Bicycles and Lightning Bugs
Walking to the Café Saturday night, George and I couldn’t help but notice all the bicycles parked out front. This is surely a good thing. Jim Meadows had ridden his there for dinner while wife Nora is in New York seeing the Broadway show “Mama Mia.” Much of the Hester clan was there with their large assortment of bikes in various sizes and colors, including one adult tricycle with a basket in back for little Hailey to ride in – although it appears that she will soon be riding her own. And then Mike and Kim Stagg showed up with son Matthew on his snazzy bike.
I know lots of other folks are riding bikes around town these days. I see Cheryl and Butch Hodgkins, Carman Roberson, Barbara and Boyd Mitchell, Jane Fuchs, Mike Harris and Dorcus McBrayer. Sunday morning I saw Rita and Tyler riding around. I am sure there are others as well.
Walking to the Café Saturday night, George and I couldn’t help but notice all the bicycles parked out front. This is surely a good thing. Jim Meadows had ridden his there for dinner while wife Nora is in New York seeing the Broadway show “Mama Mia.” Much of the Hester clan was there with their large assortment of bikes in various sizes and colors, including one adult tricycle with a basket in back for little Hailey to ride in – although it appears that she will soon be riding her own. And then Mike and Kim Stagg showed up with son Matthew on his snazzy bike.
I know lots of other folks are riding bikes around town these days. I see Cheryl and Butch Hodgkins, Carman Roberson, Barbara and Boyd Mitchell, Jane Fuchs, Mike Harris and Dorcus McBrayer. Sunday morning I saw Rita and Tyler riding around. I am sure there are others as well.
Rita and Tyler riding bikes on Sunday
(We used to ride bikes on some of the back roads around Rugby. The furthest we went was to Deer Lodge which I guess is about 15 miles, one way. Not sure I can do it anymore. Anyway…)
When we got home from the Café around dusk the lightning bugs had started their show. I guess they are most everywhere, but for some reason Rugby seems to be magically taken over by the beautiful creatures this time of year. They rise up from the grass and twinkle trying to attract mates.
Recently, Rugby Naturalist Linda Konig took us to a really good place to see lots of lightning bugs at one time – out on the bridge over the Clear Fork. We parked at the end of the bridge and walked out to the middle to watch the show. Having the trees in the distance and the drop to the water helped to show off a large number of the flashing bugs all at one time.
It is a very good time to be in Rugby.
Saturday Hike
By Benita Howell
We'll be hiking Saturday on the Obed section of the Cumberland Trail with State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath. He attended our chapter annual meeting and volunteered to lead this hike for us, so I hope we'll have a good turnout for it. Here is Randy's description of the hike:
"The hike will be about two miles out and two miles back for a round trip of four or maybe five miles. The terrain is rocky but has no major climbs so I would rate it easy to moderate. We will spend a lot of time looking at the trees and wildflowers. The scenery is superb so time to take pictures will be needed. This time of year will probably bring us very warm days so we shall also take time to cool our feet or swim in the river. We will have plenty of daylight because the next day is the summer solstice. I am really looking forward to this trip because there is not a better place to spend a summer day than along a mountain stream."
We're meeting at Harrow Road Cafe at 9:45 a.m. Eastern time to carpool, or meet Randy and the Rugby group at the trail head at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 10:00 a.m. Central time.
Youngs Help Make Newbury InvitingMarilyn and Walter Young have been great about making their wooded area across from Newbury inviting to guests staying across the street or neighbors walking by. They have also helped restore a portion of the old herb bed that Pearl Nestor used to keep.
Here is a photo showing part of their wooded garden area with its Welcome Friends sign.
Walton Court Sign Returns
In case you haven't noticed it, the front porch sign for Walton Court has returned. The new sign is a close replica of the sign that was on the house before it burned. George Zepp and Rick Murphy had the new sign created from old photos of the earlier sign.
Birthdays
June 17 - Lloyd Stokes
June -18 - Jenny Young
June 22 - Bethany Jackson
Calendar of Events
June 19 – History Club Annual Dinner at Grey Gables. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. followed by presentation by Howard Ray Duncan playing a late 19th Century businessman in the Big South Fork area. Reservations closed Sunday.
June -18 - Jenny Young
June 22 - Bethany Jackson
Calendar of Events
June 19 – History Club Annual Dinner at Grey Gables. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. followed by presentation by Howard Ray Duncan playing a late 19th Century businessman in the Big South Fork area. Reservations closed Sunday.
June 20 – BSF Chapter Hike with State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath on the Obed section of the Cumberland Trail. Meet at the Harrow Road Café at 9:30 a.m. Eastern or meet Randy and the Rugby group at the trail head at 11:00 Eastern, 10:00 Central time.
June 20 - “The Bear Facts: How to keep yourself safe and the bears out of trouble.” 7:00 p.m. Eastern at the Bandy Creek Campground fire Circle. Park Ranger Sherry Fritschi will share tips for park visitors and area homeowners on how to minimize or avoid potential bear problems.
June 21 – Historic Rugby’s Annual Membership Meeting at 2:00 p.m. Eastern in the Rugby Community Building. Includes updates on Historic Rugby activities/operations, board elections and refreshments. Current member of Historic Rugby can vote in the Board elections. Non-members who are interested are also welcome to attend (and hopefully join).
July 4 - 11th Annual Fourth of July Picnic from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Lizzie's Place (John and Kathy Hicks’ home in Beacon Hill). This will take the place of the monthly potluck. All in the Rugby community (and family) are welcome. Bring a dish to share. John and Kathy will provide barbecue, buns, drinks. Pray for dry weather.
July 11 – An Evening of Traditional Country with Logan Murrell at Historic Rugby’s Johnson Theatre at 7:45 p.m. Eastern. Logan is a 12-year-old musical prodigy from Knoxville who began singing when she was only 23 months old. $10
August 8 – Book Club at 7:00 p.m. at Debbie Harris' house. The book will be The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Please let Debbie Harris know if your interested at harrisdl1@hotmail.com
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 http://www.historicrugby.org/ )
June 20 – Hand Spinning on the Treadle Wheel – Instructor Sue Duncan. Learn or advance spinning skills on the traditional treadle wheel. Several wheels will be available for students to use.
June 27 – Container Gardening for Shade – Instructor Bob Washburn. Emphasis will be on plants that are deer resistant. Instructor will have plants available for purchase.
July 11-12 - Creating With Clay - Instructor June Watts Two-day pottery workshop will focus on hand building and sculpting in clay and is perfect for beginners or those with limited experience.
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 participants.
Nature Notes
By Linda Konig
I think Jodye Weiler's front pond is the best pond around Rugby for frogs in mid-summer. I've recently counted seven different kinds of frogs there. Of course, there are the Peepers, some individuals still hanging in there from spring. There are Green frogs, those loose-banjo-string plunkers. Cope's Gray Treefrogs are the loudest, being the most plentiful, and their usual call is hard to describe. I'd say they were the least musical frog around, having a loud harsh sound, usually in the trees, with an occasional "bark" like a young beagle.The other four frogs that can be heard there are toads - American Toad, Eastern Narrowmouth Toad, Fowler's Toad, and Eastern Spadefoot Toad. Just this past week, I was thrilled to be able to positively identify the latter three, all singing at once. What a chorus!
The Eastern Narrowmouths have the highest pitch and can hold their notes the longest, sounding like lambs bleating. I'd heard them in other summers, but it wasn't until Friday night that, thanks to the CD that Bob English gave me a few weeks ago, I was able to distinguish the calls of Fowler's Toads and the Eastern Spadefoot Toads more or less blended in with the Eastern Narrowmouth chorus. (Ron Jackson would have loved it!) Fowler's Toad calls are shorter and have a lower pitch than the Narrowmouths'. Other than that, they're quite similar. Eastern Spadefoots' calls are low in pitch and the least musical of the three. American Toads have essentially finished their mating by this time, but they could be heard just about anywhere in Rugby during April and May.
It's too bad that that wonderful little pond near the highway at Jodye's is gradually being filled with cattails. However, the Redwinged Blackbirds love it.
This Week’s Editors - Rick Murphy and George Zepp
This Week’s Editors - Rick Murphy and George Zepp
