Southern Christmas Show

This blog is written by Jan Todd, an associate of The Lake Wylie Man:

Christmas is full of traditions. For some people, Christmas wouldn't seem like Christmas without eggnog . . . the smell of a freshly cut evergreen tree . . . fresh popped popcorn strung on a thread, hung on the tree . . . a visit to Santa at the mall . . . the Hallelujah Chorus.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions actually occurs in mid-November: The Southern Christmas show! With three huge trade-show rooms full of arts & crafts, sweets & hot sauces, ornaments and home decor, it is a 12-day show that just shouldn't be missed. In fact, I don't think I've missed one in over 20 years.

In my early ventures, I loaded up on Christmas decorations for my first home . . . then next home . . . then next home. Then I decided I had quite enough (in fact, TOO much) ornaments and holiday decor. But fear not, there was still more to shop for: art for my walls, a rocking chair, sports memorabilia, gifts, hats & scarves, and of course, hot sauces!

Each year, vendors offer samples of Jamaican jerk sauces, dips, barbecue sauces, gourmet hot chocolates, spiced pecans, burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth-and-cry-for-mama salsas, and more. Oh what fun it is to try, fa la la la la! I learned early on to save the gift packs of salsa for the end of the show (I try to buy nothing over 1 pound in weight early on).

Merchants have figured this out as well. Towards the back of display room #2, shopping carts on wheels do a brisk business, as do foot massagers and gel-soles.

This year, I was delighted to once again see The Gourd Lady. (See picture) This delightful lady is 95 years old, and had been selling her wares at the Christmas show since it was invented. She has been on Jay Leno twice, has rubbed elbows with big stars such as Denzel Washington, and has a children's home named after her. Her claim to fame? She wears a vegetable on her head. I kid you not! She'll let you take a picture, but will ask for a $1 donation for the children's home.

Now that's what Christmas is about. Have a wonderful holiday season, go to the Christmas show, and visit The Lake Wylie Man for a list of holiday events in Lake Wylie, a fantastic (and free!) Lake Wylie real estate search, and more. Thanks for reading!

Tragedy on the Clover Fields

What happened to the Clover Eagles last night?? I was so looking forward to an Eagle triumph over the Northwestern Trojans. Considering that my Eagle daughter dates a Northwestern Trojan (you know what they say about those mixed relationships . . . ), and considering a certan NW Trojan has run his mouth all year since the LAST time the Trojans trounced the Blue Eagles, and considering the Blue Eagles stomped all over South Pointe who stomped all over the Trojans this year, I just KNEW it would be the time when the Blue would win the glory.

During the first three quarters, it looked as if my hopes and predictions were right on. Clover led Northwestern by a couple of touchdowns, even though both teams looked very good on the field. The Northwestern fans were a small but fiesty bunch, and of course the Clover stand was packed. We tried to help our boys out on defense by making all sorts of noise, stomping on the stands, ringing cowbells (it IS Clover, after all), blowing horns, and generally raising a ruckus.

I was sitting next to Tom and Joy, who have to be the most superstitious football fans I've ever met. A few years ago, Tom was out mowing the grass while his beloved Clemson Tigers played ball. Tom was listening to the game on the radio, and the Tigers were winning. He finished his yard, but would not get off the mower until the game was over, because he figured if the Tigers were winning, he had to keep doing whatever he was doing, or the tide would turn. So he mowed his own yard twice and started on the neighbors'.

Last night, Joy had gone down to the concession stand to buy some boiled peanuts, and while she was gone, Clover blocked a Northwestern punt, recovered the ball, and ran for a touchdown. Therefore, Joy concluded that to cause another Clover hullabaloo, she'd have to get more peanuts. We ate a lot of peanuts last night.

Finally, by fourth quarter, we just couldn't eat any more peanuts, and tragedy struck. Clover fumbled a snap, the Trojans recovered and tied the score. Then the referees got in on the fun, joined Northwestern's efforts, and things started to fall apart. Final score, 38-31, Northwestern.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Next time, we need to buy more peanuts.

This blog was written by Jan, who works with David, The Lake Wylie Man. The view of the author do not reflect upon the good name of The Lake Wylie Man, who is a respected real estate agent in Lake Wylie. David specializes in waterfront Lake Wylie real estate, and you can read more blogs by David and Jan, plus search properties on his website. He can help you with waterfront real estate in the outstanding Clover school district, as well as those other school districts. Even Northwestern.

The Mysterious Lake Wylie Coyote

Around the Allison Creek Peninsula this summer, the big hub-bub was all about the mysterious Coyote/fox critter that suddenly appeared. Actually, I think there were several.

Some described a beast that had the head of a werewolf, was larger than a fox, and had a pom pom on its tail.

Others described a small skinny creature, pom pom tail, with no apparent fear of humans. It did seem to be quite hungry, and enjoyed fresh fruit and vegetables. Several of us Googled, and identified the animal as either a coyote or a Sampson fox. Perhaps it was a mix of breeds, a Foxote.

As I eagerly awaited my first homegrown tomato, ripening on the vine, you can imagine my disappointment when the almost ripe fruit just vanished one morning. I accused my wife, then my neighbor, of absconding with the tomato. A couple of weeks later, I witnessed the Foxote munching on some apples that had fallen out of one of my trees. Then, I saw it stretching on its hind legs, upright, eating figs off of my neighbor's tree. The tomato mystery was solved.

Even after all that eating, the Foxote was still skinny. It would trot through our yards, in broad daylight, and then disappear into the woods. Around the first of September, the creature disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. There have been no recent sightings. Of course, the tomatoes are long gone.

For more blogs and stories about Lake Wylie living and Lake Wylie real estate, visit my website, The Lake Wylie Man.

Fourth of July Boat Parade

If you had told me a few months ago that I'd be riding around in my 1950 Chris Craft on Lake Wylie on the 4th of July, I would have laughed. Rides in that boat are typically "off season", in the spring or fall, during times on the lake when there are just a few lonely fishermen sharing the waters.

Taking the boat out on the busiest day of the year, in the heat of July? Not happening.

But it did.

Somehow, my wife, neighbor, and co-worker decided it would be a delightful idea to participate in Lake Wylie's annual boat parade. They caught me at a weak moment, and I agreed. So we all donned straw hats, which my wife Lorre decorated with RWB ribbon. The only boat "decoration" was the American flag proudly flying.

We arrived at Nivens Creek just before 11am, lined up amidst the decorated boats, and cast off. Following the lead boat, Tega Cay's fire department vessel, was slow going as it stopped to spray water every few feet. But we had a wonderful cruise, waving at the folks along the shore and on the water.

We saw quite a few familiar faces - - people who bought homes I had listed, friends we've made along the way. It was really quite fun! At times it was like navigating in the ocean, with 4' waves from all of the boats. But I figure that even an old Chris Craft needs to experience rough seas sometime in life!

David Coone lives and sells real estate on Lake Wylie. For more information on Lake Wylie real estate, Lake Wylie waterfront homes for sale, or blogs about Lake Wylie, visit TheLakeWylieMan.com.

Streets of the South are Paved in Gold

It was early spring when one of my friends, who recently moved from a place known as "Not From Around Here", called me in alarm."What," she asked, "is that yellow stuff all over the road?"My friend was concerned that some horrible toxic waste spill had occurred while she slept.
I reassured her (after laughing at her, which was fun for me), and explained that it was pollen. It is quite common to find a yellow film on anything outsitde during the early spring, from cars to patio furniture, to boats and pets.
Each year I have to spend an afternoon cleaning everything on my screened porch, for the pollen dust floats right in between the screens. Already this year I've noticed a bit appearing on my patio table. I think I'll cover things up with some old sheets for a few weeks.
Happy Spring, everyone!Visit my website for more tips and information about Living in Lake Wylie! Also, check out some of the fantastic values in Lake Wylie real estate. Several delightful lake cabins available for under $500k!

Report from the Boat Show

The Mid-Atlantic Boat Show made its annual stop in Charlotte this weekend, so I stopped by. The boat show is a yearly tradition for many in the area, and it turns out to be a great time to visit with friends and neighbors. I saw quite a few familiar faces milling around.

I started out looping around the perimeter of the show, where various vendors display such things as docking options, boat covers, wakeboards, and services. I was very impressed with the "touchless" boat covers - - canopies that are suspended above a boat lift and drape over the boat. Most of them are remote controlled; they roll up when not in use, then unroll to cover the boat when you're ready to put it away for the evening. Anyone who has attempted to quickly snap on a boat cover as a thunderstorm rolls in can certainly see the appeal of an automatic boat cover that literally covers the boat in seconds.

Also on the perimeter were various information booths with maps, safety guides, and boating courses. I've assembled many of these resources on my website, Lake Resources on the Community Links page: Lake Wylie Waterfront Resources

Of course I checked out the boats at the Boat Show as well. It's fun to see the new models, and board some of the luxury cruisers. The largest I saw was a 45' Sea Ray Sundance, which featured two private bedrooms, two baths, a living area with electronic toys galore, and a kitchen with granite countertops. Granite countertops on a boat! Regular price was $728,000, but if you bought it on a whim at the boat show, you could walk away with it for just $530,000. "Hi honey, guess what I bought!"

Dare to dream.

If you're dreaming about living on Lake Wylie and enjoying life on the water, give me a call. For all of your real estate needs, visit my website: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate

Getting Around in Lake Wylie

Have you ever asked for directions from Charlotte to places around Lake Wylie? Quite likely, you received an answer such as "Go across the Buster Boyd Bridge, drive a couple of miles, then turn left onto Hwy 49. Then, when you get to Five Points, hang a right onto . . ."

Now, first of all, you never saw anything that identifies Buster Boyd Bridge. There are lots of bridges in the area. How do you know Buster Boyd's??

Then, you were ON highway 49 coming from Charlotte. Why would you have to turn to get onto Hwy 49? And where was this Five Points, anyway? Five Points would generally describe a place where five roads (not four, not three) would come together at one point.

I remember asking directions one time while in Yadkin County, North Carolina. I was told to go just past the place where Jim's Grill used to be, then cut back on the dirt road. That was really great, since I had no idea where Jim's Grill USED to be, and I didn't know what "cut back" meant. Left? Right? Reverse? Who knew.

So - - allow me to enlighten you on getting around in Lake Wylie. First of all, the Buster Boyd Bridge. It USED to be a grand thing (see picture above, courtesey of the Lake Wylie Pilot.) It was a bridge that joined North & South Carolina, just past what now is The Palisades on Highway 49. Buster Boyd was a farmer who used to own the land in that area, and the bridge was named after him. The two lane bridge was torn down and replaced by the 4-lane, rather ordinary looking bridge, around 2001. It was sad to lose such a landmark, but commuters are much happier now! As far as I know, there is no sign that identifies the bridge as "Buster Boyd", but we all still call it by that name.

As for turning left on Highway 49 . . . if I remember correctly, the road used to curve around the intersection of Hwy 49, Hwy 274, and Hwy 557. That area was actually called "Three Points", and sometimes still is. When the shopping centers with Food Lion and Bi-Lo were built, an intersection was redesigned with a traffic light. Highway 49 now turns left at that intersection. Of course, some people traveling to York on Hwy 49 sort of miss that turn and end up in Clover. I've done it several times myself!

The highway around "Five Points" has been redesigned a couple of times in the past ten or fifteen years. Lake Wylie Road, Hwy 274, Hwy 55, and Hwy 49 north and south used to converge right in front of North's Grocery. The most recent redesign added an intersection, so there are now two traffic lights rather close together. Don't try to do the math, just know that we describe that area as "Five Points".

Hopefully that clears things up a bit! If you really want to start sounding like a local (with or without the Southern accent), go ahead and start incorporating these "used to be" landmarks into your conversations and directions. If nothing else, the recipients of these directions will get a lovely tour of our countryside!

For local expertise on the Lake Wylie area, information on events and activities, and resources for Lake Wylie real estate, please visit my website: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate

Clover schools win Palmetto Award

Congratulations to Clover schools that were presented Palmetto Awards, based on their 2007 school report cards! Schols that have Excellent absolute ratings or improvement scores, and have no unsatisfactory ratings, are eligible for the Gold Palmetto Award.

For 2007, Crowder's Creek Elementary won the Gold award for the seventh year in a row. Way to go! Bethany Elementary and Bethel Elementary also won the Gold award for 2007. Kinard Elementary earned the Silver award, a designation given to schools with a "Good" rating and no unsatisfactory scores.

Winning schools are awarded a portion of $3 million in state funds, which is used to fund projects that a school may not otherwise afford.

The staff and faculty are very pleased and proud of these awards. The effort of the teachers in obtaining advanced certification definitely contributes to the excellence that is required to earn the Palmetto awards.

To see report cards on all area schools, visit my website: Lake Wylie Schools

For other real estate information in the Lake Wylie area, visit my website Lake Wylie Real Estate

Christmas Lights in Tega Cay

This blog was written by Jan, an associate of David's. Jan lived in Tega Cay for 5 years, then moved to the "other side of the river."

If the Lake Wylie area were a high school, Tega Cay would definitely win the superlative award for the "Most School Spirited." I took my mother and kids over to Tega Cay to tour the Christmas light display, and I'm pleased to report that the Christmas Spirit is alive and well!

We had originally planned to take the official tour of the lights, in vans chauffeured by the fine Tega Cay police force. However, we were not successful in locating the beach club, where the tours began. I think we were too distracted by the amazing display of colored lights, inflatables, motorized Grinches, giant snowmen, and Santa in a hot air balloon. We decided to just drive around and have our own tour.

I did call my old friend Donna Britsch, who really should be the official ambassador of Tega Cay. She invited me to drive by her yard to see her candy cane display on Koala Circle (off of Marquesas), and hear the legend of the candy cane. When we dropped by, she loaded us up with candy canes and gave us directions to some of the most impressive displays in the neighborhood.

Two houses on Kahlua Circle (off of Point Clear) were probably visible from jets flying overhead. Lights! Music! Action!! It was a sight to behold. I was told that these two neighbors compete with each other every year to see who can have the most outrageous display. Last year, one even rented a snow making machine and created a white Christmas!

Another street not to be missed was Executive Drive, off of Triton (also off of Point Clear). Every single house on that street participated in creating Candyland. Homemade painted displays portrayed Gumdrop Field, Lollipop Lane, and other scenes. The comraderie and festive cooperation to design such a thing exemplified the Christmas spirit - - neighbors coming together to create something for others to enjoy. As we drove down the street, there were several of the homeowners in the cul-de-sac handing out candy canes, wishing us Merry Christmas!

If y'all have a free evening this Christmas season, I definitely recommend a trip through Tega Cay. It'll bring out the kid in you!

Visit my website for Lake Wylie real estate property searches, helpful information for waterfront residents, Lake Wylie links and community information: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate

Grit over Grits

This post is by Jan, an associate of David's. She loves living in Lake Wylie, and adores those Clover Blue Eagles!

It seems like most of Clover was in Columbia last night to watch the Clover Blue Eagles take home their first state championship football title. What a night!

It was quite ironic that the last time the Clover Eagles made it to the championship game, it was against the Beaufort Eagles in 1945. Back then, the final score was 26-0, with the Low Country boys taking it home.

Last night, the Clover Eagles again faced Beaufort. The Beaufort team was bigger, their reputation strong. No fewer than thirteen fan buses pulled in from the Land of Shrimp and Grits.

But by golly, our gritty home boys pulled it off with a 23-14 win. The Clover Eagles played a nearly flawless game, keeping the penalties to a minimum and putting the pressure on Beaufort's talented offense. Clover overcame a halftime deficit and executed a most excellent second half with multiple interceptions by the defense, and heart-filled effort by the offense. It was a sight to behold.

I heard from the students that eight members of the 1945 football team attended a pep rally at Clover High on Friday. Wonder if they provided some pointers?

Congratulations to all of the players, parents, and fans. Y'all done good!


Visit my website Lake Wylie Real Estate for Lake Wylie real estate property searches, helpful information for waterfront residents, Lake Wylie links and community information.

Friday Night Lights (Southern Style!)

This blog is written by Jan, an associate of David's. Just a slice of why she loves living in Lake Wylie:

I've lived in eight different Southeastern states, so I've heard more than my share of Southern slang. I mean, I grew up "fixin' to do something" and that sort of thing. Still, I'm just tickled to death when I hear a new Southern phrase.

So, last night, I attended the Clover High School football game to watch the Clover Blue Eagles play the Laurens Raiders in the first round of the Division II 4A playoffs. Actually, I did more than "attend" - - I hollared my fool head off.

It was a GREAT game. The Eagles had us worried as the Raiders scored two quick touchdowns. It was not lookin' purty. Then, some darling Eagle picked up a fumble on the one yard line and those boys were "on like a pot of chicken necks." They went on to score 5 beautiful touchdowns and win the game 35-21. Bless their hearts.

Anyway, back to that Southern slang thing. As I was walking in the stadium last night, I greeted the ticket taker and asked how he was doing. His reply? "I'm hanging on like a hair in a biscuit!"

New one! Not sure I'm going to incorporate it into my everyday vocab!

Don't you just love living in the South?? Now, y'all join us in Greenwood next week as Clover advances to the next round of the playoffs. Ain't that just finer than frog's hair?

Visit my website Lake Wylie Real Estate for property searches, helpful information for waterfront residents, Lake Wylie links and community information.

Halloween in Lake Wylie

One of the things I love most about living on Lake Wylie is the community. There are some great people in this area. Many of the local businesses offer wonderful personal service, and go out of their way to build relationships with people in the area.

As I was out and about on Halloween, I ran across several people dressed for the holiday. They were all having lots of fun, so I thought I'd share the pictures with you!

Click on the link below to see the slide show:

http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=1277601

What are some of the things you love about Lake Wylie?


Visit my website Lake Wylie waterfront Real Estate for property searches, helpful information for waterfront residents, Lake Wylie links and community information.