On the Way

By Olivia Fowler

Olivia Fowler

There is a trellis made of cedar on the pathway from the house to the tractor shed. It was the joint project of Fowler and our daughter Katherine several summers ago, and they built it from cedar limbs and posts on one of the hottest days of the summer.

They said it was one-of-a-kind and that there would never be another. They said some other things too that don’t bear repeating.

There’s a clematis vine that’s grown over it now, woven in with a rambling rose. On a hot day after the vine has leafed out, you can stand beneath it in the patch of darkness and enjoy the shade.

To the right of the trellis are a mixed group of yarrow, iris, lamb’s ear and spring bulbs that are supposed to bloom in increments but don’t. An old oak stump serves as an anchor for the garden angel. She’s made

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson

Good news.

After last week’s session of moaning “poor me” about not having the Pickens-Twelve Mile trip to Kentucky available for this year’s vacation, Bobby Haley called me and invited me to go with a group he’s taking from Easley First Baptist to Kentucky.

I was overwhelmed. The chance to go with Bobby Haley to Kentucky is a rare one. He’s been retired several years, but wherever he decides to attend church usually finds a way to sponsor a trip to Kentucky. He sometimes accompanies his son Jeff, who is a youth minister at a church near Columbia.

Plus, I worked for many years in a building next to Easley First Baptist, and I consider its pastor, Dr. John

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

Olivia Fowler

As children we’d often go to the movies on Saturday mornings while Mama ran errands and bought groceries. We lived 10 miles from town, so going to town for supplies was a pretty big deal. We didn’t refer to it as going to the movies.

Mama would say, “Would you like to go to the show?” And of course, we always did.

There were two movie theaters in town, the Gibson and the Centre. Movies stayed on sometimes for several weeks until everybody in the county had an opportunity to go.

This was at a time when Saturday morning movies began at 10, and there would usually be a double feature. The Lone Ranger and Tonto were very popular, as were Davy Crockett and Tarzan.

Mama thought snacks bought at the show were way too expensive. After all, you could get a

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson

It happened Sunday night. I was at church for a meeting preparing for Vacation Bible School this summer. I just had to listen, agree to do whatever I could to help, and smile a lot.

Before I went into the meeting, I was stopped by Wilburn Pitts. I grew up with Wilburn’s son, Teddy. Since then I have had several opportunities to work with Wilburn myself. His sense of humor makes some think he never takes himself seriously, but I’ve come to know that Wilburn is one of the most dedicated friends any person could have. That night he was at the church preparing for the upcoming Easter production by our choir.

“Did I tell you about Kentucky Missions?” Wilburn asked.

I figured that Wilburn had heard of a theme being adopted.

Fiefdom mentality

Dear Editor,

Until we all realize that we are all one county, that our cities make up one county and that our counties are one Upstate, we will continue with “one step forward and two steps backward.”

There are too many fiefdoms in existence already. What’s good for Easley is good for Liberty, what goes on at Clemson makes us all look smarter. What a company locating in Pickens does is good for Six Mile.

I recommend Googling “Ten at the Top” and visiting that website to learn more about the

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

We have a new animal for Fowler Farm, and I’m not really sure how this happened.  One evening during supper, Fowler said he wanted to clean up the old bird dog pen, an area which has fallen into disuse with the disappearance of quail from the landscape. He has been thinking about breeding rat terriers again and would need the area for this purpose. Since the death of Queenie, our last pointer, who departed this vale of tears more than 20 years ago, the pen has

Olivia Fowler

been taken over by honeysuckle, small oaks, wisteria vine and poison ivy.

The pen is made of chain link fence and encompasses an area measuring about 40 by 100 feet. Fowler decided to acquire a goat for the purpose, so he says, of cleaning out growth both inside and outside the fence. But before this could be done, he spent two full days cutting down small trees and dragging out enough undergrowth to make access into the pen possible.

He then built a neat goat shed inside the pen before picking up the goat from our neighbor, who raises them.  She is a Nigerian nanny goat who is expecting kids sometime in May.

Education, then and now

Dear Editor,

After reading some of the Common Core standards, my first impression was it’s a set of documents written by and for educators. It’s kind of like how you have to be in a particular trade or profession to understand the lingo. But then it became apparent most of the standard was just using fancy words and phrases for making simple concepts complicated.

For instance, the following are first-grade requirements: “Add and subtract within a range of 10,” “use strategies such as counting on and making 10,” and “decomposing a number leading to

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

Both my grandmothers lived long lives. One lived to the age of 86, the other to 92. This was before the cholesterol obsession held sway.

Olivia Fowler

Grandmama’s house in North Carolina was home to us. We had a cow named Star who was milked every day. She was a great milk producer and was the source for whole milk, cream, butter and buttermilk.

In the pantry was a shelf where earthenware crocks and the butter churn lived side by side, waiting to be used.

Leroy brought the pail of milk up to the house before breakfast. Grandmama strained it and put it into the various containers designated for milk.

The butter churn was made of glass, with about a gallon capacity. There was a metal screw-top through which the paddle and handle were connected.

My job was to churn the butter. I don’t remember how

All About Ben

By Ben Robertson

Ben Robinson

This past weekend was a bit iffy, but I am pretty sure that this year’s “winter weather” is past us now. I am more than happy if it is.

I know it won’t be but a few weeks before I am complaining about it being too hot. That’s what happens with us fat guys. Weather comes that seems suited toward us — plenty of need for extra clothing to keep us warm, and at the same time keep us from looking so miserable because we’re sweating. But for some reason we wish for warm weather — even “bikini” weather, though we realize we will be sweating and clinging to an air conditioner throughout the summer.

One good cold blast of wind makes me welcome summer that much more. And the theory that if you are cold you can just add clothing until you are warm does not find much support. I guess I’m a little spoiled by the

AdvancED report results overblown

Dear Editor,

I have read about the reaction to the AdvancED report and have attended Pickens County school board meetings.

Like with most audits, AdvancED made some recommendations and requirements for improvement. Normally, those recommendations are taken and requirements are met. I expect the same thing this time.

Does anyone believe AdvancED will not renew the accreditation of our school district? It has recommended accreditation. AdvancED’s purpose is to insure educational quality. How would