Archive for May, 2009
McClellanville Mother’s Day Wrap-up
May 10th, 2009 McClellanville Events, Neighborhoods Daniel Bates Comments
My Mother’s day in McClellanville was spent watching my little one to give mom a well deserved break. We wrapped up the day by going to the Town Hall to the “Mothers Who Love Puppies Benefit Concert” to benefit Helping Hand Animal Rescue & Rehab Therapy to hear Kathy Livingston (the one from Nature Adventures Outfitters) sing. She had a great voice, singing a great mix of kids songs, folk songs, beach songs, and contemporary and all of her record sales go to charity.
Ken Burger had a great article in the Post and Courier about being “Raised by a Hundred Mothers“, a feeling I can definitely relate to having grown up in McClellanville. I’ve written about the it-takes-a-village mentality before, but Burger puts it best with this line, “Looking back, there were truly super women. They worked full time, sang in the choir, volunteered at the school, taught us to dance, held our families together and somehow found time to raise a village full of children.”
The Post and Courier also reported on one of our own this weekend, St. James Santee Episcople Churches minister, Jennie Olbrych. I adore Jennie. She is an amazing woman who is passionate about God’s word and always willing to help members of the community despite not living in McClellanville. You can spot her in the videos on my most recent Shrimp Festival article as she has been responsible for blessing the fleet the past few years…come rain or shine.
Finally, I’d be remiss to not take a moment to acknowledge the two mom’s that make my everyday life possible. My Mom, Susan Bates, lives just around the corner from me. I can literally see her house through the woods (do I get credit for not being a momma’s boy if I told you that I lived away from home for 8 years?). My mom is a strong, confident, and beautiful woman. My wife and I both have a great relationship with her (and my dad) and eat dinner with them almost every week (Thursday’s are Survivor night at the Bates house). She’s also been a Godsend the past two years watching our son while we work and even allowing the occasional date night and I’m so happy he has someone like her to take him out in the garden, tromping in the woods, and crabbing.
My wife, Josie is my rock! We were friends before dating and as a result know each other very well and compliment each others weaknesses. She is an amazing mother with the perfect amount of discipline and love for our son. She keeps me grounded but always supports me a rare thing to find. She works hard and always has a smile on her beautiful face. I definitely couldn’t do all the things I do without the help from these two great women and I often call upon them to review my articles, so my website wouldn’t be the same without them either.
PS – Charleston Painter, Katherine Muschick, wrote a great article about the McClellanville Arts Council’s Youth Art Show, so please check that out and leave a comment on her site. Congratulations to the great local artists as well!
Strawberry Picking at Patriots Farms
May 7th, 2009 McClellanville Events Daniel Bates Comments
Patriots Farms
10970 A N. Hwy 17
843-887-4010
Pre-picked Bucket: $10
U-pick Bucket: $7.50
A few miles north of McClellanville on Highway 17 you’ll find Patriots Farms, or as it is more commonly known, “the strawberry farm”. The strawberries have just ripened and will only be in season for another month or so, so be sure to go get some soon. You may want to give them a call and listen to the answering machine message for their times as it may change depending on the availability of the crop. If you’re picking your own ($7.50 per bucket), I’d recommend the morning while it’s still cool. You can easily fill a bucket in twenty or thirty minutes worth of picking…even with a 2-year-old robbing a few. Or you can pick up a bucket of freshly picked strawberries for just $10. They also have strawberry jams and honey.
Not only is strawberry picking a great summer activity, but they’re of course a tasty treat that can be prepared many ways. They’re great as a snack all by themselves or on cereal or shortbread with whipped cream or baked into a cobbler. I personally love to cut the tops off and lay them on a baking sheet and freeze them. From there you transfer them to zip lock bags and keep them year round. Use them like ice cubes, a cold treat, or blend them up in daiquiris!
33rd Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
May 6th, 2009 McClellanville Events Daniel Bates Comments
This will be the third year I’ve covered the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival on my blog, so it’s starting to become old hat. This year my wife’s parents came down to enjoy the festivities though, so I’ve included a small portion of the picture that my mother-in-law took while enjoying the festival and the blessing of the fleet.
This was the 33rd year of the annual event, which includes vendors, games, silent auction, live music, dancing, and of course seafood. Overall, it was a great day for kids of all ages, except for a brief shower right in the middle of the blessing of the fleet. The Lowcountry Shrimp Festival is organized by and profits Archibald Rutledge Academy. Both these new websites are courtesy of MCVL.net – Lowcountry Blogging Network – contact me today to get your own website).
Just before the blessing I escaped across to the other side of Jeremy Creek to film the blessing of the fleet from a different perspective. I’m going to try to incorporate more videos into my posts in the future, but it’s all a learning process.
Looking for the 2010 Lowcountry Shrimp Festival in McClellanville?
Asbestos and McClellanville Homes
May 5th, 2009 Buyers Daniel Bates Comments
The following is a guest post written by Joe Lederman and provided by Asbestos.com – The Leading Mesothelioma Cancer Resource. I can’t attest to the frequency of presence of asbestos in homes in McClellanville, but it reinforces the need for a qualified real estate agent and home inspector who can detect the presence of the material.
Located in the southeastern region of the United States, South Carolina is home to rich mountain ranges, national parks and monuments. In South Carolina, The state was important in the manufacturing, processing and use of asbestos because of its natural deposits and large shipping industry. Many companies that used asbestos include the Charleston Navy Yard, Carolina Shipping Company and Detyen Shipyards, Inc.
Purchasing or moving into a new home is the investment of a lifetime. It will insure you and your family will have a safe and healthy home for a long foreseeable future. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was a prominent building application throughout the 20th century.
Potential McClellanville home buyers or those seeking to remodel a home built before 1980 should check for potential asbestos materials. This is not to say that you should be too worried because with the proper precautions, asbestos exposure can be easily prevented.
Even if asbestos shingles are on your home, if they are in good condition and left undisturbed, they are not a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard, leading to the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma. With a latency period that can last 20 to 50 years, this makes mesothelioma prognosis from physicians a difficult task.
The amount of asbestos-related incidents in the last few decades has lead to asbestos lawyer firms advocating victim rights around the U.S. The negligence involved with the asbestos scandal has been one of greed and dishonesty. Manufacturers of asbestos were aware of its toxic qualities, but repressed this information from the public.
If you suspected asbestos materials are in your home, most home inspectors and contractors advise to leave it un-disturbed as asbestos in good condition does not pose any health risks. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Council promotes the health and safety of the public and environment. These public organizations assist the disposal and removal of asbestos and other harmful materials. If asbestos removal is deemed necessary, it should be performed by licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials.
Once the removal process is completed, green insulation alternatives should be given serious consideration. These alternatives include: cellulose, cotton fiber and lcynene. Tax breaks are being offered through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. This package extends energy efficiency tax incentives first enacted in 2005 and even creates some new ones for those who remodel their homes using Eco-friendly materials. Insulation replacement can be vital to energy efficiency and is often overlooked by people looking to upgrade their homes.
With a lackluster economy, these kinds of figures have attracted those who were unaware of Eco-friendly construction. Not only will these asbestos alternatives reduce energy costs, they allow a lifestyle that promotes a clean, free of health damaging materials.