Mother Nature was not kind to Rugby’s Spring Festival over the weekend. The skies were threatening all of Saturday morning and turned into a heavy but brief rain storm just before noon. That rain set the soggy tone for the mainly outdoor event, although the sun did come out for a while on Saturday afternoon and activities were not really impeded.
Sunday started off with drizzle and cool temperatures that turned into an off-and-on drizzle most of the day. Temperatures never got above the mid-fifties.
But in spite of the weather, the spirit of the event was evident throughout. Musicians were seen playing at their scheduled events and then were seen picking and jamming together on various porches and other locations. Children were given cart rides behind a 34-inch miniature horse. Crafts people and demonstrators all braved the weather to share their skills and art. We’re grateful to all of them!
By Linda Konig
Come to our History Night this Friday, May 20, to find out Emily Hughes’ fate. We'll be meeting in the parlor of Uffington House, once her house, at 7:30 p.m. No, we won't be using a Ouija board.
Fortunately we have some letters written by Emily at different periods of her life after she left Rugby. Different people will read excerpts from some of these. I have to agree with Professor John DeBruyn who spent a great deal of time researching the Hughes family. Emily was plucky, all right.
Photo shows actors portraying Madame Hughes on the left and Emily Hughes on the right from last year's play about the two.
EHOW Rugby
Have you ever seen the instructional “ehow” articles answering your questions on things like how to clean out a gutter or how to fix a bike tire? Well, did you know there is actually one on how to visit Rugby, Tennessee? It is not totally accurate or current, but it is interesting that it was done. Just click on this link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2282430_tour-rugby-tennessee.html
Gardening Workshop Saturday
This year’s Historic Rugby gardening workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. "Small Space Vegetable Growing in a Raised Bed." Bob Washburn of nearby Pall Mall greenhouse fame (Wolf River Valley Growers) will be the guest expert. He'll show how to get the most out of the limited spaces for growing that many of us face today. ($15) To register for the workshop, call Historic Rugby toll-free 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441.
BIRTHDAYS
May 17 - Julian Bankston, Mary Gilliat and Becky Hull
May 20 - Charlie Erickson and Vince Neary
May 23 - Tyler Myers and Louise Brewster
CALENDAR
Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely
Saturday, May 21 – Book Club – 7 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 on Hwy. 52. Please let Rick Murphy know if you are coming or if you have any questions - 423-319-7842 or rickmurphy1@aol.com.
Saturday, June 4 – Community Potluck – 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 5, Cumberland Odyssey Celebration and Book Signing - 3 p.m. Rugby’s Johnson Theatre. 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. Free.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. at the Friendly House
NATURE NOTES
Starry, Starry Days in Rugby
By Linda Konig
Of course, the nights are starry, but did you know that lately we also have starry days in Rugby? Some of our stars are white and some are yellow. The funny thing is, they're all coming out of the ground! People have been asking me about certain little white flowers that have popped up in some Rugby yards. Usually they're talking about Star-of-Bethlehem, a little starry beauty that only peeps out on sunny days. It was originally brought over from Europe but now has become naturalized and is likely to pop up just about anywhere. Some years seem to be better for them, and 2011 seems to be a banner year.
We're still seeing Star Chickweed and other Chickweeds everywhere. Their Latin names begin with Stellaria, meaning star. You often see them in such profusion in a yard (before it's mowed) that the yard looks like a green Milky Way.
White Stargrass (Colicroot) can be found in May, too, though it isn't anything as common as some of our other stars. You can see plenty of photos of them and read more about them at www.altnature.com/gallery/aletris.htm . Yellow Star Grass is more common in our yards -- little yellow flowers with six petals and grass-like leaves and stalks.
We tend to think of asters as just being fall flowers, but there are lots of aster family members to be found right now. Aster also means star. Certainly Daisies, Robin's Plantain, Common and Philadelphia Fleabane – all members of this prolific family –aremind us of stars. They're all white and have ray petals. Some yellow rayed members of the aster family that are abundant now are Two-Flowered Cynthia, Butterweed, Potato Dandelion, Balsam Ragwort, Rattlesnake Weed, etc.
In all, it looks like we'll have plenty of wildflowers to star in our upcoming wildflower walk on Saturday, May 28. Of course, they won't all be stars. Many will be supporting cast members, as it were. Why not join us for some stargazing with Jack Carman, author of Wildflowers of Tennessee? The cost is $25 which includes a picnic lunch. Our non-strenuous adventures will begin at 10 a.m. at the Community Center in Rugby and be completed about 4 p.m. For reservations, call Historic Rugby's office toll-free at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. That way we'll know how many lunches to fix.
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
