Today, the quaint town square gives Pendleton its undeniable attractiveness. New businesses and growing neighborhoods are sprouting up all the time.

Already, the heat index for the Upstate has been no stranger to 100 plus degrees. With at least three months of blistering temperatures still ahead, it’s important to keep our beloved pets safe in the unavoidable heat.

When a trip to the ice cream parlor isn’t in the cards, bring the ice cream parlor home with DIY sundaes! Making the perfect sundae might look like a hefty task, yet with a little creativity this all-American dessert is one of the easiest to make. By offering an assortment of ice cream flavors and toppings, everyone in the family can concoct their own personalized combinations.

While severe weather can occur any time of year, spring often brings more than just April showers. To help you stay safe during severe weather, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer offer these tips for being prepared to weather tornados, severe thunderstorms and hurricanes.

Reds, whites and blues dominate the renovated Veteran’s Park in Pendleton each summer during Freedom Fest. Traditionally held before the Independence Day holiday, this year will be no different. 2010 will mark the 20th year of the festival, and event coordinators are calling for the biggest and most successful one yet.

Father’s Day is right around the corner! In honor of dear old Dad, making a special gift is many times the best way to go. From the very young to the growing teenager, Dad never gets tired of anything made by his own children. And, getting crafty isn’t just about construction paper cards and popsicle stick houses.

Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or a push to have a hot bathing suit body for summer, hitting the gym and pumping iron can have its downside. That is, if you don’t take care of your muscles after each session, especially when the weather heats up outside. That’s why it’s imperative to take the proper steps to replenish your body during a post-workout cool down.

A sensational summer menu can be simple, yet satisfying; exotic, yet familiar. Instead of making salad a sleepy side item this summer, mix things up and add some sizzle to the table with a sumptuous entrée salad straight from the grill.

Driving nearly 3,500 miles in any vehicle can be a hefty order. Sure, a shared driving responsibility with other passengers might help the trip, but the trek is a long one no matter how you slice it. Imagine then, doing it on your own, atop a classic motorcycle. Get the choppers and heavy Harleys out of your mind. Imagine driving from coast to coast on a pre-1916 historic motorcycle.

Spend a few minutes in Vegas and you’re bound to see Elvis walking the streets. Turn the corner and you’ll probably see another one, and another. Living vicariously through the legend of Elvis via sparkly white bellbottom suits and jet-black sideburns provides entertainment for some, but not many have the musical talent to rival the legend himself.

It’s one of Mark McFee’s favorite sayings, “Staying green while surrounded by green is the best way to go.” An admitted tree hugger and lover of life, Mark and his wife Sharon have made most of the “top-green” changes in their home over the past few years. Things like changing the light bulbs, buying local food, unplugging electronics, turning the water off while they brush their teeth and consolidating their laundry days to twice a week.

You can’t bottle it up and plan to take it each day with your vitamins. You can’t find it in the neighborhood pharmacy, and a doctor isn’t going to prescribe it as a cure-all. However, more and more doctors are backing a type of therapy that can add years to the lives of senior citizens while making their quality of living that much better. Use the term “therapy” lightly, because square dancing is more about fun and being social, second only to the health benefits it offers.

With summer in full swing, outdoor chefs are fine-tuning their grilling game and looking for creative twists on back­yard food favorites. But most cooks often overlook a classic pantry staple that’s a great secret ingredient and unlikely ally when entertaining outdoors: 100% pure honey.

We know all about the 2-D world, we live in a 3-D world, and we often wonder about other visual dimensions. Is there such thing as a fourth, fifth or 20th dimension? What exactly is a dimension, and why should we care? Scientists and physicists have been exploring the ability to capture the “next” dimension in any way possible for many years.