Taking pleasure in your garden in the midst of August's heat and bugs can be . . . well, to put it bluntly, difficult. Recently I was reading a blog by Tom Harris, Ph.D., a Texas gardener, that included a lengthy list of "dos and don'ts" for making late summer gardening more enjoyable. Parts of Texas are even hotter than SC, so many of his suggestions would apply well to our Lowcountry climate.

Cooler morning temperatures over the past few days have inspired me to dine al fresco! This week's recipes are perfect for a weekend breakfast on the porch.

Improving how DHEC protects the public from communicable diseases

By Tom Davis

That government is best which governs least, and getting nonsensical laws off the books and stopping attempts to add ridiculous new ones – e.g., requiring animal shelters to be supervised by veterinarians, banning midwifery and out-of-hospital births, subjecting homeschooled children to state supervision, to name just a few from the South Carolina General Assembly's 2013 session – are among the most important things state lawmakers can do.

Red Piano Too to host tribute to Charles Desaussure

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

– Maya Angelou