Clarke monthly January 2019 by Clarke County Observer

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CLARKEVA.COM Now Is The Time To Eliminate Bagworms

By Claire Stuart

ON THE COVER A snowy fence line in Clarke County.

Residents Get Easier Access For Trash Disposal

As the Crow Flies

Around Clarke County

Less Stress in the New Year

Kelsey Cakes Boutique

7th Annual ACFF Best of Fest

JANUARY 2 01 9

Clarke

FROM THE EDITOR

STAFF

Mending Wall

David Lillard, Editor/Publisher Jennifer Welliver, Associate Publisher Aundrea Humphreys, Art Director Hali Taylor, Proofreader

CONTRIBUTORS Rebecca Maynard Keith Patterson Doug Pifer JiJi Russell Claire Stuart

COVER IMAGE Courtesy of The Downstream Project

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Jennifer Welliver, 540-398-1450 Rebecca Maynard, 540-550-4669

Advertising Information: 540-398-1450 (Mon-Fri, 9-5)

By Robert Frost, 1874–1963

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not one stone on a stone, But they would have the rabbit out of hiding, To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean, No one has seen them made or heard them made, But at spring mending-time we find them there. I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. To each the boulders that have fallen to each. And some are loaves and some so nearly balls We have to use a spell to make them balance: ‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’ We wear our fingers rough with handling them. Oh, just another kind of outdoor game, One on a side. It comes to little more: There where it is we do not need the wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’ Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder If I could put a notion in his head: ‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it Where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I’d ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offense. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him, But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather He said it for himself. I see him there Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed. He moves in darkness as it seems to me, Not of woods only and the shade of trees. He will not go behind his father’s saying, And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

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Clarke prints signed letters-to-the-editor of uniquely local interest. Letters containing personal attacks or polarizing language will not be published. Letters may be edited. Send letters to the editor of 300 or fewer words to: editor@clarkeva.com.

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Clarke residents in the northeastern part of the county who have been carrying their household trash 25 miles or more to dispose of it at Frederick County facilities are excited about a new Clarke County facility that is much closer to home. The Clarke County Convenience Center at 90 Quarry Road (Rt. 612), about four miles from the Loudoun County line, opened to the public on Saturday, January 12. The convenience center is for Clarke County residents only. Initially, convenience center hours are 7am to 6pm on Saturdays, and 10am to 3pm on Sundays. If demand is great enough, the county will revise the schedule, opening the facility on one or two weekdays. The convenience center accepts bagged only household trash, and its recycling containers accept paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic (#1 and #2). It will not recycle plastics #3 through #7, and it will not accept glass, because glass is no longer in demand as a recyclable material. A county-owned and operated convenience center for

household trash has been a priority for the Board of Supervisors since 1999, but finding a suitable location proved challenging. In 2015, Stuart M. Perry Quarry Inc., generously offered two acres in the northeast corner of its 149-acre property that fronts Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) and Quarry Road. Clarke Supervisors accepted, and added the project to the capital budget in 2015, setting aside funds toward the project every year. “The Board is pleased to open this facility. We know it’s been a high priority for our constituents for many years, and we’re glad it’s come to fruition,” said Chairman David Weiss, who represents the Buckmarsh District. “The county is fortunate to have Stuart M. Perry Quarry Inc. as a neighbor and partner. The company provided an ideal piece of land, and saved the county a significant amount of money.” An attendant will be on-site whenever the convenience center is open to assist residents and maintain the site. Winchester Amish Connection manufactured the attendant’s booth building.

Originally set to open in fall 2018, record-breaking rainfall throughout the summer and fall greatly delayed construction. Even its mid-May groundbreaking was delayed by sevenstraight days of rain. Construction began on May 21, 2018. Only Berryville and Boyce residents have regular trash service. Other Clarke County residents pay for private trash pickup, or they use Frederick County convenience centers located at Double Tollgate (4201 Stonewall Jackson Hwy.), Stephenson (235 Hot Run Dr.), and Greenwood (801 Greenwood Rd., Winchester). Residents in southern Clarke County use the Warren County convenience center at Shenandoah Farms (47 Blue Mountain Rd., Front Royal). Clarke residents also use the Frederick County Regional Landfill at 280 Landfill Rd. in Winchester. Now, Clarke residents — particularly those in the Buckmarsh and Millwood districts of the county — can dispose of their trash without taking it for long car rides. —Cathy Kuehner

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JANUARY 2 01 9

As the Crow Flies

Miraculous Starling Murmurations Article and illustration by Doug Pifer

An enormous flock of starlings hung around our neighborhood two weeks before Christmas in 2017. One morning I decided to record a video from our bedroom widow of the flock assembling by the hundreds in our back paddock and yard. Masses of starlings performed in unison as the flock seemed to summersault along. Wave after wave of birds landed momentarily as those behind them flew over their heads and landed in front of them. Then, as if on command, the entire flock took off and flew past the window. The curving stream of birds swirled gracefully away in a continuous mass. The roar of their wings reached my ears where I stood inside the closed-up house. The flock darkened as it bunched, turned, and then lightened as the birds spread out and changed direction. It resembled a single organism convulsing and moving across the sky. Originally coined as a collective noun meaning a bunch of starlings, “murmuration” now refers to a flock of hundreds, even thousands, of birds moving through the sky in a series of highly coordinated patterns. Other birds, including shorebirds and even common street pigeons, murmurate. A quick search online reveals many dramatic starling murmurations. One article, posted by Barbara J. King on NPR in January, 2017, features a short but magnificent clip of a gyrating flock of starlings at Cosmeston Lakes in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. How the birds do this has been studied intensively by physicists. Over the past fifteen years it’s been pretty well determined that the synchronized movements of a murmu-

(540) 450-8110 CLARKEVA.COM rating, pulsating flock of birds is based on the speed, direction, and spatial orientation of just six or seven individuals flying adjacently. These individuals convey this information, which moves through the entire flock almost instantly. Various computer models and studies have managed to determine how birds murmurate and apply it to everything from film animation, traffic movements, and how quickly our own brains operate in relation to others Much more is known about the “how” than the “why” of murmurations. Many naturalists have observed flocks of starlings murmurate when a predator such as a hawk or falcon attacks. I’ve seen a flock of starlings bunch together and zigzag when chased by a cooper’s hawk. Bunching tightly

and then twisting and turning in unison makes it hard for the aerial attacker to pick an individual target, and the attacker gives up. Other reported instances where murmurating flocks seem to attract predators complicates the predator avoidance theory. It’s recently been postulated that the passenger pigeon, which once roamed the Unites States in enormous, gyrating flocks, has become extinct because they needed the presence of very high numbers of their own kind in order to murmurate and survive. Could murmuration be essential to the survival of starlings? Consider this if you see a murmuration of starlings! Illustration used courtesy of Pennsylvania State Game Commission.

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Around Clarke County Promote your event in Clarke. Send notices by the 1st of the preceding month to jennifer@clarkeva.com. Keep event descriptions to 125 words, following the format of these pages. One or two CMYK photos, saved as tiff or jpg at 200 dpi, are always welcome.

January

The Music Industry in the 21st Century

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Sean Murphy, Founding Director of the Virginia Center for Literary Arts (VCLA) will moderate a panel, “The Music Industry in the 21st Century.” 8pm. Free; $5 suggested donation. 540-955-2004. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

Practical Tai Chi Series

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. For those who want the health benefits of Tai Chi without having to spend months learning one of the classic forms. $10 with registration ahead, $15 at the door. Also January 26 and

February 2, 9 and 16. To register, email taichiavk@gmail.com. www.sanctuaryberryville.com. 10:30–11:30am. 540-931-6507.

Film: “Filmworker”

Souper Simple Cooking Demo

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. British actor Leon Vitali gave up a promising career to sign on as assistant to the late, legendary director Stanley Kubrick. The film is a hybrid biopic of both Kubrick and Vitali. Members $5, nonmembers $8. 4pm. 540955-2004. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

Four Forces Wellness, Inc. 424 Madden St. Berryville. Nutritionist Christine Kestner shows how to make healthy, whole food plant based soups in her home kitchen. Par-

Resilient Meditation Workshop Series will begin January 21 at Sanctuary Wellness Center. ticipants take home samples and recipes. 2–4pm. Email Christine@4ForcesWellness.com. Prepay at www.4forceswellness. com/scheduling-payment-andforms. 571-277-0877.

Resilient Meditation Workshop Series

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Spiritual Pastor Sunday

Coté will lead a 90 minute meditation/discussion the third Monday of each month, based on Rick Hansen’s book, “Resilience.” Join our meditation community in expanding our

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JANUARY 2 01 9 mindfulness practice and peace building mission. 7–8:30pm. To register, call 540-2270564 or email info@ sanctuaryberryville.com. www.sanctuaryberryville.com.

Soul-Full Community Meal

Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church. 210 E. Main St. Berryville. 13 local churches get together to provide a meal open to all in the community the fourth Thursday of each month. Free. 5:15–6:30pm. 540-955-1264.

Longevity and Healthy Weight Management Talk

Long Branch Historic House and Farm. 830 Long Branch Lane. Boyce. Geo Giordano of the Sanctuary Wellness Center explains how healthy weight management can impact longevity. Healthy snacks included. $10. 4–6pm. 540-837-1856.

Chili Cook-off

Clarke County High School. 627 Mosby Blvd. Berryville. The CCHS Jazz Band and Steel Drum Ensemble will perform and proceeds benefit Clarke County Band programs. Register by January 18 to enter. $10 per entry. 6–8pm. ccba_prez@yahoo.com.

The Music of Simon and Garfunkel

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Swearingen and Kelli recreate the music, memories and magic of the most famous folk rock duo of our time. 8pm. $20 in advance, $25 at door, children 12 and younger free. www.barnsofrosehill.org. 540-955-2004.

February

Classical Guitar Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Acclaimed guitarist Charles Mokotoff performs. 8pm. $15 in advance, $20 at door, children 12 and younger free. www.barnsofrosehill.org. 540-955-2004.

Embracing Change as You Age Group

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Patty Maples, Transition Coach, will lead a small group of like-minded women to better understand and navigate through major life changes. 2–4pm. $15. To register, visit www.pattymaples. com, call 540-227-0564 or email info@sanctuaryberryville.com.

Trivia Night

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. CCHA and the Clarke County Library team up once again to bring live team trivia. Categories include History, Movies, Literature, Science and more. Prizes are donated by local area businesses. Barn doors open at 6:30 p.m., trivia begins at 7pm. Free. 540-955-2004. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

Juliana MacDowell Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Singer-songwriter whose velvety vocals and vibrant take on the Americana genre beckon audiences with endearing ease.8pm. $15 in advance, $20 at door, children 12 and younger free. www.barnsofrosehill.org. 540-955-2004.

Sunday Wellness Series: Aphrodisiacs and Chocolate The Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St.

Berryville. Geo Giordano will lead a Valentine’s Day event featuring information about timetested aphrodisiacs and the benefits of chocolate. Sample aphrodisiac truffles, available for sale. 2pm. 410-707-4486. www.sanctuaryberryville.com.

CCEF Cornhole Tournament

291 Grand View Lane. Berryville. Annual event will raise funds for Clarke County Educational Foundation. Teams must pre-register and the rules will be reviewed at the beginning of the tournament. $50 per person or $100 for teams of two. Check in at 1pm. Email ccefinc. berryville@gmail.com for additional information and registration form, or call 540-9556103. www.ccefinc.org/events.

Ongoing Janly Jaggard Art Show

Historic Long Branch. 830 Long Branch Lane. Boyce. Now through February 22, view work by English artist who produces intriguing and originally organic abstract paintings. Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm, other times by appointment. 540-837-1856.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Tuesdays, 8:15–9:15pm. Grace Episcopal Church. N. Church St. Berryville. AAVirginia.org. 540-955-1610.

FISH Clothing Bank and Food Pantry

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9am–12pm. 36 E. Main Street. Berryville. 540-955-1823.

Bingo

Boyce Fire Hall. 7 S. Greenway Ave. Thursdays at 7pm, Sundays at 1:30pm. Proceeds benefit the volunteer fire department. 540-837-2317.

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Over the last ten years, I’ve worked with a colorful variety of people in the realm of wellness — many ages and backgrounds. If I had to choose just one concern that most, if not all, confront, it’s stress. My purely observational, unscientific opinion on stress and health is that if we can become better at managing stress, and in some cases avoiding it altogether, our collective health status would improve greatly. But stress can be such an amorphous, multi-pronged tangle of junk, both internal and external, that it can take a lot of real effort and commitment to pick it apart. Like the airlines’ inflight safety instructions state, however, take care of your oxygen first, then help those around you. Similarly, applying some effort to combat stress can help you while it ripples outward to others. If we could all dedicate a little time, compassion, and yes, effort, to the task of recognizing

and managing stress, we will all benefit. Below are ten ideas that I’ve culled from many workshops, surveys, personal conversations, and other work I’ve done with clients and corporate employees in the service of reducing stress and/or improving resilience to counter stress when it arises. My suggestion is to select just one of the ten that might spark your interest, and try it out for a week or so. See how things go. Add on as you like, or concoct your own stress buffer techniques. Eventually, with some persistence, you will be able to make positive changes for yourself. 1) Write down your worries and concerns once a day; get them “out of your head.” If your problems are on paper, then at least you can let them go for the moment, knowing you won’t forget them (goodness forbid it!). Writing things down can neutralize their pow-

er. It can also give you something to look back on, and, perhaps in some cases, to view your progress. 2) Schedule “gaps” in your day, particularly at the beginning and end, as a way to power down your body and mind. Instead of booking yourself, your kids, your tasks in a backto-back march against time, create some gaps when you can just sit or walk, and think about nothing in particular. Or perhaps use the gap as a little planning time to more wisely use your day. 3) Get into the habit of taking a breath before you speak or act. Deep breathing has a real and measurable physical impact on you. It can calm your nervous system, relax your muscles, and bring better balance to your emotions. It’s never a bad time to take a deep breath. 4) Find someone you admire for his or her ability to remain calm and balanced, and ask

Clarke

JANUARY 2 01 9

that person to be an advisor to you when you have a question or concern arise. I have several such folks in my life, even for different areas of life, including career stress, parenting stress, and many other categories in between. Seek these people out and talk to them. 5) Take a two-minute breathing break before you log on to your computer, before you eat a meal, before you go to bed. Just 10 minutes of deep breathing a day can help. A tangent on the “taking a breath” and scheduling “gaps” suggestions, this one is an intentional moment of deep breathing. Put your phone on airplane mode; set a two-minute timer; and just sit and breathe. Benefits abound. 6) Eat a satisfying breakfast that contains protein as a way to jumpstart your mental and physical energy and keep your metabolism “fired up.” You’ve heard the stats that kids who don’t eat breakfast are less able to concentrate at school and don’t perform as well as those who do eat breakfast. Well, many adults skip breakfast, too, and then hit the ground running with their overlyambitious schedules. Put some thought into your first meal of the day. Give your body and mind what it needs to be you for the day. 7) Consider limiting or giving up “C.A.T.S.” (C = caffeine, A = alcohol, T = tobacco, S = sugar). These are known to cause fluctuations in energy and mood. This suggestion always elicited a bit of scoffing in the corporate world, but because each of these edible items can either stimulate or depress the nervous system, using them can interrupt healthy sleep patterns, amplify cravings and dependency, and complicate other health conditions. If giv-

ing it up does not seem an option, think of cutting back more gradually, and see how you feel. 8) Recall and re-visit a favorite activity or hobby. Doing an activity that brings you joy or allows you to be fully engaged in something uplifting, can have a very positive effect on your mental and emotional state. Making jewelry, fishing, photography, bird watching, whatever it is you used to love to do — do it again. 9) Make of goal of getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Many people will argue that they don’t need as much sleep as the average person, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, that’s just not true. Humans need sufficient sleep for a host of good reasons, including cardio-pulmonary health, proper hormone function, healthy immune function, and many, many more. Of course, it might not be so easy to simply lie down and zonk out for eight hours. It might demand a good look at what it is that’s keeping you awake. Is it mind chatter; is it your desire to binge watch your favorite TV shows until midnight? What is the root of your restlessness, and how can you begin to right your course to better sleep? 10) Make a cut-off time for electronic communications, and stick to it. You’ve probably heard about the “blue light” of electronics, which interrupts your brain’s ability to create melatonin, the hormone your body produces to help you feel sleepy and fall asleep at appropriate times (e.g., nighttime). Well, most functions of the electronics in our lives are stimulating, and stimulation is not what you need when your body needs sleep to reset and recover. Text messages, social media posts, emails, news … each of these things can stimu-

late mental activity, and, certainly, emotions ‑ not what you need at 9 p.m. One need not be a social scientist to predict that stressors will continue to abound in

our human lives. We need to develop more resilience and compassion to ride the tides in constructive ways. These ten suggestions might lead you to discover something you can do

for your own good in 2019. As with all things in well-being, it’s up to you. No one can do it for you. Cheers to your efforts toward a good cause!

Clarke

JANUARY 201 9

Slipstream By Keith Patterson

“It takes a big head to fill these shoes.” I think I just quoted myself. Dang. Did it again. It’s hard to be me. But it’s supposed to be hard. And it’s supposed to hurt. Because when you’re in the most pain is when you’re the most alive. And when you’re the most alive is when you might wish to be dead. And this basic disconnect is one reason that we must dull our senses to enhance our perceptions. Or so says I. I like to make a wildly bold declaration and then spend some time creating a backstory that somehow justifies it. I put these thoughts down on paper. “M will say it right to your face. M realizes that saying it directly to your face is probably not his most endearing quality, so he puts a lot of miles on his motorcycle to cut down on his opportunities.”

The story of M

M downshifted his big Harley cruiser, checked his mirrors, and throttled up to switch lanes, jumping out from the shade between two eighteenwheelers into the left-hand passing lane. There was sand dust on M’s shaded goggles from an open-bed dump truck he’d passed a few miles back. Interstate 81 was packed with big diesel rigs moving America, which made it less than ideal for a long trip on a motorcycle, but it’s the fastest way home up the valley. As M accelerated to pass the 18-wheeler to his right, the brilliant light rays of a newly naked sun reflected chaotically off the silicate dust coating his glasses, and a mirror ball of blinding lasers sent him into a slipstream of flashback hallucinations . . . . M was hiding in muck up to his neck in the monsoon rains of the Mekong Delta. He’d been

out in the bush for nearly a month. His body weight at enlistment had been 195 pounds. He was down to probably 125. M had eaten very little for several days, and was completely out of rations. He was barely conscious, existing in shadow, invisible, quietly grinding his teeth to keep from drowning. His boots were mired in deep mud somewhere down below him. He heard the report of a rifle … CRACK! Then, M was in a schoolyard fight, ducking, weaving, trying to keep his feet underneath him and throw a decent punch. There was one kid in front of him, but he was surrounded by fifteen others. The bull ring. No way out. Nobody

coming to help. Worried about getting sucker punched, he let a straight jab sneak by while he was leaning-in. SMACK! And, M is standing on the front porch of the beautiful log frame home that he and his wonderful wife had built together. Dinner was on the table. Clean bill of health. Feeling like he wanted to die. The storm door he’d thrown open slams shut. BAM! M had a mission. Take the enemy’s radio and call in an airstrike. People had already died. More people were going to die. M could die. M was more sure of death than not. M was in the shadows behind the fronds of tropical plants with his Randall knife clenched in his left hand.

Fifty meters away was his objective, a bamboo hut on stilts surrounded by a deck. M heard boots on the deck. STOMP! One kid was in front of M, jabbing at him with his fists. Another kid crouched down behind M, and M tripped over him and fell to the ground on his back without being hit. The hit came after the fall in the form of a kick to the head. THUD! M was in a small office talking to a staff psychologist at the Veterans Administration. It was a long drive from M’s home to the VA office. He had been waiting patiently for hours to see this psychologist. M was explaining about the debilitating nature of his flashbacks and hallucinations, and how, even

then, some fifty years after the fact, the PTSD was getting only worse and was worthy of the disability claim that lay on the desk between them. The staff psychologist calmly explained that if M could ride his Harley all the way out to the VA facility and express himself so eloquently, then that alone effectively preemptively disproved his claim. “I don’t even need to look at your claim again.” M slammed his closed fist on the desk. BAM! “Dinner is ready!” called out M’s wife from her summer kitchen. M was on the porch with the mangy cat. Tears were rolling off of M’s face and splattering down on the matted fur of the mangy cat

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JANUARY 2 01 9

as images flashed through his head of brothers-in-arms and civilians lost, crises created, deflected, diverted and perverted. The blood lust of allies and enemies and the senseless deaths and destruction that is war. The mangy cat had been dying when M and his wife had rescued it. It should have been dead weeks ago and hadn’t eaten in thirteen days and nights. It was a mean cat, and took exception to M‘s tears splashing down on its matted head. The mean, mangy cat that had no name because it was assumed that it would be dead already then attacked M’s leg and found flesh. YOW! M was back on his feet. The two boys that’d flanked and felled him had receded. Next up was Lumpy Taylor. Lumpy had an extra lump on the back of his head. He was also known as Double Lump. M landed a punch and received two and then each kid landed haymakers simultaneously and chattered each other’s teeth. CHANG! M peered into the enemy radio hut as best as he could from twenty meters out. He would have to break cover to get any closer. He prayed to a God that he did not recognize to give him the strength to mount a frontal assault on the guarded outpost armed only with his Randall knife and a cyanide pill. M’s soul was bound in darkness. There was no hope in life or death. The rain continued to fall. M used the darkness to summon his Chi. He was a wraith. Then M heard marching boots and shuffling feet. The enemy had a prisoner. The butt of a rifle crunched against bony flesh. UNGH!

“Security! Room 202 Please!”

“Thanks for nothing!” M stood and grabbed his disability claim papers off of the desk. The VA staff psycholo-

gist tried to grab them, as well. “Oh, so now you’re interested in my claim?” M left quickly and slammed the door behind him. BAM! It was Christmas Eve. M’s aunt and uncle and cousins were coming over for dinner and a party. M had received an early present from the family cat, a box full of kittens! M could hardly wait to show the kittens to his cousins. They were so adorable. “M, you better not bring those kittens outside. It’s too cold. Leave the box in the basement near the furnace.” M didn’t listen. His cousins would want to see these kittens right away. It was 5 0’clock. The guests were due. M ran outside into a brisk twilight of falling snow with the box of kittens in his arms. M heard his mother call out, “Don’t leave the door open!” M set the box of kittens down at the edge of the driveway and ran back to shut the front door. M’s relatives pulled into the driveway and unwittingly parked the big left front tire of their Chrysler sedan squarely upon the box of kittens. CRUNCH! Fran was M’s second wife. She had brought him back out into the light and he knew to his core that she loved what was best in him. They worked well together, believed in the same things and fought for the same causes. Fran was M’s partner. He knew that he’d sailed the seas of many creations to finally find this respite from the ravages of eternity. This was his Eden. His forgiving and loving Eve was by his side and calling him to dinner. M thought of grabbing the mean, mangy cat by the scruff and going on a one-handed hundred-milean-hour bike-ride to put them both out of their misery. The mangy cat looked M directly in the eye. “That cat knows what I’m thinking.” “Yeoh.” The bull ring drew in close.

Two boys dragged M back to his feet. Next up, Fox Wheeler. Fox was every bit M’s equal and had the advantage of not already being knocked half senseless. M tasted his own blood on his lips, wiped his lips with his hand, and beheld his own red life’s milk. A terrible rage ran up his spine and he made a furious rush at Fox Wheeler, who calmly looked for an opening and delivered an uppercut to M’s sternum. WUMP! Alive or dead. It didn’t matter. Everything dies. Kittens, children, heroes, villains, the Son of God. The fathers, sons, mothers, brothers, sisters and children of the lovely and dignified people that live and work in the Mekong Delta. M was authorized to call in airstrikes on anything that moved in the entire province of Vinh Long. Half a million civilians. 6,000 Viet Cong. Kill ‘em all. M’s closest associate, a fellow colonel, had succumbed to the barbarism and was wantonly laying waste to all that piqued his fancy. He had done some damage to the enemy, but had inflicted a hell’s broth of horror on the ci-

vilians. M would’ve just as soon killed the Colonel as the radio operator in the bamboo hut. But M’s mission was to secure the enemy’s radio and call in an air strike that might very well kill them all. What had been M was already dead. All that was left was a killer on a mission. The sentries were changing. The second detail was late. The radio and operator were alone. Adrenaline shot through M’s depleted veins. He could hear the savage beating of his own heart. Thump! Thump! Thump!

Everybody was screaming and crying

Uncle jumped back into the big sedan and backed up. The box of kittens was stuck to the tire and rolled up into the Chrysler’s undercarriage. The kittens were all dead. M’s aunt was beating on her husband and cursing his name. Their marriage would never recover. Uncle turned off the Chrysler’s motor and it back-fired. BLAM! M recovered his breath and stood tall in the middle of the

bull ring. He was battered but not beaten, and rage still burned in his eyes. Next up was Big Timmy. Timmy was the biggest kid in school. M waded in, crazed and looking for a knock-out. M’s heart was pounding in his chest as he prepared to rush the enemy’s radio-shack and attack and kill the radio operator. M heard American jets coming-in on a bombing run. Big Timmy dropped M with one ham-fisted punch to the head. M dove down into the muck as his own bombers laid waste to the radio shack and operator that he was stalking. SCRAK! White light. M upshifted and accelerated out of the slipstream beside the 18-wheeler on his right. The sun was behind some clouds and the road was clear, and M made it home for dinner, and I, for one, am grateful that he did. Because, even though it might not be his most popular attribute, when M has something to say he says it directly to my face. Then I wrote this down on paper.

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JANUARY 201 9

Kelsey Cakes Boutique Adds Sweetness to Berryville By Rebecca Maynard

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Just in time for the holiday season, shoppers in downtown Berryville were treated to one more beautiful storefront, an elegant pink sign and a sparkling winter scene with trees and reindeer. The storefront of 11 S. Church St. belongs to Kelsey Cakes Boutique, which had its grand opening in December and already has many customers returning for more of their favorite sweet treats. Owner Kelsey Mussett attended culinary school and has worked for Wegmans and privately owned bakeries, but she always knew what she wanted to do one day. “I had my own creative style, and always knew I wanted to work for myself,” she said. Mussett attended master classes in Alexandria with Maggie Austin, an internationally known pastry chef whose clients have included royalty. She has created custom cakes out of her home kitchen for several

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years and will continue to offer them for all occasions, including Valentine’s Day, birthdays and holidays. Customers should order cakes a week ahead for regular occasions, but wedding cakes should be booked six months out. Popular custom cakes she has made include Sesame Street characters and a unicorn cake, and she is currently making for Valentine’s Day a strawberry white chocolate cake baked with white chocolate chips and layered with vanilla bean butter cream, freshly sliced strawberries, white chocolate ganache drizzle — topped off with a strawberry butter cream finish, white chocolate ganache drip, and hand-dipped white chocolate covered strawberries. Everything is made fresh daily and from scratch, Mussett said. Her frosting is butter cream, never made with Crisco. In addition to custom cakes, she offers a variety of flavors of cupcakes, cookies, cookie sandwiches, brownies, mousse cups, tartlets and more. For those who crave a drink along with their baked goods, options include hot chocolate, coffee, cake lattes, crème frappes and frozen cocoa. As time goes on, Mussett looks forward to offering gluten free, low carb and vegan options, as well as pet treats, the proceeds of which she would like to donate to local shelters. She also plans to offer outdoor seating in the warmer weather and has invited a community panel of tasters to test out new flavors and ideas. Mussett’s day begins in the early morning in order to provide fresh baked goods for the day, and she often works late into the night. Her mother, stepfather, and boyfriend have all been temporarily assisting in

the store, and she has recently hired two employees. Currently, the bakery is open Wednesday through Saturday, from late morning to 6pm, and she hopes to be able to increase her hours soon and open on Sunday. Mussett is also working on a website, where she plans to include photos, tips on cake cutting and daily menu options. While selling cakes from home, Mussett spent time examining possible locations for her store before finally settling on Berryville. “I love Berryville,” she said, adding that she now lives in town and can walk to work. “I knew I wanted someplace with old architecture, not a strip mall, and it’s such a charming town; it reminds me of a Hallmark town when it’s decorated for Christmas.” She has also enjoyed interacting with customers and fellow business owners. “Everyone is just so nice,” she said. For information, visit the Kelsey Cakes Boutique Facebook page, email info@kelseycakes.com, visit www.kelseycakes.com, or call 540-955-8125.

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JANUARY 2 01 9

7th Annual ACFF Best of Fest in Frederick February 1 event featuring films, beer tasting, and inspiration returns to Weinberg Center for the Arts

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Love at First Bite The American Conservation Film Festival’s Best of Fest returns February 1 to the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md., the seventh year for an event featuring three award-winning films from the 2018 Festival based in Shepherdstown, W.Va. This year’s event will screen the 2018 Foreign Film Award winner Enough White Teacups; the 2018 Short Film Award winner Wildlife and the Wall, and the 2018 Green Fire Award winner The Serengeti Rules. All of these films have received multiple awards at festivals around the world.

Lineup for February

6:00pm: Reception with live music and beer tasting with Flying Dog Brewery. 6:30–7:30: Enough White Teacups. This inspiring film follows six stories of innovation and invention that embrace the goals of social, economic, and ecological sustainability outlined by the United Nations. See how design can be used to improve

living conditions around the world, including initiatives to build affordable housing, prevent blindness, destroy landmines, deliver vaccines and blood in remote areas, clean up oceans, and help prevent infant and mother mortality. (59 minutes). 7:30–7:45: Intermission 7:45–7:50: Wildlife and the Wall. Filmmaker Ben Masters (of Unbranded fame) takes us on a brief but beautiful journey along the US-Mexico border, and shows us the landscapes, wildlife, and water sources that would be greatly disrupted by the construction of a border wall. (5 minutes) 7:50–9:15: The Serengeti Rules. Beginning in the 1960s, a small band of young scientists headed into the wilderness, driven by an insatiable curiosity of how nature works. Immersed in some of the most remote places on earth — the Serengeti in Africa, the Amazon jungle, the Arctic Ocean and Pacific tide pools — they discovered a single set of “rules” that govern all life. As well as winning ACFF’s top film award in 2018,

it was also the Audience Choice winner. (84 minutes) This Best of Fest is sponsored by Flying Dog Brewery. Tickets are $8 for adults; $5 for seniors/students; and available on the Weinberg’s website, WeinbergCenter.org/performances, or at the door.

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Now Is The Time To Eliminate Bagworms Article and photos by Claire Stuart

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If you have ornamental evergreens, you might be familiar with evergreen bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis). Their little bags dangle from the tips of small branches, resembling bits of dried vegetation or even tiny cones. Bagworms are larvae of moths and are among the commonest pests of evergreens, including pines, spruces, and especially juniper, cedar, and arbor vitae. They occasionally feed on broad-leafed trees. Bagworms shouldn’t be confused with webworms or tent caterpillars, two entirely different types of caterpillars, both of which live in large groups in communal silk webs that cover branches. Bagworms are also caterpillars, but they live as individuals in well-camouflaged bags made of bits of plant material stuck together with silk. If you have been curious enough to try to pick one of the little bags apart, you no doubt discovered how tough they are.

And if it was during the growing season, chances are that you found nothing inside. Any hanging bags would have been last year’s. That is because bagworms don’t attach their bags to the plant until the end of their life cycle. The rest of the time, they are walking around feeding in the foliage, and their bags are covered with fresh green material. The bagworm wears its bag like a shell and can withdraw into it. It keeps its head and legs outside the bag to eat and walk around, and pulls them in when disturbed. Unlike a snail or turtle shell, the bagworm’s bag is not attached to its body. The bagworm enlarges its bag as it grows, adding new vegetation. From spring through summer, the caterpillars wander around the trees to eat and grow. When they are mature and ready to pupate in fall, they move out to the tips of branches. They fasten their bags

firmly with strong silk, where they hang like tiny Christmas ornaments. Mature caterpillars usually stay on their home tree to pupate, but some wander off, and you might find their bags stuck to the sides of buildings and fences. They seal themselves inside the bags and transform to the pupal stage, becoming adults in fall. The life of the evergreen bagworm is quite unusual because the male and female moths look like completely different insects. Males have clear wings and look like small flies. Full-grown female moths are wingless and legless and look like slugs. The female moths never eat or leave their bags, and their sole function is to mate and lay eggs. They send out pheromone odors to attract flying males, who mate with them in their bags. Males only live a few days. A mated female could live several weeks and will lay about 1,000 eggs inside her bag, then

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JANUARY 2 01 9

Bagworm case photo by C.Stuart. drop to the ground and die. The eggs overwinter and hatch the next spring. The tiny caterpillars leave the bag immediately, and spin out long strings of silk. They sometimes just drop down to a lower branch, or they might be picked up by the wind and blown away. If they are lucky, they might land on another food plant. Once settled, the young caterpillars start making their own bags. They can’t move to another tree unless the plants are touching or close enough together for the caterpillars to crawl there. Since females can’t fly off to lay eggs elsewhere, large populations of bagworms can build up on a single tree or shrub over several years and can defoliate it. The bagworm’s case is extremely tough and is excellent protection against both predators and pesticide sprays. However the strange life cycle of bagworms actually makes it

easy to get rid of them if you catch them before a big infestation can build up.

During the growing season, bagworms can be found anywhere on the plant as they feed. They are small and well hidden by the foliage. By the time they are ready to pupate, they are about an inch long, and they hang their bags from twigs at the outside of the tree. This will allow the caterpillars that hatch in spring to spin out their silk and catch a breeze in spring. From winter through early spring, any dangling bags you see will either be empty or will contain overwintering eggs. Pupation will have been completed and adults have emerged. The males have left their bags, mated and died. Females have died and left their eggs in the bags. This is an excellent time to simply remove the hanging bags to get rid of eggs and the potential for infestation next year. The silk that attaches the bags is very strong, so if you can’t simply pick them off by hand, you should be prepared to use clippers.

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Fri., February 1 at 8:00 p.m. $15 in advance | $20 at door

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MARIKA BOURNAKI CLASSICAL PIANO

Sat, February 23 at 8:00 p.m. $20 in advance | $25 at door

THE MUSIC OF SIMON AND GARFUNKEL PERFORMED BY SWEARINGEN AND KELLI Sat., January 26 at 8:00 p.m. $20 in advance | $25 at door