On this day of "many happy returns," I thought it would be a good time to return a word of gratitude for your reactions and responses to various columns during this past year.


This is column number 52 of 2014. I've been writing in this space for almost four years and never missed a week.


So as we try to figure out what fits and what to buy with our gift cards, here's a quick revisit of the columns that received the biggest feedback.





It'll give you something to do before vacuuming another pile of dead pine needles or wondering how much more wrapping paper can be crammed into the garbage can.

Shrimp boat





Without question, the top attention-getter this past year was a column I wrote in late February that answered a question about a certain unfinished shrimp boat that has rested on the banks of Awendaw Creek for basically 35 years.


I revealed that it was an undertaking of John Dunn, who wanted to build a shrimp boat for one of his sons. After two years, he ran out of money.


Brian McElreath told me, "I always thought it was a casualty of Hugo."


Georgetown's John Geiger admitted he often wondered about the boat as he and his wife would pass it on the side of U.S. Highway 17.


It was a project Dunn just couldn't complete, so he had to walk away from it.


Hiram Webster of Ladson emailed me to say "... All grown men probably have a shrimp boat in their lives at some point."


The story definitely struck a chord with some and merely supplied answers for others.

To the left





The column regarding living as a left-hander certainly received a glad-handed response.


Tony Edmonds of North Charleston said "I, too, notice other lefties, as if we're in our own secret society."


Kiawah's Karen Sedmak observed, "I finally figured out when trying to open a bottle of wine I was turning the wrong direction and tore up the cork!"


Even Paul Hjort from Thomasville, Ga., (his daughter lives here and sent the column to him) felt obliged to tell me "I'm proud to be a lefty. So much so, that my birthday, Aug. 13, is National Left Hander's Day."


Thanks to all who "left" messages of empathy. We know how special all of us are.

Little boxes, old signs





Back in the fall, my column on retired coach Sarah Sanders, who now makes gift boxes from her workshop on Goat Island, caused readers to remember her for her impact on her athletes.


Linda White, a fellow coach and now women's athletic director at Clemson, said, "Sarah always passed on encouragement to her players and that was her gift box to me."


Ruthe Ritterbeck nicely replied, "Thanks for writing really good stories about really good people."


I think, together, we met a lot of "really good people" this year. I always appreciate the feedback, even if it's constructive criticism.

Last sign





Let's wrap it up with a final thought on the Burma-Shave signs that so many of you enjoyed and which I fondly recalled in a column just a couple of months ago.


Tom Bailey of Lady's Island said he would take long trips with his dad, who drove an 18-wheeler.


His favorite roadside message was: Spring has sprung/the grass has riz/where last year's careless driver is/ Burma-Shave.


See ya in 2015.


Reach Warren Peper at 937-5577 or wpeper@postandcourier.com.