This and That

Matt Bullard and the hikers - Photo by George Zepp

Approximately 20 people went on the Soup Hike Saturday.  In addition to being a beautiful day for a hike, it was really interesting to hear details about the road and bridge construction from Mike and Debbie Harris’s son-in-law, Matt Bullard, a civil engineer with experience with similar types of projects.

The group also visited the geological area known as Kellogg's Crack and walked a little way along the White Oak.

Top left photo shows group entering the rock formation at Kellogg's Crack. The other three photos show folks who actually crawled through the crack.  Jody Hester is followed by Annie Patterson and George Zepp - photos by Rick Murphy

The Commissary General Store and Post Office expanded its days for opening beginning March 1. It is now open Monday through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Stockton Store

This Week in Rugby

Friday, Mar. 9 – History Night – 7:30 p.m. at the Friendly House. Linda Konig will talk about the Stockton family, one of the more prominent families in the Rugby area before Rugby was founded. One of them, Grover Stockton, once owned a store in Rugby. Another, Kate Bradford Stockton, ran for governor of Tennessee! The Stocktons were a fascinating family, wild and wooly pioneers, yet claiming a heritage from one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the first governor of Massachusetts. Saturday, Mar. 10 – Outdoor Volunteer Activity - Invasive Plant Removal - State Natural Area representative Lisa Huff will lead volunteers in helping remove invasive Japanese spirea from the Massengale Loop Trail. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (8:30 Central) Saturday, March 10 - Afternoon Tea at Grey Gables - 1 p.m. Eastern Time Reservations Required $10.00 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Sunday, March 11 – TIME CHANGE, so set clocks forward and hour before you go to bed Saturday night. Spring Volunteer Cleanup A large group of volunteers showed up Tuesday to clear limbs and brush from the lot between Kingstone Lisle and Ivy Cottage.  (I forgot to bring my camera, so no photos!) Historic Rugby hopes to use this lot more for special events – possibly Spring Festival and the Antique Car Show during the coming year. They also hope to gradually make the lot, which has been informally known as the “Kudzu Lot,” more park-like for visitors and villagers to enjoy. A huge dent had already been made in the amount of invasive kudzu that is on the property, largely from the efforts of Bob Young. While the group was working, Rick Murphy and Gayle Minor sneaked off to Kingstone Lisle and rebuilt the garden “tee pee” for the climatis and hyacinth bean vine to grow up this year. Another spring volunteer effort is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. This will be at the greenhouse behind the Uffington Barns. The hope is to clean out the cold frame, move some of the wood that is currently stored there, and clean up the greenhouse. Work gloves might be helpful. And we could probably use some more brooms. If it is warm enough, we will also be organizing pots and cleaning used pots in water with bleach. Rugby Helpful Ideas Weather Alert Everyone has been talking about the violent storms we had last week in Rugby and across the Cumberland Plateau.  Will Thornthwaite mentioned at Saturday’s potluck that he was having a good experience with a new weather alert system he and Carrie are using at their house. It is a service that calls your home phone or cellphone to alert you of weather events. He said it gives you the option of choosing what level of events you want to be called about – like Tornado Watches or Tornado Warnings. He said it cost $9.95 annually and the website is www.weathercall.net . Tick Clothes Recently Eric Wilson mentioned how LL Bean has clothing items impregnated with chemicals that help repel ticks. Several in Rugby have now ordered socks and I thought it might be helpful if we gave a link to the item.  http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/71684?catalog_id=TC&productId=1197314&moe=INIT&subrnd=0 More Weather Alert Ideas By Tom Howell I'm looking for suggestions as to how to get out a tornado take-cover warning to Rugbeians. We have nothing to serve for an air-raid siren. Forrest Johnson tells me that the Pleasant Hill community west of Crossville has a telephone tree, where someone at the office there can simultaneously dial all residents and warn of weather emergencies, etc. That's not an option for us when those who work at the HRI office live a long way away; another problem is that some of us have only cellphones, most with 865 or 931 or 615 area codes -- expensive. Jodye Weiler suggested running the siren on the fire truck for, say, 15 seconds when a warning is received. (I can count on being dispatched from the 911 center in such cases.) But what if the truck is out on a call? Or would the siren be misinterpreted as merely the truck en route to an incident scene? And I don't much want to be sitting in the truck with a tornado approaching. Probably best is that people take responsibility for their own safety. When weather is threatening, best to keep the radio on, and best if you have a radio that runs or can run on batteries. Weather radios are good, but be aware that warnings out of Nashville stop at the Clear Fork and warnings originating from Morristown stop on our side of the Clear Fork. In Rugby area this necessitates monitoring two channels, which is difficult, even if both can be received at your location. Radar as viewed on computers or TV shows both sides -- but that is good only so long as electric power and DSL are up. I found that WUOT in Knoxville covered us quite well during the storm, even warning Fentress and Cumberland counties in the Central time zone. Telephoning neighbors works, too, as far as that goes; but you always forget someone who needs to know. In a vehicle, listen to the radio on a station near where you are. Don't be playing CDs, distant HD radio, and the like. I talked with several who were driving along, blithely unaware that they were directly in danger's path. And heed the warning when you get it. This is what I have come up with. Others may have better suggestions Wilo’th’Wisp This Week Wilo'th'Wisp shop hours Monday, March 5, through Sunday, March 11,  -- 1 to 4 p.m. – closed Tuesday and Wednesday this week. In the future, just call Vi at 423-628-2817 to see what days she is closed before visiting.  Coffee, tea, hot cocoa or juice along with nibbles offered this week. She’s highlighting Mara Trumbo's painted arts/crafts and Eric Wilson's wooden boxes.

Rugby Week Taking a Break Rugby Week will not be publishing next week.  The next edition will be March 19.

Deciduous magnolia beginning to bloom behind Martin Roost

BIRTHDAYS

March

5   Kathy Hicks and Ryan Erickson

6   Steve Logan

11  Michael Buck

CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.

Friday, Mar. 9 – History Night – 7:30 p.m. at the Friendly House next to Christ Church. Linda Konig will talk about the Stockton family.

Saturday, Mar. 10 – Outdoor Volunteer Activity - Invasive Plant Removal - State Natural Area representative Lisa Huff will lead volunteers in helping remove invasive Japanese spirea from the Massengale Loop Trail. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern

Saturday, March 10 - Afternoon Tea at Grey Gables -1 p.m. Eastern Time. Reservations Required. $10 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at Harrow Road Café. Call for reservations and information -- 423-628-2350

March 17 – Grey Gables - Fundue Benefit. Call for reservations and information -- 423-628-5252

Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25 - Celtic Knot-Quilting Workshop - Note this Workshop has been Cancelled – Joyce Lantz hopes to reschedule soon.

Saturday, April 7 – Community Potluck – 7 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.

Save the Date

October 6, 2012- Annual Michaelmas Festival with crafts, children's activities and an English Cream Tea. More information to be announced in coming weeks.

Ongoing Activities

Quilters’ 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 Hours

Harrow Road Café open every day except Wednesdays. Sundays through Thursdays - 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. EST. Friday and Saturday hours, including dinner seatings, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST (7:30 to 7:30 Central).

Commissary General Store and Post Office – Monday through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Visitor Centre - Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays through Thursdays. Weekday and weekend group tours can be arranged with advance reservation.

Lodging Facilities are available year-round.


NATURE NOTES

Red Maples in bloom
By Linda Konig

Good news for beekeepers!  Red Maple trees are perhaps the earliest trees to bloom in our area, and I saw some decked out in red yesterday. Of course, all maple trees bloom in spring, but the red ones bloom first. Because Red Maples are so early to flower, they're very important to local honeybees. Young queen bumblebees are just emerging from their underground homes and looking to feed their larvae also. Both the honeybees and bumblebees chew pollen, mixing it with their saliva and thus making a type of honey that's very nutritious.

The bees pay for their pollen honey by pollinating the maple flowers during the process of gathering pollen.  Tiger Swallowtails, Mourning Cloak Butterflies, and Polyphemous moths visit the blooms, too, and probably they also aid in pollination. Red Maple male and female flowers are tiny, yet there are usually plenty of them and the brilliant red color makes a real color statement, attracting butterflies, etc. The male flowers are slightly fragrant, which may also aid in attracting pollinators. However, these flowers aren't usually troublesome for allergy sufferers because their pollen doesn't tend to blow about on the breezes.

Before you dismiss these red blossoms as not much to get excited about (though I'm excited about ANYTHING that will bloom in February and March), take a look at some photos of them at http://duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/acru.html.  These are every bit as exotic-looking as any orchid you'd find in a South American jungle.  I can't wait till the young Red Maple in my front yard flowers.

The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is well-named. Not only are its spring flowers and autumn leaves red, so are the twig buds and usually the samaras (winged seeds) when they first appear. Sometimes called maple keys, the samaras are eaten by squirrels, various birds, and other animals. My favorite name for the samaras is whirlybirds. They're fun to watch as they fall, whirling about in the air as if dancing on the surface of a mountain stream. Here's hoping that the Red Maples have a good year.

From the Rugby Archive

Editorial Decries Community Discord

August 8, 1885. RUGBY GAZETTE – It had been quite a week in Rugby. Miss Marland had given “one of the best dances of the season” at Newbury House. James Milmow had narrowly escaped drowning in the White Oak River while trying to cross in deep water. And then there was this fascinating piece, unsigned, on the editorial page:

“There are in Rugby, we are sorry to hear, two or three persons who think it their duty to buttonhole every stranger that enters the town and run down not only the place but also every individual in it. Not only this, but we are informed that people getting off the train at Rugby Road [now Elgin] have been advised to re-enter it without ever coming to see our settlement at all.

“Surely America is big enough to hold us all, and if there are any who are not satisfied here, why do not they seek a more congenial clime.

“We speak strongly on this subject because we feel that there is something very cowardly in people running down those who provide them with their bread and butter. Besides, what do they expect to gain by it? If they have invested in property in the town, surely it is a very curious way of trying to dispose of it by getting false reports spread around and endeavoring by every means in their power to drive strangers away.

“We were also informed, a few days ago, that a visitor had been told by a resident here that there was a very bitter feeling between the Americans and the English. Now any one who knows anything at all about Rugby and its inhabitants is aware that there is no truth whatever in this statement, but that, on the contrary, there never has been even a suspicion of a rupture in the cordial relations that have always existed between the Americans and the English since the formation of the colony.

“We do not believe that the settlers in any other colony in America would allow the things that have been said in Rugby, about Rugbeians, to be passed over without taking some steps to put a stop to it, or strongly advising the discontents to seek another climate more suited to their health.

“It has been said that all these reports are directed against the Board of Aid. The sooner we get over the idea that the Board of Aid is the general ‘wet nurse’ for the whole colony, and that now we are five years old and ought to be able to walk alone, the sooner we shall find out that it is necessary for each and every inhabitant of Rugby to put his shoulder to the wheel and do his share in building up our colony.

“The more visitors that come to Rugby even for a few days, the more work there will be for someone, and the more money will circulate in our settlement. And it is the plain duty of every inhabitant to make Rugby as attractive as possible to them, so that not only will they themselves come to see us again, but will advise their friends to do the same.

“We are certain everybody would feel more contented and hopeful about the future of Rugby, if even for a short time they were to forget their own little pet grievances and do a little more for the general good.”

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp