Life at

Dear Friend,

As an Alabamian, I always savor the first bowl of Chilton County peaches each year. When I lived in South Carolina, I felt the same way about Upcountry peaches. And though I have never lived in the Lone Star State, Assistant Travel Editor and Texas native Jennifer Mckenzie tells me that the sweetness of a good, fresh peach from Gillespie County is the ultimate summer delight. Now's the time to check this fruit out for yourself. Our "Peachy Keen" story, beginning on page 18, captures the flavor of fresh peaches and the places that grow and sell them. We actually prepared a different story for each region of the South. Readers who get our Southeast edition will learn about Cassandra Vanhooser's experience with peaches in South Carolina. For our South-central edition, Tanner Latham samples peaches in Alabama; and for our Southwest edition, Jennifer Mckenzie celebrates the fruit in Texas. By producing three stories on one subject, we believe our magazine will serve you better with information closer to your home.

Peaches and other fruits not only add pleasure to your summer travels but also to your summer garden and table. On page 74, our Garden staff gives you an updated look at the new blackberry selections, which are perfect for a home garden, while our Foods staff helps you share the season's bounty with their feature on easy-to-do jams and jellies on page 204. These recipes even let you produce small batches of flavorful spreads in less than an hour. So all you novices, give it a try; the results are worth the effort.

Now how do we top off this June issue? The answer is a new special section called "Healthy Living." I think it captures those things that make the good life in the South so rewarding. It starts on page 83, and I am pleased to say that the walking, thinking, and relaxing advocated in this section are just what I want my summer to be this year.

Happy June.

Best regards,

John Alex Floyd, Jr., Editor

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2003
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