About Orangeburg County, SC

One thing you will rarely find is me unplugged. I like technology. I really like technology. My kids are getting big and have social lives of their own. We try to do family dinners when we can, my oldest daughter works for me and all of my kids still live at home. Still you would be surprise how seldom we all see each other. Since we've been remodeling our house for the last year and for the most part it is still a disaster, we decided that maybe a break was in order.... We would still cook a nice Thanksgiving meal, but we would do it at a cabin on Lake Marion.

We have a private membership at Lake Big Water and try to stay up there a couple times a year at least. Of course the downside is that the cabin doesn't even have wifi. Sure I have an iPad but AT&T is not fantastic, particularly around here.... so 3G was pretty much pointless. My phone (Droid) had limited access. I put an away message on my email and my cell phone and more or less unplugged....

This is a shot of the cabin from the dock.... those bright color lawn chairs are ours... the people are ours too =)

There was only one other cabin on the entire shoreline rented out.... so we had the place pretty much to ourselves....

We arrived on Wednesday and left Sunday..... this is the view from the back porch every evening....

When it got dark, bon fires - smores, catching up, laughing ....

and maybe a nap or two for my very relaxed hubby....

Of course my favorite parts were the simple ones....

of course it's not all fun and games....

well... yes it is... who am I kidding? Our favorite tradition of peeling chestnuts for dressing....

and we even got in a little crafting....

these are made from mismatched (clean) socks... the dryer may have eaten their mate, but they now have a new purpose....

(lol.... So now you understand the cabin fever part) Still we had a great time with no wifi and no 3G. Now I'm refreshed, renewed and ready to get back to work.... fully charged!

How did you spend your Thanksgiving weekend?

Summer is just around the corner and that means many are working on plans for their annual family reunions. Why not plan your family's reunion at South Carolina's beautiful Lake Marion. The Santee area offers several activities that the whole family can enjoy. Let Clark's Inn help you plan a Lake Marion fishing adventure or even a day of golf on Santee National Golf Course. This summer, your Lake Marion reunion will be one to remember when you plan your event with the folks at Clarks Inn.

The fishing action has been picking up lately here on Lake Marion. The recent activity of the fish have been caused due to spawning, allowing fisherman to catch numerous good size bass and crappie. Now is the perfect time to plan a weekend fishing trip and take advantage of some good fishing.

Clark's Inn offers a great Lake Marion fishing experience that can have you out on the water all day as you hunt for that record weighing fish. After a whole day of fishing, you will not have trouble finding things to do in Santee, SC. The people here are friendly, and don't mind sharing a fish story or two.

So hurry down to Lake Marion, SC while the fishing is still good because you never know when that next monster bass will be caught, it could be by you.

Thursday afternoon brought City officials and guests to the 21 year old Edisto Memorial Gardens for the dedication of the new Noisette Rose Garden.

What has been called the "Rose of the South" is now at home in Orangeburg's Edisto Memorial Gardens. While Noisette roses are not easy to come by, 54 varieties of the ever-blooming rose can be enjoyed in the Orangeburg gardens, thanks to a joint project between the City of Orangeburg and the South Carolina Rose Society, along with the Garden Club of South Carolina.

Forty-four varieties, including Rose Moschata and Old Blush, are included in the rose bed. Ten other varieties are on wrought iron trellises, where they will grow as large as 30 feet tall.

"The Noisette rose is the only rose that originated in North America, and we are honored to feature her in our community.

For additional information on other Orangeburg SC areas of interest visit www.JustCallTina.com

When we relocated from New England 18 years ago, I was terrified that a ferocious alligator or deadly swamp snake would claim my son Nathan.

He grew up loving snakes, frogs, and above all ALLIGATORS! I didn't ask questions when he and his friends would return from a hot, sweaty camp out in Santee. Some things a mother is just more comfortable not knowing about. He returned recently after a weekend in a tent, and since he is now over 18 - he certainly doesn't need Mommas permission when he wants to hang w/the guys. I simply kept quiet.

Then I saw this posted in the newspaper...my son is now attending college in Cali and is facing creatures of a different sort these days, but I couldn't help but smile thinking about how he would have LOVED to have been in on this adventure. South Carolina is still teeming with all the excitement that nature has to offer.

It's what I count on to bring him home when he finishes his education.

After an entire day of patrolling, tracking, wrestling and shooting, some men from Elloree are still running on adrenaline after killing a 13.5-foot alligator at Stumphole Landing in the first days of South Carolina's first gator hunt since the 1960s.