January 21, 2008

Winter has returned to Rugby with a vengeance. Although the snow predicted for Saturday failed to materialize, it did turn bitterly cold. Both Sunday morning and today our thermometer has shown the temperature to be in the single digits. However, the cold weather seemed to bring out the blue birds yesterday at Walton Court where I had left the Christmas wreaths up next to the front door. Amazingly there were about a dozen bluebirds taking advantage of the berries on the the wreaths.

While we have been enjoying our new heating systems at Walton Court, this cold spell does bring back memories of times past when coming to Rugby in the winter was more challenging. Back in the late 1980s when George Zepp and I owned the Lindens (one of the early homes built in the early 1880s) we only had an oil burning box heater in the middle room of the house. We couldn't leave it on when we were not there, so when I would come in by myself late Friday night from Nashville the house would often be colder on the inside than the outside. I would have to get down on the floor and light the heater with a match. Then I would go upstairs and turn the electric blanket on in the bed. Since it had no insulation, the house really wouldn't get reasonably warm until about noon the next day, except for the area right next to the stove. And the mattress on the bed would feel like it had just soaked up the cold.

The Lindens now has central heat, but current residents Kim, Michael and Matthew Stagg got some feel for the past when the heating system failed to work this last weekend. Fortunately, they now have a gas stove in the middle room that works even when the central heat does not. So they were able to stay reasonably warm by closing off a few rooms.

HIKING NEWS
Yesterday's Knoxville News Sentinel ran a pretty interesting story about hiking to historical areas in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area which is right next door to Rugby. The article features an excursion and hike led by Ranger Howard Duncan near No Business Creek to interesting features such as Terry Cemetery, Maude's Crack, some old homesites, and parts of the John Muir Trail. This is a link to the online version of the story which includes lots of pictures - http://knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/20/exploring-old-haunts/

HEMLOCK PEST UPDATE
As I have mentioned before, lots of folks are concerned about the woolly adelgid, the pest that has been killing hemlock trees. Unfortunately it has now been found on trees in eastern Morgan County (the county where Rugby is located) along the main road at Frozen Head State Park according to Clint Strohmeier, Forest Health Specialist at Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division. In an email that was forwarded to me he says that he had not found it in other parts of Morgan County or in Fentress or Pickett Counties. We are obviously very anxious about how it could effect our beautiful hemlocks in and around Rugby. Please let me know if anyone knows of any sightings of the pest closer to Rugby.

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY GROUP
There is a notice posted in the Cafe inviting Rugby friends and residents to a bible study group each Friday at 2:00 pm. They are currently focusing on women of the Bible. Call Deanna Oliver 423-628-6394 or Jessie Gully 931-260-3352 for more information.

BIRTHDAYS
January 23 - Sara Senft
January 26 - Benita Howell
January 27 - Jessica Erickson
January 28 - Peter Keese

NATURE NOTES by Linda Konig
Last week I wrote about the chemical defense of the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. Anothe critter around here that has a chemical defense - a deadly one - is the red-spotted newt in its terrestial stage as a cinnabar red eft. These are some the most striking and beautiful newts and are frequently found in the woods, especially in damp weather. Their coloring is a deterrent to predators, proclaiming "Careful! I'm POISON!" They are not lying. Their skins contain the same poisonous chemical as is found in puffer fish, tetrodotoxin.

You may have heard or read of the Japanese fondness for this fish. Considered a great delicacy, puffer fish are quite expensive and must be prepared by specially trained chefs who know just how to prepare the fish in such a way that the poison doesn't get into the edible parts. About 50 people die in Japan each year from paralysis and asphyxiation caused by eating puffer fish. Amazingly, there is some kind of mammal in the southern Appalachians that eats our red efts, first dissecting them in order to eat only the internal organs that aren't poisonous. Skunks are suspected of being the culprit that eats the efts, but how do they know what parts are edible?

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Rita wanted to remind people that there is no mail delivery today.

January 26 - Workshop - "Oil Painting in One Day" with instructor Mara Trumbo. Contact Historic Rugby for more information and reservations at 888-214-3400 or locally at 628-2441.

February 2 - Community Potluck

February 9 - Four Course Valentine Dinner at the Harrow Road Cafe - call Historic Rugby for details and reservations. Romantic lodging in 1880s buildings are also available. Ask about special lodging/dinner packages.

February 10 - Workshop - Acrylic Painting with instructor Mara Trumbo. Contact Historic Rugby for more information and reservations.

Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 am EST at the Friendly House

Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Friendly House