Happenings in Rugby

There’s a lot going on in Rugby this coming weekend.

Friday Night – Music at the Café – Robin Branstetter and the Girls

Saturday – Christmas Greens Workshop – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Saturday Evening – Theatre Presentation about bears & encounters!  - 7:30 p.m.

This magnificent New Dawn Redwood tree has turned red in the yard of the historic Rugby home called The Lindens. I think there is also one in the back yard of Martin Roost. Even though these trees had been identified in fossils in North America, they were thought to be extinct until some were rediscovered in China in 1944. They are similar to the redwoods that the west coast is known for, except that Dawn Redwoods are deciduous.  Photo by George Zepp

Café Music Friday Night

Back by Popular Demand

Friday night Robin Branstetter and her daughters are back at the Harrow Road Café.  We were captivated when we heard them there last month.  Their beautiful acoustic family harmonies are the perfect accompaniment to an evening of food, wine and quiet conversation. Music is 7-8:30 p.m. Eastern (6-7:30 Central) in the west dining room.

Photo above shows Robin singing at a previous year's Christmas event in Rugby.  Photo below shows the new Wine and Ale sign that Julian Bankston made for the Cafe.

Calling all Wonderful Elves

Christmas Greens Workshop

By Rita Myers

It’s that time of year again to make the fresh wreaths and sprays to decorate Historic Rugby for the Christmas season. The Annual Christmas Greens Workshop will be this Saturday ~ November 19 ~ from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Eastern at the Rugby Community Room.
You are welcome to come either all or any part of the day that you can. We will have a light lunch, desserts and hot wassail at the workshop.

Be sure to bring hand clippers or pruning shears and work gloves. And if you have any boxwood clippings and nandina berries, please bring those too. 
PLEASE INVITE any friends who would like to come help – We need all the help we can get!!!

If you can help with this Workshop, e-mail rugbycommissary@gmail.com or call us toll free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441.

Bears We’ve Met

 Free Theatre Presentation – Understand More About Rugby’s Bears
Join Historic Rugby on Saturday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern in Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre for a close-up look at bears.

 It’s an evening book event with experienced backcountry guide and author Joel G. Zachry, sharing stories from his book "Bears We’ve Met, Short Stories of Close Encounters." Since black bears are sometimes spotted in and around Rugby, the insights into these majestic forest animals should prove very interesting.

 In this documentary the author and his wife, Kathy W. Zachry, share early blunders and tense moments, including humorous and intriguing confrontations, as they encounter one of the largest of North America’s land mammals. The book recounts their time backpacking along the Appalachian Trail, hiking within the Southern Appalachians, Colorado, and Shenandoah and Yellowstone National Parks, plus experiences exploring Alaska and Kodiak Island.

Bring your family and join us for this FREE event. Donations are always appreciated. Zachry will be signing and selling his books after the presentation. Dinner will be served at the Harrow Road Café from 5 to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Spend Day-After Thanksgiving At Rugby

Reservations Being Accepted for British Tea at Historic Newbury House

 If you are looking for a fun way to spend the day after Thanksgiving with your guests, come to Rugby and enjoy Thanksgiving Marketplace.

Bristish Tea:  Step back in time for the annual British Cream Tea at historic Newbury House. Join us at the fireside in the parlor for traditional teas and delicious sweets surrounded by festive holiday decorations. 

Shopping and Silent Auction: As a delightful alternative to the Black Friday madness, visit with the welcoming shopkeepers of the Rugby Commissary General Store, Spirit of Red Hill, The Shoppe at Zenith Cottage, and antiques and original art at The Carriage House where they can assist in selecting that perfect gift.  Bid on Silent Auction items donated by Historic Rugby,its Commissary, Harrow Road Café, Jansch Nursery, Lay Furniture, Ellis Electronics/Radio Shack, Scott County Nursery, Sexton Ford, Grey Gables and many others. 

Artists: Meet the friendly local artists demonstrating their crafts: NPS Ranger Sue Duncan, with her Angora rabbits demonstrating hand-spinning; Fuzzy Orange, Father Christmas and his “Deer” Dog;  Mhairi Gehlhac, handmade dolls and Aran knitting; Linda Asberry, spoon jewelry;  Chris Threet, pencil artist;  Mara Trumbo, fine art-decorative artist; and Tony Thomas providing bluegrass music. 

Historic Tours:  Tour five historic buildings decorated in their Christmas finery. See our award winning film and mural at the Rugby Visitor Centre. 

Tea will be served 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 and 2:30 Central). Reservations are advised for this very popular event. Tickets for the tea are $10 per person. The Tea is a lovely event for all.  Call Historic Rugby toll-free at 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441 to make reservations for the tea.

Fire Department Suggestion of the Week

Rugby’s Got Gas!

 By Tom Howell

 Due to the number of houses in Rugby that are left unoccupied for long periods of time, we may be facing a serious structure fire hazard.

That hazard is sewer gas. Traps in unused drains gradually dry out, eventually ceasing to function as traps and allowing sewer gas to enter the house. Sewer gas is explosive (as well as malodorous).

Todd Niner, assistant fire chief at Joyner (midway between Wartburg and Oliver Springs), is also an arson investigator. He has recently investigated several fires thought to be of suspicious origin, but in doing so he has found a few cases (typically large houses with multiple bathrooms, some unused) where sewer gas ignited when a heater kicked on, sometimes after the owner opened the garage door.

Prevention consists of preventing the buildup of gases. If you're going to be away from your house for a long period (typically the case with vacation homes or carriage houses), have your key holder run water in all drains and flush all toilets at least once a month. Have septic tanks pumped as needed (at least every four or five years).

BIRTHDAYS

Nov. 17 - Cheryl Hodgkins

Nov. 18 - Joe Beavon

Nov. 19 - Fred Oliver

 
CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely.

Friday, Nov. 18 – Music at the Café

Saturday, Nov. 19 – Christmas Greens Workshop

Saturday, Nov. 19 – Presentation by Joel Zachry and Kathy Zachry about their book Bears We've Met - 7:30 p.m. Eastern at Johnson Theatre in the Visitor Centre. Free

Friday, Nov. 25 – Thanksgiving Marketplace and Victorian Cream Tea (2 afternoon seatings)

Saturday, Nov. 26 – Book Club - The next book club selection will be the nonfiction book In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Beasts-Terror-American-Hitlers/dp/0307408841. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Lisa Donegan's house in Beacon Hill.

Quilters’ Group - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House

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


NATURE NOTES

Our Most Famous Garden Spider!

By Linda Konig

If you ever read Charlotte's Web as a child or have read it to a child, you probably were quite taken with the hard-working, sensible, intelligent Charlotte, the heroine spider who saved Wilbur's life. Well, if you're lucky you've had some of Charlotte's descendants (Argiope aurantia, otherwise known as Black-and-Yellow Argiope, Golden Writing Spider, Golden Garden Spider, Golden Orb Weaver, etc.) living at your place all summer.  They're very common and arguably our most beautiful large spider in North America with eye-catching yellow markings on both sides of their bodies. Of course, they're experts at catching and devouring flying insects which are drawn to the stabilimentum in the middle of their webs.  The stabilimentum is the vertical white broad zig-zag line she patiently sits on, waiting, waiting, waiting for dinner to arrive. 

I became well acquainted with one of these spiders that I watched for several weeks. One of the interesting things that happened to her is that she somehow lost two legs at one point. I don't know how this happened. Well, I thought, she probably won't live too long since she's maimed, but I was wrong. After a couple of weeks she disappeared, and I wrongly assumed she'd died because of her handicap or that fact that she hadn't been catching many meals.  But some days later, she showed up again in the exact same spot, this time with all eight legs!  I had to get on the web (no pun intended) to learn some more about Ms. Argiope.  Could spiders possibly regenerate lost legs?  Yes!  They do this when they molt.  I didn't even know they molted, but they have to do this in order to keep growing.

 There are a couple of Argiope aurantia egg sacs hanging on Boyd Mitchell's old garage now, one under the quilt block and the newest one hanging from the back door facing. I don't know if my favorite spider made one of these, but there have been a couple of other Argiope aurantias around. These egg sacs are quite different from any spider egg sacs I've seen.  For one thing, they're white when fresh but gradually turn brown as they're exposed to air.  They're about the size of a large marble. According to what I've read, the baby spiders will hatch this fall, but remain in the round egg sac till spring. Alas!  The last week's cold night temperatures have been hard on Ms Argiope aurantia, and I guess she's pretty old now, as spiders go.  I haven't seen her for the last couple of days. We can always find some wonderful photos of Argiope aurantia and her egg sacs, webs, etc. on the web.  Just Google Argiope aurantia.

Want a Free Compost Bin?

By Rick Murphy

I am giving away this compost bin. It is in good shape, made of very heavy plastic and is 27 inches wide by 32 inches long and is 33 inches tall.  Contact me at rickmurphy1@aol.com or 423-319-7842.

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp