Most of Rugby has been hunkered down for the last few days as we had our first significant snow storm in quite a while. Friday night about a half a foot of snow fell, completely covering the roads. Snow continued through most of Saturday. The village was very quiet on Saturday as very few cars ventured out because the road crews had not done much to clear the roads. Occasionally we could hear the train whistle from the railroad six or seven miles away in Elgin.
Photos clockwise starting top left: Central Ave. in the snow - photo by Rick Murphy. Cheryl Hodgkins and Carman Roberson - photo by Butch Hodgkins. Christ Church through the snow and George Zepp looks for a place to sled - photos by Butch and Cheryl Hodgkins
On Saturday, the main activity centered around the Commissary. Rita Myers had walked all the way from her house down on Horseshoe Bend Road to make sure the post office was open and to provide the villagers a warm stove by which to visit. The mail made it, a couple hours later than usual, but it made it.
Photos of Laurel Dale Cemetery and trail to the Gentlemen's Swimming Hole. Carrie Thornthwaite and George Zepp ford a stream on trail. Photos by Rick Murphy
Carrie Thornthwaite, George Zepp and Rick Murphy ventured down the road to Laurel Dale Cemetery and then on down to the Gentlemen’s Swimming Hole. As we made our way down the trail past snow and ice covered bluffs to the whitewater roaring down the Clear Fork we were reminded that we live in an incredibly beautiful area.
To see Carrie’s photos and short videos of the roaring Clear Fork click on this link:
Swimming Hole
On Sunday the village remained pretty much shut down. Even Christ Church decided to not hold services so that parishioners would not be tempted to risk the dangerous roads. Some of us amused ourselves trying to identify the animal tracks in the snow here and there (deer, fox and raccoon seemed to be out). Road crews plowed Highway 52 several times on Sunday and the roads behind the Café have been plowed. But there were still patches of snow on the highway. With lows predicted to be in the low teens again on Sunday night, we would advise caution in getting out on the roads Monday morning.
POTLUCK AND DANCING SATURDAY
The monthly potluck will be this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Building. Mary Hemminger says there will be dancing afterward, with everyone invited. She says there will NOT be a dance on February 13 because of other Rugby Valentine activities going on that weekend.
CORRECTION
Youth Leadership Morgan, the program started by Gigi Schooler, was begun when Schooler attended a conference and learned Morgan County was the only one of the 20-25 counties represented that did not already have such a program. An article last week about Schooler's student group that was visiting Rugby said incorrectly that Morgan was the last of the state's 95 counties to have the program. We regret the error.
BIRTHDAYS
February 2 - Ed Gleason
CALENDAR
February 6 – Community Potluck 7:00 p.m. Eastern
February 6 – English Country Dancing after the Potluck in the Community Building
February 12 – History Club 7:00 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
February 13 - Valentine High Tea Dinner – Grey Gables Bed and Breakfast Inn. Special dinner plus a program of Christian gospel music. Lodging package also available. For details and reservations, contact Linda at 423-628-5252 or email greygablestn@highland.net
February 13 – St. Valentines Dinner at the Harrow Road Café – four-course dinner and special gift. Reservations required. Lodging packages also available. See details of menu and rates at http://www.historicrugby.org/. For reservations contact HRI at 423-628-2441 or toll-free at 888-214-3400
February 14 – Valentine Sunday Brunch at Harrow Road Cafe - Served 11:00 a.m. To 2:00 p.m. Eastern
March 20 -The Wild Thyme Players and The Silver Stage Players present an original production of “The Way the Story Goes” a collection of true stories written and performed by artists ranging in age from 10 to 85. 7:30 p.m. Eastern, Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre. Contact Historic Rugby for more information or reservations at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Admission is free, but donations to Historic Rugby and the Players will be appreciated.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
By Linda Konig
Several people have told me about seeing robins lately, thinking it was a sign of spring. We do have robins year-round in Tennessee, but some flocks of migrating robins from farther south evidently are beginning to make their way northward. The reason we think of them as a sign of spring is that northern poets have rhapsodized so much about the first robin of spring. For some reason, southern writers aren't as enchanted with robins, and I guess I was one of them. They're so common that we've all taken them for granted. I could recognize them, right? So, why look them up in the field guides, right?
I looked up robins. The first thing I learned was that they do eat berries and fruit as well as worms and insects. The next thing was that in late winter, after berries have started to ferment, robins will gorge themselves and get drunk, falling on the ground, flying into things. I'd read before about birds getting drunk on fermenting fruits and such, but I've never seen it. Another interesting tidbit I read was that a male robin will sing all night in spring, trying to woo his lady love. There again, I've heard other male birds singing at night around Rugby, notably mockingbirds, chuck will's widows, and whip-poor-wills, but this is the first I knew about robins' nocturnal singing. Over and over again, I'm learning that wildlife all around us (even some we tend to ignore) are every bit as fascinating as jungle creatures in some exotic locale. Who knew?
Photo courtesy of Lee Karney, USFWS. http://www.weforanimals.com/.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
