store and soda fountain, camping facilities, cabins, and seasonal guided night tours. These night tours showcase the Dismals Canyon’s claim to fame as the home of the country’s largest population of bioluminescent larvae of the fly species Orfeliea fultoni. These glowing larvae, dubbed “dismalites,” emit a blue glow in the darkness of the canyon, transforming the walls of the rock formations into replicas of starlit skies. The larvae, which live six - nine months before emerging as adult gnats, build tiny, sticky webs called spindles, and in the absence of light, glow from their heads and their tails to attract tiny, winged prey. Having previously explored the Dismals Canyon by day, I recently returned for a night tour. Armed with my red-beamed flashlight, I set out with about 15 others to see the dismalites for myself. Trekking down into the cool, dark canyon was a thrill on its own; a childlike sense of adventure guided every uncertain step. When we reached the canyon floor, our guide, Bill Ogle, trained his ultraviolet light on the base of a hemlock tree. We oohed and aahed in amazement at the green-glowing centipede it illuminated. That particular hemlock tree is under consideration to become Alabama’s champion hemlock, the previous one, also in the canyon, having died recently. Moving deeper and further into the canyon, we came to a stopping point and turned off our flashlights, staring into the blackness. Soon our eyes adjusted and the glowing dismalites appeared. We were surrounded by their beckoning lures. How is it that this exact spot is home to such a large population of these glowing larvae? The Dismals Canyon provides the three perfect conditions necessary for these
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larvae to thrive: coolness, darkness, and dampness. The canyon’s temperature is consistent, around 58 degrees year-round, and the moss-covered sandstone rocks hold moisture. The rural location, unpolluted by excess light, adds the final component of this trifecta. Additionally, the canyon is undisturbed by wind, and for the most part, people. Even the salt on the tips of our fingers can harm them, Bill explained. Since the construction of environmental barriers, intended to keep people on the natural trails, the population of dismalites has grown. In fact, according to Bill, we were seeing the greatest display of dismalites in the history of these tours, up to 10,00020,000 from about 5,000 over the past three years. We made our way through the display, ducking our heads, carefully turning off our flashlights when facing new walls of dismalites. More than one observer noted that they looked like constellations. “My granddaughter calls them Living Stars,” Bill said. In addition to information about the illuminating larvae, Bill entertained and educated us on the human history of the canyon. Both the Chickasaw and Cherokee left artifacts behind. Legends and tales of notorious figures including Jesse James and Aaron Burr hiding out in the deep recesses of the gorge add intrigue to history, which includes the remnants of a cotton gin and sawmill built by settlers in the late 1800s. Today there are only stories in the canyon, secrets held tightly in the rocks and crevices. Despite the name, the origin of which remains disputed, the Dismals Canyon is anything but dismal. That such an exquisite marvel exists in such an unassuming piece of the world is a testament to the endless surprises that nature holds, and to generations of humans who continue to tend and nurture our precious, unspoiled wilderness.
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Jewell, Georgia: Discovering the Charms of a Historic Gem Story by Kristina Hendrix Nestled along the banks of the Ogeechee River, Jewell, Georgia, is a reminder that there are still quiet places in the world that hold space for those seeking refuge from the chaos of the times. Located in Warren County, Jewell lies along Georgia Scenic Byway State Route 16. Situated along an old Indian Trail, the area was settled in the late 1700’s by the Shivers Family of Virginia. By the time of the Civil War, the town had passed through several reincarnations to become the thriving manufacturing community of Jewell. In 1979, Jewell was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the oldest still-existing buildings is the bucolic mercantile “The Jewel Box,” owned by the Duffy Family, who also are the proprietors of the adjacent Rosemont Jewell Bed and Breakfast. Built in 1870, the store was originally an early wagon and buggy dealership. Today, with the original dealership sign hanging above the front door, the store itself is a long sigh of nostalgia. Along with displays of turn-of-the-century artifacts and sturdy antique rocking chairs draped with handmade quilts, there are beeswax candles, heady fragrant herbal soaps, and excellent table wines sourced from a nearby vineyard. Colorful old-fashioned candy and pecan treats are for sale, as well as books from local authors. In 2020, the couple
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renovated an old kitchen located behind the store and began to sell sandwiches and baked goods. On Friday nights, homemade hand-tossed pizzas are on the menu and are served on the store’s charming, shady patio, to be enjoyed with a glass of red table wine or beer, while relaxing and enjoying the soothing fountain and river breeze. The Duffy’s hope to have the spacious upstairs open to art exhibits and literary readings at some point in the future. “We want people to experience a step back in time,” they tell me, “we want to share this special place with others, to let them know that Jewell is a vibrant, thriving community.” Jewell also boasts a State Park, Hamburg, which brings sports enthusiasts to canoe, kayak, camp, hike, and fish. Having a B&B nearby for those who enjoy more comfortable lodging is convenient, and the Rosemont Jewell Bed and Breakfast, next door to the Jewell Box Store, is a gracious respite from daily distractions: the rooms intentionally have no television, which is a lovely and beautiful thing. The elegant B&B is the perfect spot for writing retreats, anniversary weekends, or for additional guests of weddings that take place at the local wedding venue, Rosemont Hill Farm. Spring festivals are ubiquitous in the South, but it’s only a lucky few that happen beside a body of water. Jewell’s annual Riverfest at the Mill is held on the riverbank beside an old grist mill bought and restored to its originally intended use by owner, Missy Rahn Garner. Beneath a canopy of water oak and cottonwood trees vendors have set up tents, selling original art, flower arrangements and t-shirts. There are lawn games and wagon rides behind a team of patient horses. A musician stands on a flat-bed truck strumming and crooning Country and Western, while children fish along the banks. The Missionary Baptist Church tent serves up tangy, perfect catfish plates bursting with fries,
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hushpuppies, and coleslaw…food deserving of the River Gods. There are stories to be told here of the long-gone commerce of the big mills, lost to a massive fire in the late 1900’s, and of the workers who lived along the bluffs in heart-pine millhouses, their descendants still living in these verdant and vibrant communities; stories of the virgin forests and bubbling shoals, both bursting with flora and fauna that fed the unimaginably ancient indigenous populations who called these places home for thousands of years. As only one of Georgia’s blackwater, free-flowing streams, the Ogeechee runs from the Piedmont across the Fall Line and Sandhills Region to Ossabaw Sound, 16 miles from Savannah. For thousands of years the river was home to the Mississippian and Yuchi peoples; the term “Gullah Geechee” evolved from the river’s name, encompassing the early coastal inhabitants of Georgia as well. Summer in the South is a wondrous thing and driving the tidy back roads that lead to Jewell, Georgia is a pure celebration of life in and of itself, a chance to witness the greening of nature that comes like rain and sun, the voluptuous wildflowers, the honeysuckle-scented canopy of trees meeting above the road like a chartreuse-ceilinged cathedral, the smell of fish that floats in and out from the river. The little town invites you to sit in the shade and rest in the quiet. Find a good meal, take a leisurely hike, and maybe splash around in the shoals of the river. Explore the historic buildings, surviving for 150 years or more, centered around the village green. Havens are hard to find these days, and not everyone wants a crowded beach or mountain town. Places like Jewell, far from the madding crowd, are rare, like modest and excellent diamonds; they offer a chance to unwind and take in local culture, go barefoot on the riverbank, and take a well-deserved step back into simpler times.
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W
elcome to Jewell, Georgia, nestled along the banks of the Ogeechee river in picturesque Warren County. With its roots tracing back to the late 1700s, this charming town boasts a rich history that continues to captivate visitors. Immerse yourself in the remarkable heritage preserved here. Prepare to be transported back through time as you explore the historic buildings, standing strong for over 150 years, each whispering stories of the past.
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GOINGS-ON
ALABAMA
River and Blues Music and Arts Festival July 15 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wetumpka Art galleries, events, museums, shopping, fishing, white water kayaking, restaurant. It’s all in Wetumpka. www.wetumpkaal.gov Rock the South July 20 - July 22 Cullman Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Cody Johnson and many more will headline Rock the South 2023. Check the website for event information and schedule. www.rockthesouth.com www.facebook.com/RockTheSouth W. C. Handy Music Festival July 23 - July 29 Florence The W.C. Handy Music Festival was initiated with the help and vision of musician and Sheffield native Willie Ruff, who along with Dr. David Mussleman helped the Music Preservation Society present the first W.C. Handy Music Festival. That first festival was a long weekend of music featuring Dizzy Gillespie as the headline artist. Since then, the annual celebration has evolved into a ten-day festival with nearly 300 events. The festival showcases music at locations throughout Northwest Alabama, including parks, restaurants, stores, libraries, museums, art galleries, sidewalks, parking lots, and lawns. It also features athletic events, plays, music classes, car shows, and much more. Events being held at sites throughout the Shoals area. www.wchandymusicfestival.com Alabama Restaurant Week August 18 - August 27 Montgomery Restaurants around the state, including many featured in the
popular “100 Dishes To Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure, invite diners to experience the wonderful culinary scene of Sweet Home Alabama. alabama.travel/alabama-restaurant-week Hank Williams 100th Birthday Bash September 15 - September 17 Montgomery Hank Williams Museum will host the 100th birthday of Hank Williams with a big celebration on September 15-17. Music by various artists and various venues in the downtown area. www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.net Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival November 11 10 a.m-4 p.m. Wetumpka Art galleries, events, museums, shopping, fishing, white water kayaking, restaurant. It’s all in Wetumpka. www.wetumpkaal.gov
GEORGIA Atlanta Ice Cream Festival Saturday July 22 at Piedmont Park at Charles Allen Drive. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Join us at the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival for a fun-filled day of America’s favorite dessert and healthy activities. Discover a variety of food and non-food vendors, live music, fitness routines, and wellness engagement activities. Satisfy your sweet tooth and learn more about maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle, all in one place! www.atlantaicecreamfestival.com City of Cumming Music Festival July 22 at 12:00 p.m. Get ready rockers! You don’t want to miss the biggest music festival of the summer! On July 22, join us at the Cumming Fairgrounds for an unforgettable experience! Revel in the ultimate tribute festival featuring the legendary bands Kiss, Guns N Roses, Aerosmith,
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Journey and more! Get ready to sing along to your favorite rock classics all night long. Don’t wait any longer, get your tickets today at 37main.com and secure your spot at the hottest music event of the season! Mountain Music & Moonshine Festival July 28-30 Blairsville Presenting Sponsor Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co. is joining hosts Visit Downtown Blairsville and the Union County Historical Society, to bring back the best of Blairsville: Mountain Music & Moonshine! On Friday, July 28, the Union County Historical Society will be hosting a concert in the Old Courthouse on the Square at 7pm. Doors open at 6pm, so be sure to arrive early for a great seat. This free event is the best way to start the weekend. Sponsored by Blairsville’s own Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co., the festival begins at 10am on the 29th, ending at 11pm & Sunday from 10am 5pm. Rain or shine, we’ll have live music in-and-around the Square both days. You can also expect local vendors, moonshine history, and great food throughout the weekend. Wanting to see some artists on the big stage? Head down to Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co. Saturday night for their parking lot party. www.visitdowntownblairsville.com Atlanta Wine Festivals hosts the 7th Atlanta Summer Wine Festival back at City Winery Saturday, August 12, Session 1: 12 p.m.-4 p.m.; Session 2: 6 p.m.-10 p.m. 50+ Wines, beer, cider, seltzer, live music, and DJ Qtip. Tickets include entry, entertainment, souvenir acrylic wine glass, and all wine, beer, mimosa and White Claw samples. $50 advance, $55 after Aug. 4, $65 day of event. First 100 tickets of each session just $40. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. Food will cost extra. There will not be any Designated Driver tickets. www.atlantawinefestivals.com/summer 26th Annual Linwood Ramble October 19 Columbus Ticket prices: $65 adults $15 kids (kids under 6 free) Join the sunset tour of beautiful Linwood Cemetery as you hear stories of its historic residents as presented by reenactors. Following the tour will be dinner, drinks, and music. linwoodcemetery.org
TENNESSEE Summer Celebration at Dollywood June 16-August 6 Pigeon Forge Make your summer bigger, brighter and sweeter at Dollywood this summer during the Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration June 16-August 6. The Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show returns with new illuminated scenes. Gazillion Bubble Show Aurora returns to the stages. Watch as millions of bubbles envelop the entire theater that all ages will love, featuring an homage to Dolly and the Great Smoky Mountains. Additionally, a garden hose fountain, rainbow art installations and an explosion of brilliant color will spread across the park.
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Fun Fest in Kingsport Fun Fest takes place July 14-22 and features more than 80 events in over 30 locations in Kingsport. Enjoy the variety of events which include moonlight hikes, outdoor movies, hot air balloons, concerts, food trucks, block parties, fireworks and 8K races. The headliners for the Sunset Concert Series include Danny Gokey, Boyz II Men, Chris Lane and Clay Walker. funfest.net
SOUTH CAROLINA South Carolina Peach Festival July 12-22. Gaffney Held annually in July, the South Carolina Peach Festival has something for everyone. Events include a parade, peach dessert contest, tractor pull, arts and crafts, a car show, and live music by country singer Lainey Wilson. Southcarolinapeachfest.com
LOUISIANA 43rd Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival July 22 Prather Coliseum, Natchitoches The annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival is back! This year’s theme, “Celebrating Louisiana’s Cultural Gumbo,” will celebrate how Louisiana’s folklife – its unique crafts, food, music, and culture – are alive and well. Held on Saturday July 22 in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus in Natchitoches. The Festival will feature three stages of music, the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, Cajun and zydeco dance lessons, a harmonica workshop, exhibits, and some of the best folk foods in Louisiana! Regional crafts such as beadwork, quilts, Native American baskets, Czech Pysanky eggs, and handmade banjos will be exhibited during day long demonstrations by over 70 traditional craft persons. Narrative sessions will feature Delta blues, juke joints and dance halls, Creole crafts, Cajun dancing, traditional blacksmithing, and Native American dancing. The Festival will also feature traditional blacksmithing, Dutch oven cooking, and a gumbo cookoff! Children 12 and younger admitted free of charge. Vive la Louisiane! Downtown Art Gallery Crawl August 3 Downtown Monroe And West Monroe Monroe And West Monroe LA 71201 The Downtown Art Gallery Crawl is held bi-monthly on the first Thursday of that month in Downtown Monroe and West Monroe. This is an evening of art, food, music, and fun with friends! www.monroe-westmonroe.org/events/downtown-art-gallery-crawl/
Delcambre Shrimp Festival August 16, - August 20 401 Richard Street, Delcambre Delcambre Shrimp Festival honors the shrimping industry with events including a Shrimp Cook-off, queens pageants’, fais-do-do’s, carnival rides, food court, boat parade and much more.
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Under the Muscadine Vine with Marian Carcache Whenever thoroughly southern childhood friends gather, we do so with full intentions of going back in time, at least for an hour or two, to an era when we were innocent of injustice, when, through our eyes, all seemed right in a place where our mothers and grandmothers, our godmothers and aunts devoted every effort to making the world gentler for us. Long before “the destination wedding” and its poorer cousin, “the gender reveal party,” our mothers hosted bridal and baby showers for neighbors and kin. They met for bridge. They gathered
for luncheons. Even those who worked outside the home found time to be gracious. Time has taught the necessity of sometimes picking up bought guacamole or hummus for a gathering, but a hallowed light still shines around memories of Mrs. Howard’s hand-crafted pink, green, and yellow pastel butter mints and the other homemade delicacies ladies shared in a quieter time when they were willing and able to sacrifice most of a day making colorful 7-layer Rainbow Jell-O salad with which to thrill their guests. At an authentic luncheon during my childhood,
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someone would ladle punch from a cut glass bowl into crystal punch cups with small handles. If the event happened to be a wedding shower, the punch would match the bride’s choice of colors for her bridesmaids’ dresses. For baby showers, Mama dipped tiny triangles of pink or blue flannel, pinned into the shape of a diaper, into hot paraffin. Once they stiffened, the miniature diapers held toasted nuts for each guest. I still can close my eyes and smell the salty, buttery pecans cooking to perfection in our oven, nuts that we picked up from our back yard and shelled and toasted ourselves. I also remember the familiar scent of Mama’s Cheese Wafers permeating throughout the house. Today, when my childhood friends and I plan to have lunch together under the magical river birch tree in my front yard, aged wicker is required for the time travel to begin. Without fail, our “lunch”
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transforms into “a luncheon” when one of us mentions “deviled eggs” and “pimiento and cheese.” Cucumber finger sandwiches become “an absolute must.” Not to mention the requisite butter-rich cheese wafers, crunchy with Rice Krispies and hot with cayenne. I keep promising myself that I’ll make tomato aspic next time. For the journey through time, I drag the wicker table under the branches of the birch and cover its scars and wrinkles with a tablecloth that has its own blemishes from the many showers and lunches my mother hosted: a burned spot from where a candle tilted, a stain from curry dip. A vase of blue hydrangeas mixed with fragrant gardenias compensates for many a defect. And so we gather, as if at a séance, to wait for the ghosts from a glorious childhood to whisper through the leaves of the low-hanging limbs, reminding us of how fortunate we have been.
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mama said
LET’S GO TO THE BEACH
By Leslie Anne Jones Summer vacation. It begins the last week of school with a buzz of excitement echoing around the entire campus. Everyone is ready for summer break. Students and teachers. For us, summer vacation included an annual beach trip. At first to Destin, Florida, then a new development named Seaside, Florida. My family would pile into the station wagon, in a time before iPads or seatbelt requirements, to make the four-hour trek to the beach. With kids myself now, it’s not hard to imagine just how my mother was feeling by the fourth chorus of the Song That Never Ends. But my mother has the patience of a Saint (a trait that I did not inherit). Halfway through the road trip, we would always stop at the same roadside stand in Headland, Alabama for boiled peanuts and fresh tomatoes. I consider myself somewhat of a boiled peanut connoisseur and no one else has ever come close. Long since closed, the pole barn still stands all grown over with weeds, and I feel the sting of a time gone by every time I pass through Headland. Once we made it to the beach, aunts, uncles, and cousins would all pile into one house, twenty people under one roof, and the fun would begin. The freedom I would feel riding my bike. The rush of catching a wave on the boogie board. And the best event of all: Crab Patrol. The name was given by my late father and even came with a theme song. “Crab patrol…..marching along….crab patrol…..singing our song…..” A handful of adults with a gaggle of kids, racing down the beach with nets and buckets in their hands. Searching for those two beady eyes to appear in the beam of the flashlight. The thrill of catching one in your net and trying to transfer it to the bucket without getting pinched. Then studying it in the bucket with the curiosity of a marine biologist, all by the glow of a Maglite, or perhaps a dimly lit flashlight from the Tom Thumb gas station, before eventually letting it return to its home in the sand. Free to live another day. These cherished memories live deep inside my core. The edges have blurred a bit, but the feelings still remain. And it was my mom who built these memories for us. She found the house; she paid for it; she packed all our suitcases; she rented our bikes; cooked our dinner; provided nets, buckets, and flashlights; and always made us stop for boiled peanuts and fresh tomatoes. Today, instead of a station wagon, it’s a Tahoe (with car seats and iPads). And you better believe I will do a U-turn in the middle of 431 if I see my new favorite stand set up outside the AutoZone in Abbeville, Alabama for boiled peanuts and fresh tomatoes. And the chorus of Crab Patrol can still be heard over the sound of the crashing waves of the Gulf of Mexico accompanied by the shrieks of excitement and laughter of a new generation of crab-hunting enthusiasts.
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