Monday, March 24, 2008



Rugbeians were surprised this morning to a find snow clinging to the trees and bushes. The photo to the right hopefully shows how it pretty it was from the window at Walton Court.

SAVE TENNESSEE'S MOUNTAINS
Legislation is currently being considered by Tennessee lawmakers that would end mountain top removal (also called cross-ridge mining) in Tennessee. I have received emails from Tom Howell and Barbara Stagg asking that I help get word out about this legislation. Tom says the northern section of the Cumberland Trail is directly in the path of proposed mountain top removal.

If you would like to help get this protection in place, it is critical that Governor Bredesen gets phone calls (615-741-2001 or 615-532-4562) or email (phil.bredesen@state.tn.us) today or tomorrow.

All you need to say is: My name is ---, and I'm from ---- county. I'm calling to ask the Governor to publicly support the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act and help facilitate its passage. The bill numbers are Senate Bill 3822 and House Bill 3348. The few minutes it takes you to call could help save Tennessee's mountains forever. If you'd like to review the bill or read supporting arguments for ending mountain top removal (also called cross-ridge mining) in Tennessee, go to http://www.tnleaf.org/.

TENNESSEE TRAILS ARTICLE
The March/April issue of The Tennessee Conservationist has an interesting article about the history of the Tennessee Trails Association written by former Rugby resident Jim Poteet. The article says this year is the 40th anniversary of TTA and includes a large 1971 photo of Rugby’s own Eric Wilson (and Rugby Week founder) seated high on a rock overlooking a beautiful setting. The caption says Eric is “on a Cumberland Trail scouting trip above Devils Step Hollow at the head of the Sequatchie Valley…” Copies of the magazine are for sale at the Rugby Commissary.

RUGBY HOME BURGLARIZED
I was sorry to hear that the Beacon Hill home of Bill Roeder and Judy Zugish had been burglarized recently. I had trouble reaching them yesterday to get details, but I thought everyone needed to at least be aware that something had happened so that we can all be vigilant as it is easy to get complacent about security in a place like Rugby. I was told that Bill apparently came back last week to their home (which is on the Horseshoe Bend Road side of Beacon Hill) after being out of town for several weeks to find that someone had broken in and stolen various items including a shotgun that he especially prized because it had belonged to his father and some woodworking equipment. No word yet on whether the sheriff has had any luck on catching the culprit or whether any of the items have been recovered.

ZENITH HIKE PHOTOS
The nine folks seen in the photo to the left (taken by Carrie Thornwaite) went on the Thursday hike to Zenith with Teresa Coker. Carrie has posted other pictures of the hike at the following website : http://www.thornthwaite.com/zenith

MORE PIG INTRIGUE
Carrie Thornthwaite writes “I was walking today with my daughter, son-in-law, and their dog... behind our house... only about 5 minutes into the woods. The dog ran off and then we heard loud, strange noises in the direction where we'd last seen the dog. My son-in-law, Jason, was worried about his dog, so he quickly ran toward the noise. Then we suddenly heard a loud single-word expression of fear from Jason... he came running out toward us faster than he went running away. He said that a large pig was chasing him. We all ran home... never saw them again. Just wanted to share that probably the piglets' mom is still close to our house.”

HISTORY MEETING PHOTO
Linda Jones would like to use the picture that Mara Trumbo took at the History Club Meeting at Grey Gables in a promotional letter. If anybody pictured would prefer their likeness not being used, please contact Linda Jones at 628.5252.

NEW BABY
Congratulations to Jodye Weiler on her new grandson. Jason Dylan Buck, born last week to Jodye’s daughter Jodel, is a big boy at 8 pounds 7 ounces.

NEWSLETTER REMINDER
I wanted to just remind everyone that you can bookmark this website and check it every Monday after about 10:00 am EST for the latest Rugby news. Some of you still don’t consistently receive the email reminders that we send out, but you don’t need to get the email to check the website. Some day we will hopefully have a better system for sending out reminders.

BIRTHDAYS
March 27 John Hicks
March 28 Jane Logan
March 29 Jim Poteet

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 29 – Hike the Spicewood Branch – Old Mac Trail, Frozen Head State Park, Wartburg. Tom and Benita Howell will lead this approx. seven mile hike rated moderate to strenuous because of the 1,500-foot climb. Meet at the Harrow Road Cafe at 9:00 am EDT to carpool, or meet at the Frozen Head Visitor Center parking lot at 10:00 am EDT. Please register with Tom Howell at tshowell1003@highland.net or phone 423-628-5521.

April 5 – Community Potluck – 7:00 pm EDT

Historic Rugby Workshops – contact Historic Rugby at 1-888-214-3400 or locally at 628-2441 for details and reservations or check online for more information at http://www.historicrugby.org/workshop/workshop.htm
March 30 -Acrylic Painting - instructor Mara Trumbo.
April 19 – Wildflower Walk and Slide Show – instructor Jack Carman

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

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

NATURE NOTES by Linda Konig
March 19, 2008 – This afternoon I decided to go looking for a spot I had heard someone mention, a place where there were spring flowers growing in the woods near where Idlewilde once stood. Idlewilde was the home of the English Berry family, and it had stood west of Uffington facing what is now Highway 52. So I walked across the meadow where Idlewilde had been, looking around the tree-line. Saw some daffodils showing yellow at the northwest corner of the lot and walked toward them. There was a gap in the fence, and I walked through into the secret garden.

There does seem to be a touch of magic about a garden grown wild in the woods that you happen upon. Daffodils were scattered all about in drifts as if God or the wind had planted them. For accent, there were periwinkle – blue myrtle blooms making a carpet. Just as in The Secret Garden, there were also overgrown signs of human activity, piles of moss-covered bricks, a cellar, even a concrete block well-house. These ruins added mystery. Who lived here? Who planted these flowers?

In the months to come, there will be more flowers. When George Zepp and Rick Murphy and I went back the next day, we spotted iris and day lily blades. Who knows what else might come up here? So I will be visiting the “secret garden” again.