Summer 2025 Magnolia and Moonshine

EST. 1967 — MAGNOLIA GREENE

MAGNOLIA EST. 1967 - MAGNOLIA GREENE

MOONSHINE

HAMMOCK COAST ESCAPE • BLUEWATER SPEARFISHING • FASHION MEETS F UN

DISPLAY UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2025

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Quality service is the main ingredient in everything we do.

At Buffalo Rock, every day we strive to provide quality service to our customers. It’s a reputation we have built for more than a century, and a source of pride to us. We are equally proud of the communities we serve, and we stay dedicated to making them better places to live and work. The positive impact that we have in the places we do business will always be one of the most important services we offer.

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PUBLISHER ’S NOTE

Publishers: Katie Waldrep & Leslie Anne Jones Executive Editor: Cara D. Clark Content Editors: Leslie Anne Jones & Joan McLendon Budd Layout & Ad Design: Haylie Rivera Advertising Sales: Taylor White, Suzy Brown, Betsy Illges, Kay Oswalt Web Design: Lacey Skinner Contributing Writers, Photographers, & Stylists Cara Clark Mary Dansak Su-Jit Lin Jennifer Kornegay Lauren Finney Harden Lee Hurley Tanya Ackerman Carmen Ash Eliza Daffin Jason Thrasher Brittany Powell Brock Larsen Erin Love

Magnolia Greene Farm comes alive in a vivid display of greens each summer, celebrating nature’s abundance and timeless beauty. The air carries the sweet perfume of magnolia blossoms, their waxy petals opening under a sky painted in soft blues and warm sunlight. Towering oaks stand like sentinels, their branches heavy with ripening acorns, while oak leaf hydrangeas spill over with blooms in shades of white and blush. Unruly and joyful wildflowers dot the landscape, swaying in the summer breeze. When a summer rain passes through, everything feels washed clean, revived, hopeful, and full of promise. In the vegetable garden, the harvest reminds us of our Southern heritage: rows of okra, tomatoes ripened on the vine, sweet corn ready for picking, and hearty greens — a sampling of tradition woven into the culture of the region we love.

In this issue, we take time to wander slowly and thoughtfully along South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, a coastal region rich with heritage and alive with the renewal. Here, history is not merely preserved; it pulses through the streets of centuries-old Georgetown and the saltkissed breezes of Pawleys Island.

These communities are undergoing a renaissance, as new life is breathed into storied buildings and long-standing traditions. Homeowners have embraced the role of caretaker for grand 18th-century homes, preserving their architecture for future genera-

tions. On Front Street, a beloved local restaurant reopens under the stewardship of a new generation, bringing together family tradition with fresh culinary vision.

We take a look at Summer Camps, a longstanding tradition and one that takes generations of families to the places where they made memories as children. We talk to an adrenaline-fueled Texas bull rider who has carved out a name for himself in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit, and we meet an Alabama minister whose prize bucking bull — aptly named Preacher’s Kid — has earned a reputation for challenging even the best riders to hold on for eight thrilling seconds. From the rodeo arena, we journey to the depths of the open sea off the coast of North Carolina, where two free divers and spear fishermen reveal the challenges and beauty of their underwater pursuits.

Our travels also take us across the South to discover the individuals and landmarks that add depth to the region's cultural tapestry. In Arkansas, we find a rare and lovingly preserved carousel — a work of art that continues to enchant generations. In Georgia, an artist turns oyster shells into expressions of coastal life, while in Alabama, another artist welds and shapes metal into creations that show his imagination and skill.

Together, these stories reflect the richness of the Southern spirit, rooted in history, alive with creativity, and always reaching for something new.

Sally Ann Sessitte Marion Carache Katherine Ives Kathryn Ann Waller Andrew Cebulka

Summer 2025 • Volume 4 Number 2 Magnolia and Moonshine is a product of Magnolia Greene, Inc. in Seale, Alabama.

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On the Cover: Strolling the sidewalks of Georgetown, South Carolina, a rooster is part of a timeless tableau, rich in history and Lowcountry culture. The pristine Hammock Coast is undergoing a remarkable renaissance.

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Breezy coastal charm and timeless elegance set the scene for unforgettable open-air meals at this historic Lowcountry retreat.

In South Carolina's low country, rich in history and steeped in Southern charm, is a timeless community on the Hammock Coast awakening to a graceful renaissance.

At 631 Frank's on Front, classic flavors with a modern twist take family tradition in a new direction.

Summer sleep-away camp is a long-established Southern tradition, and generations of families return to the same camps to create lasting memories.

Ezekiel Mitchell of east central Texas had a candid conversation with God before deciding to pursue a career in professional bull riding where eight seconds can feel like a lifetime.

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A R T I FAC T S R E B O R N INTO FINE ART With metal as a medium, Alabama artist Bruce Larsen transforms pieces of the past into keepsakes for a lifetime.

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DEPTH DEF YING For two North Carolina natives, spearfishing and freediving are a challenge that pushes them to the limits while reconnecting them to the mysteries of the sea.

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B OV I N E B O N A N Z A When Pastor Rodney Mitchell of Alabama took an interest in owning a bucking bull, he was all in and raises the specialty stock on his farm in Phenix City. www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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SPECIAL SECTIONS 64

BY GEORGE A local lens magnifies the charms of a South Carolina boutique hotel where a blend of natural elements and fabulous finery align.

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TA K I N G T H E CAKE Chambless Kalka built an Atlanta-based business with grit and grace, designing fashion-forward styles to suit young women.

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Oldknow Beverage Co. brings curious, experimental, and downright delicious cocktails, seltzers, and more to its Clayton, Georgia, tasting lounge.

Renee Fabrikant drew inspiration from her love of Tybee Island, Georgia, seeing the potential in the oyster shells offered by the Atlantic.

Martinique Lemke's culinary creations took on a new form when she decided to create canine confections in an Amelia Island, Florida, bakery.

A rare 1920s carousel remains an object in motion, spinning magic for guests of all ages at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas.

Chef Paul Lewis has lent his military experience in explosives to movie stars but prefers creating mind-blowing menus at his restaurant in Locust Grove, Georgia.

Mississippi musician James “Super Chikan” Johnson's ingenuity has been a lifelong throughline as tight as a string on his custom-made guitars.

Southern SASS: Southerners have elevated communication to an art form.

Under the Muscadine Vine: Southern Revivals Southern Essentials

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Finer in Carolina Breezy coastal charm and timeless elegance set the scene for unforgettable open-air meals at this historic Lowcountry retreat.

Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Carmen Ash

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To understand Georgetown, South Carolina, a tide-washed town where time lingers and stories whisper from beneath centuries-old floorboards, a talk with Realtor Kevin Jayroe is in order. He could turn a five-minute chat into an afternoon on the front porch, sweet tea in hand, breeze blowing from the harbor, and the whispers of history rustling through the live oaks.

“My family’s been here for generations — since the 1740s. This isn’t just where I live. It’s where I belong,” Kevin says. “This area predates the United States. People always forget that part. We're much older than the United States of America.”

Growing up on his grandparents' plantation, Bienvenue, Kevin developed a profound appreciation for history and architecture. This town's stories are woven into its buildings, streets, and people.

Kevin’s 1739 home in Georgetown, built by William Fleming of Scotland, is a testament to the layers of history woven into Georgetown’s fabric.

He shares it with his partner, Douglas Waldroup, who owns another 18th century cottage in downtown Georgetown.

“You’re never really an owner of these old homes,” Kevin says. “You’re just a steward. You take care of them for the next person.”

Kevin takes his role as a steward to heart. He’s a Realtor who treasures the opportunity to see a family ensconced in a treasured old home through Reside Realty. He also owns Swamp Fox Trolley Tours, continuing the legacy of his mother, who loved sharing Georgetown’s stories with every tourist she met.

“She’d take two hours just walking Front Street, stopping to chat with everyone,” he laughs. “That’s the kind of place this is. If you sit beside a local, they’re gonna start a conversation. And before you know it, they’re welcoming you to Georgetown.”

For Kevin, Georgetown is more than a hometown. It’s a living storybook, a porch light in the

fog, a canopy of green that calls you back no matter how far you’ve gone.

“I lived in New York once,” he remembers. “I looked up in Times Square and the first thing I saw on a giant screen was a scene from Black River Plantation from (the movie) The Notebook. That’s when I knew — I needed the oak trees. I just needed to see a canopy of green. I needed home.”

And home, it seems, is precisely what Kevin has helped Georgetown become — for locals, newcomers, and anyone fortunate enough to find their way down Front Street. He opens his own home twice a year — for the annual Tour of Homes in the spring, hosted by Prince George Church, and for the local library’s Christmas tour, when 800 people or more might walk through the circa 1700s treasure he stewards.

“People just want to know the story of these old places,” he says. “I love being part of the history here.”

P H OTO B Y DA N X E L L E R A S S I S T E D B Y WA L K E R AT S H E M C R E E K B OAT R E N TA L S

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C OZ Y O N T H E C OA S T A coastal-inspired table setting blends elegance with relaxed charm.

Each place is set with a large Vietri charger, its artisan glaze and natural textures evoking the earthy tones of driftwood and sand. A delicate Haviland Limoges plate lends its fine porcelain and subtle detailing with a touch of French refinement. Brass cutlery introduces a warm, sun-kissed gleam, reminiscent of golden hour light dancing on the waves, while cut glass water goblets catch and reflect the light like sea glass scattered along the shore. With shell towers and serving elements, the coastal table is both sophisticated and inviting.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA QUIRK

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POOLSIDE PERFECTION

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A poolside table setting radiates rustic elegance and Southern charm. It begins with a custom table repurposed from a former porch, its weathered wood surface telling stories of bygone summer days. At each seat, a grass charger lays the foundation, bringing texture and a natural touch. Bamboo cutlery complements the setting and adds a light, casual feel for alfresco dining. Custom dinner plates by Ryan Gainey, each a celebration of garden-inspired artistry from the Georgia horticulturist, are layered with Royal Crown plates adorned with delicate leaf motifs. Topping the setting are vintage majolica cabbage bowls, adding whimsy and vibrant color, like freshly plucked greens from a garden.

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Palmetto Paradise In South Carolina's Lowcountry, rich in history and steeped in Southern charm, is a timeless community on the Hammock Coast awakening to a graceful renaissance.

Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Tanya Ackerman

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“They say when you are raised on the coast, you have saltwater in your blood.”

Kevin Jayroe grew up basking in the warm charm and change of Georgetown. It’s a place that’s always known how to reinvent itself, he says. Once a booming port in the rice and indigo trade, later a hub for steel and paper mills, today Georgetown is undergoing what he calls “a golden age”—a renaissance of preservation and prosperity. As industries fade, what’s left behind is the heritage, the beauty, and a renewed sense of purpose.

“The steel and paper mills are coming down,” Kevin explains. “Front Street’s going to be extended, and that means more restaurants, more shopping, more life. It’s like we’re going back to the glory Georgetown saw 100 years ago.”

Visitors are catching on fast. Since a waterfront hotel opened its doors, curious travelers have been flocking in. “Wednesday through Sunday, all you see are ladies shopping at Miss Lizzie’s and other boutiques, grabbing lunch on the harbor, discovering what we’ve known for years — this place is magic.”

That magic stretches beyond downtown. The area’s barrier islands, like the storied Pawleys Island, are some of the oldest seaside retreats in America.

“I went to the Sea View Inn last summer, and it feels like the old coastal homes where they would keep the windows open.” Kevin says. “You hear the surf and enjoy the beach. At lunch time, they ring a dinner bell to let you know it’s time to eat in the dining room. You sit down with fried chicken, rice and gravy, fresh fruit — just good old Southern food and ocean breeze. It’s heaven.”

But Georgetown’s magic is also its mystery.

Known as one of South Carolina’s most haunted towns, it holds legends of ghostly figures.

“We’ve got the Gray Man, Alice, hags, haints, and plateyes,” Kevin says, listing the spirits like familiar neighbors. “Some people say, if you put your face between a horse’s ears, you can see a spirit.”

What keeps this coast so preserved, Kevin says, are the rice plantations that have been protected for generations, the barrier islands that remain untouched, and a deep respect for both natural beauty and cultural legacy — including the powerful presence of the Gullah Geechee people, whose language and traditions still echo in everyday life.

“You can feel it in the music, the art, even the words we use — like ‘bitty’ for a little chicken, or ‘haint’ for ghost,” he says. “This isn’t just a place on the map. It’s alive.”

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Story by Su-Jit Lin, Photos by Tanya Ackerman

Family Legacy Finds a New Form At 631 Frank's on Front, classic flavors with a modern twist take family tradition in a new direction.

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n hour outside of Charleston, over the bridge on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, the name Frank ’s holds weight. A local bastion of fine dining since 1988, a behemoth of a restaurant with four dining venues and just as many bars, plus a courtyard and rock garden, Frank ’s and Frank ’s Outback casts a long shadow … particularly for Leldon McClary Elmer and her husband, Sam. Though she lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, for six years after graduating from the University of Georgia, the prodigal daughter has returned home to continue the family legacy in two ways with two additions: a young daughter and 631 Frank’s on Front restaurant in Georgetown, just on the other side of Pawleys Island overlooking the Sampit River and Goat Island.

Upon their return to Georgetown, Leldon and Sam realized

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there was a need in their neighborhood for a local market or small restaurant.

“While looking for spaces to buy or lease, the concept evolved to a fully seated restaurant,” she says, and it was in the former art gallery and residence previously owned by Betsy Havens and Jim Caulk that the fully gut-renovated building was reintroduced as 631 in June 2024.

“It took us a little over a year to do the buildout,” Leldon says, “And it was almost another name. We had one in mind but found out it was trademarked!”

But it turns out that didn’t matter. During that time, despite this being the pair’s project, community members had already started calling it Frank’s on Front (Street).

“We realized we could call it, say, Palm Tree, and they’d still

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call it Frank’s on Front!” she laughs. “So we added 631 for the address and to show differentiation.”

In a classic case of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” Leldon embraced the association, especially since it came with warm familial support. The pair leased the building from her parents.

“My mom will sometimes help out in the kitchen or will just be bored and come over,” she says. “We see my parents most days now, supporting us by dining here for lunch or just stepping in to help when needed.”

But from the kitchen and the dining room, the new generation is making sure the town knows 631 is their house.

Because while there are a few overlaps across the menus — typically favorites of regulars and locals who have spent years driving across the water and are delighted to no longer have to, Leldon explains, “We wanted it to show our own way of doing things and reflect our experiences.

“Like, we have a tuna poke dish, but we’ve been asked why it’s not the same as at Frank’s. We do a stack instead.

But that reflects me and Sam. And my dad wanted a French bistro look, but we ended up going with something different for the bar.”

Together, they decided to use the custom zinc countertops he had his heart set on. The collaboration extends beyond the immediate family as well. Chef Lenny Edwards joined the restaurant full time in December 2024. Prior to that, he spent a majority of his time helping out the kitchen staff, while also working for Frank’s in Pawleys Island, making him a part of the Frank’s family since the 90s. Others also share time between the spaces.

“Some of their employees will work here for lunch and there for dinner,” with the day shift offering a more cozy feeling for a smaller team.

“It’s very intimate with a New York City feel in that it’s a slim building, brick, with a smaller atmosphere that feels close-knit,” she explains. “Locals will come out about three times a week, walking down; they won’t even take their golf carts down the road because it’s just so walkable. We love having this support.”

It’s this charming “old Charleston

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vilage feel" lthat drew the pair back to South Carolina … and other early-days families like theirs, which is also creating a burgeoning culinary scene.

“A lot of young people came here during the work-fromhome days because if you’re working remotely, why not on the beach?” she asks. “Then they just kind of stayed, and there’s a large younger crowd that’s now moved here. I think a lot of people are venturing out of the cities. Charleston is so recognized, and people who need a break will come up here for the day. With the opening of The George, they can stay downtown in a nice place. And they can also make a day trip from their boats and come to Frank’s on Front and have lunch.

From there, they fall in love with the area, watching the boats go by and drinking in the Lowcountry life.

“People are leaving cities, looking for a slower, waterfront lifestyle, and here, traffic isn’t bad (‘yet,’ she jokes), and it’s a smaller community with access to similar amenities,” Leldon says. “There’s a new brewery that opened, and (they’re) looking to open a tapas place. There’s another cocktail bar opening up in town, and a cantina down the road was converted into an Italian restaurant. And I’m hearing about a cidery.

“Georgetown was always a great place for bar food, to watch football and golf, but we’re growing, and restaurateurs are accommodating the desires of their new residents. With 631 Frank’s on Front approaching its one-year mark, it’s plain to see the town can now check the fine dining box off their wish lists.”

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A local lens magnifies the charms of a South Carolina boutique hotel where a blend of natural elements and fabulous finery align.

BY GEORGE Story by Su-Jit Lin, Photos by Andrew Cebulka

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he water ripples lazily, sparkling as it catches sunbeams overhead, tickled by soft breezes in a quiet marine alleyway. The ref lection of clouds and low-growing greenery is brief ly broken as boats break through toward a marina with gently bobbing docks. The destination: a smart but elegant low-rise building, tidy in shades of white, cream, and black trim.

After disembarking, guests feel equally relaxed and excited to settle into a room where water views may lie directly outside the window, the charms of yesteryear surround them, and modern amenities add comfort to the getaway.

This isn’t Venice — it’s Georgetown. And not the Georgetown of Washington, D.C., but a lesser-known destination much farther south, in the heart of America’s Hammock Coast. You’ve arrived at The George Hotel, a recently opened luxury escape just an hour outside Charleston, South Carolina.

Built on this emerging destination’s historic Front Street waterfront, The George’s introduction marks a new era for this charming town. It’s the first property of its kind in Georgetown and “has become a catalyst for the city’s growth,” says the hotel’s General Manager Drue Ford. Beyond its status as the only boutique hotel in the entire county at this time, with an intimate availability of just 56 rooms, another unique feature is that it was designed for visitors from far and near … as near as the locals within this riverfront town.

Centrally located in a downtown that channels the idyllic concept of Main Street, USA, it’s easy for them to get to and even easier to stay.

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“Our inviting space was created with residents in mind and has become a true communal hub for locals to gather, embodying the true essence of a neighborhood living room,” Drue says.

Décor elements in communal spaces include coastal touches that accent the waterfront views, and “hotel rooms and suites tell their own stories of life along the water … the inherent beauty of things collected over time, the warmth of familiar materials imagined anew,” he quotes. Of these private spaces, 42 of which face the water, each reflects the town’s 18th and 19th-century architecture.

“From vintage seating and bespoke headboards to whimsical paintings from local artists, each detail was hand-selected by Jenny Keenan Design,” Drue says, with the help of art consultant Allison Williamson of Charleston Artist Collective.

Together, they brought in works from South Carolina artisans, including David Boatwright, Wilfred Spoon, Dawn Nakamura, Michelle Owenby, and Ellen McEnany, all of whom were inspired by the flora, fauna, and cyanotype indigo dye pieces distinctive to the area. Additionally, the team collaborated with the director of Charleston’s Heart of Gold Gallery, Aaron Zych, for photography that reflects the region's beauty and entices guests to explore further.

Yet of all these fine art features, Drue is particularly fond of the wallpaper decorating the arched hallway past the elevators. Entitled “Birds Tapestry,” this design by Iskel (in collaboration with F. Schumacher & Co.) “calls in the natural surroundings and wildlife,” he says, in an immersive, large-scale fashion that offers a sense of place. More subtle references to the landscape can be found in the use of materials such as brick, stucco, pecky cypress, and warm woods.

Visuals aren’t the only senses the hotel focuses on. Luxury and comfort were also important to the concept’s development; sourcing quality amenities was given just as much attention.

“I most enjoy a boutique hotel atmosphere because I’m given artistic license with design, guest amenities, and programming,” he says. “An independent hotel such as The George is inspired by locals and often partners with local businesses,” which gives them deeper insight into the area's treasures, including the nearby Harborwalk, as well as recreation opportunities. For example, the marina next door — from which you disembarked in your imagination — not only offers necessary services like a stationary pump-out, laundry, and 30/20/100 amp service, but also offers docking for day trip guests, full or half-day rentals of their new luxury tri-toon boat for exploring Winyah Bay, and access to the Captain’s Lodge.

For more formal gatherings, The George’s Indigo Room, which overlooks the marina and event lawn, is “exceptional for all manner of gatherings,” he enthuses, able to accommodate banquets for up to 65 or theater-style seminars for as many as 125 guests. But for festivities, the dockside lawn, which comfortably hosts 160 for an al fresco dinner and up to 200 for a cocktail party, is a photo-ready setting, especially with available food and drink service from their on-site restaurants, The Independent and Eliza’s.

Combined, The George has already become an integral part of the community, “directly connecting our guests to the revitalizing energy that can only be felt by being on the Hammock Coast,” Drue says … one that can only be experienced for yourself.

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D E B O R D I E U I N C O A S TA L S O U T H C A R O L I N A I S T H E P I C T U R E O F P R I S T I N E C O A S TA L L I V I N G , W H E R E T I DA L M A R S H E S T E E M W I T H M A R I N E L I F E , A N D A C T I V I T I E S F O R FA M I L I E S A B O U N D .

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DISCOVERIES WHERE THE TIDE MEETS TIME

For visitors who want an extended South Carolina sojourn, the break can be relaxing and enriching.

Whether drawn to the scenic waterfront views, the fresh seafood, or the quiet pace of life, staying for a spell offers more time to explore the Lowcountry's history, shops, and beaches.

By Su-Jit Lin and Cara Clark • Stroll the Harborwalk, a four-block-long wide boardwalk flanked by shops and restaurants on one side and the Sampit River on the other.

Get beautiful photos of the harbor from this vantage point.

• Book an eco-tour by boat from Georgetown to Sandy Island Wildlife Preserve, a remote area treasured for diverse birdlife, longleaf pines, and other rare plants, as well as an assortment of critters that might be visiting from nearby Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.

must-visit destination for art and nature lovers alike. Sprawling across more than 9,000 acres of former rice plantations, Brookgreen Gardens was founded in the 1930s by philanthropist and scholar Archer Huntington and his wife, renowned sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington.

• Visit the Gullah Museum of Georgetown, which is dedicated to preserving the Gullah Geechee culture. The museum offers exhibits on language, crafts, and traditions.

• Grab a seat on Swamp Fox Tours' signature blue and white tram, the oldest tour company in Georgetown. Ride through 300 years of history as you pass and even enter its most significant sites.

• Stop by the Georgetown County Farmers Market, a lively event showcasing local agriculture, where visitors can browse fresh produce, homemade goods, and crafts.

• Jump on a fishing charter boat for your next big catch story, or rent a kayak to watch — or catch — a variety of fish that feed peacefully in the shallows.

• Make time to shop. Georgetown's Historic District is a shopper's paradise, offering a variety of locally owned boutiques and specialty stores where visitors can engage directly with shop owners. Notable spots include:

• Explore the haunted history of Pawley’s Island and the surrounding areas. The historic coastline is said to be home to The Grey Man, whose spirit has been in the area for more than 200 years.

• Reserve a tee time at Wedgefield Country Club, a semi-private facility whose green weaves through Spanish moss-draped live oaks and magnolias and finishes at the Black River. Or make a trip of it by starting here and playing along the Waccamaw Golf Trail, a collection of 12 of the state’s best courses.

• Visit Brookgreen Gardens, a remarkable cultural and natural treasure located just south of Murrells Inlet. This expansive property is home to the largest statuary gardens on the East Coast, making it a

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- Mimi Seabrook: For the perfect look on the coast, this boutique has carefully curated styles for daytime or evening wear.

- Waterfront Books: A cozy bookstore in Fogel Wharf, offering a selection of regional and used books, including first editions.

- Bluebird Vintage: A vintage shop where you can sip coffee from Urban Brew while browsing retro furniture and decor.

- Georgetown Art Gallery: A cooperative gallery featuring works by 20 local artists, including pastels, watercolors, sculptures, and photography.

- Tomlinson's: A local department store on Front Street offering a wide selection of clothing for men, women, and children, along with gifts for the home.

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Taking the Cake Chambless Kalka built an Atlanta-based business with grit and grace, designing fashion-forward styles to suit young women.

Story by Cara Clark

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here’s a reason the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,” describes an elusive ideal — once the cake is eaten, it’s no longer whole and beautiful. Yet, this age-old truth, dating back to a 16th-century letter from a British nobleman, has been delightfully upended by Chambless Kalka, a determined entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia.

In her quest to find stylish, age-appropriate clothing for her daughters, Chambless noticed a glaring gap in the market: fashion for young women that wasn’t overly mature. Confident she could fill this void with vibrant, fun designs that honored this unique stage between adolescence and adulthood, she launched what would become Cake For Dinner — now a thriving fashion label resonating with young women across the country.

The brand was born during a deeply personal and challenging chapter in Chambless’s life, a story she shares openly to uplift others facing adversity.

“I was in a not-so-ideal situation at home,” she says. “I’d been out of the workforce for 12 years, taking care of my children, and you become irrelevant quickly. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I needed to do something, and it needed to be big. I was brainstorming, and when my daughter went from a school that required uniforms to one that didn’t, I thought, ‘This is it. This is a problem that needs to be solved.

I don’t know how we’re going to get there, but I know it can be done.’”

At her side from the beginning was her best friend and unwavering supporter, Kelly Evans, who stood by Chambless through a difficult marriage and encouraged her to build a future on her own terms. Both women were mothers to 12-year-old daughters who struggled to find dresses that fit and flattered.

“I was in a very similar situation with my daughter,” Kelly says. “I didn’t like spending money on things that didn’t last, but if you buy expensive things, they grow out of them. Chambless identified that need.

Young women don’t quite fit into women’s brands. They’re either too lowcut on the neckline or the shoulders are too large. Girls mature much faster than boys and want to look and feel their best — they start getting into fashion as early teens.”

Chambless had already been on a mission — asking friends and young women what they wanted to wear, visiting fabric stores, even showing up at a factory with a bag of swatches and her own handmade dress sketch.

But she hit roadblocks. The factory couldn’t accommodate an idea with no actual design. Still, she pressed on.

To bring her vision to life, Chambless needed a designer. She contacted the Savannah College of Art and Design to see if any students were open to freelance work — and that’s when fate brought her to Mallory Atkins, a fashion designer and SCAD alum.

“They connected me to Mallory, and we chatted forever and then got started,” Chambless says. Mallory recalls their first meeting vividly.

“We really hit it off,” she says. “I was looking to do something exciting. I’d been working with a few smaller brands, and I’d worked with a company to get a fashion line going. I decided to go out on my own and do that for other people. When I met Chambless, we just hit the ground running.”

Over eight months in the midst of COVID — the team developed their debut collection, guided by constant feedback from their target audience. For Mallory, the project was deeply personal.

“My love of fashion started when I was a child,” she says. “I had a big dream of working for Barbie and designing Barbie clothes. I would draw all of these scenes and clothing. I would make doll clothes with my grandmother, and I was sewing all the time. I would even call the numbers on the side of the Mattel box and try to tell the customer service operators my ideas. My mom got our phone bill, and that ended very quickly.”

After working with brands in New York and Atlanta, Mallory found the perfect opportunity to channel her passion.

“I remember that age so well,” Mallory says. “I remember not being able to fit into clothes my older sister would wear. It was hard to find any styles. What we design now makes girls feel comfortable and confident as they go out into the world and discover themselves.”

Chambless’s daughter, Claire, and Kelly’s daughter, Anne Davis, now 17, still wear Cake For Dinner (CFD) pieces.

Chambless’s youngest, now 12, is just stepping into the clothes that inspired the brand.

What began as a pre-teen-focused line now appeals to a broader age range — from early teens to college students and young professionals.

Cake For Dinner operates a storefront in Avalon, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, and has found success with popups in stores throughout the South and even a few at the homes of friends, who want to help share the fun styles.

“The pop-ups give girls a chance to try

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on the garments and see how the necklines adjust and how the fabrics feel,” Chambless says. “That was our groundwork to spread the word and meet our customers. That led to them following and buying from us online, once they knew the fit and understood the brand. Pop-ups are still so important for us to gain new customers.”

Today, the brand’s heartland is in the Southeast, but its reach stretches to Texas, the Midwest, and along the East Coast, including New York and Connecticut.

CFD’s signature aesthetic is bright, joyful, and distinctive — much like the cakes it’s named after. Think rich purple ruffles and soft pink lines, pieces adorned like frosting with embroidery and feminine details. Each collection is planned a year in advance. One recent line, Ciao Bella, was inspired by Italy — from colorful tiles to sun-washed architecture.

“It’s reminiscent of coastal Italian towns, and we build on those ideas with embroideries and silhouettes and figure out how the sets work,” Mallory says. “We think about how the whole collection will fit together. If you buy something in our collection, we want you to be able to wear each piece multiple times in different ways, and so we try to make solids that work with our printed styles — you can wear it as a matching set, or you can even style it with something we've done in a previous collection because it's already in your closet.”

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BUILDING A DREAM FROM THE GROUND UP It’s difficult to imagine the struggles that came before this bright chapter.

But Chambless’s story is rooted in grit, resilience, and the power of friendship.

“As Chambless was brainstorming her ideas about the business, I was very supportive of her,” Kelly says. “I know she was in a difficult situation with her marriage and was trying to create something for her and her children. I was always her cheerleader. I wanted her to succeed. She had been out of the workforce to focus on her children — a decision she and her husband made — so she had to dust things off, and it was a tough time. She was not being supported.”

Despite a full-time job and family, Kelly traveled with Chambless for pop-ups and the launch party, offering both emotional and operational support. She wanted to see her friend extricated from a bad relationship, and a new business venture was one way to help. Over time, she transitioned into a more active role.

“We’ve always kind of joked I was the COO, but over the last six months or so, I’ve jumped in and helped from a business advisory perspective,” Kelly says. “I’ve recently left my full-time job and jumped in. It helps from an operations perspective. I always talk about where we’ve been and where we’re

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going. I love the trajectory we are on. Not only do I want my friend to be successful, but I think it’s important in any situation for women to have the support to stand on their own and be successful in their own right. A woman in business can be powerful as an individual, but working together is also very important.”

From the beginning, Mallory sensed Chambless was shouldering more than the usual entrepreneurial stress.

Chambless’s daughter once told her she should write a book, saying, “You started this business with handcuffs on.”

That comment speaks volumes. Chambless’s journey — from isolation to inspiration — fuels her desire to help other women escape similar circumstances.

“When we are able, I would love to have a charitable component to CFD,” Chambless says. “I’ve already laid the groundwork for a foundation to help women in situations like mine. Not everyone is going to have an idea and be fortunate enough to have it fall into place, which I feel is what hap-

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pened with me. It was a combination of God and luck and friends, and it's just incredible. But that's not going to happen for everyone. I would love to be able to support women who feel like I did, because it's horrible. You feel like you're trapped, and you really can't move.”

Cake For Dinner is more than a clothing line — it’s a celebration of life, resilience, and joy.

The name says it all: “Let’s have cake and enjoy life, feel good in your clothing, and celebrate who you are.”

Chambless, Mallory, and Kelly have created more than a brand — they’ve built a movement and the notion, “You CAN have your cake and eat it, too.”

“From the initial day we launched, I knew it was going somewhere,” Chambless says. “The demand was huge. I want CFD to be in the closet of every house in this country with a young woman in it. I want us to be a household name, and I think we’re moving in that direction. It’s been such a blessing to be surrounded by these women who believe in the company and believe in me.”

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Seasons in the Sun Summer sleep-away camp is a long-established Southern tradition, and generations of families return to the same camps to create lasting memories.

Story by Jennifer Kornegay

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here’s nothing else that can do what we do for kids,” says Justin Hawkins, owner and director of 100-plus-year-old Camp Rio Vista and its 43-year-old sister camp, Sierra Vista. In summing up the appeal of summer sleepaway camp, his belief that camp’s respite from the pressures of modern childhood gives kids a gift they can’t get from any other experience rings loud, clear, and true. And while he’s quick to tout the virtues and offerings of his Texas camp nestled in Hill Country’s lovely landscape, he emphasizes his thoughts don’t solely apply to his camps.

He’s not alone. Leaders at other popular Southern camps — Camp Merrie-Woode in Western North Carolina’s mountains and brother-sister camps Seagull and Seafarer on the North Carolina coast — echo Justin’s thoughts.

In their beginnings, all these camps enchanted kids (and their parents) with promises of carefree days packed with adventure and camaraderie, which they delivered on and then some. The core memories formed at these special spots warmed campers’ hearts and minds for years after they unpacked their footlocker for the final time. When their own kids reached camper age, the now-parents’ fond recollections re-ignited and motivated them to share camp with their offspring.

And so, the best camps build repeat customers simply by excelling at what they do. The Vista camps, Sea Gull and Seafarer, and Merrie-Woode all host campers whose parents and even grandparents attended. Curt Steinhorst was a Rio Vista camper from age 10 to 16 when he became a counselor and eventually a staff member for several years. The ability to be yourself ranks at the top of his

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camp love list and motivated him to send his kids.

“Often, as a kid, you get pigeon-holed in school, and you carry the same identity from grade to grade,” he says. “At camp, you have none of that baggage. You get to be you and be a kid.”

Today, summer camp’s value has only increased. Every day stresses, amplified by the constant siren song of social media, lead to levels of childhood and teenage anxiety unheard of in decades past. If it is nothing else, camp is a welcome break from the above, as Robin Walker, executive director of the all-girls escape Camp Merrie-Woode, attests.

“Many of our campers say they feel like their best selves here,” she says, “and it’s so neat to watch them unwind.” They are wearing uniforms; they don’t have cell phones. “They are totally unplugged and getting to be more who they truly are, and there’s such a sense of freedom to discover their peers like them for who they are, with no makeup and messy lake hair.”

But camp is so much more, too, and these camps each boast their own allure, charms that bring campers back year after year, generation after generation.

BIG AND BRIGHT The oldest summer camp in the Southwest, Camp Rio Vista shines today much as it has for almost 105 years, beckoning boys to what Justin calls “God’s country.”

“We have a mile of the Guadalupe River, where it is nice and wide and deep,” he says, “and it’s all in the middle of the Texas Hill Country, with rolling hills,

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"Often, as a kid, you get pigeonholed in school, and you carry the same identity from grade to grade. At camp, you have none of that baggage. You get to be you and be a kid.”

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pecan, oak, and cypress trees. It’s truly beautiful.”

In 1982, Sierra Vista, its sister camp, was added, and like Rio Vista, it draws girls with its scenery and range of activities. (Though they’re adjacent, the camps operate separately most of the time, getting their campers together once a week for dances or carnivals as part of their evening programs.)

Both offer a full list of sports, horseback riding, archery, arts and crafts, ropes courses, and water activities — canoeing, swimming, and an old-school rope swing — and feature multiple competition opportunities in classic sports and things like trivia nights.

With the camps’ stories spanning so many decades, continuing traditions also play a big role in their appeal. Each summer’s friendly competitions differ little from happenings at the camps since their beginnings. Both boy and girl campers join one of four tribes (two at each camp). Helping your tribe take the ultimate prize by “winning camp” at the end of the session drives most of the competitions and games. The final test, a river paddling race called war canoe, forms recollections of sore arms and throats hoarse from cheering that never fade.

“When past campers visit, they often remember their tribe, their cabin, even their counselor’s names,” Justin says.

“And so many things are the same; I love watching the inner kids reawakened in the older generations when they discover that.”

These beloved traditions also account for the camps’ generational campers. Rio Vista hosts some campers whose great-grandfathers cooled off in the same stretch of river during their summer sessions. Justin himself is an example of the hold Rio Vista exerts.

“My grandfather, dad, and uncle bought the camp in 1976, and I was born and raised here,” he says. “I left to go to college but came back and took over in 2004.”

His daughter works at camp, too, marking the fourth generation of his family at camp. Curt’s oldest son heads to Rio Vista this summer for his fourth year, while his younger brother attends for the first time. Recounting the rituals, relationships formed, and fun he had with his children deepens their bond, a fact that thrills Curt.

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“My kid has had largely the same experiences I had at camp, and I love that,” he says. But more than nostalgia keeps Curt and his family loyal fans of summer camp. He points to skills and lessons learned as significant camp benefits.

“I was chief of my tribe, and we won the camp that year. That was such an amazing confidence builder,” he says. “I believe my confidence in being a leader today, and the opportunities that have come from it, came from confidence gained at a camp, so I wanted that for my kids.”

M O U N TA I N M AG I C Robin has been executive director of Camp Merrie-Woode since 2022 (she’s co-director with her husband), but she soaked in the stunning mountain surroundings and fresh air of the camp’s Appalachian range location well before then, as a camper in the late 1980s and early ‘90s and then as the development and alumnae relations director from 2015 to 2022. Now, as it did when it welcomed its first campers in 1919, Merrie-Woode harnesses the area’s natural beauty to fulfill its mission.

“We want to inspire girls to have a lasting awareness of God’s creation,” she says. “You can’t help but be awestruck by it here.”

The camp’s immersive outdoor activities, including mountaineering, backpacking, rock climbing, caving, paddling, hiking, and overnights in the wilderness, reflect this goal, as do the rustic accommodations.

“It’s simple living here,” Robin says, “with one-room cabins and screened win-

dows. It’s the chance to really be in nature.”

And what nature it is: Of Merrie-Woode’s 400 acres, 200 acres of temperate rain forest remain undeveloped, part of the camp’s long-term conservation and stewardship plan for its land. Merrie-Woode also aims to nurture its campers, focusing on personal growth.

“Our campers aren’t competitive with each other; we don’t give out awards for fastest runner or best guitar player,” Robin says. “We’re fostering an environment where you’re striving to be better at being you; you’re really only competing against yourself.”

The camp’s century-long history built a strong legacy that continues to delight.

“Many of our traditions revolve around the legend of King Arthur and his knights,” Robin says. Each session’s final night features a play re-enacting the king and his compatriots’ search for the holy grail; a robust theater program is another favorite aspect of Merrie-Woode. “Campers love it, and we use the story to highlight self-sacrifice and service to your wider community. It’s a message we hope they take home.”

They also leave camp with deep friendships that bring them back. “We have a 90-percent return rate,” Robin says. “It’s very common for us to have second-generation campers, but we have a few third and even fourth-generation campers as well.”

She credits the common thread weaving through the years.

“Our families love that the experience has not changed much,” she says.

Moms sing camp songs to lull baby girls to sleep; years later, they raise their

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voices to the same songs with their cabin mates.

“Even our uniforms are close to the same. The green bloomers did eventually become green shorts,” she says.

The final touch to any Merrie-Woode outfit is a silver bracelet gifted to campers after they’ve attended a certain number of weeks.

“It is a prized possession that most campers cherish their entire lives,” Robin says.

W I N D B E N E AT H W I N G S “We always say the world would be a better place if it was more like camp, so we encourage our campers to take the camp spirit home,” says Anna Wisniewski, director of communications for the all-boys Camp Sea Gull, founded in 1948, and its sister camp for girls, Camp Seafarer, founded in 1961.

Both sit on the banks of North Carolina’s Neuse River. The candlelight ceremony at Seafarer at the sessions’ closing drives this message home.

“We talk about how the flame grows brighter at camp and how they can

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spread that once they leave camp,” Anna says.

This “pass it on” moment is one of several customs linking campers through the ages, including Anna, whose mom, while she was never a camper, was on Seafarer’s staff in the 1980s. “I first visited camp at age two, and then our family started doing family camp when I was six, something we continued all the way to when I was in college. And my parents still go with some of their friends,” she says. After college, Anna returned to Seafarer as a counselor, finally taking on her current full-time job and overseeing communications for both camps.

Other traditions include the staff sporting blue tees with a white neck — called “blueberries” — for decades, and the Seafarer and Sea Gull camper shirts changing little.

“It’s fun to look back through old pictures and see that as styles have shifted so much, these shirts are basically the same,” Anna says. Camp songs elicit a similar reaction. “I posted a few of our songs on social media last summer, and I had 70-year-olds commenting about how they remembered them and the great memories that hearing and then singing them again brought back.”

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Both the 77-year-old Sea Gull and 65-year-old Seafarer stand out for their longevity and continued success, but also for their focus on nautical skills that not many camps can match. While both offer tennis, swimming, zip lines, climbing walls, horseback riding, and an array of sports and creative arts activities, they emphasize sailing and power boating.

Campers come for the fun of boating but also to work their way through a rank system as they learn and master skills on several different classes of boats with the goal of eventually earning certifications.

“We have partnerships with U.S. Sailing and U.S. Power boating, but sailing sets us apart; it is such a unique activity, and you can’t do it everywhere,” Anna says.

Campers come from everywhere to do it — this summer will host budding sailors from 46 states and seven countries.

And the sailing program teaches more than tying knots and navigation. “If you can sail on your own at age 10, that’s a real boost,” Anna says, “so our campers leave with increased confidence.” They also learn teamwork, working with others, including others who may not be just

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like them, and overcoming challenges.

Also setting them apart, the camps’ family sessions allow generations of camp lovers to enjoy it together.

“It’s a great chance for alumni to come back to camp with their kids or grandkids,” Anna says.

Many past and current campers take advantage of the opportunity, just as many campers return year after year and then send their children.

She explains why.

“We have many third-generation campers right now, and people keep coming and recommend the camps to friends and family because their time here was significant and meaningful; camp left a positive mark on them,” she says.

And Anna knows firsthand. The Seafarer’s bond with her mother is special, but extends beyond family. “I’ve been in an airport with my Camp Seafarer sweatshirt on and met other campers,” she says. “The lasting connections created by camp are so neat and something I treasure.”

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A TEXAN'S TWO-STEP Ezekiel Mitchell of east central Texas had a candid conversation with God before deciding to pursue a career in professional bull riding where eight seconds can feel like a lifetime.

Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Bull Stock Media

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n the world of PBR (Professional Bull Riders), a top-tier bucking bull can weigh up to 2,500 pounds. That number alone begs the question — what drives someone to climb aboard such raw, unpredictable power, aiming to hold on for eight adrenaline-charged seconds? Whether thrown off violently or making a clean, well-timed dismount, every rider ends up in the dirt — in an arena where danger is never more than a heartbeat away.

Among the elite athletes who make a career of defying those odds is Ezekiel “Blue” Mitchell, a standout Texan with a fearless spirit and unmistakable flair. Towering at six feet — unusually tall for a bull rider — Ezekiel is easily recognized by his signature blue vest and chaps. When the chute gate swings open, the clock starts, and fans lean in, hoping to see a successful ride and one of Ezekiel’s famous post-ride victory dances.

“From my earliest memories, I don’t remember ever wanting to be anything but a cowboy,” Ezekiel recalls. “My dad was an equine dentist, so growing up, we would go to rodeos.

I loved it.”

Raised in the heart of ranch country, Ezekiel’s childhood was filled with horses, cattle, and hands-on experiences across local ranches. Thanks to his father's work, rodeo culture was ever-present, and it wasn't uncommon to see Ezekiel riding his horse, Two Socks, through the streets of Rockdale.

Though he initially gave roping a shot, financial constraints quickly shifted his focus.

“We realized it was very expensive for us to haul horses around to various rodeos, so we gave up on the roping dream for a while and went full-fledged into bull riding. The rest is history.”

And what a history it’s become. Now 28, Ezekiel is far more than an emerging talent — he’s a PBR favorite with more than $500,000 in career earnings, 17 professional wins, and a 31% ride rate. He’s competed at six PBR World Finals in Las Vegas and has his sights set on more.

“When I started bull riding, I guess people thought I was chasing another part of the cowboy dream,” Ezekiel says. “I don’t think anybody thought it would be as serious as it turned out to be.”

Though praised for his natural talent and grit at early bull riding schools, Ezekiel remained uncertain — until a heartfelt conversation with God shifted everything.

“I kind of gave God an ultimatum after me and mom argued about my riding,” Ezekiel says. “I prayed about it and asked him if this was really for me. I said, ‘If this is what I should be doing, will you show me? Let me make the Texas high school state finals and do well at it. And the funny part about it is I didn’t do it as well as I thought I would. I was 57 points in the last long round of the high school state finals with an option of a re-ride, but I made the short round. So I kept my score; I didn't take the re-ride; and that was the start.

I didn’t know if this was going to work, but I knew that God had something for me, and I got to try to figure it out. So I just went at it as hard as I could after that. And I think it didn't take me very long after that to realize that I had a pretty good knack for it.”

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WHEN E ZEKIEL MITCHELL ASKED FOR D I V I N E G U I DA N C E B E F O R E G O I N G P R O A S A B U L L R I D E R , H E WA S A N S W E R E D . N O W T H E C O W B OY I N B L U E W E A R S A S Y M B O L O F FA I T H O N H I S C H A P S A N D T H E C O U R A G E O F HIS CONVICTIONS IN HIS HEART WHEN HE R I D E S I N P B R E V E N T S A C R O S S T H E N AT I O N .

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With that realization, Ezekiel started visiting stock contractors’ ranches and practicing on high-level PBR bulls — the kind even top-tier riders struggled to stay on.

“I was riding them really well, and I was getting on them for practice sometimes, and they're like, ‘Okay, Zeke. You realize that you got something here. You're riding these bulls that they can't even ride on the big tour right now. So why don't you try to make a run for it.’

“That's pretty much what I did, and that's how I started figuring out I really had a knack for it. The more I got on the road, the more I got outside of Texas, the more I realized that I could be a big fish in a big pond, not just a big fish in a small pond. So it was all a really cool process that I feel God has allowed me to journey through because it hasn't been easy by any means. There have been a lot of times when I wanted to give up, but it all ended up working out the way it should have.”

Some of his most impressive rides have been against notorious bulls like Smooth Operator and Preacher’s Kid, both known for their intensity and unpredictability.

“I’ve had similar stories on both of these bulls as far as tough ones that I ended up riding,” Ezekiel said. “I got on Preacher’s Kid twice, and it didn’t last very long. I had no idea how I was going to figure them out. One day, I ended up having Preacher’s Kid at Greensboro, and I just made up my mind the night before that I was going to ride him no matter what. And that was the best strategy I could have had.”

Conquering both of those bulls — Smooth Operator has “a big boil” that makes him especially volatile — gave Ezekiel two of his highest scores. In bull riding, the cowboy’s ride is scored for half, and the bull’s performance is scored for half. On those days, everything clicked for the cowboy in blue.

“For some reason, those days I rode them, it felt like the easiest thing in the world,” Ezekiel says. “It was so easy for me to get him rode that day. It still amazes me that there are just certain times when everything works out perfectly. You do your job the right way, and the next thing you know, you’re 90 points on a bull that

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From the moment the chute opens, a d r e n a l i n e t a k e s o v e r, a n d t i m e warps . Every heartbeat, every muscle twitch, and every roar from the crowd compress into an instant of pure intensit y.

not a lot of guys get along with, and it was easy. Those days like that make you feel like you can do anything.”

One of the most perilous moments in bull riding happens before the bull even bucks — while the rider secures his grip and wraps his hand in the rosined bull rope, finding his balance in the chute before the beast is unleashed. A lot can go wrong when an animal of that size is ready to explode.

“That is definitely the moment that you try to make everything work, you'll know pretty much how you're going to do whenever you're in the bucking chutes, because that's where it all starts. I'm not trying to think too much at all at that point. I've already done all the preparation I can possibly do in order to talk myself into it or talk myself out of it. Ultimately, I tell all the young kids that you have to have a routine in bull riding because even when your mind isn't working for you, your body will. Your body knows what to do. You have to trust that.”

That trust — and repetition — has gotten him through countless challenging rides.

“I've been very blessed with mostly sprains and bumps and bruises, a few stitches here and there, but I've been very healthy,” he says.

A NEW CHAPTER In May, Ezekiel married Jessie Moore Mitchell, his partner in ranching and life. A former Hunter/Jumper competitor, Jessie now races barrels and trains horses alongside her husband. Together, they’ve started raising young horses and envision building a breeding and training operation of their own.

Even at the peak of his career, Ezekiel’s thoughts are turning toward the future.

“I do think about the future,” Ezekiel says. “I know that bull riding is not a sport that lasts forever. And I also know that I want to go out on my own terms. I don't want to be some washed-up guy that everybody's like, ‘Man, he should have quit a long time ago.’ So I do think about retirement. I'd love to stay a part of the sport in any way I possibly can. I'd love to get into commentating. I’ve had a lot of ideas, and I really want to train horses and have our own line of quarter horses that we send off into the world to do bigger and better things.”

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Bovine Bonanza

When Pastor Rodney Mitchell of Alabama took an interest in owning a bucking bull, he was all in and raises the specialty stock on his farm in Phenix City.

Story By Cara Clark, Photos by Eliza Daffin

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“I didn’t have a connection to the PBR, but I’m a firm believer God puts us where we are meant to be. I think God used Preacher’s Kid to put me dead in the center of the PBR. I preach at the finals and different events. I work with the riders. It’s an important ministry.”

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n the Alabama-Georgia line, where rolling pastures fade into pine-draped hills, a still pond glimmers like glass at the entrance of RD Cattle. Just beyond, cattle jostle one another, gathering around a red tractor. Their eyes f lick toward Rodney and Angie Mitchell as the couple settles a new round bale in the field. The herd’s curiosity, tempered by a twitchy wariness is an American Bucking Bull Inc. (ABBI) trait that runs deep in their bloodline, where Brahma muscle meets powerful other strains to create bulls that twist, spin, and explode from the chute in an eight-second storm.

Rodney Mitchell is a man rooted in two very different arenas. One is the pulpit of Auburn Heights Baptist Church, where he delivers sermons with a shepherd’s heart. The other is a dirt-floored coliseum of chaos: the Pro Bull Riders (PBR) arena, where man and beast clash in a primal display of balance, willpower, and brute force.

In bull riding, the score is 50-50 — half earned by the cowboy, judged on control, form, and action. The other half belongs to the bull — measured in intensity, velocity, and unpredictability.

Preacher’s Kid, or “PK,” has all of that and more. What makes him truly dangerous is that he rides the edge of unpredictability. Where many bulls stick to a familiar rhythm — spinning left or launching into a known buck — PK improvises with every outing. He breaks patterns. He breaks riders.

In more than 80 outs, the white bull with his black-spotted coat and coaldark nose has only been conquered eight times.

“PK won the world finals when he was a three year old in Vegas,” Rodney says. “He had all of it, always known for his kick. Riders don’t like him because he doesn’t have a set pattern. If he feels you cheatin’ to the right, he’s going to the right.”

Mitchell partners with Kenny and Christy McElroy of K Bar C Bucking Bulls — a partnership forged not just in the arena, but in shared passion.

Rodney’s entry into the world of PBR came not by design, but by divine detour. Then a youth minister, he crossed paths with Andy Taylor, pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church in Sara, Oklahoma. That led to a conversation with Todd Pierce, chaplain for the PBR and founder of Riding High Ministries. Since then, Rodney’s ministry has followed the trail dust of the rodeo circuit, offering prayers, counsel, and sermons to men who daily flirt with danger for the love of the ride.

Inside the arena, it’s not uncommon to see riders bow their heads, cross themselves, or lift their eyes skyward before they nod for the gate. What waits is more than a wild ride — it’s a reckoning. A misstep can mean being hurled like a ragdoll, stomped, or gored. In that crucible, faith finds fertile ground.

Rodney felt called to be there — riding alongside the circuit twice a month at one point, ministering with both grit and grace. When his first wife, Debbie, fell ill and he stepped into the senior pastor role, the travel slowed. After her death, he continued to make the rounds in his ministry to the PBR and shares his time between his local church and travel.

PK, now a veteran of the sport, continues performing in ways that send

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cowboys to the arena dirt with a thunk, but it won’t be long before he retires to focus on producing equally fiery progeny.

Rodney’s journey into the world of bucking bulls began more than 15 years ago when he bought 13 registered American Bucking Bull Inc. cows.

The first time he saw PK, he sensed something different. Even in the pasture, the calf exuded defiance — not just wildness, but attitude. Hence the name: Preacher’s Kid. And like any preacher’s kid worth the name, PK carved his own legend.

IN THE BEGINNING The spark was lit by a boy — one of the children Rodney mentored, autistic and fascinated with the spectacle of the PBR. Debbie, unfamiliar with bull riding, dove into the sport just to connect with the young man and prolong their discussions on the sport. She quickly found herself captivated.

“I’d watched bull riding all my life, but she never had, and she got really involved,” Rodney says, remembering the trip that would change their lives.

“She bought a package for us to go to Las Vegas to the World Cup for our anniversary. While we were out there she made the mistake of asking what it would be like to own one of the bulls.”

A chance encounter with PBR legend Cody Lambert opened the gate.

Soon, Rodney had the contact he needed to begin his own herd. Within two years, on a quiet patch of land in Phenix City, PK was born — his sire, High Stakes, already a bull of some renown.

“From the time he was born, I just felt like he was going to be special,” Rodney says of PK’s 2014 birth. “I kept him until he was a little over a year old and took him to Kenny in Ohio. He was pretty high strung and very intense.”

That intensity turned into fury in Mount Orab, Ohio, where PK introduced himself by flattening Kenny more than once. But there was fire in the bull’s bones — the kind that wins trophies. And in 2018, he claimed the ABBI Derby Championship.

Through it all, Rodney felt led — that his purpose extended beyond pulpit and pasture. Outwest Ministries was born of that belief, with a mission to “share the Father’s heart with the western culture.”

“I didn’t have a connection to the PBR, but I’m a firm believer God puts us where we are meant to be,” Rodney says. “I think God used Preacher’s Kid to put me dead in the center of the PBR. I preach at the finals and different events. I work with the riders. It’s an important ministry.”

Now, with PK at the twilight of his career — 10 years old and battle-tested — he’ll return to Phenix City not to buck, but to sire. One of his sons, Living on a Prayer, is already stirring the dust in arenas. More are coming up behind him.

“I've got a couple of two year olds that are out of him that are really doing well,” Rodney says. “Kenny’s got a calf — I think they named it Preacher’s Sermon. A friend of mine owns a bull out of PK called Communion — he’s black and white and looks a lot like PK.” The once-wild bull who came out of the gate like a hurricane now tolerates scratches, a mellow warrior preparing for retirement. He’s learned to enjoy being pampered.

“He has a chiropractor and gets magna wave treatments and lazer,” Rodney says. “He’s treated like royalty.”

Still, Rodney and Angie will be glad to have him home — maybe even open the ranch to visitors who want to meet a legend.

“Being part of the PBR is so rewarding,” Rodney says. “I love the sport and seeing these animals develop. God’s been good to us.”

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For two North Carolina natives, spearfishing and freediving are a challenge that pushes them to the limits while reconnecting them to the mysteries of the sea.

DEPTH DEFYING Story by Cara Clark

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iles from shore and deep beneath the ocean’s surface, the water is silent and crystalline. With descent, the sea grows darker and more mysterious, fathoms below where sunlight filters faintly from above. Suspended between two worlds, divers glide effortlessly, their long fins cutting cleanly through the water as they leave behind the oxygen-rich surface, slipping into the deep with the stealth of a pelagic predator.

Brandon West and Ren Chapman have honed the crafts of bluewater spearfishing and freediving, trading noisy air tanks and bubbles for the stillness of the deep sea in pursuit of its largest—and tastiest — inhabitants off North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. This is the realm of wahoo, mahi, grouper, and giant red snapper — curious species that rise from more than 200 feet below to investigate the strange visitors entering their domain.

Through their businesses, North Carolina Spearfishing and Evolve Freediving, Brandon and Ren offer instruction and guided excursions across inshore, outer reef, and bluewater zones. Both sports come with serious risks — sharks and shallow-water blackouts — each daunting on its own and even more formidable together. Yet the rewards easily outweigh the dangers for those drawn to the challenge.

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“Around here in North Carolina, we have a little treasure off our coast at this latitudinal line,” Brandon says. “It stops the tropical fish you see in Florida and the Bahamas, but we get big hog fish. We get big groups of different species.

We get big spiny lobsters, African pompanos, and with blue water spearfishing, wahoo, tuna, and giant snapper. We do see sharks all the time. They're just part of what's going on out there, and you kind of respect each other's distance.”

Part of that respect comes from understanding how to behave around apex predators. Ren explains that one key rule is never to shoot fish in front of sharks.

The goal is to avoid conditioning them to associate spearfishermen with food.

“When you shoot the first, you want to get that fish in as quickly as possible, secure it, and get it to the boat,” Brandon adds. “You don’t want it flapping on you. But as I tell people, an average six-foot-tall person with three-foot-long fins and a four- to six-foot gun makes a very large profile in the water. They may try to get the fish, but when you swim up, they usually back off.”

Ren, whose wife, Ashley Chapman, is a world-champion freediver, says the sport of spearfishing hasn’t changed much over time, though today, more are drawn to it through freediving. And the experience itself defies easy description.

“When you go on a dive, there’s no one down there with you — just you and the environment,” Ren says. “It’s a lot like walking in the woods. It's that primal

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urge to get in the wild and be disconnected from every other human and every other being around you, except for nature.”

Ashley might describe it as Zen — a deep calm and connection to the vastness of the sea. Ren doesn’t always share that spiritual lens, but Brandon agrees that diving cleanses the mind and spirit.

“You could be talking about going down tomorrow and thinking, ‘Well, the weather is doing this, or they’ve been seeing great whites in this area,’” Brandon says. “All the bad situations can go through your head, but when you dive and enter the water, for myself, for Ren and definitely for Ashley, as soon as I hold my breath and go into the water, all that stuff has to leave you. You’re thinking about exactly what you’re doing. It’s peaceful, and you see the wild underwater.”

On bluewater dives where large game fish are the goal, longer spearguns are the weapons of choice. While divers appear to move effortlessly through the water, the sport demands serious stamina and discipline.

“A lot of people get the idea that spearfishing and free diving is going to be this very

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"It’s a lot of work and a lot of risk, and most of the time we're very uncomfortable diving.

It's a very reward-based sport on both ends."

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magical, fun, great feeling experience,” Brandon says. “There is that, but it’s a lot of work and a lot of risk, and most of the time we're very uncomfortable diving. It's a very reward-based sport on both ends. Students tell us that it's totally different from what they were thinking. They’ve seen someone on social media having a blast playing with a dolphin, but it’s not that. It's a mental challenge where you tell your mind your body doesn’t hurt when it does. It’s about making the dive and making it back to the surface — whether it was an 80-meter dive, or it was spearing a 50-pound Cubera or a 15-pound hog fish. What makes you do it is the reward and the experience when you get back. It's like running a marathon. Not one part of running is fun, but finishing is like, ‘Man, I did it.’”

Brandon admits he’s competitive — he always wants to bring the biggest fish to the boat. He recalls the thrill of landing his first wahoo, a prized catch among spearfishermen, using only a reef rig instead of the more suitable float system.

“He jumped over to a little sargasso patty, and we had a cat-andmouse game where I could see him 100 feet away and would dive, and he would swim around the sargassum bed,” Brandon says. “Finally, I remember every video and book said you've got to look away from them and swim away from them. So it took everything in my being to swim down, see that fish, and swim away from him. I closed my eyes, opened my eyes, and he was five feet in front of me, and I landed him. That was

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my first blue water fish.”

One rule in the freediving and spearfishing world is sacred: never dive alone. It’s not just about protocol — it’s about survival.

“A lot of times, when you see a fish, all of your safety training goes out the window and out of your head,” Ren explains. “All your techniques of staying calm and not rushing to the surface are forgotten.

That’s when you hear reports that someone has been injured while free diving. It’s a new spear fisherman that has let other factors and adrenaline get to them and make poor decisions because of it.”

Brandon’s love for the ocean began as a child, fishing and surfing along the East Coast. He discovered spearfishing and freediving in 2014. Ren, who’s been a freediving instructor since 2009, was introduced even earlier — his father, a SCUBA instructor at the University of North Carolina, taught him about the sea at an early age.

“He strapped a tank on my back at the age of six, and I was SCUBA diving in the pool,” Ren explains. “About the ages of nine and ten, he took me to the Keys, and we did some spearfishing there, which I thought was the greatest thing.”

Later in life, Ren stepped away from diving for a time, partly due to the cumbersome nature of SCUBA equipment. It was in 2008 that he and Ashley took a life-changing freediving course in the Cayman Islands. She was immediately hooked — just after the course, she reached 122 feet. That led to global competition and a spot on the U.S.

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Freediving Team.

Ren says elite divers like Ashley possess a deep mental resilience and a drive that borders on obsession.

“For Ashley's personality, it's the competitive nature of the sport," he explains. "You compete with yourself, and you compete for world records. You’re also finding the best in yourself. You have to have that personality of not quitting, if you're not ready or mentally there, then you're not going to hang with the other people doing it.”

At Evolve Freediving, Ren and Ashley teach 75 to 100 students each year, while Brandon and Ren lead the spearfishing side. The two disciplines often overlap, as spearfishing requires freediving skills. Beginners typically hold their breath for about 90 seconds; a 100-foot dive takes roughly a minute.

“Your limitation comes from your ability to equalize your lungs and ears and keep that under control,” Brandon says. “That’s a limiting factor for people — their mentality and ability to equalize. Usually, the longest spearfishing dives Ren and I have are around a minute and a half, but we can both hold our breath for five minutes or more. Whether you’re freediving or spearfishing, it’s how well you’ve trained and how comfortable you are with your body.”

As a safety diver for international competitions, Ren has witnessed athletes push their physical boundaries.

“If someone is going to have an issue with hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), it’s usually going to happen on the surface,” he says. “The guys that are having a hypoxic issue below that are normally the elite athletes pushing the depths and pushing their physiology — more than likely, they’re exhausted from doing huge dives the day before. You really don't see that sort of thing in a recreational spearfishing situation.”

Despite the danger, Ren is drawn back by a sense of purpose and connection.

“I love the camaraderie you have with your fellow diver,” he says. “You go out there, and you have a mission. The thing about spearfishing is we’re not too competitive, and so it remains extremely safe. We share the fish we catch evenly with each other, with the boat captain, and with everyone. I like that it’s just a really wholesome teamwork type sport.”

For Brandon, it’s also about quality. He’s become what he calls a fish snob.

“The best tasting fish is one that was handled correctly when speared,” Brandon says. We bleed them out instantaneously, so there’s no tainting of the meat.

When you do it like that, I just put salt, pepper, olive oil, and butter on them, and everyone who eats it says, ‘Wow, this is like no fish I’ve ever had.’”

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SPRINGING TO LIFE

Oldknow Beverage Co. brings curious, experimental, and downright delicious cocktails, seltzers, and more to a Clayton, Georgia, tasting lounge.

Story by Lauren Finney Harden, Photos by Jason Thrasher

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yan and Mary Catherine Wood met in design school in Atlanta. Avid cocktail drinkers, they played around with drink concoctions in their spare time, looking through cocktail books and educating themselves on cocktail culture as it exploded in the mid-2010s.

One of their closest friends happened to be a farmer, and he would bring leftover produce from the market that didn’t sell, giving the pair a canvas with which to experiment.

“We realized we weren’t seeing heavily herbal, produce-forward cocktails out in the world like the ones we were making at home,” says Mary Catherine.

Entrepreneurial at heart, in 2016, they decided to sell tap cocktails via a drink cart. They rode around the BeltLine and throughout East Atlanta, offering fresh, produce- and herb-forward cocktails and mocktails on tap and for private events.

Genuine demand through the cart led to the two considering the next step.

“We came up with the idea to open a tap cocktail bar,” she explains.

However, they wanted to do things the right way to ensure the longevity of their concept. Mary Catherine pulled back on her design work and began working as a bartender at the now-closed, award-winning Empire State South.

“I wanted to get the experience of bar life—running a bar, working at a bar, working at high capacity,” she says.

Studying under Kellie Thorn, a widely respected and lauded global mixologist and educator, she truly learned from the best of the best.

The best-laid plans often end up with roadblocks, and they experienced several while trying to open a cocktail bar in Atlanta, mainly outrageous rents. The two knew they had to pivot.

“We wanted to find a way to get these drinks in people’s hands, something we could fund ourselves,” she explains.

Seltzers and low-ABV drinks were becoming popular, and the two quickly adopted both concepts as a matter of personal preference and business model.

“We loved what it offered to younger generations who

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wanted to drink all day and be social but be able to get up the next day and go to a workout class,” she says.

They knew they had found a hole in the market’s current offerings, which were filled with fake sugars, and knew there had to be a better way.

In 2021, Oldknow Beverage Co. began offering unique, low-ABV flavored seltzers. The beverages come in three variations: Obscura, made with verte absinthe, and two versions of Botanico: a vodka seltzer with oolong, grapefruit, and lychee, and a gin seltzer with cucumber and mint.

Low-calorie, refreshing, and herbal-forward, they can be found throughout the Southeast at popular spots like The Wyld Dock Bar, the Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah, Bon Ton in Atlanta, and liquor stores.

By then, they had moved to Clayton, taking seltzer operations with them and working out of their converted barn.

Mary Catherine remembers how they chose the property.

“We caught our Realtor filling up water jugs from the outdoor spigot of the property we ended up buying, telling us how good the water was up here,” she says. “That was a serendipitous moment for us.”

However, they quickly outgrew their home space and made their dream a reality in 2023 when they opened Old-

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know Beverage Co.’s tasting room and distillery right off the main drag in downtown Clayton.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” she says. “But post-pandemic, we saw a younger community building itself up here in town. People were moving here from big cities with full-time remote jobs. They were used to going out and doing things. There weren’t many bars in Clayton like that before us.”

The decision to focus on more of a community space and not just a distillery has paid off tremendously. They’ve filled a void for the new creative class in Clayton and longtime residents who are curious and open-minded to their experimentation.

“We use weird ingredients,” she admits. “One of the first cocktails we put on the menu was a golden beet cocktail, and I thought, oh man, this is going to be one that comes off quickly because no one is going to drink it. It’s the town’s favorite drink now. We can’t take it off the menu because they love it so much.”

It’s been surprising and gratifying to see the fruits of their labor and their take on drinking play out in their small town.

“We’ve enjoyed the education behind our spirits. People are quite interested, and love learning and engaging with us in a fun way,” she says.

The space is ripe for community, with a large, open room that leads out onto a patio with outdoor seating. There are a few small nooks here and there, but for the most part, it’s a conducive space for large gatherings. A few nooks for tete-a-tetes can be found tucked into one corner. The entire place is awash in dark, moody colors and fabrics, setting a distinct vibe.

Once you approach the bar, you have choices: a rotating selection of punches,

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effervescent cocktails, mocktails on tap, specialty cocktails, and seltzers. As a nod to one of the duo’s favorite spirits, there’s an absinthe drip, which involves mountain water over ice dripping onto a sugar cube and into the absinthe.

“It’s the traditional, historical way of serving it in France,” explains Mary Catherine. “We wanted to show people our passion for the history of spirits, which comes out in our name as well. We believe in going back to an old way of thinking, drinking, communicating, and building up community, and this absinthe drip holds that lore for us.”

Once comfortable in their digs and with their first round of offerings, the two tackled liqueurs. They debuted three last summer: Wister amaro, which is made from rhubarb root and is smoky, bitter, and sweet; Aurora amaro, made with elderflower and notes of bitter orange peel and verbena; and Gold Lorean, an Alpine liqueur in the style of yellow Chartreuse.

“These speak to the complexity of modern cocktails,” says Ryan.

The amaros are available in full-sized bottles and minis, including a gift set of all three. This spring, they added bottled gin to the family. Oldknow Beverage Co.’s Winfield gin is Scottish-style and has notes of juniper and rowan berries with heather flower, bladderwrack seaweed, and lemon peel for a zingy and crisp finish. Later this year, they will launch bottled cocktails.

“We are excited for folks to enjoy our drinks at home, and to continue to play around with botanical combinations,” says Mary Catherine.

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Oceanic Offerings Renee Fabrikant drew inspiration from her love of Tybee Island, Georgia, seeing the potential in the oyster shells offered by the Atlantic.

Story by Jennifer Kornegay

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hen Wilmington Island, Georgia, artist Renee Fabrikant strolls the sandy shores of nearby Tybee Island, where she grew up, the world is her oyster; the possibilities of the second life she’ll soon give the oyster shells she plucks off the sand are limited only by her imagination. And the unique inherent beauty of every shell fuels her creative vision.

“It’s still amazing to me how every shell is different and distinct,” she says. “When my sister and I are out collecting them, we’re always like, ‘Oh! Look at this one. It’s

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perfect.’ Then, as soon as we see the next one, it’s like. ‘Oh! This is the best one!’ And it goes on and on like that,” she laughs.

Her oyster-shell art — from trays, mirror frames, and votive holders to custom-decorated table bases — echoes the enjoyment she finds in her scavenger hunts for materials. But it didn’t begin with oysters. At first, Renee re-purposed a variety of shells her daughter picked up from Tybee’s beaches. Then a specific sea-creature vessel caught her eye.

“After an oyster roast, I noticed how pretty all the oyster shells left behind were and made my first mirror with them,” she says.

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Lef tover shells af ter an oyster roast first caught ar tist Renee Fabrikant 's eye, inspiring her to repurpose the shells into decorative showpieces . The variations in hue and shape make each artwork original.

The rectangular frame of shells in varying sizes and creamy hues, overlapping and tucked together, hung in her foyer and wowed guests.

They flooded her with requests after seeing additional oyster shell pieces accenting the décor in her home and some coastal cottages she’d renovated.

“They were like ‘Oh! I love this. Will you make me one?’”

So, she did, and the more oyster-oriented art she put into the world, the more people wanted a piece of their own. In 2021, she left a full-time job with United Way to pour her time and energy into her art. Today, Fabrikant still sources shells from oyster roasts but also discovers them during beach-combing walks, including treks to a few secret spots near her coastal home and boat rides that take her to the banks of tidal rivers.

“The ones I can collect right from the water’s edge are naturally shed and already clean and bleached by the sun.”

These shells better show off the bivalves’ prized pearlized finish. Sometimes, after a powerful storm, more shells are tossed up onto the sand.

“These you don’t see as often, and they are usually a bit darker, with more blue and gray in them,” she says.

No matter the size or color of shells used, her mirror frames featuring oyster shells nestled into tabby (a ground-shell and concrete mixture) remain her best-sellers, but trays ringed in a low oyster-shell enclosure and small votive candle holders fashioned from rings of stacked shells are also popular.

Oysters’ organic neutral shades and texture add a relaxed vibe to any room, bringing the beauty of Fabrikant’s beloved Lowcountry landscape inside and transporting it all over the country. But she also adds brightness to her works, with pops of shiny lacquers in custom colors as accents.

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"The ones I can collect right from the water’s edge are naturally shed and already clean and bleached by the sun."

“Those are really fun,” she says. “I still really enjoy what my pieces add to my own space.”

For all the visual interest and aesthetic appeal Renee finds in oyster shells, the affection ends there.

“I don’t eat them! I have never liked them,” she says.

“To this day, people try to get me to eat them, but I won’t.”

But she’s happy others do, adding to her shell supply when they’re finished with their feasts. Keeping her knee-deep in her medium ensures she can continue to share her passion for the gifts Mother Nature gives.

“Tybee is my home and my favorite place,” Renee says. “Creating pieces that represent this special locale that means so much to me and seeing others love them enough to bring them into homes is incredibly rewarding.”

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ARTIFACTS REBORN

With metal as a medium, Alabama artist Bruce Larsen transforms pieces of the past into keepsakes for a lifetime.

Story by Mary Dansak, Photos by Brock Larsen

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magine the path of a molecule of metal, traveling from an exploding star billions of years ago to Earth’s crust, where it was extracted, melted, and molded, over and over, for uses as varied as farm tools to munitions to gas tanks to shovels. Imagine all the lives of all the people, long gone, who touched this metal and depended on it. Each person’s life is just one of many stories connected to one molecule of some strong yet malleable element.

This interconnected narrative is not lost on Bruce Larsen, a fine

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art sculptor who considers the history of the metal pieces he reclaims for his art. He knows the WWII machine gun shell, the 100+ yearold scythe, and the 19th-century wagon wheel. He knows that for all the anonymous scraps that look like junk, there is human history.

“Every aluminum can you open contains some bit of the metal used in WWII,” Bruce says. “I look around at all these pieces,” he continues, gesturing to the piles of rusty metal scraps surrounding him in his studio. “They want to be useful. They want to be a part of something again.”

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In this spirit, Bruce asked the Fairhope community for meaningful donations for his latest public project, three enormous seahorse sculptures that welcome visitors to and adorn Fairhope’s renovated Art Alley. As of this writing, one seahorse has been installed on the roof of the parking garage, the cornerstone of this transformed urban area. The other two are coming together in Bruce’s studio, an open-air space beneath the floor of his house on stilts.

The studio, at first glance resembling the interior of an old junk-filled barn, is a testament to Bruce’s vision. Boxes of screws, saw blades, and gears overflow onto the floor; streams of rusty bits and bobs pool in puddles of scrap metals. Power tools and driftwood share space, and finished sculptures lean against the back walls: angels and horses, Madonnas and herons, overseeing the work around them.

How do these disparate parts and pieces come together as elegant statues?

“It happens when I start cleaning up,” Bruce explains. “I throw things into piles, and when I look down, I discover pieces that want to be together.

I’ll quickly weld them into place before I lose the idea. Like this,” he continues, reaching into a heap of miscellaneous metal castaways and retrieving a small sculpture of a bird. “This may become part of something larger tomorrow, or it might sit around for 10 years.” He reaches back into the same heap of metal and retrieves another bird, a different style. “These two don’t really like each other,” he says, laughing, tossing them back into the same pile.

Now an internationally acclaimed fine art sculptor, Bruce’s career trajec-

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tory began differently. “Actually, it all began with duct tape,” he explains, referring to a monster costume he made entirely out of duct tape, which won first place in a Halloween costume contest at the Limelight, an Atlanta nightclub and emblematic symptom of the nation’s disco fever outbreak in the 1980s. For his efforts, Bruce was awarded a pound of gold. Greatness lay ahead.

Armed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Auburn University and his new wife, Joy, at his side, Bruce began working as a commercial animator and artist for big names like CNN and Coca-Cola before breaking into the world of Hollywood as a special effects creator.

While most mortals were scared silly at the gruesome chest-busting scenes in the 1979 blockbuster film Alien, Bruce was inspired. He went on to create movie props, including a charging, mechanical horse for The Patriot (2000), the supernatural antique mirror in the psychological horror film Oculus (2013), and the mask of the villain in Hush (2016). His family, which now included three children, grew accustomed to dummies of dismembered bodies at home as Bruce’s work in special effects expanded. As the children grew older, they naturally assisted Bruce in his work, learning to “bleed dummies” and contributing toys as parts for props.

Was it macabre? “It was all done with whimsy, so much whimsy,” Bruce says, and his son Brock, chiming in, agrees.

Bruce excelled at creating mechanical horses, as well as severed arms and gargantuan dinosaur legs. His horses were used for scenes in The Patriot (2000), Nomad: The Warrior (2005), Dreamer (2005), and other films.

Life-size, meticulously sculpted, engineered to move precisely and realistically, and covered in convincing “hair” (the most challenging part, according to Bruce), his horses were so realistic that once, when he was disposing of one of his creations, a concerned neighbor called animal control to report a horse being slaughtered in the neighborhood.

Though exciting, working in the movies was brutal, with deadlines shortened at a moment’s notice, directives changed without warning, and that infamous Hollywood temperament living up to its reputation. For the sake of his sanity and his family, he steered his talents away from the big screen to focus on fine art.

Perhaps the tipping point was a catastrophic natural event. Within a year of purchasing their house on Fish River in Fairhope, the river flooded its banks, bringing six feet of water into their home and destroying Bruce’s studio and the family’s belongings. All that remained was the frame of their house and their myriad animals, including miniature horses, dogs, cats, and chickens, which they brought inside to shelter.

Thus began the work of raising the house onto stilts and putting their lives back together. To quote from his website, “I just started to build. I used pieces of my family’s own ruined things. I searched the countless piles my community left by the sides of the road. I needed to make something good out of it.”

From that rubble, Bruce, a fine art sculptor, was born.

Today, Bruce’s accolades read like an off-the-charts braggadocios Christmas Card. Bruce has traveled to Italy to create artwork for an exhibit in the church of Sant’Agostino in Pietrasanta. His sculptures have been awarded to Riverkeeper Alliance’s Big Fish Award honorees, including Ralph Lauren, Debbie Harry, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Bruce’s statues grace the grounds of the American Sport Art Museum in Daphne, Alabama, where he was dubbed “Repo-Renaissance Master,” the Shaolin Temple in China, and the palace of the Crown Prince of Bahrain. His awards are numerous. His donations are impressive. The list of sports, cinematic, and other national and international celebrities who own and support his art

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is jaw-dropping.

However, his work with his community is most near and dear to his heart.

Each year, he partners with The Exceptional Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing year-round social and recreational opportunities and services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

“It’s an annual event. The guest artists come to the studio, and we create a sculpture together,” he explains. The finished pieces are then auctioned at a formal ceremony where all participants, dressed to the nines, attend. The proceeds are returned to the foundation.

"It's one of the highlights of my year. I can't wait to see what we'll come up with this time."

These days, Bruce is dedicating his energy to a range of exciting new commissions. Among them are a striking 30-foot metal tree adorned with mirrored leaves and a monumental elephant sculpture for the upcoming Saban Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This piece is significant, as it’s being crafted from reclaimed materials that reflect Alabama’s rich history.

Bruce is also teaching art at the University of South Alabama in a recent endeavor. He encourages his students, most of whom are interested in animation, to find their own visions.

“I may have someone who wants to make a cartoon run across a screen.

‘Great,’ I tell them, ‘Now let’s make it three-dimensional.’ I had one student who wanted to make a couch. I told her a couch was a good idea, but make it a funky couch. I want them to bubble ideas out, not sit and be told what to do.”

Bruce himself is a student, a few semesters away from earning his master’s degree. “I don’t know if I’ll ever use it, but I’ll get it.”

Looking around his studio, he laughs. “Everything is a work in progress here. There is no end in sight.”

As for those molecules of metals, once travelers in space, for now they’re part of Bruce’s story, firmly welded into magnificent sculptures which will continue to amaze and awe for untold years to come.

To learn more about Bruce, visit his website, BruceLarsonArt.com, and @ BruceLarsenArt on Facebook. www.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com

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Canine Cordon Bleu Martinique Lemke's culinary creations took on a new form when she decided to create canine confections in an Amelia Island, Florida, bakery.

Story by Su-Jit Lin, Photos by Brittany Powell

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early 20 years ago, Martinique Lemke gave up her fine dining culinary career for dog treats, with no regrets.

The most minor decision, the tiniest action … even the slightest shadow of a feeling can have the power to transform your life. Sometimes, in frustration and exhaustion, we find ourselves exactly where we’re supposed to be — traversing a path we never knew existed, which then becomes the only one we’d want to take.

This is precisely what happened to Martinique Lemke when she walked into Redbones Bakery on Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida, nearly two decades ago.

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Martinique had already seen much of the world. Her career had taken her to Bouchon in Napa Valley, Chez Paul, and celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Roy’s in Maui, then his Honolulu restaurant, Hawaii Kai. Her skills carried her even farther, to Japan at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka, where she became a

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member of an accomplished team of experts in the pastry department in a country where “I could have lived for the rest of my life,” she says.

However, as time passed and the lives of loved ones changed, she and her husband, also in hospitality, felt a responsibility to “get closer to home” in the United States. He transferred to the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island at The Grow Room (now Salt, helmed by chef Okan Kizilbayir) and led it to AAA Five Diamond recognition; she worked for a restaurant in town that’s no longer in business. And she was tired in every way.

“I was going to work at 7 a.m. and not getting off until 10 p.m.,” she recalls, working the weekends and holidays the grueling industry demanded.

“I reached a point where I just thought, ‘I’m done with this lifestyle.’”

Needing a break and a healthy vent, Martinique walked into a pet store named Redbones with Pinette, her rescue pit bull puppy, and started talking with the elderly owners. Chitchat soon turned into a heart-to-heart conversation, during which she confessed she was “done cooking” after years of

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grinding on the line.

One asked, “How would you like to bake … for dogs?” The oven light went on, and she recalls, “I said, heck yeah!”

Within six months, she felt newly invigorated. Martinique began with Redbone’s existing recipes and then started developing her own. She devoured information on what dogs could and could not eat safely: “No sugar, salt, preservatives, corn, and soy,” she shares. She learned what was beneficial for their health and longevity, incorporating spices like turmeric and cinnamon into her recipes or herbs like mint and parsley for their breath, and using plant-derived foods like blueberries to color their treats.

Soon, the shop’s display case offered treats like strawberry banana cookies, peanut butter “truffles,” blueberry muffins, and seasonal inspirations like pumpkin and apple pie — made with produce from the local grocery store. Cranberry coconut wafers flew off the shelves into eager beach pup mouths, and Cheezy Bones, made with cheese, oatmeal, and honey, gained a following.

Then came the specialty items: dimensional “ice cream cones” comprised of apple, orange, and oatmeal dough, and dog-safe “s’mores” with homemade graham crackers (“We’re really proud of those!” she beams), real yogurt, and carob chips from the local health food store. And before long, dogs on Amelia Island celebrated milestones and adoption days with party pupcakes and cupcakes dipped in yogurt with sprinkles.

Near her eight-month mark here, the owners learned that their daughter in Washington, DC, was having a baby. As they began to discuss moving, Martinique saw the opportunity to keep their work and these recipes alive. She offered to buy Redbones.

“When (my husband and I) bought Redbones nearly 19 years ago, it was very, very small. It had a small bakery and some boutique-y merchandise. But once I bought it, I completely expanded it. Seven years ago, I opened up the space and started carrying holistic nutritional supplements and all-natural, USA-made best of the best dog food,” Martinique says. “Raw food, meaty treats that are single-source and made right here in the South and from local farms in North Carolina and Georgia, because I think it’s important to know where your ingredients come from.”

For 17 years, Pinette taste-tested the shop’s

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best and tried out the unique, boutique toys in the similarly expanded shop. Equally important, this pup, whose many portraits grace the walls of Redbones, inspired the store’s other mission: animal rescue awareness.

During the first decade, Martinique says, “We’d always had fundraisers for local rescue groups for homeless dogs and cats, often hosting events to raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption, spay and neuter, and responsible ownership.” When she opened up the wall between Redbones and the construction company that had occupied the expansion space, she knew she would be able to do more. Then, when the demolition revealed an awkward desk anchored to the ground, she had another “aha!” moment. She thought, “Why not add a bar?”

“We were always giving drinks away at the fundraising events, but now, we can hang out and have fun!” she laughs. Champagne Fridays, Yappy Hours, and quarterly wine tastings now have their dedicated local followings.

“I pick out all of our beer,” Martinique says proudly, “Over 70 boutique and craft beers from all over the world that you can’t get from supermarkets. We have imports from Germany, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Hawaii … and for wine, we carry classics.”

This formula has created a neighborhood hangout, where she remarks, “It’s funny; people who come in here and drink don’t even have a dog sometimes! They know each other, mingle, network, and it’s so nice to have that kind of opportunity in a small town.”

And just like that, Martinique reentered the world of hospitality, coming full circle back to giving humans treats. But for as far as she can see into the future … baking? That’s for the dogs.

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Round About A rare 1920s carousel remains an object in motion, spinning magic for guests of all ages at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas.

Story by Mary Dansak

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olors, laughter, and excitement create a kaleidoscope surrounding the sole remaining carousel of its kind still in operation and now located at the Little Rock Zoo. Brightly painted horses are frozen in mid-canter with banners aloft as if crossing a battlefield of old. They patiently pause for the crowds waiting to mount. When the ride begins, the timeworn treads creak and groan as the carousel rotates with the rollicking motion of a cross-country ride, a credit to restoration efforts that kept the ride alive.

Carousels come in all shapes and sizes, from sea horses to elephants and even whimsical steampunk snails, but one thing they all have in common is their circular motion. They spin round and round. The Over-the-Jumps Carousel at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas follows this tradition, yet it stands apart as a rare and unique experience.

“Instead of ponies moving up and down independently, the entire carriage undulates together, like riding a wave,” says Joy Matlock, director of marketing and development at the Little Rock Zoo. “It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced on a carousel.”

Unlike the typical stationary ride, this carousel’s horses move along a roller-coaster-like track, gently rocking back and forth as they crest and dip on their journey. Designed to mimic a horseback ride over rolling hills, riders experience the thrill of leaping and landing with every turn, all while the clattering of wooden slats, lively period music, the jingling of chains, and the joyful laughter of children fill the air. With its fast pace, the ride offers a rush of excitement with every descent.

The Over-the-Jumps Carousel is one of just four ever built — and the only one still in operation. Crafted in the early 1920s, it is a beautifully restored example from the Golden Age of Carousels and bears the mark of an immigrant visionary, Allan Herschell.

Herschell, who emigrated from Scotland in 1870, brought his ideas about carousels to the U.S., where the rides were gaining popularity. His passion for craftsmanship and innovative designs sparked the Golden Age of Carousels (1905–1935). Herschell’s businesses eventually became the largest carousel manufacturers in the country, and the Over-the-Jumps Carousel was one of their signature creations.

Originally designed to be portable, a closer look reveals that the horses’ legs are tucked beneath their bodies, an ingenious

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feature that facilitates transportation and creates the illusion of jumping.

The carousel boasts 40 beautifully adorned horses — often called “ponies” in amusement parlance — each with flowing manes, expressive eyes, and colorful decorations of jewels, flowers, and tassels. Four chariots are placed among the steeds for those seeking a gentler ride.

The carousel’s journey through time is as dramatic as the roller-coaster-like track it follows. After debuting at the Aurora Exposition and Fair in 1924, it traveled across the country, delighting visitors at state fairs, including the Arkansas State Fair. It was there that Tom and Belle Fuzzell, impressed by its charm, purchased it in 1942 to become the centerpiece of their amusement park, Fuzzell’s Fair Park.

For decades, the carousel became a staple at the War Memorial Amusement Park in Little Rock, where it delighted generations of children and their families. “It seemed bigger when I was a kid,” recalls Joy Matlock. “Getting on the ponies was hard — reaching those stirrups was a challenge.”

Perhaps these cherished memories ultimately spared the carousel from the fate suffered by many other historic rides—being dismantled and sold

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to private collections. When the Fuzzells retired and sold their amusement park in the early 1970s, the carousel’s future hung in the balance.

One of the new owners, Lloyd “Mokey” Choate, knew that his latest acquisition was a national treasure, one that he felt personally connected to having enjoyed it as a child. Lacking funds to properly maintain and repair the aging carousel, Choate reached out to the National Register of Historic Places, hoping for recognition. In 1989, the Over-the-Jumps Carousel was listed on the National Register. The honor does not come with financial gain, however, and the carousel fell further into disrepair.

In 1991, it seemed the carousel seemed doomed. The War Memorial Park added a swimming and fitness complex, with the parking lot of the new facility displacing the amusement park.

With the closure of the amusement park, buyers as far away as Great Britain reached out to Choate, hoping to claim the carousel, or pieces of it, for their collections. Choates held off on selling his historic carousel. Surely someone from Arkansas could purchase this piece of history, keeping it intact and at home.

Folks came together, as they do, from all over Arkansas. With support

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from state officials, the nonprofit organization Friends of the Carousel was formed under the direction of the dedicated leader, David Martinous. With borrowed money and a looming payment plan, the nonprofit purchased the carousel from Choates for $250,000. The poniers were off and over the jumps Having rescued the wooden merry-go-round, the Friends of the Carousel now faced the task of paying for it and funding its restoration and repair, which, over time, a million rides, nature’s elements, and even the vibrations of nearby vehicular traffic necessitated.

The carousel undertook its 16-year journey of restoration and repair, with sizable donations from the City of Little Rock and the Little Rock Civitan Club providing the final monetary support needed to solidify its future.

Friends of the Carousel members Becky Witsell, Rick Parker, and Bob Pennick took on the laborious process of repainting the ponies. This involved picking off 30-45 layers of old paint, having the colors professionally analyzed, and meticulously repainting. Fundraisers, such as a popular program offering patrons a chance to adopt and name a pony or chariot for a minimum donation of $5000, helped defray costs.

Friends of the Carousel ensured the public stayed involved by loaning ponies to schools and organizations for educational purposes, holding fundraisers, and maintaining an open studio where bystanders could watch the restoration process in realtime.

Hurdles rose, victories were celebrated, and the up-and-down cycle continued.

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After several relocations, some more disruptive than others, the carousel found stable housing at the Little Rock Zoo and opened to the public in 2007. In a perfect hero’s journey, the carousel is again part of the War Memorial Park.

While it may seem unusual for a zoo to house a historic carousel, the mission of the Little Rock Zoo is conservation. “With that in mind, it fits perfectly here,” Joy said.

In 2023, the Little Rock Repair Shop was commissioned to provide ongoing preservation of the ponies. In the hands of the Little Rock Repair Shop, guided by lead restorer and shop owner Michael Crenshaw, each pony was meticulously brought back to its original luster.

“It’s our belief that a small team of three to four artisans led by one or two master artisans carved all 40 horses, and there are subtle clues that support this idea,” explained Michael on the Little Rock Repair Shop’s blog (littlerockrepair.com/blog/ categories/carousel-restoration). “When you touch the horses, you can feel a similar flow in the lines, creating intricate highlights and shadows. Despite their shared basic shape, the way the individual hairs flow in the wind varies, capturing a sense of personality and energy as if each horse is frozen in a moment of spirited movement over the jumps.”

In September 2024, the Little Rock Zoo held a 100th birthday celebration for the Over-the-Jumps Carousel. Families of multiple generations came out to ride the carousel together, rekindling old memories and creating new ones.

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Grits & Grenades Chef Paul Lewis has lent his military experience in explosives to movie stars but prefers creating mind-blowing menus at his restaurant in Locust Grove, Georgia.

Story by Lee Hurley There’s a story about Ernest Hemingway visiting Pablo Picasso in Paris just after the city was liberated in 1944. Hemingway knocked on Pablo’s door, and his overly protective concierge, who had no idea who the author was, said that Pablo was away.

Hoping to score some food or wine, the concierge asked Hemingway, “Wouldn’t you perhaps like to leave a gift for Monsieur?” Hemingway said he hadn’t considered it before, but perhaps it was a good idea. He went out to his Jeep and brought back a case of hand grenades, marking it, “To Picasso from Hemingway.”

As soon as the concierge deciphered the contents, she screamed and disappeared.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Paul Lewis might have appreciated a box of perfectly good grenades. After all, he is an expert on the subject. Actors Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott found out how loud they were while filming the movie We

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Were Soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2001, based on the book We Were Soldiers Once … and Young by the late Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret), a Kentucky native, and the late Joseph L. Galloway, a Texas native.

Paul taught the famed actors how to throw a grenade the right way and demonstrated a few as well.

“They have two safeties,” he explains. “The first is the pin. Once you pull the pin, as long as you hold the lever, you are okay. After you release the lever, you throw it fast, and it gets real LOUD.” “Mel Gibson did okay,” Paul says, “but the Sergeant Major in the film, Sam Elliott, he was the real thing. He served in the Marines.”

T H E T H R E E PAU L S Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, as the youngest of nine siblings, Paul

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remembers watching his mama in the kitchen until he quit watching and started helping — first with yeast rolls and later with full family meals. This experience set the stage for a culinary future at Southern Fusion in Georgia, with a couple of decades of military service in between.

In 1981, Paul joined the Army as an 11 Bravo, an infantryman who got his first authentic taste of the South at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Along the way, he became a training instructor in hand grenades, where he spent much of his career teaching soldiers how to maximize damage on others while minimizing damage on themselves. With assignments as varied as Saudi Arabia and Haiti, it was in Hawaii that Paul saw an officer blow his hand off. Those things hit close to home when you’ve thrown hand grenades for years.

Meanwhile, Paul began attracting attention with his cooking.

“I used to make barbecue, stuff like that, for my teams, and one of my friends, Dawkins, asked me, ‘You cook this, Paul?’ ‘Yeah, I cooked this.’” He said, “You should go to school and become like a chef or something.”

“Now I had never heard of that. I’m like, ‘They don’t have anybody that goes to school to cook, what’s wrong with you?”’

Yet, after one more year in the army and again stationed at Fort Benning, Paul got permission from his superior to attend the Atlanta Culinary Arts School.

“My school was at night,” Paul says. “I jumped in my car at 1 p.m., drove to Atlanta, stayed till 11 p.m., then drove two hours back to Benning.” So determined was the chef that he drove 120 miles each way

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for a full year.

At culinary school, Paul got good at fabricating meats like Turducken, a dish consisting of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck and further stuffed into a deboned turkey. He would also debone Cornish hens and stuff them with crab meat, cream cheese, and spinach — that sort of thing. But mostly at culinary school, Paul found the confidence to become a chef. He was good at food, and he knew it. And so, armed with a degree, Chef Paul started his next career as a sous chef at the Morehouse School of Medicine, a line cook at an Atlanta Sheraton, and an executive chef at Alabama State University. ASU is where Paul cut his teeth, serving varied groups of people with varied culinary needs.

“I had 1,500 students to feed every single day … dietary food, special needs, all kinds. And I cooked for the president and his events.

And then I cooked for the different sororities. I ran four dining halls for three years.”

Then Paul began to think about his own place.

F L AVO R F O C U S I N LO C U S T G R OV E There’s plenty more to this story, but it’s time to skip ahead to the present and peek inside the windows of Paul’s most recent accomplishment. It’s a restaurant called Southern Fusion located in Locust Grove, Georgia, with a population of 8,816. The town is centered almost exactly between Macon and Atlanta on I-75. Established in 1893, it was a center for cotton and peaches — now there’s an outlet mall attracting Atlantians for shopping expeditions.

One might wonder why Paul chose a small town like Locust Grove to open his breakfast, lunch, and brunch spot. “My friends said, ‘Man, you’re crazy. Why you gonna put it there?”’

But Paul had done his homework. He sat in his car and watched the ebb and flow of traffic. Ultimately, Paul says, “I felt the Lord wanted me to open up a restaurant here.”

Paul had been creating menus in his head for over a year, so there was no shortage of original items from the very beginning, but he keeps it fresh by constantly bringing a new take to the options.

“I change it up every day,” he says.

When asked how he came up with his delicious collard green egg rolls, Paul said he had to create a handheld way to eat collard greens at the personal request of Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber, who hired him to cater his wedding after falling in love with chef’s cooking.

Customers detour to Locust Grove to try his grits and catfish, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, specialty rolls like raspberry, and birthday cake. His grits take more than two hours to make.

“It’s in the stirring,” Paul offers.

Paul has the arm for all that stirring — the same arm that safely chucked so many grenades during his military career — the one he used to demonstrate for the movie stars committed to making a movie that realistically depicted terrible days in the Vietnam conflict. He also has an undeniable commitment to his craft.

“You know, opening a restaurant is a very risky business, and nobody wants to lend money for that. I used my own money. They say if you last five years, you will make it. If you are going to open a business, you gotta have passion. You gotta have a love for it. If you are just going at it for the money, it’s not gonna work. You gotta care, and once you got that, you can put the love in your food.” Amen.

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B U T T ER M I L K PECA N C H I C K EN Ingredients

10 – 6 oz chicken breast 1 cup of panko ½ cup pecan (toasted &chopped) 10 egg whites 3 cups buttermilk 1 cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ tsp salt

Instructions 1.

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Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle salt on chicken coming out of the buttermilk Roast pecans in the oven until lightly toasted Add pecans to panko bread crumbs, then add salt.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dip into egg whites Dredge chicken with pecan /panko breading.

Place coated chicken on a sheet pan and let dry for 15 minutes.

Pan–fry chicken in oil until golden. 3 min on each side Place in oven-proof pan, and bake until done

F o r c h e f ’s c o l l a r d g r e e n e g g r o l l s r e c i p e , v i s i t M a g n o l i a & M o o n s h i n e ’s w e b s i t e : w w w. m a g n o l i a a n d m o o n s h i n e . c o m

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A LEGEND IN THE MAKING Super Chikan is a moniker Johnson earned as a child. “When I was little, everyone big enough to walk had chores. Jobs really but we called them chores. I was too small to go to the field so my job was to take care of the chickens. They called me Chicken Boy, and I grew into Super Chikan.”

DELTA BLUES Mississippi musician James “Super Chikan” Johnson's ingenuity has been a lifelong throughline as tight as a string on his custom-made guitars.

Story by Lauren Finney Harden

“I

didn’t know they were famous,” says James “Super Chikan” Johnson, of the Mississippi Delta blues musicians he grew up around. “They’d all sit on the front porch with my grandpa [musician Ellis Johnson] and play.” Seemingly innocuous, these musical “front porch parties,” as his grandfather called them, were Free Mason meetings where the group would meet to help locals escape sharecropping via the Underground Railroad.

Those early influences in music and bravery shaped James into who he is today. While some musicians are handed instruments from an early age, James had to get creative to tap into his skills.

“I started out with a diddley bow,” he says, which is a one-string makeshift guitar. He found a wire and tied it to two nails on the side of the house before moving it to a stick, eventually adding a box so that it would resonate. “I was a diddley bow-playing rascal,” he remembers.

While he enjoyed playing and tinkering around with the instrument, music was far from his mind as a career.

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“Music was my last interest, I thought. I heard it when I was a kid and kept hearing it. As I got older things started whittling down as far as jobs goes, I got me an old guitar at the Salvation Army. I started trying to play the thing, but it only had two strings,” he recalls. He didn’t realize that the instrument was missing strings, or that left-handed guitars were a thing—he just knew he could figure it out. “I liked the sound,” he says simply.

The ingenuity of that instrument is partly to thank for his unique sound, which melts together Blues, rock, and funk with personal and witty lyrical storytelling (and even yodeling). James describes his vibe a little differently. “It’s front porch music, poor country boys sitting on the front porch making it up and trying to be different,” he says. At its core, it’s a reflection of who he is.

“I didn’t want to sound like somebody else. These guys got their own names and their own styles, so why can’t I be me? Everybody was saying that I play different than everybody else and sound different than everybody else, but I learned my own style.”

Confident in his style and sound, he decided to give music a go profession-

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ally, writing his own songs.

“Being a country boy, I didn’t know much, but I knew I liked music,” he says.

He debuted his first solo album, “Blues Come Home to Roost,” in 1997, with eight subsequent albums, including the award-winning 2009 “Chikadelic.” Locally well-known, he began playing at the Ground Zero Blues Club in the early 2000s in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He didn’t know it at the time, but Morgan Freeman, who is from Charleston, Mississippi, was an owner.

“Morgan took a liking to me; he heard something different in me. I was his favorite musician because I did different kinds of stuff,” he says.

You can occasionally still catch him playing special shows. “I built a reputation so my price went up,” he quips. Now, audiences from Norway to Brazil are enamored with his high-energy performances, something he keeps up even in his mid-70s. “They all say I don’t act my age and don’t look my age,” he laughs.

As if he weren’t busy enough touring, James has also carved out a niche for himself as a folk artist. Using the ingenuity he’s had since childhood,

he makes “chik-tars,” or working guitars, out of found objects such as gas cans, ceiling fans, and cigar boxes. Former President Bill Clinton and Paul Simon are among his customers, as is the governor of Mississippi.

“I saw one online the other day, somebody’s trying to sell one for $7,000,” he laughs.

His artistic skills were again born out of necessity.

“We were poor people growing up, and we wanted stuff for Christmas, but we didn't get stuff, so we started making our own toys. We learned how to make stuff when I was a kid. So after I got grown, I started making my own toys,” he says.

He then moved on to restoring antique cars, and now has found a home in the hearts of Blues fans as an artisan. James focuses on what he loves most — music, art, and connecting with people.

“I try to keep my own style, try to be different. I make my own guitars.

I make my own music,” he says. "I tell people [when they ask me to play cover songs] that I don't listen to other people's music because I'm busy writing my own. I don't have time to learn other people's stuff because I'm busy learning mine.”

C R A F T I N G A C H I C K TA R James "Super Chikan Johson's agent, Rollin Riggs, is one of many fans of his world-famous, homemade "Chikantars."

C O U Rwww.MagnoliaandMoonshine.com T E S Y R I G G S E N T E R TA I N M E N T, M E M P H I S , T N

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Keeping the Beat The Americana Music Triangle points the way for travelers to find the Southern roots of the worlds finest sounds.

Story by Lauren Finney Harden

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ny music fan knows popular music was born in the South. From Elvis in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Dolly Parton in Sevierville, Tennessee, the South has offered a disproportionate amount of talent to the world across various genres.

Many fans go on pilgrimages to spots like Graceland and Dollywood, but true fans know that they are missing key towns and attractions along the way.

Aubrey Preston wanted to change that and bring more

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people to more meaningful music spots throughout the Southeast. A lifelong music fan and businessman, he’s redefining what historical preservation means through his brainchild, the Americana Music Triangle. It’s a website resource connecting the musical dots through five states, highlighting the nine original genres of music: blues, soul/R&B, gospel, jazz, bluegrass, Southern gospel, rock n’ roll, country, and cajun/zydeco.

“This five-state region — Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee — is where the roots of the world’s popular music began,” he says. “Music is the most universal language in the world, more than English.

People learn to speak English from singing our songs first,” he says.

Aubrey is a preservationist at heart. He is the founder and chairman of the Leiper’s Fork Foundation, a nonprofit that has transformed Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas. He’s been involved in saving and rehabilitating a variety of music venues and sites around the Nashville area, such as the Franklin Theatre, RCA Studio A, and Fox & Locke (formerly Puckett’s Grocery).

He’s also a devout music fan who wants to spread the word about all the South has to offer to domestic and international travelers.

“It blew my mind that somebody could visit here [in Nashville] and not know that Muscle Shoals was just a couple of hours down the road, that they were so close to where the Rolling Stones recorded, where the Allman Brothers were formed, and where Aretha Franklin got her voice,” he says. He noticed that each city and state in the area did its own musical tourism promotion, but nothing was tying them together as a whole region.

Out of frustration, Aubrey set out to do it himself through the Americana Music Triangle.

“I needed to create something to share and connect those cities. It was a head-scratcher for a while. We had to do it Tom Sawyer-style, a lot done with a little bit,” he says.

You wouldn’t know it, though, by the encyclopedic amount of information on the website. Visitors can plan out trips based on pre-done itineraries, with a lot of anecdotal and contextual information to help them make

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travel decisions based on interests.

“It’s as if you took 1,000 music history books and condensed them down into an itinerary with lots of good information that’s not available anyplace else,” he says. “It has all the small things, the medium things, and the big things in one linear route.”

The impact goes beyond travelers and extends into the communities as well.

“The Americana Music Triangle helps visitors, attractions, and communities, especially the smaller ones that don’t have the ability to promote themselves,” he says.

The site allows music fans to discover more than the popular attractions. For example, the New Orleans to Natchez itinerary outlines obvious things to do in the Big Easy, such as visiting the French Quarter, but also lesser-known stops, such as the Backstreet Cultural Museum, devoted to celebrating African American cultural traditions. Between the two anchor cities, stops in Breaux Bridge, St. Francisville, and more are highlighted, making it a more complete and holistic experience.

While Aubrey loves all of the stops they’ve outlined, he’s particularly fond of a few, such as Muscle Shoals, which he calls “pound for pound an unbelievable world-class experience where people are shocked what’s connected to it,” he says.

Brownsville, Tennessee, is another spot dear to him.

“Tina Turner’s little schoolhouse was moved there. It’s the number one repository of her memorabilia. The little homespun community group does a beautiful job of preserving it,” he says. “The story of her coming out of those cotton fields and rising to the absolute top of the world and becoming a role model with so many triumphs—it’s an inspi-

Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama has been the site of recordings by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and more.

A tiny per formance venue in Mississippi is papered with memories from music superstars.

rational story, whether you like it or not. And people drive right by it going between Nashville and Memphis when you could probably throw a rock at it from the interstate.”

Clarksdale, Mississippi, also ranks high on Aubrey’s list of worthwhile stops as ground zero for so many influential moments and people. It has live blues music seven days a week, 365 days a year, showcasing the authentic juke joints that haven’t changed much over the years. Bubba O’Keefe, the executive director for Coahoma County Tourism, says that while Clarksdale has always been on the map thanks to its deep blues roots and history, the Americana Music Triangle has helped boost tourism and interest by tying it together with other nearby stops.

“Now we can work together as multiple destinations in the Triangle to make us bigger and better than any stand-alone place,” he says. It’s important preservation work. “These little towns birthed music. Muddy Waters came from Clarksdale, then went to Memphis and then Chicago. These towns like ours are where you can experience the music the way it was then and still is today. We are living our music heritage,” he says.

Preston’s goal of preserving these spots is done non-traditionally. There is no fundraising, but rather a drive to have people see first-hand the spots they read about in books and hear about in music. He considers patronizing these types of attractions to be preservation work that everyone can participate in.

“There are smaller nonprofits in a lot of these areas. When you go and buy a plate of BBQ and a third, and give them some encouragement, that’s a way to preserve those sites,” he says. “Our effort with Americana Music Triangle is to preserve the land, buildings, and stories of the music that shaped the world. It’s not just a website,” he says. “It’s a movement.”

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Summer 2025 | 91

S out h e r n s a ss

Can we talk?

By Sally Anne Sessitte Southerners have elevated communication to an art form. I submit that is because our culture values human connection. Also, it’s real hot and having a little chat is a great excuse to take a break with a cold drink. We have a lot of different ways to talk, and most of the good ones do not require a cell phone. Here are six distinct types of talking that are specific to the South. Let me be clear — none of them involve using speaker phone on your cell phone at the grocery store.

Did she speak?

This is the most Southern of all “check ins.” Let’s get this out of the way: If you tell your mama that you happened to see dad’s business partner having supper with his new young secretary — the one with the tank tops — and she asks you “Well did she speak” that is a loaded question, and there will be follow up questions.

To “speak” — in Southern — describes the combination of making a point to recognize a person, remember who they are, make your way over to them, and say a quick but intentional hello. The quick part can be left up to interpretation. This may be why our parties take forever and why we can’t hardly get home from church before afternoon. Because we have to speak.

Not only will we speak to you, we will notice whether you speak, and we’ll talk about that, too. Example: “I saw Mary Susan and her cousin, Frank, was about two feet from her, and I did not see her speak.” This is just the beginning of the analysis on what in the world has happened in their family to have two cousins right there, and neither one of them spoke.

It gets a little complicated in some situations, but the rule of thumb is to speak. If your mama finds out you were having lunch and her tennis team saw you, and you didn’t speak? Bless your heart. Teenager in the liquor store sneaking a purchase, and you see Judge Wilson? Better put that six pack down and speak. Rather be thought of as an underage drinker than someone who did not even speak.

Waving to a neighbor walking by also is considered speaking. Don’t ask me why, it just is. And yes, you do have to wave.

Have a visit.

Having a visit usually involves a little trip over to the house. In good weather, it probably also involves sitting on a porch or patio, maybe even a rocking chair. Having a visit is really just setting aside time in between the ball field and the committee meetings and getting supper going to go show someone they matter. When you go to have a visit with someone, the person getting the visit gets to do most of the talking. They may be having some health issues, have a new baby to celebrate, or have had a change in circumstance (that’s one of the D’s divorce, death in the family, or

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a downsize). The point of this visit is for you to have a drink with them — it goes without saying you’ll be offered something — and give them the time it takes for them to either talk about it or purposely not talk about it. Either way is fine. They know why you’re there and so do you. To show you care.

About the best thing you can do for anyone over the age of 75 is to go and have a visit. Bonus points for kids having a visit. This expression also gives a gracious way to tell someone you are not up for company — “I am so thankful for this meal, but I just don’t think I am up for having a visit today.”

That is all that needs to be said, and it won’t be taken personally.

We’re just chattin’.

This is how we describe what we’re doing when we have finally been able to catch up with friends that we have not seen in a while or when we “clump up” in the back of a wedding shower or church flower committee meeting. This is how we describe it, whether we are trading recipes, savage gossip, sharing links to the best sunhat, sharing the contact info for the best wallpaper man or flower truck or oncologist — we’re “just chattin’.”

Mom, what did you and your friends do at the beach this weekend after you played Mahjong? “Oh we were mostly just chattin’.” We describe it in this light breezy way for a few reasons — so that no one will ask for details but mostly so that no one ever suspects the amount of business we get done while we are just chattin’. If you can’t get business done while you’re chattin’, you aren’t Southern or you aren’t doing business with the right people.

Expert status: If two or more Southern ladies set aside time to “get together and do a walk and talk,” friends, you better hold on to your britches because someone is getting blackballed or appointed chair, or a new Capital Campaign is starting. Big things happen from just chattin’.

Gettin’ her updated.

If you see a friend and you have some burning information to share, you may have to pull her aside and say, “I need to get you updated.” Should we be more ashamed to gossip? Maybe, but remember “just chattin’” above. Southerners get a lot of important and sensitive business done this way. You can also get a group together — even on a text — and share

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" H AV I N G A V I S I T U S U A L LY I N V O LV E S A L I T T L E T R I P O V E R T O T H E H O U S E . I N G O O D W E AT H E R , I T P R O B A B LY A L S O I N V O LV E S S I T T I N G O N A P O R C H O R PAT I O , M AY B E E V E N A R O C K I N G C H A I R . "

information that you only want to share once. This also works where you want to put your version of the facts out into the world.

For example, “Okay girls. I heard someone saw me coming out of the doctor’s office on Third Street. I need to get y’all updated.”

Insert your narrative here. This also works well for that type of news that isn’t great, but down here, we still share. “Hey y’all. Let me get you updated in case you’ve heard some things. He did get kicked out, but we have a wonderful option.”

Hug Your Neck If a Southerner says they don’t have anything big to tell you, but they just need to “hug your neck,” this is a variation on “having a visit.” This type of “catchup” usually involves friends or family friends who have not seen each other in some time. When you need to hug someone’s neck, this is different from a visit, because you’re not visiting at home. This type of visit usually takes place

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somewhere away from home so that no chores, folding, or family members can distract. Imagine a friend who moved away is passing through town. You might say “Can you just stop at the Subway inside that gas station on the highway, and I will leave work early and drive over and meet you up there — I just need to hug your neck.” This is the Southern way of saying, “I miss you, and I just need to see you and have a chat.”

Prayer Meeting.

If a Southerner says they have to go and have a prayer meeting with someone, best believe that is going to be a serious conversation. There may be prayer — on the part of the person talkin’ or the person getting a talkin’ to. There will definitely be serious and private discussions. This is a delicate way to share that the conversation is serious and not up for public discussion.

Summer 2025 | 93

Under the Muscadine Vine: Southern Revivals

By Marian Carache

During my childhood, summertime meant staying up late mosquitoes, June bugs, and gnats — in. Mama called the Avon at night, sleeping late the next morning, going barefooted, and repellent “gnat knocker.” enjoying a diet of fresh vegetables grown, picked, and cooked One year, the visiting preacher — who became something of by my mama. It also meant a week-long Revival at the small a celebrity for that week — swallowed a bug in the middle of a Jernigan Methodist church built by my great-great-grandfather sentence. We could hear the man outside retching, even above and his sons. They built the church for the wedding of my great- the hymns the pianist played non-stop once he fled the pulpit: grandmother, Eliza, who said she wanted to be married in a How Great Thou Art, He Lives, I Come to the Garden Alone, and church.

Abide with Me. I’m sure I was not the only one squirming on the A visiting minister would “preach the Revival.” In addition hard wooden bench, wondering if we’d get to Just as I Am for the to the dozen or so members of our small congregation, members “invitation to come forward” that night. of the Baptist church up the road and the Methodist churches in I had been brought up to see religion as personal, not nearby communities would attend the nightly services. Usually, something to put on display, so I knew better than to answer there would be a guest singer the “altar call” anyway. Mama with a powerful voice and hand seldom quoted scripture, but she gestures.

No dome or spire imposing, was firm on “going into a closet to While I resented with all my Nor light from stained glass tall, pray” rather than doing so “to be being that the Billy Graham’s But bright and pure the sunbeams, seen by others.” television crusade was taking up Through plain glass windows fall.

Though our Baptist neighbors a week of my summer TV freedom, N o v o i c e o f h i r e d s i n g e r, did not approve, we used many people claimed to have been I s b o r n u p o n t h e a i r, scuppernong wine Mama made “saved” by him. My childhood B u t g r a t e f u l h e a r t s e x p r e s s t h e j o y, every summer for the Lord’s resentment had nothing to do with Of those who gather there.

Supper. That bottle was tucked what he said but everything to do — A l d a W h i t e inside the hollow space in the with the fact that he dominated an back of the piano. Eventually, entire week of airwaves during the one season I could watch TV somebody made the decision to switch to Welch’s grape juice — freely. “Saved” or not, I much preferred the excitement of our and Mama made the comment that folks “strain at a gnat and Jernigan Revival, sitting among our local Communion of Saints swallow a fly,” but she went along with the decision. to watching him on television.

I remembered the guest preacher who had, indeed, swallowed Revival always smelled like a mixture of the floral sachets a flying insect but kept quiet. and powers the ladies wore and the Avon mosquito repellent Our little one-room church was built by a family with their that competed with those flowery fragrances. There were also own hands. Its pulpit and altar rail were also hand-hewn. We had faint scents of Old Spice, Mennen Skin Bracer, and Wildroot no screens, and coffee came from a stainless steel 30-cup urn. hair groom in the air. These smells melded and were dispersed At some point, one of the members of the church placed a by ladies with thin pasteboard hand fans trying desperately to framed poem by Alda White above the old lecture that sat right create a breeze inside the hot church. inside the front double doors and was draped with a royal purple The fans bore color pictures of Jesus in the Garden, Jesus velvet cloth. The poem praises Little Country Churches that are Ascending into Heaven, Jesus Carrying a Lamb, and Jesus “small and unpretentious,” and perfectly describes the small Knocking on the Door. On the wall of the church was another church that was so much a part of life in Jernigan: popular icon I hold dear, a framed print by Heinrich Hoffman of If I listen carefully, I can still hear the not-perfectly-tuned Jesus at Twelve Years Old. piano and the not-quite-on-key small number of voices singing Since Revival took place in the heat of summer in the south, from the brown Cokesbury Hymnal. They may be singing slightly and we had no air conditioning at the church, the windows were out of tune, but they’re singing from their hearts. all raised to allow a breeze — and a variety of bugs, including

94 | Summer 2025

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Our team shares their Summer finds. Scan our QR code to shop.

Southern Essentials 96 | Summer 2025

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KREWE CELESTE SUNGL ASSES Timeless style meets everyday comfort with the CELESTE sunglasses in Gelatto by KREWE. Handcrafted from lightweight acetate, this classic silhouette is designed to flatter nearly every face shape and transition effortlessly from day to night. Backed

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A I R TAG C A S E Ever wonder what's happening with your luggage when it's out of sight? Keep peace of mind close with a Clare V. premium AirTag case—crafted from 100% vegetable-tanned leather to securely hold your tracker and help keep tabs on what matters most. Slip it on your suitcase, backpack, or keys, and never lose track again. Stylish, durable, and made to age beautifully. $95

D E VO S O U T D O O R L I G H T Light up your adventures with the LightRanger 1200—an elevated, rechargeable LED lantern that delivers powerful illumination up to a 60 ft diameter. It adjusts from 3 to 9 feet tall, making it ideal for campsites, backyards, and off-grid setups. With up to 1200 lumens of brightness, a runtime of 3.75 hours on max (or up to 80 hours on low), and a snap-on filter system, you can easily shift the vibe — from soft white for cozy gatherings, amber to reduce insect attraction, or red for stargazing. $192

D R E A M S C U L P T S Q UA R E N E C K TA N K Shapewear meets swimsuit in a DreamSculpt Square Neck Tank by Stylest, crafted to sculpt, smooth, and flatter in all the right places. The suit is designed with luxury fit standards — not mass-market shortcuts — and offers supportive shaping and elegant bottom coverage without skimpy cuts. It’s made to enhance your curves and your confidence. $198

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