The second grant awarded to Crossville Fair Park Senior Center will be used for three decorative painting art classes by Mara for 20 seniors and five invited school students, starting this Monday. All classes filled up the first week they were advertised.
If anyone is interested, Mara will still hold Decorative and Fine Art classes in her Rugby studio by request before leaving for an Italy working tour at the end of March.
Snowdrops Bloom at The Lindens
These photos are not the best, but they do document that snowdrops are starting to bloom. A sign that spring is on its way! Photos by Rick Murphy
Tree Work in Beacon Hill
By Charles and Lavonne Gibbs
Eric Wilson works the chain around one of the logs. Julian Bankston, Charles Gibbs, Eric Wilson and Tom Howell pose next to their load of logs. At bottom, Julian Bankston handles the heavy equipment. Photos provided by Charles and Lavonne Gibbs.
Pine and oak trees were cut by a commercial tree service company on the Tom and Benita Howell and Mike and Debbie Harris properties this past week. The logs were picked up by our local "Rugby Lumber Company" (Julian Bankston, Eric Wilson and Charles Gibbs) and taken to their sawmill on the west side of town. The logs were loaded with a battery operated winch and hauled on a 16 -foot trailer. Tom Howell used a four-wheel-drive truck and winch to snake some of the biggest logs out of the woods. Julian will cut these logs into pine building lumber and oak furniture lumber. Some of the small oak logs and limbs will be cut into firewood. Good use is being made of these trees.
By Jessie Gully
(Editors Note: For those just joining us, this is Jessie’s report on her sixth week of dieting in the New Year)
Well, it's a critical time in this dieter's life. It's the bad twin's time to be in charge. Wednesday I had lost a total of 11.6 lbs. Yesterday I had lost a total of 11 lbs. This morning (Sunday) I have lost a total of 10.6 lbs. That is exactly what I had lost last week.
Thursday night I wasn't hungry for supper, but at about 10:30 p.m. I ate three left over candy canes from Christmas. The question is “why?” I didn't enjoy the candy canes. I had fruit. Yes, maybe I wanted a different taste, but the question remains “why would I do something I didn't want to do and did not enjoy?”
I could say the devil made me do it, but who wants something going around telling you what to do? No, I did it. I missed the mark - sinned. It's Sunday, that “started over day.” Need I say more?
Rugby Bypass Work
Serious work got underway in recent days on the Rugby Bypass. Below are some photos taken by George Zepp and Rick Murphy. At top left is the Pleasant Home Seperate Baptist Church peeking from behind some of the clearing just across White Oak Circle. This church met years ago in the Rugby Schoolhouse, now used as a museum by Historic Rugby.
HRI Board Openings Announced
Historic Rugby's Nominating Committee, chaired by Rick Murphy, is accepting suggestions for new board members until March 30. New board members will be elected at the annual membership meeting in June.
Five board positions are opening. The seats held by Beth Hester, Lummy Massengale, Tom Martin, Charles Curle and Sharon Samon will be vacant and need to be filled.
Historic Rugby greatly appreciates the time and energy that its board devotes to the organization and thanks those who are leaving the board for all they have done.
Suggestions for the open board positions must be made in writing, but emails are accepted. Please send suggestions to either P.O. Box 8, Rugby, TN 37733 or by email: historicrugby@highland.net or rickmurphy1@aol.com
Former HRI Board Member Dies
We were very sorry to hear that Lanny Schooler passed away recently. Lanny had served for several years on the Historic Rugby Inc. Board of Directors. Our thoughts are with his wife Gigi and their family. Here is a link to the "Knoxville News Sentinel" obituary for Lanny:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/knoxnews/obituary.aspx?n=lanny-drue-schooler&pid=148332812
Rugby Week Taking a Break
For the next two weeks, Rugby Week will be done a little differently. Only the calendar of events will be updated. If you have any items that need to go in the calendar of events, please email them to Benita Howell at bjhowell@highland.net Also, you will not receive an email reminder about the weekly updates. If you want to check the calendar, just go to the usual website http://rugbyweek.blogspot.com/ on Monday mornings or later to see if anything has been added or deleted.
Thanks to Benita and Tom Howell and Carrie Thornthwaite for their help with this task over the next two weeks.
BIRTHDAYS
Feb. 12 - Barbara Stagg
Feb. 13 - Butch Hodgkins
Feb. 14 - Marilyn Hury
CALENDAR
Rugby is in the Eastern time zone
Friday, February 11 – History Night 7:30 p.m. at the Friendly House behind Christ Church. All are welcome.
Saturday, February 12 - Valentine Dinner at Grey Gables, "Ain't Love Grand?" -- an evening of comedic entertainment and good food. Call 423-628-5252.
Saturday, February 19 – English Country Dancing 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 1 – Commissary reopens and post office services resume.
Friday, March 4 - English Country Dancing 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 5 – Community Potluck 7 p.m.
Saturday March 19 - English Country Dancing 7 p.m.
Friday, April 1 - English Country Dancing 7 p.m.
Fri. and Sat., April 8 and 9 – Rugby Quilts Exhibition, "Rugby Quilts: Past and Present." Displays of old and new quilts, quilt appraisals and bed turnings are all on the program. There's even a film: "How to Make an American Quilt." Reservation information at http://www.historicrugby.org/
Friday, April 15 – History Night Annual Dinner at Grey Gables. Willie Beatty, president of the Fentress County Historical Society, will talk about Buck’s Mill.
Saturday, April 16 - English Country Dancing 7 p.m.
Rugby Book Group - The next book is Jonathan Franzen’s best selling novel “Freedom.” Here is a link to a Wall Street Journal review of the book. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/08/16/jonathan-franzens-freedom-review-revue/ A date, time and location have not been set, but you can find the book now and start reading.
February 2011 – Historic Rugby Winter Hours: The Schoolhouse Museum will be open Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern (weather permitting). Weekday and weekend historic building tours can be arranged with advance reservation by calling the toll-free number, 1-888-214-3400. Lodging will be offered throughout winter on a self-catering basis. The Café, Visitor Centre and Commissary (including the Post Office) will be closed for repairs and rearrangement. Normal operations will resume in March.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2 – 4 p.m. at the Friendly House
By Linda Konig
Sometimes we tend to assume that our more common birds, mammals, wildflowers, etc. are not as interesting or "exotic" as more unfamiliar species we only see in books, on TV, or on safari in Africa.
What if I told you that we have a common bird that's seen year-round in Tennessee, frequents bird feeders, and uses blister beetles, animal fur, and vegetation in a very sophisticated way to detract predators from its nest? Yes, in summer it frequently wipes the entrance to its tree hole with things that disguise the bird's scent. The awful-smelling blister beetles are thought to discourage squirrels.
What if I said that the male birds have a definite etiquette when it comes to wooing females? They bow, spread their tail feathers to show them off, droop their wings, and sway back and forth. Always the gentleman, he remains true to his lady love for her lifetime. What if I said they remove their feces from their roost or nest hole each morning? Another unusual trait is that they can climb down a tree trunk head-first and even hang upside-down from a tree limb. Another clue: these birds take their old English name, Nuthack, from the way they wedge large insects, nuts, or seeds into crevices in a tree trunk and hack away at them with their strong bills.
Some of the insects they eat are: weevils, tent caterpillars, ants, scale insects, wood borers and leaf beetles. They also store seeds, especially sunflower seeds, for the winter. These birds definitely aren't "bird-brains." Scientists think that one reason they like to flock with Chickadees in winter is because the Chickadees are very vocal and good about warning when danger is near, and that these common "mystery" birds can understand the Chickadees' calls.
Give up? You've probably guessed by now that I'm writing about the White-Breasted Nuthatch. They're the only kind of Nuthatch I've seen. Farther north, however, they have a Red-Breasted Nuthatch, identical in its ways to the White-Breasted ones. The guide books usually say they're mostly gray in color, but I see them as being a very blueish gray. You can see for yourself by looking at photos at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sitta_carolinensis.html . This site also has more info on these fascinating little birds.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
