Around the Village
We are a little late with this, but I wanted to thank all the volunteers who showed up to clean up and organize around the Uffington greenhouse a couple of week s ago. It looks a whole lot better. This year the greenhouse is bustling with activity as Judy Newport and Dennis Cribbet have rented space in it. In addition to what they are growing for themselves, they are helping grow plants that Historic Rugby can sell to help support ongoing operations. And many thanks to Marilyn Hury who helped me with the tedious job of washing and bleaching pots at the greenhouse on Sunday – something nobody else seemed to want to do!
It has been really nice to see folks at the print shop on weekends. When I went by on Saturday, Carolyn and Julian Bankston and Lavonne Gibbs were helping show the place to visitors and sharing good cheer with locals. Julian shared some interesting information about how the type was organized for use in a print shop – it really is amazing how much work went into organizing type for one page of newspaper. So be sure to stop in and let them show you around when you get a chance. It was also good to see that Historic Rugby has hired a new person to help with grounds and building maintenance. Kares Stonecipher (I hope I spelled that right) started last week and was quickly greeted by the need to remove a dead animal in the road in front of the Café! He is the father of Logan Stonecipher who has been helping do much of the work on the Commissary and Schoolhouse. I think maybe Kares is helping with some of the work in updating Pioneer Cottage, which now has a new shower downstairs and will soon have new carpet, among other improvements. And speaking of updating some of the lodging facilities, Gerald Hanwright has been busy painting the sunporch at Newbury. Rumor has it that someone has been busy acquiring some amazing furniture to replace some well used pieces in Newbury and Pioneer Cottage – so it will be good to see that when it is all in place. Newbury is also slated to have much-needed exterior repair work done in the next few months. Lots of people have been talking about the incredible antique lamp collection that is on display at Vi’s shop, Wilo'th'Wisp. If I understood correctly they are mostly lamps from the collections of Barbara Stagg and Charles Gibbs. So stop by and check them out. And finally, we just wanted to express our condolences to Historic Rugby’s bookkeeper, Linda Tinch, whose mother passed away this week.
Rugby Weather Warning Ideas In the last Rugby Week Tom Howell asked for ideas on how to share weather alerts. Here are a few ideas we received. Don Barkman With regard to weather warnings in the last posting… I like the following link from WVLT because it shows active weather and you can zoom in tightly on a particular area. Like Tom said, it does rely on having internet and power – but I would say that if you have lost one or the other you should probably be in the basement anyway. This link is also great for normal weather because you can see the direction of the weather for a short prior period. I vote for Rubgy to acquire a cannon that can be fired in the village as notification. Or simply a stick or two of dynamite on top of an old stump in some out-of-the way lot. Lou Walker I guess in the old days, they really didn't have all our gadgets for tornado warnings, so I'd like to add that if the fire truck is busy during storms, that you ring the church or school bell, which was probably what they did back then when something was wrong. Spring Walk to the Massengale Homeplace Location: Rugby State Natural Area  Time: 10 a.m. Eastern Leader: Lisa Huff, Tennessee Natural Areas Program Sponsors: Tennessee Natural Areas Program, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Reservations: Required. RSVP to lisa.huff@tn.gov by April 12. No pets. Event limited to 20 participants. Description: We will meet at the Historic Rugby Visitor Center for a short orientation. The hike will be of easy to moderate difficulty round trip to the historic Massengale Homeplace and back. The program should be no longer than 2 hours. We should be able to see spring wildflowers and we will discuss the history of the Rugby colony and early settlers and the state natural area. For more information including description, directions, and a map of Rugby State Natural Area go to: http://tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/rugby/ | |||
| Music Canceled By Cheryl Cribbet The Lesia Terry (Great Day in the Morning) engagement at the Cafe (scheduled for March 23) has had to be cancelled. The wife of Brandon, Lesia's brother and lead singer/guitar player, is in kidney failure at age 32. Very sad, but in any case they will reschedule for a later date. Meanwhile we will need to post the news as we already have had several reservations for that evening. They have a big following locally.  Good Stuff for Sale By Marilyn Hury The Hurys are having a clear-out in preparation for their permanent move to Rugby the end of May. There are a few items for immediate sale, and more will follow. The matching rattan chair and loveseat with down cushions is $250 for the set. The swivel-top table is $40 and the small primitive table is $65. The 4-drawer chest with Bakelite knobs is $95. Contact Marilyn at adamshury@gmail.com, or 423.628.6454 or 423.223.6483 |
By Eric Wilson
My L.L. Bean socks failed me this week and I had my first tick of the season. Unfortunately it was one of the bad ones and the next day I had the characteristic pink rash that means Lyme disease. I had been doing yard work, not hiking, the day I got the tick. So anyone working outdoors should be cautious and use protection.
Wilo’th’Wisp
By Vi BiehlGreetings and thanks to all of you who have made a big difference in making my shop, Wilo'th'Wisp, a place where friends (old and new) can get together for a visit. Each of you has given me ideas about how to guide the shop for the future, and with these ideas in mind, Wilo'th'Wisp will be closed from March 24 through April 27 so I can upgrade the place and also have a breather before the summer season begins.
As many of you already know, several town folk have generously placed some of their antique oil lamps and reference books and notes in the shop for display. Come by and be enriched by the historic beauties, along with a few other displays that may interest you.Upon reopening at the end of April, the shop's highlight will be the "Margaret Patterson Lace Museum" with some impressive antique laces and a nice set of historic examples on the making of bobbin lace, all organized for display in a permanent collection.
Until the 23rd of March (after which the shop will close for this break) you are all welcome to continue coming by and visiting Wilo'th'Wisp.
Rugby Author Book Signing
Rugby resident Bob Trumbo will present a program and book signing on “A Guide for Proper Governance for Dummies,” his book which suggests a step by step method of how Americans, through a moratorium, can force their elected officials to once again abide by the wishes of the voters. "Art Center Library" of Crossville Thursday, April 12, 11 a.m. to Noon (we assume Central time, since Crossville is on that).
Next Potluck March 31
By Julian Bankston
BIRTHDAY
March 20 - Carrie Thornthwaite
March 20 - Carrie Thornthwaite
CALENDAR
Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.
Saturday, March 31 – Community Potluck 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 – Spring Walk to Massengale Homeplace with Lisa Huff of the State Natural Areas, Lisa Huff, Tennessee Natural Areas Program. We will meet at 10 a.m. at the Historic Rugby Visitor Center for a short orientation. The hike will be of easy to moderate difficulty round trip to the historic Massengale Homeplace and back. The program should be no longer than 2 hours. We should be able to see spring wildflowers and we will discuss the history of the Rugby colony and early settlers and the state natural area. For more information including description, directions, and a map of Rugby State Natural Area go to: http://tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/rugby/. Reservations required. RSVP to lisa.huff@tn.gov by April 12. No pets. Event limited to 20 participants.Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.
Saturday, March 31 – Community Potluck 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 – Historic Rugby Visiting Speaker - Longtime Rugby friend and author Nancy Jensen will offer readings, discussion and book signing for her praised novel The Sisters. This will also be the selected book for the Rugby Book Club.
Ongoing ActivitiesQuilters’ Group - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House behind Christ Church
Rugby Yoga – Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House.
Christ Church Episcopal -- Sunday morning services, 11 a.m. Eastern year round; all are welcomed.
Carrie Thornthwaite’s Weekend Wanderings – Saturdays and Sundays – Join Carrie to hike. On Saturdays she usually leaves from the Cafe around 10 a.m. for a 1½ to 2 hour hike in the area. On Sundays she usually leaves, again from the Cafe, about 2 p.m. If you'd like to join her, please e-mail her to confirm that she is walking and to let her know you are coming at thornthwch@lipscomb.edu . She will leave no later than 5 minutes after the hour. She is not hiking on Sunday, March 11 or Saturday, March 17.
Historic Rugby Workshops
Honeysuckle Basketry - This is a very popular 2-day workshop. Help collect and process the vines and weave a rib-style basket. . The workshop is on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22 from 9 am – 5 pm Eastern. Instructor Bobby Edwards is an award winning basket maker from Fentress County who has been practicing his art for 15 years in the Southeast. Bobby got his start right here in Rugby making White Oak baskets in a White Oak basket workshop. Workshop fee is $75 ~ register early!
Mosses and Liverworts Around Rugby Learn about the small plants, which form a green carpet over the forest floor, the luxuriant mosses, and liverworts. The workshop is Saturday, May 5, from 10 am – 2 pm Eastern. Instructor Dr. Kenneth McFarland is a Ph.D. Lecturer, Division of Biology, from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. His interests are morphology, taxonomy, and ecology. Workshop fee is $15 ~ register early!
Spring Wildflower Walk & Picnic Lunch ~ On Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, attendees can take part in one of the most diverse wildflower walks in Tennessee, led by instructor Jack Carmen, whose book Wildflowers of Tennessee is a definitive guide. Jack leads field trips and photo workshops for the Gatlinburg Spring Flower Pilgrimage, among others, and has won awards for his wildflower photos. The fee is $25 and includes a plant list of expected sightings. The day will finish with a film presentation and book signing in the late afternoon.
Sun to Shade Design Garden/Cumberland Plateau Garden Tour at Rugby Come spend the day in garden activities including a sun to shade design workshop plant sale, lunch and garden tour. Included in the day’s activities is a presentation including information about Rugby’s gardens, lunch and finishing the day with an Afternoon Tea in the garden. The event is Saturday, June 9 from 9 a.m. Eastern until 5:30 p.m. The all-inclusive fee is $40. Instructor Bob Washburn, co-owner of Wolf River Valley Growers in Pall Mall, will be joined by Rugby’s own Rick Murphy and Barbara Mitchell for this very special event. Register early – this is a day not to be missed.
Show Your Spirit Basket Workshop Create a generously sized Spirit Basket that is perfect for tailgating or carrying with you. This is an intermediate level project. The workshop is Friday, June 22 from 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Eastern and Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern. Instructor Beth Hester is the owner of The Basket Maker’s Catalog. She has been teaching basketry workshops locally and throughout the southeastern U.S .for many years. Workshop fee is $99 ~ register early!
To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and Rugby's cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.
NATURE NOTES
Springtime Charms
No doubt about it, spring does have her charms. Right now is a good time to get out and start looking for spring wildflowers. This past week, I've seen Sweet Betsy Trilliums, Quaker Ladies, Round-Leaf Ragworts, Spring Beauties, Toothworts, common purple violets, Dutchman's Breeches, and other wildflowers blooming about Rugby.
Sometimes you have to wonder how some of the wildflowers got their common names, but Dutchman's Breeches is one of those names that describe a particular wildflower so well. The little white blossoms look exactly like a pair of tiny Dutchman's pantaloons hanging upside down from an arched stem. You can't miss 'em since the blooms hang above all the cut-leaf foliage. Look at http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/dicentra_cucullaria.shtml for photos and more information about this wildflower. The oddly-shaped bloom is a challenge for most early spring insects who would dearly love to get at the nectar. Honeybees' and most other bees' tongues are too short to reach upwards the length of each pants leg to lap up the nectar. So it's mostly the earliest bumblebee, the queen, who reaches the nectar with her longer-than-average tongue. However, honeybees do manage to get a bit of pollen.
Dutchman's Breeches are one of those earliest spring wildflowers that are spread by ants. The Dicentra cucullaria seeds have a tasty little knob on them that are a special treat for ants. So they obligingly carry the seeds down into their underground chambers, eat the sweet fatty knob and discard the rest of the seed into one of their disused tunnels. Next spring, if all goes well, up comes another Dutchman's Breeches plant.
One of the more colorful stories about Dutchman's Breeches is that the Menominee tribe of upper Michigan and Wisconsin used this flower as a love charm. The young men would either throw the flowers at the particular maidens they were interested in, or sometimes they would chew the root of the plant and breathe the fragrance toward the girl of their choice. Supposedly, she would instantly be smitten and would follow him anywhere. And if you believe that, you probably also believe all the after shave and cologne commercials. Human nature hasn't changed much in the last 300 years and neither has this charming little flower, thank goodness.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
