Photos by George Zepp
High Water
After recent rains the rivers around Rugby are very high. Rugby Week's hiking correspondent Carrie Thornthwaite provided these impressive photos of high water on the Clear Fork.
Mobile Vet Service Available
By Jodye Weiler
There is now a mobile veterinary service out of Jamestown that will come to your home - Jamestown Regional Veterinary Services operated by Kevin Chermak, D.V.M. I had occasion to call on him last month. He was very thorough in examining one of my dogs and I felt the charge was not excessive. He even called me a few days later to ask how the dog was doing.
His services include annual vaccinations, primary care, after hours/emergencies, referral services, and client education and support. You can reach him at 931-704-3454 or 931-7524838. The email is petvet@twlakes.net
Volunteers Needed
By George Zepp
Since Morgan County's "Great American Clean Up" litter eradication project is set for May 14, the day of Rugby's Spring Festival, I am arranging our own for May 4, a Wednesday. If the weather permits, we'll start at the White Oak Bridge on the east end of town and work our way up... as far as we can get in a couple of hours. We'll start at 10 a.m. as it stands now. More details next week.
By doing this on a Wednesday, we may be able to get a little assistance from the county. I spoke with Molly J. Cerra who is coordinating the May 14 event. She says she should be able to provide bags for collection, warning signs for motorists, and even a truck to haul away what we collect. She can't confirm that date until later this week, but let's go with it anyway. Several of us have trucks and we already have our own signs. We'll make it work one way or the other!
Hope to see many of you there. Bring some gloves, please. We'll get the highway in better shape for our Spring Festival visitors.
Mother’s Day Lunch
Grey Gables Bed ‘n Breakfast Inn Mother’s Day Lunch - Sunday May 8, 2011 Seating 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern Time. $12.50 per person plus tax and gratuity -$6.25 children under 12, plus tax and gratuity - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Call Linda Brooks Jones 423-628-5252
Dwarf Crested Iris at Commissary
The Commissary has some white dwarf crested iris for sale. After a couple of years they spread into a beautiful low mound. Here are some blooming at Walton Court:
Calling All Bluegrass Bands and Solo Artists
On Saturday, May 14, 2011 Historic Rugby will host the first Pickin’ At Rugby Bluegrass Competition. Both bands and solo artist playing bluegrass, old-time music or newgrass are invited to compete for cash prizes. Banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle and bass are acceptable. No electric instruments will be permitted.
Pickin’ At Rugby will be a part of Historic Rugby’s 37th Annual Festival of British and Appalachian Culture, set for Saturday, May 14 and Sunday May 15.
Crafters and artisans from throughout the state will be demonstrating their talents in chair making, broom making, quilting, basketry, pottery, spinning, weaving, woodcarving, blacksmithing, lye soap and honey production and much more. Other crafters and vendors will have their wares for sale both Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EASTERN TIME in booths set up around Rugby's historic grounds.
Other festival activities will include more British Isles and Appalachian music, dancing and historic building tours. A variety of British and Appalachian foods will be available at the Harrow Road Cafe and throughout the festival grounds.
For Pickin’ At Rugby applications and further information, call 1-888-214-3400, email rugbylegacy@highland.net or visit http://www.historicrugby.org/.
Upcoming Book Events
Book Club
The next Book Club selection is “Red on Red” written by a former New York City police detective, Edward Conlon. http://www.amazon.com/Red-Novel-Edward-Conlon/dp/0385519176
The meeting to discuss the book is Saturday, May 21 at Walton Court. Please let Rick Murphy know if you are coming or if you have any questions - 423-319-7842 or rickmurphy1@aol.com.
Book Signing
Sunday afternoon, June 5, 3 p.m. Eastern time. Cumberland Odyssey, Celebration and Book Signing in Johnson Auditorium. Mark your calendar now and plan to join author David Brill and photographer Bill Campbell for a personal journey through their coffee table book on the Cumberland Plateau. Bobby Fulcher will perform some of the old-time Plateau music described in the text. Proceeds from book sales support completion of the Cumberland Trail.
Quilt Photos Wanted
By JoNell Hester
Those of you who took pictures of the quilt exhibit, thank you. Will you email, or put them on a disk or make me prints of what you have? Please send to: jonell@deeceelabs.com
BIRTHDAYS
No birthdays reported, but April 22 is Earth Day!
CALENDAR
Photo from last Friday's History Night Dinner shows speaker William Beaty talking about Rugby's early grist mill, Buck's Mill.
Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely
Saturday, April 30 – Historic Rugby Board Meeting 1:00 p.m. at the Community Building
Saturday, April 30 - English Country Dancing 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 4 - Litter Pickup – Volunteers meet at 10 a.m. at White Oak Bridge. Bring gloves.
Saturday, May 7 – Community Potluck 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 8 – Mother’s Day Lunch at Grey Gables. Seatings 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. $12.50 per person plus tax and gratuity -$6.25 children under 12, plus tax and gratuity - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Call Linda Brooks Jones, 423-628-5252
Saturday, May 14 and 15 – Historic Rugby’s 37th Annual Festival of British and Appalachian Culture. Crafters and artisans demonstrating chair making, broom making, quilting, basketry, pottery, spinning, weaving, woodcarving, blacksmithing, lye soap and honey production and much more. Other crafters and vendors will have their wares for sale both Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in booths set up around Rugby's historic grounds. Also British Isles and Appalachian music, dancing, and historic building tours. A variety of British and Appalachian foods will be available at the Harrow Road Cafe and throughout the festival grounds. New this year is the first Pickin’ at Rugby competition on Saturday. For further information call 1-888-214-3400 or email rugbylegacy@highland.net or visit http://www.historicrugby.org/.
Saturday, May 14 – Rabies Vacination Clinic at Brooks Store 2:30 p.m. Price is $10 for a one year rabies vaccination. For qualifying animals, a three-year vaccination will be offered for $14, so bring proof of previous vaccinations.
Saturday, May 21 – Book Club - 7:00 p.m. We’ll discuss “Red on Red” a mystery written by a former New York City police detective, Edward Conlon. http://www.amazon.com/Red-Novel-Edward-Conlon/dp/0385519176. Meeting is at Walton Court. Please let Rick Murphy know if you are coming or if you have any questions - 423-319-7842 or rickmurphy1@aol.com.
Sunday, June 5, 3 p.m. Eastern time. Cumberland Odyssey Celebration and Book Signing in Johnson Auditorium. Join author David Brill and photographer Bill Campbell for a personal journey through their coffee table book on the Cumberland Plateau. Bobby Fulcher will perform some of the old-time Plateau music described in the text. Proceeds from book sales support completion of the Cumberland Trail.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. at the Friendly House
Cannibals in Rugby!
By Linda Konig
Did you know we've got wild zebras right now in Rugby? Not the four-legged kind. I'm talking about our official Tennessee state butterfly, the Zebra Swallowtail. Another name for it is Pawpaw Butterfly because Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars eat nothing but pawpaw leaves. Zebra Swallowtail females lay their eggs on pawpaw trees, and so these exquisite butterflies are never found in areas where pawpaws don't grow. In other words, don't look for them in downtown cities and suburbs. There is a chemical in the pawpaw leaves that the caterpillars retain within their bodies, not only during the caterpillar phase of their lives, but on through pupation and adulthood. This beneficial chemical helps make them distasteful to birds. Also, the caterpillar smells bad because of the chemical. The smell is especially effective against spiders and ants.
Although we tend to think of butterflies as being gentle delicate creatures, Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars are cannibalistic. I guess you could change the statement in the above paragraph to read, Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars eat nothing but pawpaw leaves and each other. Because of this tendency, the females lay their eggs separately instead of in clusters so that each caterpillar will have a better chance of living to adulthood.
When the caterpillars are full-size and ready to pupate, they become pupae on the underside of pawpaw leaves. Like other kinds of Swallowtails, they spin a silken thread that serves as a sort of telephone lineman's belt from which their pupal case hangs. I don't know about the rest of you, but I plan to start looking under pawpaw leaves this summer to find these pupae -- not to take them home' but just for the fun of seeing them hanging there. Fortunately, Rugby has plenty of pawpaw trees. There are a lot of pawpaws between Walton Court and the Hughes Library and near the old schoolhouse and Ivy Cottage.
We'll probably have about three generations of zebras this year. Look for the adult butterflies on Field Mustard, Wood Vetch, Indian Hemp, Phlox, Common Cinquefoil (appearing now in our yards), wild roses and blackberry vines, among many other kinds of flowers. You may be lucky enough to see a crowd of male Zebra Swallowtails puddling together on a damp spot of ground as I did the other day. The males need salts, amino acids, and perhaps other chemicals to be found in mud, urine, and rotting fruit. If you get very close, they'll fly away, but stand still a couple of minutes and they'll return to their puddle. A great photo opportunity!
Historic Rugby’s Spring Workshops
May 21 - Small Space Vegetable Growing in a Raised Bed 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Instructor: Bob Washburn Fee $15.
May 28 - Spring Wildflower Walk and Picnic Lunch ~ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - attendees can take part in one of the most diverse wildflower walks in Tennessee, led by instructor Jack Carman. His 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, including a plant list of expected sightings. The day will finish with a film presentation and book signing in the late afternoon.
June 11 - Imagery In Writing Workshop - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This workshop will focus on voice and imagery. Struggling to find a voice in writing? The student will produce writing a reader will listen to and read. Included are exploring subject matter, diction, point of view, syntax, grammar, and imagery to allow the voice of an author to be distinguished from that of others. Come prepared to write and bring along some work you have already begun. The instructor is K.B. Ballentine. She has attended writing academies in both America and Britain and has published in Alehouse, Bent Pin, Front Range, River Poets Journal, Touchstone and others. The fee is $28.
To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and local cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.
Historic Rugby’s website at http://www.historicrugby.org/ lists all workshops for the year.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
