Rugby had such a beautiful warm weekend that it is easy to forget how soon holiday events will begin. Next Saturday is the very popular Greens Workshop when Rita Elliot will show volunteers how to make Christmas decorations out of natural materials. By the end of the workshop, Christmas wreaths and sprays will start appearing throughout the village.
This workshop will also be a good time for Rugbeians to get some ideas for decorating their homes as the First Rugby Christmas Home Tour is on December 5 and is followed on December 12 by the popular Christmas at Rugby.
See the calendar below for details about the Greens Workshop and the Christmas events.
On Saturday was the second Victorian Costume workshop organized by Jody Hester to help volunteers put together outfits they can use during Rugby's many special events. Below are some photos that George Zepp took at the workshop.
BOOK SIGNINGS
Two Rugby-related book signings happened this week.
Author Joan Donaldson signed her Rugby-theme novel “On Viney’s Mountain” at the Commissary on Saturday. Eric and Vi gave her a nice community reception that night at their home, High Wray. Her book has been available in the Commissary, so ask Rita if more copies are coming.
To the left is a photo taken by Rick Murphy showing Joan Donaldson and Dorcus McBrayer.
George Zepp had his first book signing in Nashville Thursday for “Hidden History of Nasvhille,” but plans two more. This Wednesday (4:00 -6:00 p.m. Central) he will be in Clarksville at Austin Peay State University’s alumni center at Emerald Hill (he’s an APSU grad). On Dec. 3 will be another at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville’s Green Hills Mall at 7:00 p.m. Central. The book was listed as the No. 3 selling trade paperback at Davis-Kidd earlier this month. While no Rugby signing is currently planned, if anyone else wants a signed copy they can contact George at 423-628-7842 or LearnNash@gmail.com.
HIKES AND INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL
By Benita Howell and Carrie Thornthwaite
Anyone who wants to meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Cafe this Monday, November 16, to check out the condition of Thomas Hughes trail prior to Carrie's hike on Nov. 23 is welcome. Bring work gloves for pulling out Japanese spirea and hand pruners to clip stray rhododendron branches growing into the trail.
For details about the hike on Nov. 23 see the Calendar of Events below.
The Tennessee Conservationist for November-December (available for single-copy purchase at the Commissary) is publicizing a work day on the morning of December 12 to pull Japanese spirea in the Rugby State Natural Area. People interested in that project are asked to register with State Naturalist Lisa Huff by calling 865-594-5601. The group will meet at 9:00 a.m. at Harrow Road Cafe. Meanwhile, now is a good time to look for and pull Japanese spirea on your own property. Young plants that have not yet produced seed heads are still holding their leaves, so in addition to the seed heads, the yellow or still-green leaves make the plants easy to spot. Pulling out these invasive plants roots and all is the best way to get rid of them.
FIRST CHRISTMAS PRIVATE HOME TOUR
Historic Rugby is now taking reservations for the Christmas home tour to be held Saturday, December 5, 2009. this is the first time private homes have been open at Christmas. A tour of 10 private homes and horse-drawn wagon rides in the lantern-lit village is included. A special holiday dinner will also be served at Harrow Road Café. Following dinner will be a concert by the Don Brakebill Singers at the Rebecca Johnson Theatre.
The home tour is 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Dinner seatings begin at 5:00 p.m. The last seating will be at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The event is $50 per person, which includes the home tour, dinner and concert. Reservations are required by calling 423-628-2441 or toll-free 888-214-3400.
THANKSGIVING DINNER PLANS?
By Jessie Gully
Several Rugby residents are joining me at Grey Gables for Thanksgiving dinner. We are dining there at 1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. We would love for others to join us. If interested, call 423-628-5252 and see if you can make reservations.
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by Mara Trumbo
Last week's Rugby art class At Art Expressions Studio was attended by Margaret Erickson and Marsha Hyder of Alpine. They had great fun painting "Roberto" the rooster while being taught by Mara Trumbo, and look forward to mastering a waterfall landscape next at Friends’ Cafe in Clarkrange on Wednesday December 9. Full particulars are available from Mara at (423) 628-6591.
BIRTHDAYS
November 17 - Cheryl Hodgkins
November 18 - Joe Beavon
November 19 - Fred Oliver
November 22 - Dave Dunaway
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
November 16 – Thomas Hughes Trail cleanup and invasive plant removal. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern
November 21 – Christmas “Greens” Workshop – Community Building. 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring hand clippers. Learn to make traditional Christmas wreaths and sprays with natural materials. Please bring boxwood cuttings, blue cedar berries and/or nandina berries if you have access to any. The workshop is free – everyone is welcome.
November 23 – Hike Around Rugby – meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. We plan to leave the Cafe area and head southeast to Allerton Ridge and the White Oak Creek. After a few hours of hiking in the morning, we'll rest and have a light lunch at Allonby. Then we'll finish with an afternoon hike along the Laurel Branch trail and eventually to the Meeting of the Waters. We'll finish by hiking along the Clear Fork River and then the historic trail. We'll enter back into the historic area of Rugby from the trail behind Wren's Nest. Hikers are welcome to do just the morning sections, just the afternoon sections, or both. There will also be a few places that folks who wish for an even shorter walk can break off from the main hike. For questions, contact Carrie Thornthwaite or Benita Howell.
November 27 – Thanksgiving Marketplace
November 28 - Lynn and Tim Takacs lead a hike at Big South Fork on the Slave Falls Loop, an easy 4.2-mile trail. We'll leave Harrow Road Cafe promptly at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time and carpool via TN 154, the Divide Road, and Fork Ridge Road to meet Lynn and Tim at the Sawmill Trailhead at 2:00 Eastern. Hikers are invited to Callie's Cabin for fireside refreshments afterwards. Please RSVP to Lynn at lynntakacs@comcast.net and let Benita Howell know if you intend to carpool from Rugby (bjhowell@highland.net.)
December 5 – Christmas Tour of Homes – Tour of decorated Rugby homes, Christmas dinner at Harrow Road Café and concert at the Visitor’s Centre. Contact Historic Rugby for Information
December 6 - Casual Christmas open house at Gibbs’ 2:00 -5:00 p.m. Eastern. Learn to make Norwegian Christmas cookies or read Christmas stories and relax after work of Saturday's Christmas Fundraiser. Rugby friends all welcome.
December 12 – Invasive Plant Removal work day to pull Japanese spirea in the Rugby State Natural Area. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Harrow Road Café. People interested in that project are asked to register with State Naturalist Lisa Huff by calling 865-594-5601.
December 12 – Christmas at Rugby – Tour of decorated historic Rugby buildings and Christmas dinner at Harrow Road Café. Contact Historic Rugby for Information
December 24 -- Christmas Eve Service at Christ Church
January 16 – Book Club Meeting - The next selection is “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel explores the moral complexities of slavery in antebellum Virginia through the experiences of free and enslaved blacks, black and white slave owners, and their interactions with one another and with whites in a society shaped by slavery. The book was published by Amistad, a division of HarperCollins, in 2003 (paperback edition 2004).
Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
TO Contact Historic Rugby call 423-628-2441 or Toll-Free 1-888-214-3400.
By Linda Konig
Last week I recounted seeing belted kingfishers on the White Oak and Clear Fork streams. The best time to see them is between 7 and 10 in the morning when they're most active. You may hear them before you see them. Their call is a loud rattling clatter, unlike any other bird's. This they sing while patrolling from spot to spot in their territory. In winter, you'll see only one at a particular stretch of stream, and they're very territorial.
Perhaps the most amazing feature of these birds is their eyes. An article in this month's National Geographic touched on this, but since reading it I've learned more. You may know that domestic cats have a third eyelid, a transparent membrane which can slide over the eye or can be withdrawn, to protect their eyes. Kingfishers have this membrane, also, for when they dive below water for fish or to protect their eyes from flying debris when banging a fish against a tree limb.
Another unusual aspect of their eyes is the cone cells with a high proportion of red droplets. Scientists have guessed these act as chromatic filters, allowing kingfishers to see through the water's surface and through glare, thereby helping them see the fish from their perch. Not only that, but their eyes have monocular vision above water (enabling each eye to be used separately) and binocular vision underwater. Also, each eye has a white spot directly in front of it. Scientists think the birds use these spots as sighting devices along the line of their bill to target their prey as they dive, and, possibly to correct for the refraction of the water.
Yes, I'm fascinated by these birds. Maybe I'll write again about them next May when the kingfishers will be busy choosing their mates and digging burrows.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
