At the Saturday night community potluck Bob Trumbo said that several folks from Beacon Hill had helped fight a brush fire that got out of control earlier that evening. He said he and Mara had smelled smoke and when they went to investigate found a blaze near the water pumping station not far from Chip Elliott's house.
The fire spread all the way to Horseshoe Bend Road, but fortunately did not cross the road.
The Trumbos, Carman Roberson and Lisa Donegan helped Chip battle the flames until other responders arrived. Responders included the Gerald Hanwright and Tom Howell from the Clear Fork Area Volunteer Fire Department, as well as the Forest Service. Gerald and Tom had been in a fire and medical responder training class when the fire call came in.
This fire stands as a warning to all of us that even though the ground has been fairly wet lately, a lot of dead leaves are around which dry out quickly in windy conditions.
Fire Fighters Need Volunteers and Money
After fighting the fire, Gerald and Tom came to the community room still dressed in their fire fighting outfits to thank those who had helped. They also wanted the community to know that the fire department is desperately in need of volunteers and funds to continue its operations. In addition to the expense of maintaining equipment they have to do extensive training to continue to be certified as firefighters and first responders for medical.
It is my understanding that there are only three volunteer firefighters for the Clear Fork Area, which includes Rugby, at this time. The fire department also aids nearby communities when fires break out there.
Anyone wanting to help with the fire department should contact Gerald Hanwright at 423-627-4182. If you would like to make a contribution to help support the fire department send your check to Clear Fork Area Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 79, Rugby, TN 37733.
Café Hosts St. Patrick's Dinner Saturday
Come celebrate the coming St. Patrick's holiday at Historic Rugby this Saturday, March 14, with an Irish Dinner at the Harrow Road Café in Rugby.
Reserved seating is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The traditional Irish dinner menu includes: Shamrock Punch, Green Salad, Guinness Cheese Soup, Gammon (Ham) Steak w/Irish Whiskey Sauce, Irish Potato Casserole, Green Peas w/Braised Leeks, Spoon Rolls, and Kerry Apple Cake.
The dinner price, including beverage of choice, is $15.95 plus tax & gratuity. Diners may bring their own wine; glasses and cork service will be provided at no charge. Several other dinner items will also be available for those who prefer, including burgers, fish & chips, and Shepherds Pie.
Irish decorations and recorded Celtic music will add to dinner enjoyment. Call 423-628-2441 or 1-888-214-3400 for reservations.
Historic Rugby has been open weekends only during the winter to change to new management, accomplish extensive renovations, and to more strongly focus on the home-style cooking the café has been known for.
Café to Resume Regular Hours
Now that winter is drawing quickly to a close, the Harrow Road Café will resume its regular daytime hours, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm, starting Saturday, March 21.
Friday and Saturday night dinner will resume early April
Rugby Artist Prepares for Saturday Workshop
Recently returned from Manchester, Georgia, where she took her final exam as a Jenkins Certified Arts Instructor, Mara Trumbo says she is “bubbling with enthusiasm” over the oil painting techniques she has learned. She will be sharing some of these in the forthcoming full-day workshop on Saturday March 14th, where this composition of Victorian Roses will be taught in the Historic Rugby Community Center. Below is Mara's instructor, Gary Jenkins, reviewing her painting at the recent class.
Mara’s mentors and PBS TV stars, Gary and Kathwren Jenkins will continue Mara’s training culminating in Berlin, Germany, this coming October. The Platinum Level class is to certify USA teachers to become International Instructors of teachers in the “Wet-On-Wet” oil painting. As such Mara will assist the Jenkins in their overseas classes as well as organize destination workshops of her own.
Mara says she has her sights on teaching the Jenkins method in her native Italy and in South Africa, her adoptive home before immigrating to the US.
Rose Cottage Sold and Renamed
Lisa Donegan says that her purchase of the new home in Beacon Hill is final. This is the house that was called formerly Rose Cottage. She has renamed it Amherst House after the home owned by Emily Dickinson. Lisa admires the writer so much she also named her daughter Emily. Lisa and Carman Roberson were seen working on the stone path at the new house.
Trees Down on Devil’s CradleCarrie Thornthwaite emailed this photo showing two trees down by the so-called Devil's Cradle rock. The larger tree is right across where everyone sat... and then it knocked down a smaller tree. This old trail is from the Tabard Inn site on the way to the Gentlemen’s Swimming Hole.
Thanks to Gardeners
Historic Rugby’s Executive Director, Cheryl Cribbet, sent her thanks to the folks who have helped clean up around the Visitors Centre and Kingstone Lisle recently.
I had hoped to schedule another work day this Wednesday, but with my travel schedule this week I don’t think I will have time. If things change I will send an email to those of you who have expressed interest in volunteering in the past.
Birthdays
March 11 – Michael Buck
March 13 – Hannah Alley, Zach Alley & Darwin Bertram
Calendar of Events
March 13 – Hannah Alley, Zach Alley & Darwin Bertram
Calendar of Events
March 13 – History Night – George Zepp and Rick Murphy, with dramatic help from a few other guest presenters, will talk about the fascinating life of Sarah (Sadie) Louise Kellogg Kimber Walton. She was the first child born in Rugby, and a key person in preserving it in the 1940s. - 7:00 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
March 14 – St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at Harrow Road Cafe
March 14 - Scott Kunst of Ann Arbor, Michigan will give a lecture and film presentation on Antique Gardens: American Home Landscapes From 1800-1940. 10:00 am – noon Eastern. Program: $18.00 - Luncheon $12.00. Call 1-888-214-3400 to purchase tickets.
March 21 - Harrow Road Café resumes normal daytime hours – 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eastern
March 21 – English Country Dancing 7:30 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
March 28 – Big South Fork Chapter Hike at Pickett Sate Park. Hike the Hazard Cave Loop and the short Indian Rockhouse trail for three miles of easy to moderate hiking before lunch, followed by the 2.5 mile Lake Trail loop after lunch. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time or at the parking area at the Hazard Cave trail head on TN 154 (south of the visitor center) at 9:30 Central time. Pack lunch and plenty of water. To register contact Tom Howell at 423-628-5521 or email tshowell1003@highland.net.
March 21 - Harrow Road Café resumes normal daytime hours – 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eastern
March 21 – English Country Dancing 7:30 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
March 28 – Big South Fork Chapter Hike at Pickett Sate Park. Hike the Hazard Cave Loop and the short Indian Rockhouse trail for three miles of easy to moderate hiking before lunch, followed by the 2.5 mile Lake Trail loop after lunch. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time or at the parking area at the Hazard Cave trail head on TN 154 (south of the visitor center) at 9:30 Central time. Pack lunch and plenty of water. To register contact Tom Howell at 423-628-5521 or email tshowell1003@highland.net.
April 4 – Community Potluck – 7:00 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
HRI Workshops
(For more details about workshops go to Historic Rugby Website at historicrugby.org)
(For more details about workshops go to Historic Rugby Website at historicrugby.org)
March 14 - Oil Painting in One Day “Roses Fantasy” 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Instructor: Mara Trumbo.
March 21 - Fit, Fun & Yoga With Missy Kane (New) 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Eastern. Instructor: Missy Kane.
April 4 - Natural Woven Plant Trellis – Victorian Rugby Style (New) 10 am–5 pm Instructor: Judy Zugish
April 5 - Natural Woven Plant Trellis - Victorian Circle (New) 10 am–5 pm Instructor: Judy Zugish
April 11 - It’s Spring Wildflower Time! 9 am–5 pm Instructor: Jack Carman
April 18 - String Pieced Quilting (New) 10 am–5 pm Instructor: Joyce Lantz
April 25 - Tennessee’s Frogs And Toads Throughout The Year (New) 7pm – 9 pm Instructor: Bob English
TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS: Call (423) 628-2441 or Toll-Free 1-888-214-3400 Lodging is available at Historic Rugby with a 10% discount to all workshop students.
April 5 - Natural Woven Plant Trellis - Victorian Circle (New) 10 am–5 pm Instructor: Judy Zugish
April 11 - It’s Spring Wildflower Time! 9 am–5 pm Instructor: Jack Carman
April 18 - String Pieced Quilting (New) 10 am–5 pm Instructor: Joyce Lantz
April 25 - Tennessee’s Frogs And Toads Throughout The Year (New) 7pm – 9 pm Instructor: Bob English
TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS: Call (423) 628-2441 or Toll-Free 1-888-214-3400 Lodging is available at Historic Rugby with a 10% discount to all workshop students.
Nature Notes by Linda Konig
No matter what the calendar year says, it’s Spring when you hear peepers. Yes, they’re back! The ponds that catch the most sunlight are the first ones to have peepers waking up from their winter sleep. Males are the ones making all the racket. They can be deafening.
Thank goodness the females are silent. In the height of their season, walking down Farringdon Road at night between Newbury pond and the swampy area, I feel as if my eardrums are concave with the pressure.
When there are so many of these raucous singers, you can’t hear softer-voiced frogs that could be at the same location. Because of this, I’m trying to visit local frog sites before the peepers’ chorus drowns the others out.
For instance, a couple of late afternoons ago I drove to the cattail-choked pond across from Grey Gables B&B driveway to listen. For the first time this season, I heard a few wood frogs. In between the “peeps,” I could make out what sounded like ducks squabbling. Since Bobby Brooks doesn’t have ducks, I knew the sounds were coming from wood frogs.
Then on Saturday night at Newbury Pond, I only heard on lone peeper. I was about to get back into the car when I heard something like a very soft, short snore. A Pickerel frog! I only hear them there (only 1 or 2) when there aren’t many peepers.
I’ve heard upland chorus frogs this week, too. There are 15 different kinds of frogs on the Cumberland Plateau, according to the latest issue of “The Tennessee Conservationist.” So far, I’ve only heard 12, yet who knows? This year I may recognize one or two more.
This week’s editor – Rick Murphy
No matter what the calendar year says, it’s Spring when you hear peepers. Yes, they’re back! The ponds that catch the most sunlight are the first ones to have peepers waking up from their winter sleep. Males are the ones making all the racket. They can be deafening.
Thank goodness the females are silent. In the height of their season, walking down Farringdon Road at night between Newbury pond and the swampy area, I feel as if my eardrums are concave with the pressure.
When there are so many of these raucous singers, you can’t hear softer-voiced frogs that could be at the same location. Because of this, I’m trying to visit local frog sites before the peepers’ chorus drowns the others out.
For instance, a couple of late afternoons ago I drove to the cattail-choked pond across from Grey Gables B&B driveway to listen. For the first time this season, I heard a few wood frogs. In between the “peeps,” I could make out what sounded like ducks squabbling. Since Bobby Brooks doesn’t have ducks, I knew the sounds were coming from wood frogs.
Then on Saturday night at Newbury Pond, I only heard on lone peeper. I was about to get back into the car when I heard something like a very soft, short snore. A Pickerel frog! I only hear them there (only 1 or 2) when there aren’t many peepers.
I’ve heard upland chorus frogs this week, too. There are 15 different kinds of frogs on the Cumberland Plateau, according to the latest issue of “The Tennessee Conservationist.” So far, I’ve only heard 12, yet who knows? This year I may recognize one or two more.
This week’s editor – Rick Murphy
