Periodical Highlights Rugby’s Massengale Family

Audioguide Tour of Massengale Trail Available Soon

Rugby history plays a lead role in the latest edition of the “Tennessee Historical Quarterly.”  The cover story is about the Massengale family and the early days of the Rugby colony.  It was written by Kimberly Pyszka, a PhD candidate in anthropology, specializing in historical archaeology, at the University of Tennessee.  Kimberly wrote a thesis based on an archaeological and historic study of the Massengale homesite.  Rugby resident Dr. Benita Howell was instrumental in getting Kimberly involved in this study and helped to arrange for grant money to fund the archaeological fieldwork. Barbara Stagg of Rugby also provided assistance to the author. The article makes for some interesting reading in that it deals with the interactions of early area residents with the settlers in the Rugby colony.

Anyone interested in the subject should be sure to walk the trail to the Massengale homesite.  The trailhead, with informational kiosk, is behind the Visitor Centre in Rugby. In the very near future a new audioguide tour will be available at the Visitor Centre for anyone interested in hearing details as they hike up to the Massengale homesite.  The posts marking interest points on the route were just installed this week, thanks to Steve Logan and Robin Sexton.  Rugby Week will let you know when the guide is available and any other details.

Photo of the Week

Nora Meadows had to go to great lengths to get comfortable in an original chair at the 1882 Thomas Hughes Library.  Nora and several other volunteers have been working for months to clean, protect and catalog the books in the historic library.  They expect to finish soon. Photo by George Zepp.

Next Book Club Selection Announced

The Rugby Book Club has announced its next selection, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.   Some reviews of the book, which is set in Barcelona in the 1950s, can be viewed at http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/1594200106.  It will be discussed at the next book club meeting on Saturday, September 10, at the Beacon Hill home of Debbie Harris at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The selection was made at the end of Saturday night’s meeting after the group discussed Hadley Hury’s book of short stories, “It’s Not the Heat,” and his novel, set on the Gulf Coast – “The Edge of the Gulf: A Novel of Suspense."  Hadley attended the meeting and answered questions about his writings.  His wife, Marilyn, read one his recent poems written about life in Rugby.







Medical Providers for Rugby  

George went to several places this past week in search of someone to treat a particularly nasty flying insect bite. He had some trouble when the closest emergency care clinic in Elgin turned out to now be closed on Wednesdays.  So he went in search of treatment in Allardt, without success, and finally in Jamestown. (He was beginning to wonder whether our Jamestown veterinarian might help if no one else would!) As a result of this experience, we thought it might be helpful to compile information about where to get medical care for people in Rugby.   If you have any information to share about places where you have had a good experience, their hours and anything you know about their policies for taking new patients, please email us and we will include this in a future edition of Rugby Week.

BIRTHDAYS

July 19 - John Mount

CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely


Saturday, July 23 - Craft Demonstrator on the Commissary Porch - Chris Threet , Pencil Drawing

Saturday, July 23 – English Country Dancing at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House

Saturday, July 30 - Craft Demonstrator on the Commissary Porch - Mara Trumbo, oil painting

Saturday, July 30 - Lunch and program by author Barbara Howell. Noon to 2 p.m. Eastern at Grey Gables. $12 plus gratuity. Meet Barbara Howell, a woman who beat the odds. Her book, Splinters, is the true story of a woman who faced her fears and overcame daunting obstacles to become successful in a man's profession. Her commitment to succeed, her courage and undefeated attitude will be an inspiration as you read this story of struggle and ultimate victory. Reservations required: 423-628-5252

Saturday, August 6 – Community Potluck 7 p.m. Eastern

Sunday, August 7 – Poetry Reading. Former Rugby resident Lisa Coffman will read from her newest poetry manuscript, "To the Less Obvious Gods," at the Friendly House behind Christ Church, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. Coffman is the author of "Likely," an award-winning book of poetry published by Kent State University Press. An East Tennessee native, she currently lives and works on California’s Central Coast. Her poetry has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Saturday, September 10 – Book Club Meeting - next selection, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.   Some reviews of the book, which is set in Barcelona in the 1950s, can be viewed at http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/1594200106.  The meeting will be at the Beacon Hill home of Debbie Harris at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House

Rugby Yoga – Wed. 8:30 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House.

NATURE NOTES

RESCUING HELLGRAMMITES

By Linda Konig

 
If you're out driving around Rugby at some weird time of night within the next week, you might see me out there too.  I'll be checking out a certain white patch of Dobsonfly eggs on the Board of Aid building, hoping to see the Dobsonfly larvae, better known as hellgrammites, hatching out.  I'll have a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a bucket of creek water.  Whether I'll succeed in getting some in my bucket, who knows?  These eggs are supposed to hatch within two weeks of being laid, and I've been out the last six nights looking.  They always hatch at night. We don't know when they were laid.  Fortunately, I don't have to watch all night.  Whenever they start, I'm thinking it'll take a while for the approximately 1,000 eggs in the quarter-sized patch to hatch.

To back up a bit, June is the prime time to see adult Dobsonflies around the porch lights of Rugby.  Though Dobsonflies are irresistibly drawn to lights, actually the ideal place for them to lay eggs is around unpolluted moving streams like the Clear Fork, in the trees and on bridge abutments, etc.  When the eggs are laid there, the hatching larvae (hellgrammites) only have to drop down into the water to be home-free.  There they can live and grow for as much as three years before exiting the stream to crawl out on land, dig a hole, and pupate.

Coming out of the hole in early summer as adults, they're ready to fly about and mate and lay eggs.  The adult males only live about three days, the females up to eight days, but then the females have the job of laying the eggs.  Wish I could see that happening some night, but I have yet to be so lucky. These minute eggs are laid in three layers, and she finishes the job by exuding a clear liquid over the patch, spreading it around with her tail.  It is thought that the liquid protects the eggs from too much summer heat.  The liquid dries white over the grayish eggs.

I've been wondering — how are these miniscule hellgrammites going to get to water?  They're probably doomed.  They can crawl, and they're equipped to breathe both on land and underwater, but can they make it all the way to the river?  Or even to Newbury Pond?  Birds, other insects, and everything along the way would probably enjoy eating them.  BSFNRRA Park Ranger Sue Duncan suggested the obvious: why not just let them drop into a bucket of water?  Yes!  Why didn't I think of that?

My next thought was that our “city” water with chlorine, etc. probably wouldn't be best for these freshly hatched babies.  So I trekked down to Little Creek and got a bucket of creek water.  Now I'm thinking the water probably won't be oxygenated enough.  Oh well, they'll just have to rough it till I can get them to the creek.  In the meantime, I'll have to content myself with looking at pictures of these frighteningly ugly babies at such Websites as:  www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/06/04/hellgrammite-18  or  www.troutnut.com/hatch/67/Insect-Corydalidae-Hellgrammites .  

Historic Rugby’s Workshops

Saturday August 27 - Vegetable and Flower Gardening For The Fall ~ 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Bob Washburn. Fee $15. Planting a fall garden provides an opportunity to garden with fresh vegetables and flowers throughout the fall and early winter. The cool season enhances the flavor of vegetables. You will also learn the varieties and proper times to plant for the best fall garden ever. Bob will have a delightful selection of vegetables and flowering plants from his 52-greenhouse nursery available for sale.

Saturday, August 27 - It’s All Done With Mirrors – “The Kaleidoscope” ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Sara Senft. Fee $65. The world of kaleidoscopes will be explored. This includes various mirror configurations, how object boxes are constructed, etc. Each student will complete a kaleidoscope to take home.

Saturday, September 10 - English Country Dancing For Beginners ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT (with a two-hour break). Instructor: Mary Hemminger. Fee $25. Come learn simple historic dances that were written and compiled in England in the 1600s and 1700s, the earliest being published in 1651. The dancing will be to recorded music. Individuals will use walking steps for most dances, as well as some slipping and skipping steps during the course of the day.

Saturday, September 17 - Victorian Decorations ~ 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. EDT. Instructors: Beth Hester, JoNell Hester and Joyce Lantz. Fee $25. Using fabric, lace, paper, ribbon and reed, create charming Victorian ornaments. At the end of the day, take home 6-8 ornaments plus many ideas and patterns.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23, 24, and 25 - White Oak Basketry ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Bobby Edwards. Fee $130. This very popular 3-day workshop teaches the art of White Oak basketry from tree selection, splits, rims and handles to weaving a beautiful traditional basket. This is an experience not to be missed even if it does require “hand strength.”

Saturday, October 15 - Autumn Gathering and Arranging ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Linda Konig. Fee $24. Join us in the fields and roadsides to gather dried wildflowers, seed heads, berries and nuts to create your own fall arrangement. Learn the names of and interesting information about all your “autumn gatherings”.

To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and local cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.

Historic Rugby’s website at http://www.historicrugby.org/ lists all workshops for the year.


This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp