Well, ladies, if you didn’t hit Gaillard for Taste of Spoleto May 2 you missed out. Missed out on discounts for hot Spoleto performances, and free BBQ and wine and beer. Which is bad enough. But guess who W.I.T. Bar Service brought along to pour beer into tiny plastic cups? Richard Bryant. AKA Jeremy Sherwood, the mom slapper on Army Wives. Not that I recognized him, my friend did (thanks, Kerri). Bryant was really good sport, as were all the bartenders. Adam Latta. Ben Mevers. James Misplay. Well worth the trip downtown.

This is why I love spring in Charleston (the day was fabulous, wasn’t it?) and why I’ve come to appreciate the double whammy of Spoleto and Piccolo, not just as celebrations of the arts, but as reminders of the upside of living here. One serious advantage in my book is the complete unexpectedness of Charleston.

You never know what’s going to happen and who, if you’re the least bit friendly, you’ll meet. It’s the people of the Lowcountry who put the festival on. From bartenders and caterers to set carpenters and theater maintenance chiefs. The beer was from Charleston Brewing Company, the food from Tidewater Catering of James Island. Native Charlestonians Ike Washington and Romaine Heyward are the movers and shakers at Gaillard. And a kid from Charleston School of the Arts is helping serve beer in between filming episodes of a hot TV show. It’s just cool.