… Longfield Stables will hold its Opening Celebration on Saturday, April 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All property owners are invited to the event (RSVP required), which will include barn tours, a champagne brunch with live music, a charity silent auction, a foxhunter and cross country safety demonstration, a dressage demonstration, and carriage rides around the Cross Country course. Special guests Lellie Ward, an International Event Rider and Trainer, will lead the safety demonstration, and Stacy Parvey-Larrson, an FEI Dressage Competitor and Trainer, will present the dressage demonstration. Click here to view the complete schedule. Please RSVP by April 17 to 843.706.9559, or click here to email.

… Beginning on April 16, Longfield Stables will offer Private Carriage Tours of the equestrian center and the equestrian trail system, which includes the Cross Country course, and the tranquil scenery of Longfield Farms, Palmetto Bluff's residential equestrian properties. These custom-tailored rides will be available on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (with 24 hours notice). Longfield Stables will also offer a Carriage Driving Lesson Program. Tours and lessons will be led by Diane B. Brannen, who has more than 30 years of professional carriage driving experience and is the former owner of Historic Savannah Carriage Tours. Her matched pair of Cleveland Bay, Thoroughbred crosses, “Miss Independence” and “Stirlingson,” are now residing at Longfield Stables and are being prepared to participate in the Opening Celebration on April 19. Please call the Longfield Stables Office (843.706.9559) for pricing and reservations, or for more information, click here.

… The Palmetto Bluff Conservancy is offering a 10-day Amazon Voyage, beginning January 16, 2009, with AAA Travel and International Expeditions (IE), a world leader in ecotourism and nature travel. IE’s exclusive itinerary ventures deep into the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve – the world’s largest wetland reserve – exposing travelers to the Amazon River’s myriad forms of wildlife, including monkeys, birds, sloths, pink and gray dolphins, and much more. For more information, contact Kimberly Andrews (843.706.6032, email), or click here for a complete trip brochure.

… RT’s Market will host a Wine Tasting on Friday, April 11 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The featured wine may be purchased at a 10% discount during the event, and a variety of Market product samples will be available for tasting. Watch PB Online for details on the featured wine, or call RT’s at 843.706.3448 for more information.

… May River Golf Club members are invited to venture from the Lowcountry to the high country with a golf vacation to the Canadian Rockies from June 26 to July 1. The trip itinerary includes rounds at Banff Springs, Kananaskis (Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette courses), Silvertip and Stewart Creek. The cost is $2,400 per person double occupancy, $3,300 pp single occupancy, which includes five nights lodging at the 5-Star Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff National Park, five rounds of golf, cart and driving range use, daily breakfast, minivan rental (shared by four people), meet/greet/welcome gift at Calgary International Airport, valet parking, national park pass, trip cancellation insurance, and all taxes and gratuities. A deposit of $500 per person is due by May 15. Informational presentations will be held at the May River Grill on Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 19. Each session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and includes complimentary coffee and pastries. For more information, contact Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email).

… The Wilson Lawn & Racquet Club Member-Guest Tennis Tournament will be held on April 12-13. Contact Warren Florence (843.706.6635, email) for more information, and please RSVP by this Friday,
April 4.

… A Masters Social will be held at the Canoe Club on Saturday, April 12, and again on Sunday, April 13, beginning at 4:00 p.m. each day. Palmetto Bluff Club members are invited to enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres while watching golf’s annual rite of spring. RSVP by April 10 to Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email).

… Wilson Landing is offering complimentary boat transportation to Harbour Town for property owners who plan to attend the Verizon Heritage of Golf on April 15-20. Space is limited and available on a reservation basis. Please note: Verizon Heritage badges are not included. To purchase Heritage badges, call 800.234.1107 or go to verizonheritage.com. You must have a Verizon Heritage badge to board the boat. For boat reservations, call Doug Hancock at 843.706.2458.

… The Conservancy will host Birding Weekend on April 18-19. The weekend begins with an “Owl Prowl” on Friday, April 18. After a 6:00 p.m. introduction at the River House Wine Cellar, participants will board sightseeing trucks and venture deep into the forest, where the Conservancy wildlife managers will demonstrate their owl-calling expertise. Saturday morning features a Birding Walk led by Diana Churchill of Savannah’s Wild Birds Unlimited This event begins in Wilson Village at 8:00 a.m. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis for both outings – RSVP to Kimberly Andrews (843.706.6032, email).

… A Property Owner Grace Cruise will take place on Friday, April 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. RSVP by April 23 to Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email). Also be sure to mark your calendars for next month’s property owner cruise on Friday, May 9.

… The Canoe Club will host a Property Owner Italian Night on Saturday, April 26 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. RSVP by April 24 to Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email).

… The May River Golf Club Spring Member-Guest Tournament will be held on May 1-3. The entry fee is $800 per team (tournament only) or $2,900 per team (includes two rooms for three nights). Golf members must RSVP by April 26 to Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email).

… The Conservancy invites property owners to participate in its Turtle Mark-Recapture Workshop on May 2-3. This research is designed to identify and count the species of turtles in our ponds, and to determine how the population is structured in terms of age and sex. On the first day, participants will set “hoop” traps for turtles at various pond and wetland sites, then return the following day to measure the turtles that were caught and mark each one with a unique identifier (a harmless technique called “shell notching” that will allow the turtle to be identified if it is ever caught again). Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions if possible. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis – RSVP to Kimberly Andrews (843.706.6032, email).

… Turtles will also be the subject of next month’s First Friday program on May 2. Accompanied by live specimens, SREL turtle biologist Judy Greene will discuss biology, natural history and identification techniques for these creatures that are such a unique component of our wildlife community. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on the lawn next to the Chapel. No RSVP necessary.

… A Kentucky Derby Social will be held at the Canoe Club on Saturday, May 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. RSVP by May 1 to Nick Dennis (843.706.6603, email).

… The Conservancy will hold a Homeowner’s Habitat Review Workshop on May 8-9. This event is designed to help property owners better understand the Palmetto Bluff environment and how they fit into it. The morning presentations include discussions about our most common ecosystems and wildlife, how to live with those critters and how to lessen our impact on the environment through “green” building and landscaping. In the afternoons, we head outdoors to visit various sites and experience the concepts that were introduced in the morning. RSVP by May 5 to Kimberly Andrews (843.706.6032, email).

… A Property Owner Orientation will be held on Friday, May 23 at the River House. Attendees will meet the Palmetto Bluff Management Team and gain a greater understanding of the services of the Property Owners Association, Palmetto Bluff Club, May River Golf Club, Inn and Conservancy. A continental breakfast will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The program begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by lunch at noon, with a slide presentation on current and upcoming developments. An optional Open House will be held at the Design Review Center from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. RSVP by May 21 to Allen Allnoch (843.706.6024, email).

… Submissions are being accepted for the 2008 Property Owner Photo Contest. Photos will be judged on composition, image, landscape quality, creativity and lighting. Images should depict scenes on or in the immediate vicinity of Palmetto Bluff. Click here to submit photos digitally (ideally at a resolution of 300 dpi or more), or mail print photos to Allen Allnoch, 147 Old Palmetto Bluff Road, Bluffton, SC 29910. The deadline is June 30, 2008.

… Attention dog owners: Per the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
(DHEC), dogs are not allowed in the River House swimming pool or fenced-in area of the pool. Violations can result in the temporary closure of the pool. This regulation will also apply to the Canoe Club when its pool facilities open.

Questions and comments: Contact Allen Allnoch at 843.706.6024 or ahallnoch@crescent-resources.com

Visit palmettobluffonline.com for additional details on life and events at the Bluff.