Rare Mussel Find Also Announced
The Nature Conservancy celebrated its newest nature preserve on Saturday. The land is located next to the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park, not far from Wartburg. The 66-acre tract was recently acquired through a donation from Dr. Fred and Helen Stone who attended the opening. The area is know as a popular site for “bouldering” a type of rock climbing, due to the many interesting sandstone boulders and bluffs. Some interesting cracks between rocks also create narrow passageways.
Officials with the Nature Conservancy also talked about an encouraging find on land protected in 2007 in the Cumberland Mountains. As had been announced in a Nature Conservancy newsletter recently and in a Knoxville newspaper, “a thriving population of the extremely rare mussel species known as the purple bean was discovered in the Emory River.” This is significant as mussels are sensitive to water pollution, so the find indicates that the quality of the river’s water is very good.
See www.nature.org/tennessee for more information.
History Trip to WW II Museum Planned
June 18 – Huntville’s WW II Museum
By Linda Konig
Rugby's History Night for June will not be at night, nor will it be on our usual second Friday of the month. Instead it will be a field trip on Saturday, June 18th, when we'll be going to the World War II Remembrance Museum at Huntsville, TN. This fascinating museum is mostly photographs and artifacts from the USS Tennessee which was active during WWII, having been through Pearl Harbor and many engagements. When the ship was dismantled, its bell was given to Sen. Howard Baker who has given it to the museum. Also on the same site across from Scott Co. High School, are many museum buildings built by the students. Included are a typical wooden schoolhouse, barns, a church, etc. with displays inside. More details in next week's Rugby Week!
Volunteers Prepare Pioneer Cottage
Steve Logan, Jim Meadows and John Gilliat worked hard last week getting Pioneer Cottage prepared for staining. Photos by Rick Murphy
Pioneer Cottage is believed to be the first frame house built in
Photo Spotlight - Harrow Road Cafe
Top left shows Nora Meadows with her grandchild at the Cafe Friday night. Top right shows Butch and Doug - one of the musical favorites at the Cafe - Teresa Coker does a great job of arranging music for the weekends. Bottom left shows one of the beautiful flower arrangements done by Jessica Erickson. Bottom right shows two of the friendly faces that will great you at the Cafe - Jessica and Missy.
Mara Trumbo Returns from Artistic Travels
Rugby Artist Teaches in Mediterranean
By Mara Trumbo
Just returned from her native Italy, from whence her father emigrated 50 years ago to seek a better future in Africa, is Mara Trumbo, whose opportunities in teaching American painting techniques have taken her well beyond our borders. Her two-month artistic tournee extended over 10 regions of Italy culminating with a cruise from Venice to Croatia, Turkey and Greece with Decorative Painters queen of roses Priscilla Hauser as co-instructor.
Italy was picture-perfect, the weather great and the calm Adriatic sea a real vision to behold. Certainly a lot of inspiration for future paintings! Despite the great time she had, Mara is happy to be back to her darling husband Bob (thanks to all who invited him for dinner during her long absence), her roomy house and her Tempurpaedic bed! New art classes are on the drawing board. If interested please contact Mara at (423) 628-6591.
Commissary Porch Series for June
See Artists at Work – Saturdays, Noon to 5 p.m. EDT
By Rita Myers
The Commissary will have the following local talent demonstrating their arts on the front porch this month.
Sat. June 11 - Mara Trumbo, local artist from Rugby, demonstrating oil painting
Sat. June18 - Chris Threet, local artist from Grimsley, demonstrating pencil drawing
Sat. June 25 - Mary Curren, local artisan from Jamestown, demonstrating spinning
Lawrence Eagleburger
Many of you may have read that former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger died recently. He was one of the many distinguished people whom Senator Howard Baker has brought to visit Rugby over the years. Here is a link to Mr. Eagleburger’s obituary.
BIRTHDAYS
June 7 - Sheila Stringfield and Pat Toney
June 9 - Jodye Weiler
CALENDAR
Photo shows Bobby Fulcher perform old time Cumberland music at the Visitor Centre on Sunday to help celebrate the new book about the Cumberland
Photo by George Zepp
Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barelyFriday June 17 and Saturday June 18 - Potluck Cast Iron Cooking with Rugby favorite Larry Edmondson - 4 p.m. EDT each day. Participants can sign up for either date. Learn to use and care for cast iron Dutch ovens. Enjoy a complete meal prepared during the class. The workshops will be conducted at Grand Vista Hotel, 11597 Scott Highway, Helenwood, Tenn. Fee is $25 per person including meal. Pre-registration required. Specify which day you prefer. Email to potluckcooking@hotmail.com or call 931-432-4640.
Saturday, June 18 – History Field Trip to WW II Remembrance Museum in Huntsville, TN
Sunday, June 26 – Historic Rugby Annual Membership Meeting – 1:30 p.m. at the Community Building
Saturday, July 2 – Hicks’ Annual Independence Day Picnic
Saturday, July 16 – Book Club. 7 p.m. at the Friendly House. We will discuss Hadley Hury’s book of short stories, “It’s Not the Heat.” This is a special chance to ask the author questions and get your book signed. The meeting will be held at the Friendly House at 7 p.m. Readers are also welcome to read Hadley’s novel, set on the Gulf Coast – “The Edge of the Gulf: A Novel of Suspense.”
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. at the Friendly House
NATURE NOTES
POSSUM VINE
By Linda Konig
One of the most interesting plants I've seen and learned about since moving to Rugby has been the Lygodium palmatum, sometimes called the American Climbing Fern, Hartford Fern, Windsor Fern or other names, but the most colorful name-- the name it's known by around here--is Possum Vine. It sure does look like a vine, but actually it's classified as a kind of fern! I doubt that a possum could climb it because the stem is weak. It's called possum because the so-called leaves look like little green hands, and someone 'way back thought they looked like possum hands.
This unusual plant can be found in other eastern states, but it's rare everywhere except on the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee. If you haven't seen any possum vine, you can see lots of it if you drive or (better yet) walk around Beacon Hill here in Rugby. You won't find it in the well-manicured lawns of the houses there. Look at the wooded areas, especially near low damp places. It thrives in moist, poorly-drained sandy acidic soil and doesn't like too much shade, so it's often found at the edges of woods or in open thickets. There are some really good photos of this fern at www.ct-botanical-society.org/ferns/lygodiumpalm.html.
I've read that folks used to use possum vine in Christmas decorations. The other fern they used at Christmas is the Christmas fern, and we have plenty of that. The Christmas fern stays green all winter and looks like a typical fern.
Since Possum Vine is uncommon in most areas of Tennessee, I'm sure Patricia Cox, who will lead us on our Fern Walk on July 9, will point it out as well as many other ferns here. It will be interesting to see just how many kinds of ferns we find that day. I can only recognize about four kinds under ideal conditions, but that's the reason I'm taking the class—to learn to recognize more of them.
Historic Rugby’s Workshops
Saturday, 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.
Saturday, June 25 - Applique Basics for Quilters ~ 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Instructor: Joyce Lantz. Fee $45. Learn the various methods of this time honored form of quilting craft and create a block that can be a pillow top, wall hanging or centerpiece of a quilt. Choose from several patterns and designs available to appeal to your own style. Both machine and handwork will be incorporated.
Saturday, July 2 - Wet on Wet Oil Painting “Rugby Christmas in July~ 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Instructor: Mara Trumbo. Fee $60. For beginners to advanced, create an oil painting of Christ Church in Historic Rugby, learning design, wet-on-wet technique, color mixing, and composition.
Saturday, July 9 - Ferns of the Cumberland Plateau ~ 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Instructor: Dr. Patricia Cox. Fee $18. An overview of fern morphology and ferns of the Cumberland Plateau will be presented followed by a hike to put your newfound information to the test and to see how many species of native ferns we can find along the way.
Saturday July 16 - Kudzu Basketry ~ 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Instructor: Fuzzy Orange. Fee $35. Learn to create a simple or complex basket woven with kudzu. Once student learn to weave a kudzu basket, they will have the skills to weave any vine basket.
Saturday August 27 - Vegetable and Flower Gardening For The Fall ~ 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Instructor: Bob Washburn. Fee $15. Planting a fall garden provides an opportunity to garden with fresh vegetables and flowers throughout the fall and early winter. The cool season enhances the flavor of vegetables. You will also learn the varieties and proper times to plant for the best fall garden ever. Bob will have a delightful selection of vegetables and flowering plants from his 52-greenhouse nurseries available for sale.
Saturday, August 27 - It’s All Done With Mirrors – “The Kaleidoscope” ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor: Sara Senft. Fee $65. The world of kaleidoscopes will be explored. This includes various mirror configurations, how object boxes are constructed, etc. Each student will complete a kaleidoscope to take home.
Saturday, September 10 - English Country Dancing For Beginners ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (with a two-hour break) Instructor: Mary Hemminger. Fee $25. Come learn simple historic dances that were written and compiled in England in the 1600s and 1700s, the earliest being published in 1651. The dancing will be to recorded music. Individuals will use walking steps for most dances, as well as some slipping and skipping steps during the course of the day.
Saturday, September 17 - Victorian Decorations ~ 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Instructors: Beth Hester, JoNell Hester and Joyce Lantz. Fee $25. Using fabric, lace, paper, ribbon and reed, create charming Victorian ornaments. At the end of the day, take home 6-8 ornaments plus many ideas and patterns.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23, 24, and 25 - White Oak Basketry ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor: Bobby Edwards. Fee $130. This very popular 3-day workshop teaches the art of White Oak basketry from tree selection, splits, rims and handles to weaving a beautiful traditional basket. This is an experience not to be missed even if it does require “hand strength.”
Saturday, October 15 - Autumn Gathering and Arranging ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor: Linda Konig. Fee $24. Join us in the fields and roadsides to gather dried wildflowers, seed heads, berries and nuts to create your own fall arrangement. Learn the names of and interesting information about all your “autumn gatherings”.
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
