Foothills Faces - People and Places of the Carolina Foothills
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Foothills Faces

People & Places of the Carolina Foothills

The Country Peddler - Not Your Usual Antique Store

8/26/2018

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It takes a bit of luck to find the Country Peddler Antiques & General Store in downtown Campobello. It’s a couple of blocks off of the main drag and that makes it in the country by Campobello standards. The morning I visited a customer walked in for her second visit in two days. Heather, the customer from Greer, had just discovered the store the day before because of a bridge detour which took her right past the Country Peddler. She liked what she saw so much she made a second trip to pick up some items she had eyed on day one and picked up that and some other finds she hadn’t planned on day two. That’s what makes a shop like this so much fun—you’ll never know what you’re going to find.
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The shop is owned and operated by business partners Jeaneen Cobourn and Debbie Denton. Jeaneen is there all the time and Debbie comes in on most Saturdays. The two ladies started the store in 1995 and do it all. They always have. Jeaneen’s husband comes by to cut the grass and take care of other chores from time to time, but it’s Jeaneen and Debbie’s pride and joy and they make up the entire staff. 
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Debbie Denton & Jeaneen Cobourn
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Jeaneen does what she loves.
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The store overflows into three buildings within just a few feet of each other. Each of these buildings is crammed full of interesting treasures. In addition to antiques (and there are a lot of them), The Country Peddler also sells other items one might expect from a “general store.” So next to antiques you’ll find salves, liniments, Fuller Brush items, candy, toys, corn meal, and grits. Jeaneen says she has regulars who drop by just to pick up some salve, or oilcloth, or a bag of meal. The Country Peddler is so much more than just another antiques store.
​If you’re not from this part of the foothills, you might not know that the area has become an antique-lovers paradise. It’s a destination for antique seekers from Greenville, Spartanburg, Asheville and places in-between and farther afield. It takes a bit of knowledge to find this one because it’s just a bit off the beaten path and that’s what drew Jeaneen to this location. She and Debbie had batted around the idea of starting some kind of business together and this was their choice. Jeaneen said, the “location spoke to me. It’s quiet and rural and I didn’t want to be in the middle of a city somewhere. This location was perfect.”

Jeaneen isn’t quite ready to embrace social media so a Facebook page is just not in the current marketing plan. So if you want to “like” this place, you’re going to need to go check it out in person. Slow down and enjoy your stay.

UPDATE: Jeanneen reports she DOES have a Facebook page and is learning to use it. So search for Country Peddler Antiques & General Store and look for a photo of Pappy. Then, click that "like" button.
 
“Do what you love” is Jeaneen’s advice to anyone looking to start any kind of endeavor. It’s obvious she loves what she’s doing.

More to Know
You will find the Country Peddler at 305 Depot Street in Campobello, South Carolina. It’s open 10 to 5, Tuesday through Saturday. There is a website (www.countrypeddlersc.com) and basic info can be found there. But if you really want to know what they have, you’re going to need to get yourself there. Phone: 864/ 468-5200.
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Cherie Mascis – Animal Behavior Consultant and your next best friend

8/15/2018

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It was a sign on a car that made me do a double take a couple of months ago at the Ingle’s Gas Express in Landrum. The sign read “All Pets Training” and pictured several different animals and wording alluding to training available from the expected dogs to cats, parrots, reptiles, exotics, and even rats. I figured there had to be a story that went with that car and I was going to find it. Well, as luck had it…when a car is getting gas there’s got to be someone nearby pumping it and I met Ron Mascis. He quickly informed me he was just putting gas in the car and his wife, Cherie, is the trainer and animal behavior specialist.
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This is the car sign that led to this story.
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The back of Cherie's car - packed with pet goodies.
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Cherie Mascis, Animal Behavior Consultant
​Since I’ve only recently retired from teaching, the idea of an animal behavior specialist sounded intriguing as I was thinking of all the lost opportunities in the classroom with kids where Cherie’s training might have come in handy. The car sign didn’t actually mention kids but it said “exotics” and I thought possibly kids could be classified under that category. A few hours later Cherie and I were emailing but we didn’t get to sit down for an interview until just this past week.
 
I did learn that exotic doesn’t refer to “human” kids but more to lions and tigers, and yes, Cherie Mascis has worked with them. And she’s worked with just about every other kind of animal as well. It’s quite a fascinating story how her life has evolved over the past few decades. She has had an amazing set of experiences and it was easy to see how genuinely excited Cherie is to be doing her life’s work.
​Cherie brought one of her recent success stories with her to the interview. It was a rather large and laid back dog she’s named Sir Walter. This dog lived at the Foothills Humane Society for nearly two years without finding a home. Cherie works at the shelter a couple of days a week and knew this dog could be the right dog for someone and that she was that someone. Sir Walter now shares the Mascis’s home in Green Creek with three chickens and two cats and under Cherie’s kind and supportive training has learned to love them all. This isn’t the same dog that ached for his own family month after month.
 
To some, Cherie Mascis is a miracle worker. To Cherie, she’s just doing what she does best. It’s her life’s calling. She works with pets and their humans to find that perfect balance and it takes a combination of love, patience, and positive rewards be that a tasty treat or a favorite toy. She just wishes her would-be clients would call her early so that they can work on a situation before it actually becomes a problem.
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Cherie with Sir Walter
​Cherie has had an amazing set of career experiences starting with being one of the youngest students enrolled in Moorpark College’s world-renowned animal training program commonly known as “America’s Teaching Zoo.” She’s spent years at Marine World in California, served as Dogtown Manager at Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary in Utah, taught SCUBA diving classes in a variety of places where she interacted with marine life, ran her own wildlife education program in Washington, worked on a cruise ship, and ended up a few years ago as a caretaker for several animals on a 200-acre estate in Waynesville. That experience led her to Polk County where she and Ron have lived for the past couple of years. Ron is “retired,” but Cherie has happily found herself in demand helping animal parents in the region learn how to make the relationship pleasurable for pets and their parents. She gets referrals from area vets, rescue programs, the local Humane Society shelter, and from her clients. Business is booming. 
 
Cherie has advice for people looking for that perfect pet and it begins with doing your research. Just because you want a Jack Russell doesn’t mean it’s the right dog for you. Prospective pet owners should match their own lifestyle with the personality and lifestyle of the animal. Some are noisy, some are messy, and all take a lot of care. If you’re choosing a trainer, ask for references and watch a training session to see how the trainer and the animal interact. You can tell a lot by the demeanor of the pet during these sessions. They shouldn’t cower in fear, and that’s not the approach Cherie takes. She showers love and kindness on the animals and might use a bit of cheese (or other tasty treats) to use as rewards and the animals learn better that way than by fear and intimidation. Again, do your research.
 
Cherie has had her brushes with fame in the past. She’s trained a l,500 pound Hampshire hog to roll out a red carpet and bow on Hal Linden’s late 70’s TV show Animals, Animals, Animals. And once she taught a chicken to dance and play the piano for actor John Travolta’s birthday party. But while Cherie will help you teach your pet some tricks if that’s what you want, she’s more about helping you and your pet both enjoy being with each other. That’s what’s most important to her.

More to Know
Cherie has a busy schedule but does have room from time to time for new clients. In addition to her training work, she does occasional pet and farm sitting, provides help with medications and bandages, etc. Contact Cherie at 
[email protected] and check out her website at: https://allpetstraining.com.
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    Mark Levin

    ...retired in 2017 from a life of work, mostly in education. I decided it was time to stop commuting and stay at home a while. Foothills Faces is meant to bring you short snippets of life through photography, videography, and audio recordings of some of the wonderful people and places of the Carolina Foothills..

    And for something new:
    Check out Mark's new YouTube Channel, The Country Life with ColumbusMark. It's a lighthearted look at life in the country.

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