July PineStraw 2015

Retirement Living

Redefined

At Quail Haven Village there is a new face for retirement living. A face that is active, desires adventure, is vibrant and never dull. You might say we have redefined retirement living. Our central location within Pinehurst, wealth of activities, spacious apartment homes and access to a full continuum of care are just a few reasons so many choose to call Quail Haven home. Life is full of

Schedule a Visit of Our Garden Apartment Homes Call 910-684-4205 or visit our website

opportunity and our residents do not take a moment for granted. Schedule a visit today to see how you can redefine the way you live.

www.QuailHavenOfPinehurst.com Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm 155 Blake Boulevard, Pinehurst, NC 28374

A PART OF THE LIBERTY FAMILY OF SERVICES

Come enjoy the Foster

Southern charm and relaxed sophistication of Pinehurst & Southern Pines

Jamie McDevitt, Broker/Owner 910.724.4455 JamieMcDevitt.com Jamie@JamieMcDevitt.com

The Country Club of North Carolina at its finest! This lovely home at 60 Quail Hollow built in 2004 sits on 2.76 very private acres. Offered at $989,000.

107 NE Broad Street Southern Pines, NC

oyster

©2015 Pinehurst, LLC

award

winning

chefs

roaSt and Pig Pickin

Farm to Fork

Brunch wine tastings Culinary Demos

southern

craft beers

september 4 7 Pinehurst resort Sip and savor your way through Labor Day weekend with beer and wine tastings, culinary demonstrations by award-winning chefs, an authentic Southern Tailgate, Carolina Oyster Roast & Pig Pickin’ and more. Taste the New South for yourself - at Pinehurst.

Overnight Package $299* Admission to all events and activities

tasteofthenewsouth com Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 888.459.6593 *Rate is per person, per night based on double occupancy. Valid 9.4-9.7.15. Subject to tax and resort service fee.

©2014 Tempur-Pedic Management, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

0% Interest Financing up to 60 Months**

StearnS & FoSter® alwayS Dreamtm

Free White Glove Delivery with any Stearns & Foster purchase**

Locally owned and operated since 2002 Summer Hours

Monday-Saturday 9:00AM-6:00PM• Sunday 1:00PM-5:00PM

(910)246-2233

150 Commerce Ave. Southern Pines NC 28387

**Available financing through those approved through Sychrony Financial, 18-60 months only available on Tempur-Breeze set purchases, must present ad **White Glove Delivery applies to those within a 20 mile radius of store,must present ad

50% OFF

sale!

Get It While It Lasts! Sale Ends July 31st!

V illage of P inehurst l ocation o nly ! 910.295.3905 | M onday -s aturday 10 aM -5 PM Pinehurstcoolsweats @ gMail . coM

|

www . coolsweats . net

July 2015

Volume 11, No. 7

Features 61 Leashed

Poetry by Michael Gaspeny

62 Along the Old Plank Road

By Serena Brown

Part one of a series on the scenic byways of the Sandhills

68 Dear Mr. Ross, Dear Richard

By Bill Case

Part two of an extraordinary Pinehurst correspondence

72 Berry Berry James

By David Claude Bailey

The skinny on strawberry soup

74 The Marshalls’ Plan

By Deborah Salomon

The house where the other George slept

85 Almanac

By Rosetta Fawley

Peppers, hummingbirds and the perfect summer cooler

Departments

15 Simple Life

33 Proper English

18 PinePitch 21 Instagram Winners 23 Cos and Effect

Jim Dodson

Cos Barnes

25 The Omnivorous

Reader Brian Lampkin

29 Bookshelf

Kimberly Daniels Taws & Angie Tally

Serena Brown

47 Birdwatch

Susan Campbell

35 Papadaddy’s Mindfield 49 A Novel Year Clyde Edgerton

Wiley Cash

51 Sporting Life

37 Vine Wisdom

39 The Kitchen Garden

55 Golftown Journal

43 Out of the Blue

86 July Calendar 95 Writer’s Notebook

Robyn James

Jan Leitschuh

Deborah Salomon

45 Hometown Bill Fields

Tom Bryant Lee Pace

Sandra Redding

99 SandhillSeen 107 Thoughts from the

Manshed Geoff Cutler

109 The Accidental

Astrologer Astrid Stellanova

111 PineNeedler Mart Dickerson

112 SouthWords Michele Movius

96 Photo Club Cover Photograph and Photograph this page by Laura L. Gingerich

6

July 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Opulence of Southern Pines and DUXIANA at The Mews, 280 NW Broad Street, Downtown Southern Pines, NC 910.692.2744

at Cameron Village, 400 Daniels Street, Raleigh, NC 919.467.1781

www.OpulenceOfSouthernPines.com

Serving the Carolinas & More for 18 Years — Financing Available

Waterfront CCNC: 4BR/5.5BA, living room & lake room, chef’s kitchen with quartz & stainless, dining room, master suite with his/her baths & dressing rooms, exercise room, guest apt., 4-car garage. $2,295,000 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Old Town Pinehurst: Premier property located on the 5th hole

of the famous Pinehurst #2 course! Completely updated.

Custom gourmet kitchen. Connected “Carriage House”. 4BR/ 5FullBA/2HalfBA. www.220midlandroad.isforsale.com $1,900,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

Knollwood Heights: “Homewood” a historic masterpiece!

Sophisticated Colonial Revival style home with more than 9,000 square feet of elegant living space. Estate includes 4.66 acres of lush landscape. Breathtaking details throughout. $1,590,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

Knollwood Heights: Charming estate designed by Donald Ross in the 1920s. Leaded windows, wide plank oak flooring, 3-Frplcs, & 2BR/2BA Carriage house. 4BR/7.5BA. Broker/Owner. $1,395,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

CCNC: Golf front home on 5 acres overlooking a pond & the 10th hole of Carolina course. A stunning blend of traditional architectural detail with a light, open plan. 4BR/4FBA/2HBA. $1,325,000 Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Old Town Pinehurst: “Shadowlawn” - English tudor on over 1.5 private acres of lush grounds. Main Residence, plus a separate 2,200sf 3BR/3BA Guest Cottage.

6BR/7FBA/2HBA. Stunning property! $1,250,000 Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

National Pinehurst #9: Stunning home overlooking the lake and 18th green of the Jack Nicklaus Course.

Upgraded extensively in 2001 with etraordinary detail in every room. 4BR/4.5BA. $1,198,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

Pinewild CC: Stunning golf retreat on 3.2 private acres.

4 BR/3.5 BA, 3 car garage, pool, bocce ball court. Light flled rooms & open foor plan Spacious family room with pool table & game area. $1,010,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

National Pinehurst #9: Golf front perfection overlooking the 13th fairway of Nicklaus course. Ideal for entertaining indoors or outside by the pool! Luxurious home with elegant details.

5BR/5.5BA. $998,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

15 Acre Horse Farm: Excellent Horse Facilities! Adjacent to Horse Country: The Landings Farm is located on the Walthour Moss Foundation! 3BR/3BA Cottage with Fabulous Walthour Moss Foundation. Ride, Drive your Carriage, or just Gourmet Kitchen! 8-Stall Barm, 2-Run-in Stalls, 10-Paddocks, enjoy the peace and quiet this location affords. 14-Acres. More Pond, Riding Ring! $867,000 Acreage Available. 3BR/4BA. $825,000 Pamela O’Hara 910.315.3093 Debbie Darby 910.783.5193

Weymouth Heights: Charming cottage circa 1930, designed

by Aymer Embury II. Two fireplaces, beamed ceiling in living room, main floor master w/study & fabulous bath, modern ktchn, hrdwd flooring. Guest House w/frplc, screened porch.

Main House 4BR/3.5BA. $699,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

text “BHHSNC305” to 87778

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Southern Pines: 910.692.2635 • 105 W. Illinois Avenue • Southern Pines, NC 28387 ©2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of American, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC.

CCNC: Meticulously renovated and maintained! Golf

CCNC Home with Pool: 4BR/4.5BA, hand-pegged wood floors, formal rooms, family room with see-through stone FP, 1st floor master suite, office, 3-car garage! NEW PRICE: $595,000 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Hidden Old Town Gem: 2BR, 2BA, with potential for

Southern Pines: Come live the life you deserve in Weymouth Heights. Enjoy the custom kitchen, great room with cathedral ceiling, charming sun room, and spacious master suite.

Situated on a private 1+acre lot. $440,0000 Mav Hankey 910.603.3589

CCNC: Ideal golf retreat overlooks Dogwood Course.

More than 3,000 sq.ft. of living space. Great room enhanced with a vaulted ceiling, fireplace & windowwall. Screen Porch & Deck for entertaining. Four ensuite bedrooms. $439,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

Broad Street Towns: An urban townhome community - a

masterpiece in the town of Southern Pines for those who love the community feel of downtown living. Designer details & efficient use of space. Rooftop patio. 3BR/2.5BA. $424,900 Kay Beran 910.315.3322

Pinehurst #6: Charming Craftsman style home with wonderful details and “Like New” condition! Open design with high ceilings, deep mouldings, transom windows in dining room, granite kitchen counters. PCC option available. 4BR/3.5BA. $360,000 Kay Beran 910.315.3322

Pinehurst National #9: Charming “Wedgewood Cottage” overlooks 8th green. 2BR/2.5BA, Furnished! Updated Ktchn, upgraded carpets/drapery. Perfectly located near tennis courts/pool! www.120CochraneCastleCircle.com $340,000 Frank Sessoms 910.639.3099

Custom Built Craftsman: 4BR/3.5BA, open floor plan, kitchen with granite & stainless, dining room, hardwood, 1st floor master suite & guest suite, screen porch & deck. $336,000 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Old Town Pinehurst: Easy stroll to the Village center or clubhouse. All brick home with many upgrades. Large Carolina room overlooks a private, landscaped patio & garden area. Partial finished basement with HVAC. 3BR/3BA. PCC available. $325,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

Lamplighter Village: End Unit amidst the tree tops at 55 Lamplighter in Pinehurst #6. Beautifully appointed! Custom features throughout makes this 3 bedroom, 2 bath the PERFECT Get-Away. PCC Membership 1-9. $315,000 Debbie Darby 910.783.5193

Hidden Valley: Like New! 3BR/2BA home in a great

front on 9th fairway of Dogwood course. Inviting and open floor plan for comfortable living and entertaining. 4BR/4BA. $735,000 Bill Smith 910.528.4090

3BR/3BA; Heart pine floors, spacious rooms, smooth ceilings, very private 1/2 acre and adjacent 1/2 acre available for purchase. $440,000 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

neighborhood & near schools. Built in 2001 on a corner lot, 9-foot ceilings, brick & vinyl. Split bedroom plan with large rooms. Move-in Ready! $199,000 Frank Sessoms 910.639.3099

www.BHHSPRG.com We open Moore doors.

Pinehurst: 910.295.5504 • 42 Chinquapin Road • Pinehurst, NC 28374 Berkshire Hathaway HomeSercies and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.Housing Opportunity.

SOUTHERN PINES

$362,900

This charming home, located in the Southern Pines Country Club, has been beautifully renovated and the care and attention that has gone into every detail shows in the sun-filled interior! The property is on the Elks Club Golf Course and overlooks two fairways – wonderfully private back yard. Located in a quiet, heavily wooded neighborhood, the home offers 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths, plenty of room for a growing family or grandkids galore! There’s a large screened porch for great outdoor entertaining or quiet morning coffee.

6 BR / 3 BA 720 Barber Road

PINEHURST

$579,000

FOXFIRE

359,000

$1,099,000

“Talent, Technology & TEAMWORK” Moore County’s Most Trusted Real Estate Team

This is a wonderfully unique home located on the 12th green of the West Course at Foxfire Golf Course! Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s renowned apprentice, Eleanor Petterson and built by Cranford Garner, this is truly a one of a kind home with many incredible design features. Floor to ceiling window walls let in plenty of light, but the heavily wooded lot - almost an acre- offers plenty of privacy. Living areas are open with hand-built stone fireplaces. This is a very special home.

5 BR / 3 BA 19 Ridge Road

PINEWILD

$495,000

$258.000

$179,000 Southern Pines Pinehurst $199,900 Foxfire Lovely and pristine in Longleaf CC Lovely updated golf-front home Cute cottage w/nice renovations 3 BR / 2 BA 3 BR / 2 BA 4 BR / 4.5 BA www.205HunterTrail.com www.4DogwoodCourt.com www.17ChestnutLane.com This gorgeous, all brick custom home built by Huckabee Home Construction and on the 15th tee and the 14th green of Pinehurst #1 course is located in popular Doral Woods. It is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and has wonderful privacy. Upgrades include 10 ft. and 12 ft. ceilings on the first floor, hardwood floors, double crown molding, oversized windows with plantation shutters and a gourmet kitchen.

4 BR / 4.5 BA 15 MontClair Lane

PINEHURST

Incredible Golf Front Home in Fairwoods on 7! This stunningly beautiful home features top of the line finishes, mouldings, and marble, hardwood, and slate flooring! Wow your guests with the gourmet kitchen, 2-story ceilings in the living and great rooms, luxurious bedroom suites, custom wood bar, and even a wine cellar! Finally, relax on the cascading terrace of your choice overlooking the 15th Green! This home could also be purchased fully furnished; price available upon request.

4 BR / 5.5 BA 80 Braemar Road

SEVEN LAKES WEST

$499,000

$585,000 Aberdeen $145,500 Pinehurst Fantastic, all-brick golf front home Cute home on large corner lot 4 BR / 3.5 BA 3 BR / 2 BA www.80LakewoodDrive.com www.110RavenswoodRoad.com

Fabulous custom golf front home with loads of upgrades and panoramic golf views. This home has it all! Hardwood floors throughout main living areas. Gourmet kitchen with granite countertops, large center island, and butler’s pantry. Master suite with restored Pantique fireplace and his and her baths.

Split bedroom plan. Large rear deck with oversized stairs for expansive views of Holly Course #5.

Security system, whole house WIFI, vacuum system and lower level workshop with a half bath…too many features to list! This is a great home for those who “want it all”.

3 BR / 3 BA $449,000 Pinehurst $239,000 CCNC 82 Pomeroy Drive

Enjoy fabulous wide lake views from this lovely home on Lake Auman! Located close to the marina, you will enjoy seeing the activity and seeing the colorful boats while relaxing on the spacious deck. The home is light and bright with high ceilings, fresh paint, hardwood floors and window wall across the back of the home. There is a lower level walkout that is perfect for guests or to have an additional room to chill out downstairs. Home also offers plenty of storage space and a workshop on the lower level. Super property 4 BR / 3 BA Longleaf $329,000 $890,000 150 SimmonsCC Drive

Pinehurst $75,000 Pinehurst Custom Built Villa Overlooking Water Custom built all brick golf-front home Brick single story w/view of 17th green Covered porch & large fenced lot Updated Immaculate Golf View Condo 3 BR$899,000 / 2 BA Baths 3 BR / 2.5 BA 1 BR / 1 BA PINEHURST $459,999 3 BR / 2.5 BA PINEHURST $325,000 4 BR / 4 Full & 2 Half PINEHURST www.16SteeplechaseWay.com www.110HearthstoneRoad.com www.8RoyalDornoch.com www.210StAndrewsCondo.com www.1340BurningTreeRoad.com

$1,295,000 $189,000 Pinehurst $269,000 Pinehurst $475,000 Pinebluff 7 Lakes West $635,000 Pinehurst Stunning custom home in Fairwoods on 7 Charming brick ranch home GorgeoustownhomeintheheartoftheVillage Open plan, gourmet kitchen, pool & more!

Stunning All Brick Water Front BRtee / 4with BAviews & 2 ofHalf BA 3 BR Magnificent / 2 BA custom built home located on the411th 3 BR / 2.5 BA 3 BR / 2.5 BA 3 BR / 4.5 BA Upgrades galore in this custom built home in the desirable gated community of Pinewild Country Club!

Beautiful, open views of the 10th fairway of Pinehurst golf course #3. The unique floor plan takes adthe 7th, 8th and Hardwood floors throughout the main living areas and master bedroom. Living room features gas log vantage of the great location and views. This home has been beautifully updated with hardwood floors 9th fairways of Pinehurst course #4. The home possesses timeless golf front beauty and is designed www.170InverraryRoad.com www.145SugarPineDrive.com www.105MastersWay.com www.6HollyHouse.com www.135AndrewsDrive.com fireplace with built-in media center to the left, and built-in bookcase to the right, crown molding, and recessed lighting. The gourmet kitchen is a chef’s delight with 5-burner gas cooktop, built-in oven and microwave, custom cabinets, granite countertops, breakfast bar and nook. The master suite features large walk-in closet, double sink vanity, garden tub and walk-in shower. Very private backyard!

3 BR / 2.5 BA 40 Abbottsford Drive

PINEHURST

$559,000

in all the main living areas. The family room opens onto the wrap-around deck and offers fabulous panoramic golf views! The updated kitchen features painted wood cabinets, granite countertops, and breakfast nook. The master suite is spacious, and the en suite features a dressing area, large walk-in closet, marble tile floors and jacuzzi tub. There are two additional bedrooms and two baths. This home is the perfect place to enjoy the Pinehurst lifestyle.

3 BR / 3 BA 535 St. Andrews Drive

PINEHURST

$1,300,000

for grand scale entertaining. Meticulous attention to detail is showcased with custom moldings, unique built-ins, expansive patio areas, a custom stone raised hearth fireplace and graciously open living space.

5 BR / 5.5 BA 30 Spring Valley Court

CCNC

$395,000

$269,900 $187,900 Pinehurst $185,000 Southern Pines $225,000 Pinebluff Pinehurst $375,000 Foxfire Great home in family- friendly neighborhood Stunning new construction condo Golf front new construction in The Pines Immaculate all-brick w/golf views Elegant & luxurious w/spacious rooms 5 BR / 3 BA 3 BR / 2.5 BA 3 BR / 2 BA 2 BR / 2 BA 4 BR / 3 BA www.23BerylCircle.com www.100CypressCircle.com www.153LaurelOakLane.com www.18ShamrockDrive.com www.10StantonCircle.com

Located on the 15th green of the #4 course, this gorgeous, all brick home was built by Hickman This stunning custom home in Fairwoods on Seven is located on an oversized, private lot This elegant custom built Villa in CCNC enjoys a gorgeous setting overlooking water Construction on a private, quiet cul-de-sac. Full membership to all the Pinehurst Country Club courses. overlooking the 15th fairway of the # 7 course. Built by Pinehurst Homes, there are so on an oversized lot. This home is located on one lot and has a half lot on either side for One of the most desirable of this home is the spacious and secluded patio area with beautiful many upscale features. Pinehurst The floor plan is very open and light with high ceilings. Gourmet kitchen. complete privacy.$298,000 Lovely water views from theLakes large private patio and interior $279,500 living areas, Seven South Seven Lakes West $895,000 Pinehurst $241,000 Seven Lakesfeatures South $199,000 landscaping. The interior,of course, is Hickman’s signature quality with high ceilings, tons of windows spacious pantry and screened porch to name a few, too many too mention. Seller to provide including a large Carolina room with built in bookshelves. Fireplace in living room and custom Completely renovated golf front home Wonderful 2-story home on cul-de-sac Gorgeous home Old Town Great family home Charming golfkitchen frontwith w/panoramic and heavy molding. Gourmet custom cabinetry,view granite countertops and upscale appli- w/private back yard PCC membership (including # 7 &in#the 9) and 1 year of dues. kitchen round out this beautiful home. ances!

HugeBA master bedroom suite.

54BRBR / 5.5 3 BR / 2.5 BA 3 BR / 3.5 BA 4 BR / 3BA / BA 3.5 BA 4 BR / 3 BA 3 BR / 2.5 4 BR / 4.5 BA 145 Brookhaven Road 8 Royal Dornoch Lane www.117OxfordCourt.com www.108Rector.com www.50OrangeRoad.com www.11GraysonLane.com www.122DevonshireAvenue.com 2 Bangor Lane

View Floor Plans andTours Virtual of Our Listings andListings See ALL Moore Information County at View Floor Plans and Virtual of OurTours Listings and See ALL Moore County and Community Listings and Community Information at

www.MarthaGentry.com www.MarthaGentry.coM

Re/Max Prime Properties, 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC 910-295-7100 • 800-214-9007

Military?!Check out our Military Advantage Program at www.MarthaGentry.com

Re/Max Prime Properties, 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC 910-295-7100 • 800-214-9007

910.315.9577 Storrs & Co. Real Estate

Horse Farm 358 Yadkin Run Lane, Southern Pines

You’ll find this 3 BR/2.5BA Home on 10 acres a perfect location with direct access to the Foundation. Cute barn, fenced paddocks and more. Move-in ready!

Search Online at:

www.janicestorrs.com

00 ,0 95 $2

00 ,0 67 $4

JaniCe storrs

Carolyn ragone

910.603.4114 Carolyn Ragone Real Estate, LLC

20 Coldstream Lane, Pinehurst #6

4BR/3BA Hickman built all brick home, PCC-option, gourmet kitchen, hardwoods, new carpet & paint, fenced backyard.

www.carolynragone.com

910.315.2622 Binky Albright Properties LLC

Carolina Horse Park at Five Points Nearby Properties!!

Ranging from 2+/- to 195+/- acres these offer something for everyone from a 3 BR brick home with several outbuildings on 8+ acres; or a private pond, great lake front, pastures, woods, fields and barns.

Convenient to Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Ft. Bragg etc.

www.binkyalbright.com

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ue sq de re ysi ctu tr Pi oun C

Binky alBright

anita emery

910.639-1751 Area Real Estate Partners, Inc.

3 Short Hills Ln - Deep within the coveted Doral Woods Subdivision Beautiful 3BD/2.5BA home with Expansive Golf Front Views All Brick, Single Story, 2365 SF, Meticulously Maintained!

www.seetheproperty.com/170318

$4

Covington Investment Properties

00

910.695.0352

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LD

39

SO

linda Covington

Betsy n. roBinson

3705 Youngs Rd,

Wonderful Horse Farm with 3 stall barn. $745,000 3 Br/3 Ba, 5 acres.

Less than a mile to Downtown So. Pines

www.covingtonNC.com

910.639-0695 Area Real Estate Partners, Inc.

Spectacular Waterfront Home at 128 Pine Lake Dr., Whispering Pines

Brick, 3BD/3BA, 0.85 Acre Lot, Updated, Fabulous View, Incredible Storage

www.seetheproperty.com/157478

, 44 $3

0 90

0 90

, 34 $2 kristi snyder

lynette Williams

910.690.3113 Fox Creek Real Estate

2 Dickinson Ct, Foxfire

Hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, gas logs, office/study, deck, fence, split plan and more...come see this beautiful home.

www.foxcreekre.com

910.624.5411 Everything Pines Real Estate

1171 Rays Bridge Road - Whispering Pines

Custom built Craftsman Style home with wrap around front porch.

Open floor plan with vaulted ceilings. Main floor master bedroom.

4 BR/3.5 BA with large bonus room.

www.everythingpines.com

A Top producing Network of Firms Serving the Moore County Area of NC — Sharing Ideas, Techonology, Marketing and Sales Support Each Firm Independently Owned & Operated

PineStraw M A G A Z I N E

Jim Dodson, Editor 910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director 910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com Serena Brown, Senior Editor 910.693.2464 • serena@pinestrawmag.com Kira Schoenfelder, Graphic Designer 910.693.2508 • kira@pinestrawmag.com Lauren Shumaker, Graphic Designer 910.693.2469 • lauren@pinestrawmag.com contributing Editors Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Sara King, Proofreader contributing Photographers John Gessner, Laura L. Gingerich, Tim Sayer Contributors David Claude Bailey, Cos Barnes, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Wiley Cash, Geoff Cutler, Al Daniels, Annette Daniels, Mart Dickerson, Clyde Edgerton, Rosetta Fawley, Bill Fields, London Gessner, Robyn James, Brian Lampkin, Jan Leitschuh, Meridith Martens, Lee Pace, Sandra Redding, Astrid Stellanova, Janet Wheaton

PS David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising Sales

Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Ginny Trigg, PineStraw Sales Coordinator 910.693.2481 • ginny@thepilot.com Deborah Fernsell, 910.693.2516 Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Kerry Hooper, 910.693.2489 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Advertising Graphic Design

Kathryn Galloway 910.693.2509 • kathryn@thepilot.com Mechelle Butler, Maegan Lea, Scott Yancey Subscriptions & Circulation

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

PineStraw Magazine 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com www.pinestrawmag.com

©Copyright 2015. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

12

July 2015P�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

2016 NISSAN MAXIMA

The Four Door Sports Car Is Back

Challenging every conventional notion of what a 4-door sedan is - with 300 horsepower, a performance tuned suspension, a luxurious driver’s cockpit loaded with technology, striking aerodynamic styling, and a Sport Mode setting that’ll get your heart racing,it really isn’t a sedan after all.

910-684-1010

10910 US Highway 15-501 • Southern Pines NC 28387

www.pinehurstnissanonline.com

2016 KIA OPTIMA

Luxury Craftmanship at Every Angle

It’s refined, modern style with well-balanced performance. From the sleek, clean design of the front end to the fuel-efficient powertrain to premium comfort behind the wheel, the upcoming 2016 Kia Optima is the evolution of the mid-size sedan.

simple life

Old Rufus

By Jim Dodson

These midsummer mornings are the

Illustration by Kira schoenfelder

ones I like best, the last cool, wet mornings in my garden before dawn, when plants are at their peak and months of toil pay off with blooms and foliage that will surrender soon enough to the heat and drought of August.

Even if I didn’t rise unnaturally early by most of the world’s clock, I would be out poking and spading, weeding and watering plants before anyone groggily rises — all under the steady gaze of the garden’s most vigilant creature.

No one knows exactly how old Old Rufus really is. Or even where he came from.

He showed up one day many years ago at the college where my wife works, politely cadging food off the staff. “He was well-fed and very friendly, clearly belonged somewhere and to someone,” Wendy explained after finding no takers over the course of a week and finally hauling him home. “I think someone must have dumped him.”

None of our three dogs was initially impressed. Come to think of it, neither was I. The first time I tried to give the newcomer a friendly scratch on his rump, he spat at me and nearly took off my hand. I suggested we dump him at the college.

“Funny who he looks like,” my wife added with a wry smile.

The resemblance to a mellow old barn cat we had in Maine named Rufus was uncanny. He was a fluffy orange tabby with a pinch of Maine coon cat in him, a gentle disposition and face like a miniature lion, born in the rafters of a 200-year-old barn with a rambunctious twin we named Wexel.

Both cats lived with us — or the other way around — for two decades becoming my constant companions whenever I cut grass or worked in the flowerbeds. Rufus was particularly loyal in the garden. His favorite places to snooze on a summer day were either my prized Italian coneflowers which came indirectly from Katharine White’s Blue Hill garden or a patch of wild ferns by the edge of the woods. I nicknamed Rufus the Guardian of the Garden, even if he was no good at catching slugs and slept on the job much of the time. Others eventually called him the miracle cat.

One day Rufus the First disappeared and didn’t return for almost a week. I found him lying beneath a hydrangea bush by the side porch steps filthy and panting, barely alive. He’d been split open from throat to gut by some critter of the north woods, probably a coyote he mistook for a friendly dog. You could

actually see his heart beating beneath his exposed ribs. Our vet gasped when she saw him, pointing out it would be a miracle if Rufus lasted the night. “But we can clean and sew him up and see what happens.” Two days later, Sue phoned with an update. “You won’t believe it but I think he’s going to pull through. Cats will always surprise you.”

Ten days later, Rufus came home again, happy as ever, stitched up like a second-hand football — and lived another five years happily following me about the yard and garden before I simply found him on another late summer afternoon stretched out peacefully beneath the same hydrangea bush, having serenely departed on his own gentle terms.

I buried him in the wild ferns where he loved to nap, marked by a simple granite stone.

We decided to name the newcomer Rufus the Second. He gradually warmed up to me, though anytime I touched his back he turned into Psycho Cat. We decided someone must have abused him, perhaps explaining why he turned up as a refugee at the college. Within days of his arrival, though, he was following me around the house and soon outside where I was restoring a neglected terrace garden.

One evening as I was transplanting hostas I saw him hop the fence and disappear into our neighbor’s vast overgrown yard. Rufus the Second was obviously a born traveler, perhaps happy to have a meal and keep moving.

But the next morning he was back, calmly waiting outside the terrace doors for his breakfast. I fed him outside and went to water my new rose plantings.

Rufus Two followed and began licking the hose water off the leaves of the freshly watered plants.

This quickly became our morning and evening routines. By the light of dawn or dusk, I would spade and mulch and water; Rufus would follow closely behind, drinking from the leaves, monitoring my progress. Like his remarkable namesake, he clearly preferred to eat and sleep outdoors, coming inside only on the coldest nights or anytime there were houseguests or a dinner party going on, saving his rock star charm for strangers.

Many mornings he even left a token from his nighttime travels, a small mouse or mole at the back door. Unlike his gentle namesake, this Rufus was a killer, a true guardian of the grounds.

“Earning his keep,” suggested my wife, his savior.

People who like cats tend to love cats. Generally speaking, I’m not one of them, decidedly a dog-loving human, though beginning with our barn cat

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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simple life

brothers in Maine I’ve developed a grudging affection for a handful of cats.

A spiritual writer I admire insists that every philosopher needs a cat, a non-judging set of eyes to monitor your progress through this beautiful but challenging world.

For what it’s worth, I’ve learned — decided — every gardener could use a cat in the garden, too — a living companion who observes what you do without particular judgment and the calm detachment of a Buddhist elder.

A couple years after Rufus the Second arrived on the scene, we downsized to an arboreal cottage that felt like the first true home we’d had since leaving Maine. I wasn’t entirely sure if Rufus the Second would — or could — translate.

The new place was truly an overgrown arboretum of ancient pond pines and gorgeous mature gardenias and camellias, dogwoods and Japanese maples and wisteria vines run amok, a garden that had been allowed to grow on its own for almost a decade. More than anything else, it needed love and the attention of a full-time gardener, a task that gave me incalculable pleasure.

The new property was also home to a spectacular variety of birds, not exactly the place you want to introduce a known killer like Rufus the Second.

To be on the safe side, we put a bell on him, which he promptly ditched somewhere and — a day or so later — vanished.

He was gone for several days, prompting me to think maybe his wandering blood had just kicked in again.

By then I was busy constructing gates and fences and starting a new stone walkway framed by Russian sage, hydrangeas and Italian coneflowers, quietly hoping the guardian of the garden might eventually return.

I discovered he was spending time with the nice widow lady next door and charming an elderly couple who lived through the trees behind our saltwater swimming pool, perhaps auditioning for potential new owners.

“What a wonderful cat, so beautiful and friendly,” cooed my neighbor, the widow lady. “I call him Simba because he looks like a little lion.”

You can build a

within your budget!

The next morning Rufus was back, reporting for duty in the garden.

With the help of a talented gardener named José, we dug out ancient dying shrubs and created new perennial beds and recovered a beautiful serpentine brick wall which I spent much of the late winter and early spring re-planting.

As José went after banks of azaleas and camellias-gone-wild, I landscaped the pool area and hacked away at the murderous wisteria vines that make parts of the property still resemble Jurassic Park.

Throughout this ambitious process of restoration, the new Old Rufus settled into his familiar routine, never venturing farther than the pool (when people are in it) or the nice widow lady next door (when he needs a second meal), presumably having decided to call my garden his permanent home.

Better yet, he’s grown too old to chase the birds — seems content to simply lie and merely watch them at the feeder.

There he presides to this day, faithfully waiting at the back door in the cool dawns of our second summer for his breakfast, or curled up in the heat of the summer afternoons in the cool thick tufts of liriope muscari near a stone Buddha head beneath the young Japanese maple, waiting for me to begin my evening weeding and watering. Before we start work, I always give him a nice scratch — on the head, mind you — to thank him for his faithful companionship.

He’s grown visibly thinner. Someday, I’m guessing, I’ll find him stretched out peacefully beneath a handsome garden plant, having finished his work and set off on a different kind of journey.

I plan to put him someplace nice in the garden — hoping someone will someday do the same thing for me — not discounting the possibility that all living things, including gardens and their guardians, have a lovely way of always returning. PS Contact editor Jim Dodson at jim@pinestrawmag.com.

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PinePitch Crawlin’ the Blues

“Simple music is the hardest music to play, and blues is simple music,” said the great Albert Collins. Simply have a good time at the Fifteenth Annual Blues Crawl on July 11, starting at 7 p.m. in downtown Southern Pines. Eat, drink and be bluesy throughout the town.

For more information and for wristbands ($25/standard; $50/ VIP), call the Sunrise Theater, (910) 692-8501.

Before all the blues, The Southern Pines Sidewalk Sale will take place the same day, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. It is a carnival-themed shopping experience with sales in all stores.

Hosted by the Southern Pines Business Association.

A Peach of a Festival

Prunus persica is a deciduous tree. It is native to northwest China and was cultivated in Persia, which is how it got its name.

We know its fruit as a peach. From China via Persia to Candor and the North Carolina Peach Festival on July 18, the festivities begin with a parade at 10 a.m., along with helicopter rides, bungee jumping, a rock wall and music from The Band of Oz and The Sand Band. And peaches galore.

Fitzgerald Park, Candor.

For more information, call (910) 9744221 or visit ncpeachfestival.com.

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A Stroke of Patriotism

Worried that art shows are too serious for you? Here’s a special opportunity for the whole family to attend a very different sort of art auction while supporting Sandhills veterans. The Artists League of the Sandhills and the Railhouse Brewery are partnering to present “A Stroke of Patriotism.” Stop by the Railhouse Brewery at 105 East South Street in Aberdeen on Saturday, July 18, from 2 – 4 p.m. Paintings from local artists and area celebrities will be on display and sold in a silent auction. There’ll be beer, brats, music and loads of fun, and proceeds go to meet the needs of local veterans. Call (910) 9443979 for more information.

North, South, East, West

There will be champions of all ages at Pinehurst this month. The Junior North & South Championship runs from July 5 to 8. The Women’s North & South Amateur Championship tees off on July 12 and takes place through July 17. The championships showcase the talents of golf’s future stars. And the 2015 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship will be played at Pinehurst and other courses in the area from July 30 to August 2.

For more information on the North & South Tournaments call the Pinehurst Tournament Office at (910) 235-8140 or visit www.pinehurst. com. For the Kids’ World Championship, call (888) 387-5437 or visit www.uskidsgolf.com

July 2015P��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

A Festive Summer Season

Christmas is coming five months early on Saturday, July 25, at the National Guard Armory. Put on your Santa hat and start your celebration early. Santa and his elves are vacationing here in the Sandhills to benefit Caring Hearts for Kids of Moore (a local nonprofit organization that helps in-need families with children). From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. more than thirty local craft artisans will be gathered at the Armory. There’ll be a Chinese raffle, good food and music.

Happy Birthday

Celebrate the Fourth of July all over the county!

Free and open to the public. National Guard Armory, 500 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines. For more information, contact Debby Scherer at treasuredjewelsorg@yahoo.com or Cyndi Fifield at daisybluedesigns@outlook.com.

In Aberdeen from 5 – 9:30 p.m. there will be family fun for everyone, including children’s activities, prizes, food vendors and face painting. Wear patriotic colors and bring a lawn chair for the awesome firework displays. Aberdeen: 5 – 9:30 p.m., Aberdeen Lake Park, 301 Lake Park Crossing. Call: (910) 9447275 or visit www.townofaberdeen.net More face painting and fun at the Pinehust Harness Track. You’ll need a lawn chair or blanket there too for the fantastic pyrotechnics: 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

At the Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road South, Pinehurst. For more information call (910) 295-1900.

The Pinehurst Fourth of July Parade will begin with the Patriotic Pet Competition and Parade, registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the traditional parade starting at 10 a.m. There will be face painting, vintage cars and farmers market food vendors. Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green West, Pinehurst. Call: (910) 295-1900 or visit www.vopnc.org In Carthage at 11 a.m., join in the fun at the parade, watching floats, cars, bands, ROTC and more. Town of Carthage, Monroe Street. Visit www.townofcarthage.org

Fore Love of the Game

The Moore County Women’s Amateur takes place at The Country Club of North Carolina on July 27 and 28. The tournament is open to all women 16 or older on with a verifiable handicap. Proceeds benefit Friend to Friend. Send in your entry form

by July 17 and join in the fun.

The Country Club of North Carolina, 1600 Morganton Road, Pinehurst. For forms and information visit www.moorecountywomensamateur.com or call (910) 315-6061.

Sixty Years of Farming Fun

Where can you find clogging, gospel music, a 5-kilometer run, more than 600 horses and a country music show? Downtown Robbins from July 30 to August 1. It’s the 60th Annual Farmers Day. Enjoy rides, equipment demonstrations and craft and food vendors too. Don’t miss a minute.

Call: (910) 295-7808 or visit www.robbinsfarmersday.com

And on That Farm

It’s all fun on the farm at Peaceful Meadows Farm in Carthage on July 5 beginning at noon until 4 p.m. Rides aplenty: hay, tractor, pony, barrel train. Food vendors will be on-site with plentiful seating at the Party Barn, which in itself sounds irresistible.

Peaceful Meadows Farm, 831 Priest Hill Road, Carthage. General admission is free, with children’s tickets, $15 for unlimited access to pony rides, barrel train and bounce house. For more information, call (910) 986-4774.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

19

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Cos and Effect

A Grateful Student

By Cos Barnes

I

was stopped one day by a young woman who asked, “Aren’t you Mrs. Barnes?”

When I answered yes, she said, “My daughter won your scholarship at the Arts Council. ” Actually, her daughter, Jenny Questell, won it twice, both times to study at George Mason Forensics Institute. What a thrill it was for me because her mother said Jenny was working at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. “She is in the arts; you can’t get much closer than the Kennedy Center,” I replied. “And we are proud of her.”

Our scholarship was established fourteen years ago in memory of my husband to benefit middle school students who want to spend their summers studying — and making — music or literature.

During our fourteen years, requests have changed. This year we had one from a student who wanted to study prop management as an apprentice. We’ve had artists, dancers, players of musical instruments and many others apply.

One young man was financed by us to play tuba with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. I had told my committee if we ever had an applicant for a drum and bugle corps, he was in because my husband played in one as a youth.

We helped one applicant buy a cello and have sent students to a film academy, to the theater camp at the N.C. School of the Arts, to Parsons School of Design in New York, and the College of Design at N.C. State.

All five of my committee members — friends and colleagues of my husband — have been with me the whole time in spite of my yearly announcement that it is not a life sentence. We have awarded ninety-one scholarships in the fourteen years for a total of $26,725. Over the years the Vaud Travis III fund has been added to ours by his parents, Vaud and Vivian Travis, as has the Carol Lawson Rouhier fund for visual arts applicants and the Sarah Schrock fund for theater applicants only.

I was delighted when Jenny came to visit me during spring break. This is what she told me: “I received your scholarship in 2008 and ’09 to further study public speaking and the performing arts. This experience greatly impacted my decision to attend George Mason University’s Honors College after receiving a scholarship and competing on their public speaking team. During my time on the team, I traveled internationally to compete in Budapest, Rome, Brussels and Paris, in addition to many tournaments in the United States. Public speaking has given me self-confidence, the ability to articulate a point or argument, and has taught me how to persevere through challenges. I could not imagine being where I am today without it.”

Jenny works in fundraising at the Kennedy Center and her title is Assistant for Major Gifts and Planned Giving. She says it is really an exciting place to work with all the artists and performers constantly in the building.

“A highlight for me was when I got to ‘seat fill’ for Lady Gaga.” She explains seat filling is when someone has to perform or leave during the performance, and his or her seat gets filled by a volunteer or staff member so it appears to be a full house on television. PS Cos Barnes is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine. She can be contacted at cosbarnes@nc.rr.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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July Author Events at The Country Bookshop TUESDAY, JULY 7 AT 6PM PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY THE IDEA OF LOVE

Patti Callahan Henry is a full-time writer, wife and mother and the “New York Times “bestselling author of novels including “Coming Up for Air”, “The Art of Keeping Secrets, Driftwood Summer “and “The Perfect Lovesong: A Holiday Story”. She lives with her husband and three children outside Atlanta on the Chattahoochee River. Her latest novel, The Idea of Love is about the young, beautiful and deeply in love Ella who everyone thinks tragically loses her husband in a sailing accident while trying to save her and Hunter- a screenwriter desperately in search of a love story. Then the two meet in Watersend, South Carolina and we understand what people will do to protect their Idea of Love.

THURSDAY, JULY 9 AT 10AM EDD CLAY HARDSCRABBLE TO PEARL HARBOR AND BEYOND: MEMOIRS OF A WORLD WAR TWO VET

Please join us for a morning conversations with local World War Two Veteran Edd Clay as he speaks about his experiences during Pearl Harbor and his experiences in the Pacific during World War Two.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 AT 5PM DR. SAIF ATAYA WHAT IS THIS? THE DEMYSTIFICATION OF ISLAM: PEACE AND TERRORISM, BRIEF HISTORY, PRINCIPLES AND BELIEFS

Please join us for an interesting conversation regarding a brief history of Islam for Muslims and Non-Muslims to learn about the religion and the many different interpretations of it. Dr. Ataya has been an Arabic and cultural professor for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) since 2005 and for the Department of Defense (DoD) since 2003. Since 2007, Dr. Ataya has taught both the intermediate and advanced courses- modern standard Arabic (MSA) and Arabic Iraqi, Egyptian, and Levantine dialects-in the continuing education (CE) Resident Education Program and the Field Support Program.

SATURDAY, JULY 18 AT 2PM BARBARA CLAYPOLE WHITE THE PERFECT SON

“Steel Magnolias for this generation of ex-pats trying to find their way in the world. With clear-eyed insight and empathy, The Perfect Son captures the ache and beauty of love in its many forms. In a beautifully told story, Barbara Claypole White takes us on a poignant journey through the minds and hearts of a mother, a father, and their eccentric son. As they all learn to love through loss, change, and fear, we as readers just might find our hearts as the characters find theirs.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Idea of Love

MONDAY, JULY 27 • TIME TBA MARGARET BRADHAM THORNTON CHARLESTON

A lyrical and haunting story of missed chances and enduring love, set against the backdrop of high society Charleston, which asks the eternal question: can we ever truly go home again? Join us for a discussion on her research on Tennessee Williams and the four year restoration project of a 19th century garden and how it lead to the penning of her novel CHARLESTON.

The Country Bookshop 140 NW Broad St, Southern Pines, NC 910.692.3211 thecountrybookshop.biz

®

The Omnivorous Reader

America’s Long Narrative

A poet examines our complicated natural story, laying bare the questions hidden by our answers

By Brian Lampkin

We are 239 years into the American

experiment this July. Our time is brief compared to many other nations, but we have developed a story, a narrative, that adds chapters as each day unravels into the next. Poet Claudia Rankine’s book, Citizen: An American Lyric (Graywolf Press, 2014, $20), is concerned with how this narrative is both remembered and forgotten; she is particularly curious about the ways in which the stories we tell about race create private drama and national trauma.

The recent unravelings in Baltimore, Ferguson, New York, and Sanford, Florida (Citizen’s cover image of a detached hoodie is a reference to Trayvon Martin), have roots in how we view history — or at least in what histories we choose to emphasize. “Every look, every comment . . . blossoms out of history,” Rankine writes. But she writes with full knowledge of the erasures and misinterpretations of history that complicate a national (or personal) discourse. In this month of Independence, I can think of no recent book that better addresses what it means to be American in this moment.

Citizen was a 2014 finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry, but much of the book reads more like an essay that refuses the usual rules of composition. I tend to get a little sleepy around poems that know exactly how they want to be poems, so Rankine’s paragraph forms and sentence structures

are refreshing. The first part of the book uses, remarkably, tennis star Serena Williams as a way to look at how history impinges upon personal behavior, and how a response to Serena Williams’s behavior depends upon an individual’s “reading” of history. If there is no historical context of race in America, if you believe in the notion of a “post-racial America,” then Serena’s anger is judged one way, but if you know that we are all informed by a 300-year long narrative that includes slavery, Jim Crow, civil rights and ongoing police violence, then Serena’s response to a white umpire making bad calls is placed into a different context.

Often Rankine focuses on the slips — the wardrobe malfunctions of polite conversation and behavior — slips that reveal the unspoken role of race. Over and over she shows us simple interactions that might — or might not — have a racial subtext. So much depends upon how a situation “feels.” What is the intent behind a white child’s refusal to sit next to a black woman on a plane? Has she been taught to mistrust and fear black people or is she simply uncomfortable around strangers? There are always a thousand different ways to read any situation, but the questions Rankine raises (and they are typically questions and rarely answers) become the central questions of black life in America. How much racism informs the white person’s pronouncement upon a first time meeting, “I didn’t know you were black”?

If ever you were curious about what the overused phrase “white privilege” might mean, I think Rankine’s constant questioning exposes a possible meaning: white people are free from the constant need to read every interaction for the simmering role that race and racism might be playing. Serena Williams’ perceived “irrational” anger (this kind of anger also plays out in Rankine’s poetic examination of soccer star Zinedine Zidane’s infamous World Cup head-butt) becomes an entirely understandable boiling to the surface of a lifetime of paranoia, suppressed rage, uncertainty or certainty that is denied a

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The Omnivorous Reader

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public acknowledgement.

In a section of the book on the police killing of 29-year-old black Englishman Mark Duggan and the subsequent riots in 2011, Rankine quotes James Baldwin: “The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions hidden by the answers.” As a reader of Citizen, you need to be comfortable with an absence of answers. Rankine tries to expose the internalized question that a lifetime lived with racism, however subtle, forces upon black Americans, “What is wrong with me?” The subsequent rage that comes with the realization that what’s wrong has little to do with “me” and a lot to do with the culture that fuels uprisings both personal and on the streets.

Sometimes, rarely, literature and art can effectively comment on the immediate now with prescience and even usefulness. The television series The Wire certainly laid bare the realities of life in Baltimore that made the response to the death of Freddie Gray unsurprising. Similarly, Citizen (released a year before Gray’s death), gives insight into why America — and not just black America — has responded so vehemently to the deaths of unarmed black men. When Rankine writes, “Because white men can’t / police their imaginations / black men are dying” she addresses the other side of paranoia and fear that allows for externalized violence and not paralyzing internalized doubt.

One response to this long narrative of racial dis-ease is to say things are so much better now than they were in 1860 Charleston or 1967 Detroit or 1991 Los Angeles. It’s undoubtedly true. Thankfully true. Rankine is aware of this, but has no patience for those who insist that the best way for her to be a citizen in 2015 America is to “Come on. Let it go. Move on.” Letting go of history is the exact wrong approach for Rankine.

A visual poem that begins with a list of young black men shot to death (“In Memory of Jordan Russell Davis / In Memory of Eric Garner…”) ends with “In Memory” slowly fading away into emptiness. This is not the answer.

We can all be citizens of the same country only if we can agree on the same facts of history.

Otherwise we’re effectively citizens of different countries. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric is an attempt to get us all on the same page of history. If there is a “One Nation, One Book” program out there somewhere, then for this Independence Day I recommend that we all read Rankine’s book. It’ll make for a great conversation and in great conversation begins good citizenship.

The books ends with a detail of a Turner painting that’s not to be missed! PS Brian Lampkin is an owner of Greensboro’s Scuppernong Books.

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B oo k s h e l f

July’s Books

Strong women, flying high in Africa and a scout’s long-awaited return

By Kimberly Daniels Taws and Angie Tally Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife, will debut on July 28. This historical fiction takes us back to the 1920s with the sort of swagger, fearlessness and bravado that so captured us in The Paris Wife. This time, however, McLain gives us Beryl Markham and her adventures as a woman and her fearlessness in Colonial Africa.

Although Beryl Markham is best known as the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean from east to west, she also blazed a trail as the first female horse trainer and the first female pilot to gain a B-license certification.

Markham’s memoir, West With the Night, was a literary sensation, greatly admired by her contemporaries. However, it did not become a commercial success until Hemingway’s correspondence about the book came to light during the 1980s, at which point it was re-released.

McLain’s depiction of Markham’s life provides the reader with a historical window through which to view a remarkable woman interacting with the rugged frontier atmosphere of Colonial Africa in the 1920s and its decadent society and polictical system. Abandoned by her mother, Markham grew up training horses with her father. In the process, she became friends with a number of the local African children. Hunting with native boys, she became fearless, traits that later helped her succeed in training horses and flying planes. She, however, proved completely untutored and naïve when it came to dealing with polite society, her own family and men. She especially found marriage trying — the first, second and third time.

Once you’ve read Circling the Sun, you’ll likely want to pick up West with the

Night or Out of Africa.

Strong women abound in other forthcoming July books. The highly anticipated Harper Lee sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman, comes out on the 14th of this month. Scout Finch returns to our lives as a young adult and brings with her the struggles of how to relate to her 1950s world, her father and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

The same day Go Set a Watchman drops into stores, the second novel from Ernest Cline (known for the Sci-Fi hit Ready Player One) hit the shelves. Armada begins as a novel about a boy who is ranked sixth in the nation for playing a highly popular video game. The book turns into a thriller after he discovers that what he’s been playing as a game is an actual, ongoing war. The fantastical story becomes a father/son coming-of-age tale that promises to be a great read for kids and adults alike.

A promising July nonfiction book is Big Science: Ernest Lawrence and the Invention That Launched the Military-Industrial Complex. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times journalist Michael Hiltzik, this engaging account is about the man who invented the “proton merry-go-round” and exposed subatomic information that forever changed science, our military and its relationship to commerce. This book sheds light on the shape of our military today by tracing it back to scientific researchers about ninety years ago.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS What Pet Should I Get? by Dr Seuss (Due 7/28) This never-ever-beforeseen picture book by Dr. Seuss about making up one’s mind is the literary equivalent of buried treasure. What happens when a brother and sister

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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B oo k s h e l f

visit a pet store to pick a pet? Naturally, they can’t choose just one. The tale captures a classic childhood moment — choosing a pet — and uses it to illuminate a life lesson: that it is hard to make up your mind, but sometimes you just have to do it! Told in Dr. Seuss’s signature rhyming style, this is a must-have for Seuss fans and book collectors alike, and a perfect choice for the holidays, birthdays and happy occasions of all kinds.

Available July 28. Order your copy today. All ages.

Ranger in Time by Kate Messner. Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever who has been trained as a search and rescue dog, is back for the second book in Kate Messner’s new chapter book series. In this adventure, Ranger travels to the Colosseum in ancient Rome at a time when gladiator fights and wild animal hunts were the norm.

Ranger befriends Marcus, a young boy whom he rescues from a runaway lion, and Quintus, a new volunteer gladiator. Can Ranger help Marcus and Quintus escape the brutal world of the Colosseum? Ages 8–12.

Return to Augie Hobble by Lane Smith.

Nothing ever goes quite right for Augie Hobble.

He lives at an amusement park, which should be an awesome place to grow up, but in actuality is a run-down, has-been kind of place. He just failed his creative arts class and now has to spend the summer doing a make-up project. And not only do the school bullies pick on him, he’s afraid he may have just killed his best friend. But something strange is going on and Augie’s project notebook may solve more than one of his problems. Readers who loved the quirkiness of the Stinky Cheese Man or the offbeat humor of A Tale Dark and Grimm, will devour this new novel by author/illustrator Lane Smith. Ages 9–13.

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. If Nancy Drew were the star of the hit show Scandal, the result would be The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

When Tess, a teen forced to move to D.C. to live with her infinitely powerful sister, begins school at an exclusive private high school in the city, she discovers she possesses a bit of the family gift for “fixing” people’s sticky situations. Throw in a handsome “bad boy,” a friend with a problem and a dead Supreme Court justice and what results is the perfect un-put-downable summer read. Ages 14 and up.

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid. An old car with deep red interior. A million miles of blacktop. A girl with a mission to see the Northern Lights.

Strangers who wander into caring, adventurous, seer-like Leila’s life and emerge altogether changed.

Let’s Get Lost is an amazing book that grabs you from the first page and stays with you long after you close the cover. Ages 14 and up. PS

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A SANDHILLS TRADITION SINCE 1964

WHY YES WE DO ROCK!

A Faith-Based Not For Profit Continuing Care Retirement Community 500 East Rhode Island Ave. Southern Pines, NC www.penickvillage.org (910)692-0300

P r op e r E n g l i s h

Tale of Two Summers Home is where your feet are warm

By Serena Brown

I write this sitting at my parents’ kitchen

table. It’s pouring rain outside and so green that the very light is linden. The garden is magnificent. I’m using a beloved yellow Labrador as a foot warmer. My mother is leaning on the Aga extolling its virtues. For those from warmer climes, an Aga is a Swedish castiron power house of a stove without which the inhabitants of the English countryside would have nowhere to warm themselves, incubate orphaned lambs, dry clothes, make toast or bubble slow-cooking stews for days on end. My parents and I are clad in wool and quilted vests and cheerfully agreeing that the weather is brightening up. My father is busy lighting the fire in the sitting room. My mother will make the most of the brightened weather by reading the Sunday papers outdoors swathed in fur rugs and tarpaulin. Welcome to an English summer.

I am in the northwest of England. I travelled up on the train yesterday — or down, as I was travelling away from London. One goes up to the capital regardless of geography; I have no idea why.

We passed rolling fields, swans on streams, mill houses, walled gardens, slow canals and stately homes. We flew through stations huddled with trainspotters, those most English of hobbyists, clutching notepads and thermos flasks of warm milky tea. We may have seen a Cheshire Cat. We

listened to the familiar litany of station stops: Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, Liverpool Lime Street.

“Is it strange being back?” my mother asked me. Yes. Yes it is, because the more time I live in the States, the more I become used to that oncealien way of life. It’s as though, now that it’s been a few years, a balance has tipped and I find myself missing some things and appreciating others no matter which side of the Atlantic we land. The giant top-loading washing machine in our American home, for one. What did I used to do when I found those missing socks that I now so thoughtlessly drop into the wash cycle? Stuff them back in the laundry basket like I did yesterday, I suppose, but it was a small adjustment.

I realise how much I have begun to take for granted the friendly greetings of the South. The courteous nod, the smiles and waves, “It’s a pretty day, isn’t it?” Admittedly it’s hard to say that when you’re muffled in a raincoat and talking through a balaclava. And up until now I’ve been in London, where I’ve become the weird country bumpkin who tries to smile at people.

The countryside is certainly friendlier, on the surface anyway.

Walking through the garden last night, I revelled in the scent of stocks, yew, lily of the valley, cherry blossom and the first of the roses on the cold breeze. A mist was forming over the pond. The cows mooed companionably. Occasionally I could hear the bark of a fox. An owl hooted from time to time. For a moment I did regret the hot Southern nights, that it was too cold to sit for a spell and drink in the sights, sounds and smells of an English summer evening. If only one could morph the two.

Of course I don’t really wish for that. I wouldn’t for anything confuse the senses in that way, or disturb the rhythms and equilibria of two such different worlds and ways of life. I am simply grateful that I know and love both.

The Labrador has moved to the front of the Aga. She’s stretched out for her afternoon kip. It’s time I put down my pen and keep her company. She’s taking up most of the space, but that’s all right. I’ll give her a biscuit and put on the kettle and we’ll sit together, our backs warmed by the stove, quietly observing the English summer. PS Serena Brown is a new mom and a treasured staff member at PineStraw magazine.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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papa d a d d y

To Change a Light Bulb How many tech-challenged, frugal fathers does it take?

By Clyde Edgerton

I just finished

putting a light bulb in my children’s bathroom. It took about thirty minutes — a teeny-tiny screw-in light bulb not much bigger than the head of a cotton swab. Before 1985 or so you could walk into a grocery store and buy a 40, 60, 75, or 100 watt light bulb, each about the size of a small baseball, with standard sized screw-in threads. No thinking involved.

You can do that now, but if your house was built in the last twenty years or so — or remodeled — you will have to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and stand in front of a wall of many types of light bulbs. The wall is the size of a gym floor.

Our remodeled bathroom has two hanging lamps. They each hang on a cord from the ceiling. The so-called bulb that goes with each is about the size of the one for my children’s bathroom, but rather than screw-in threads it has two pins sticking out of it. The pins are side by side and maybe three-quarters of an inch long. You stick the pins up into the receptacle that is under the little conical shade. Mine kept burning out until somebody told me you are not supposed to touch the glass part. By that time, in frustration, I’d torn off some of my shirts.

I read the packaging that cannot be removed without a two-ton log splitter, and sure enough the warning was there in ultra-fine print: Don’t touch the contents of this

Illustration by harry Blair

package with your skin.

People. You are not supposed to touch them? Oh, did I say that these bulbs cost eight to twelve dollars each? I now close my eyes in front of the great wall in Lowe’s when looking for a bulb, and just pick one and keep my eyes closed at the cash register when I buy them so I can’t know how much I’m paying. I often get the wrong bulb, same as when I was keeping my eyes open. And I stumble into people and displays here and there.

Given what I’ve spent for light bulbs in the last year, if my father were alive he would die.

Those two pin-like prongs can go in several ways, but only one way makes the light work. Back when I was foolishly touching the bulb several months ago, sometimes the light came on; sometimes it didn’t. I started hitting the shades and they’d come on, but less and less often. Now they won’t work at all. We have a lamp found in the attic placed by the bathroom sink now. It has the new kind of lamp

bulb that replaced the older ones, of course. Lithium, or whatever it is. For some reason it lights at half power for a half hour before it comes on all the way.

The one that stopped working in the children’s bathroom tonight was, as mentioned, a tiny screwin bulb, vaguely similar to the ones with the pin-like prongs, and I found another just like it in a plastic bag in the tool drawer, without instructions, so I didn’t know if I could touch it or not. I held it in a paper towel and stood on a stool that was too short for me to see down into the open-at-the-top, globe-like light container. I couldn’t find the receptacle, though I was searching for it with my finger when my 10-year-old son came in and said, “You want me to turn off this light switch?”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

He turned it off and said, “You are doing that and you forgot to turn off the light switch?”

“Go do your homework.”

I got a tall stool from the kitchen so I could see down into the opentopped globe and find the receptacle to screw the tiny bulb into. Climbing up onto the kitchen stool by way of the short stool, I bumped my head on the ceiling.

In our laundry room, three of four light bulbs have been burned out for a month or so. I’m maybe not supposed to touch them either. They are one of two sizes that are used in our ceilings. I always get the wrong size — just recently started bringing home both sizes. Except I think I’ve run out of one size, but can’t remember which.

Let me tell you a true story. The first time my father and uncle stayed in a hotel room, probably in the 1920s, they found a light bulb hanging from a cord in the middle of the room. They’d never seen one. When it got dark outside they didn’t realize you could turn it off. They were probably a little afraid of it.

They moved a dresser to the middle of the room, under the light, and placed a bedside table on the dresser. The bedside table reached just above the light bulb.

They opened the drawer to the table, placed the hanging lighted bulb inside, and closed the drawer.

They didn’t know how lucky they were. PS Clyde Edgerton is the author of ten novels, a memoir and a new work, Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers. He is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at UNCW.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Sanford Medical Group Walk-In Clinic 555 Carthage Street Sanford, NC 27330 Phone: 919-774-6518

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Vine Wisdom

Summer Whites Light, crisp and perfect for summer dining

By Robyn James

Hot weather may turn many people away

from wine to a malt beverage, but not me. I look forward to changing my styles of wine just as the season changes.

This is not the time for a big, heavy, rich and buttery chardonnay, but the lighter, crisper styles of whites. All of these selections match beautifully with summer salads featuring chicken or tuna, and shellfish dishes. Here are my choices for soaring temperatures.

Photograph by JOhn Gessner

Enza Prosecco, Italy, approx. $13

I love this sparkler and it’s the perfect base for a Bellini or mimosa!

“Bright and balanced, this floral version shows notes of cantaloupe, candied ginger and poached white peach. Zesty finish.” THE WINE SPECTATOR

Paul D. Grüner Veltliner, Austria, approx. $13 1 Liter

People are still discovering grüner, one of my go-to wines for summer.

It has crisp, bright, minerally flavors of stone fruits and a vibrant, intense acidity. The signature flavor of grüner shines through in this selection, that beautiful touch of white pepper.

Domaine Lafage Miraflors Dry Rosé, France, approx. $17

I can’t get enough of this dry rosé from one of my favorite red grapes. It tastes identical to the rosés from Bandol for a third of the price. It is comprised of mostly mourvedre, with a smaller part grenache; it is decidedly Provençal in style with juicy, pure strawberry, citrus, orange peel and ample

minerality as well as a medium-bodied, racy profile on the palate. Hard to resist, with fabulous purity, enjoy it over the coming year.

Château De Berne, Côtes De Provence, Impatience Rosé, approx. $22

Dry rosé is so perfect for summer, I just have to include a pair of them.

This one is a little pricier, but worth the treat; it is simply delicious.

Provence is the magical home of this delightful wine, with fetching strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors from grenache and spicy cherry from cinsault. It is light and lacy in the mouth, with lively acidity.

Mont Gravet Côtes De Gascogne, France, approx. $9

Here’s the summer deal of the year. This wine is 100-percent colombard, a little consumed grape that is fresh and clean.

“Shows good acidity behind the bright green herb and crunchy pippin apple flavors, with notes of citrus zest. Hints of richness emerge on the creamy finish.” RATED 88 POINTS, A BEST VALUE, THE WINE SPECTATOR

Kono Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, approx. $13 Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is a match made in heaven for shellfish. Many have crept up in price, so Kono represents a great value!

Tangy and bright, with juicy flavors of fresh lime juice, ruby grapefruit, pineapple and lemon, set on a light, smooth body. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at robynajames@gmail.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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T h e k i tc h e n g a r d e n

Mosquito-Repelling Plants Aye, there’s the rub

By Jan Leitschuh

“Facing savage

weather, merciless insects, unreliable maps and a fickle companion whose profoundest wish was to go to a motel and watch The X-Files, Bryson gamely struggled through the wilderness to achieve a lifetime’s ambition — not to die outdoors.”

— Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods “Merciless insects” — that’s one of the milder epithets for Summertime’s buzzing/crawling/eyeball-diving scourge, the stinging hordes that view your tender skin as the ultimate evening snack. They make gardening, or even sitting on one’s deck a misery in warm weather.

Though we will have to wait until Labor Day to see Bill Bryson’s best-selling book appear as a movie starring Robert Redford, and Redford’s treatment of the Appalachian Trail’s “merciless insects,” the repelling of mosquitoes is a subject I have some sincere mileage with. I’ve walked this talk — literally.

I came across an article recently extolling the mosquito-repelling plants one could install in the home landscape. There really are plants that repel mosquitoes, and there is scientific research to back them.

But merely planting them in likely places is unlikely to be sufficient.

These scorching July days find kitchen gardeners dashing out early morning or after sundown for garden chores of watering, weeding, tying up laden tomatoes and peppers, picking beans, squash and cukes, cutting zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers, chasing off the deer or simply admiring the fruits of their labors.

Those are also the optimal times for the mosquitoes to zero in on the delicious, exposed skin of the gardener.

So. You could wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants, socks, gloves and a hat.

Will you? Probably not. (Note: Against advice, AT hikers generally don’t either).

It’s bloody hot out!

Next option: Spray ourself down with DEET, a chemical that masks the molecular signals insects use to find that one last sweet inch of your exposed skin. This is where my “mileage” with bug repellents begins.

Being from the north woods, my protective mother always hosed us down liberally with DEET before turning us loose. She was a good mother, wanted to spare us the itching and swelling of bites, and knew mosquitoes could carry encephalitis and other nasty diseases. We didn’t even know about West Nile virus back then, or the truly horrid Lyme disease spread by deer ticks.

And it’s not just the north. Mosquitoes here also carry encephalitis. Sandhills

ticks can carry such debilitating diseases as erlichiosis; a friend, and even my dog, tested positive for it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends use of insect repellent when outside for “even a short time.” So take what I am about to say with a grain of salt — but also with an open mind. There might be a useful nugget to try.

In the early 2000s, I decided to hike the entire Appalachian Trail after my mother died.

Methodically, I began to research backpacking gear. In the process, I saw dire online warnings from experienced through-hikers regarding summertime mosquitoes on the AT. Most recommended carrying 100 percent DEET to offset the particularly maddening insect hell that is the New Jersey-swamps-toMassachusetts-ponds in June and July. The concluding states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in August ran a close second for insectoid misery. “Merciless insects,” indeed.

Until then, I hadn’t realized that 100 percent DEET was even available. It sounded nuclear and powerful, just the ticket for zapping annoying bugs on my own little “walk in the woods.” But when I read that it ruined one man’s plastic eyeglass lenses, etching them beyond saving, I thought I might look a little deeper — just do a little more research on this common insecticide.

I soon learned that DEET was a neurotoxin. Studies showed it caused brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. Brain cells, I’m learning as I age, are rather useful bits to preserve. In hiking the AT, I was going to require “frequent and prolonged” use.

Rats treated with an average human dose of DEET (40 mg/kg body weight) performed far worse when challenged with physical tasks requiring muscle control, strength and coordination. This exposure causes neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle movement, learning, memory and concentration.

A Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist, Mohamed Abou-Donia, who spent thirty years researching the effects of pesticides, said rats given even small doses of DEET for sixty days had a harder time accomplishing even the easiest tasks. Short-term exposure to DEET does not appear to be harmful, he said, but he warned against using any product with more than a 30 percent concentration. Hmmm . . . 100 percent DEET exceeded that by a factor of 3+.

Disease or dementia? A catch-22. That did not sound like a good choice at all to me.

You see, while backpacking through hot, sweaty days, for months on end, it just did not make sense to me to hose myself down daily with a neurotoxin and then marinate in my sleeping bag at night. I also learned the chemical was partially absorbed through the skin.

I dug deeper. And what I discovered astounded me.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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T h e k i tc h e n g a r d e n

Turns our researchers at Iowa State university discovered that catnip oil was . . . ten times more effective than DEET. Let me say that again . . . ten times more effective than DEET. But don’t believe me. Google it yourself. It has also been shown to repel ticks. Why isn’t this front page news?

Since I was by necessity going a long time between showers while hiking, it made sense for me to try something benign, something I had some familiarity with. I’d grown catnip in the garden for my cats, and drunk it for a sleeptime tea.

Online, I found some catnip oil produced by a Canadian company that grew the plants as well. The concentrated oil was expensive. Distilled oils are generally too intense to use undiluted, so I bought a little two-ounce pump spray bottle. I filled it with water and a little rubbing alcohol, and dripped about fifty drops of the catnip oil into the sprayer. I then shook the little sprayer to distribute the oil, and squirted out a few sprays.

It smelled mildly herbal and somewhat like old bong water, not that I ever knew anything about that. I could live with the scent. And that is what I took on my long walk, figuring I could pick up some DEET along the way if the catnip failed me.

Turns out, 2003 was a very wet year. It rained and rained and then rained some more. And the mosquitoes were truly vicious that year. Yet I never bought that DEET. I hiked in shorts and a short-sleeved tee. I remember one time, standing on a boardwalk through a New Jersey swamp and looking down, horrified, to see my legs black with mosquitoes. Out came my trusty pump sprayer — a few shakes, and I dosed my right leg on the outside. I never got to my left leg — instantly, the mosquitoes flew off.

Hmmm, I thought, this stuff is good. Maybe I’ll leave the other leg untreated as a control and just see what happens today.

I hiked the rest of the day untroubled by mosquitoes. The only annoyance was my fellow hikers’ jokes about attracting cats. The experiment impressed me to no end.

Since then, I have always made sure I have catnip growing in or near my garden. It’s an easy herb to grow (if you don’t have cats sleeping on it). I don’t buy the expensive oils anymore; I just grow them.

However, planting plants alone isn’t enough to repel mosquitoes, it seems to me. There are plenty of mosquitoes flying around my garden, catnip or no.

The plants have to release their oils to be repellent.

To do that, it’s best to crush the leaves. My method is simplicity itself. I just grab a handful of young leaves and rub them down my arms and legs when the mosquitoes start to trouble me.

It works for me — maybe for you?

Catnip is at its most lush in May, so after it goes to seed and the leaves lose their potency, I use other common herbs nearby. The next herb I tried was basil, also in the mint family, like catnip. I was about

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Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and co-founder of the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative.

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pesto-ed out in August anyway, and the plants were close to sending out flowers, signaling they were switching from vegetative (leaf production) to reproductive (seed) mode. Why not try basil, a catnip cousin? I thought. Let’s just see . . .

It turns out basil worked for me as well. It kept the mosquitoes away.

Since then, I have tried pungent rosemary, marigold leaves, lemon thyme, chocolate mint and lavender, all with good result, rubbing the leaves on my arms and legs when bugs interfere with my gardening pleasure. Strong-smelling rosemary, thyme and lavender are in the mint family and useful to have in the garden anyway, and marigolds are just plain smelly (in a nice, cheerfully herbal way).

I suspect there are any number of strong-smelling herbs or their oils that might assist kitchen gardeners. Though I grow lemon balm and bee balm (monarda), I have yet to try them, but they are common, cited and are also from the useful mint family.

Some people say pennyroyal will deter mosquitoes, but it’s not a common culinary herb, so I haven’t given it a go. Citronella plant is commonly cited as useful, though I have no experience with it either, beyond the candles everyone sets around their barbecues. Lemon eucalyptus I haven’t seen growing here, but the oil is cited by the CDC as useful. Lemongrass is also considered anti-mosquito.

The pretty blue-flowered catmints are also in the same nepeta genus as catnip, and should work.

Many of these plants have a little research out there to back them, but direct experience is your best proof, don’t you think? It doesn’t matter what I or anyone else says; what you want to know is, “Will it work for me?” The only way to know is to try.

Some basic common sense is involved. First, rub your herb of choice on a small patch of skin to be sure you’re not unusually sensitive to its oils — unlikely, but there’s the disclaimer. Second, if you use purchased essential oils instead of backyard plants, know that most essential oils are far too strong to put directly on the skin without dilution; cedar, citrus, oil of lemon eucalyptus and clove oils are often cited as useful. Finally, if the natural method doesn’t help you, find another method to fall back on. Use DEET, and shower as soon as possible.

To me, the beauty of using one’s own mosquitorepelling plants is simply immediacy, convenience and a hefty dose of native German thrift. Minutes stolen to work in the garden are precious to me.

Why halt the fun to root around in the house for the bug spray, when I’m surrounded by natural repellents that work for me? I just grab a handful — and rub.

Merciless insects, begone! PS

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

41

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42HIGHLY July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills TRAINED EXPERTS IN

WE STAND BEHIND EVERY TRANE.

O u t of t h e B l u e

Boppa Knew Best

Practical wisdom from a wise man from another time

By Deborah Salomon

On Father’s Day

Every closet was shelved; every wall switch had a dimmer. He was so proud.

5. Know a workman (be he/she a surgeon, barber, cook, mechanic) by his tools. At the end of each day, Boppa returned his workshop to perfect order. He disliked painting but meticulously cleaned the brushes after every touch-up. Once, he cajoled me into painting the fence. What a lecture, when I didn’t seal the can properly, by hitting it with a mallet.

just passed, I smiled thinking of my father’s philosophies and admonitions, most resulting from a desperately poor childhood played out against Manhattan’s Lower East Side of the early 1900s. Immigrant families were packed into tenements; ethnic gangs ruled the streets. Conditions went from bad to horrible when my grandfather — disillusioned and disappointed — deserted his wife and seven children and returned to the Old Country, leaving the six sons to support the family. None finished school until adulthood.

6. Actions help others as much as donations. Boppa was more than frugal except for those five-dollar bills.

But he was charitable, too, never refusing to donate his handyman skills to neighbors or the needy. Maybe that’s why I’m a compulsive cookie-taker.

10 Things My Father Tried to Teach Me

9. Wasting food is a sin. When the chicken carcass looked bare, Boppa spent

Luckily, my father had an aptitude for woodworking, salesmanship and “fixing things.” He had no trouble finding jobs. But he always thought small, lacking the confidence to take risks, lest he be forced, once again, to steal apples off pushcarts.

But he did feel qualified to give advice, especially to me, his only child. So on that rather contrived day honoring dads, I jotted down . . .

1. Never underestimate the power of cash. Boppa (as my children called him)

traveled the forty-eight selling a line of novelties to retailers. When I went away to college, every Monday brought a short, newsy letter with a five-dollar bill attached. What a welcome sight that was, in the days when five dollars bought something. I continue the practice in birthday cards for my grandsons. Except Benjamin Franklin stares back from their bill.

2. Nothin’ says lovin’ like onions and garlic in everything. Boppa had Eastern European tastes, craved strong flavors. My mother cooked from her Southern upbringing, when she cooked at all. I inherited his palete. So we would sneak chopped onions into the scrambled eggs, and rub the roast with garlic. You can’t imagine what a smidgen of horseradish does for a blah tuna sandwich.

3. Always turn off the breaker before messing with a plug, outlet or ceiling fixture. I was Boppa’s second pair of hands when he worked around the house, which was constantly. There’s no better way to learn the basics of carpentry, plumbing and electrical than being there. Of course I was terribly annoyed when he pulled me away from sunbathing, or an exciting novel — never imagining I would marry a man who couldn’t understand why a plug and outlet were called male and female, respectively.

4. Owning a home is life’s ultimate achievement. Boppa owned only one — stone, well-built, on a nice lot with a full above-ground basement for his shop. He was determined to retire the mortgage fast and he did, in four years, by working his tail off. No floorboard in that house squeaked, no door stuck, no faucet dripped.

7. Never buy anything newfangled until it is “perfected.” Color TV came on

strong in the late 1960s. But, much as he loved sports, Boppa refused to buy one.

Yet he’d stand mesmerized in front of a bank of TVs at Sears on a Saturday afternoon. Finally, for his 80th birthday, I phoned a store and had one delivered — a Zenith, “the best.” He was ecstatic. The reason, of course: somebody else paid.

8. Never put off ’til tomorrow what you can patent today. Not only was Boppa Mr. Fix-it, he was Mr. Invent-it. He spent months devising and constructing a panel with skate wheels that attached to the bottom of a suitcase, forerunner to roller bags. Had he pursued a patent, I’d be living on a private island with pizza delivered by Learjet. He also made devices to help the elderly reach cans on high shelves, pull on socks, ease into and out of the bathtub.

thirty minutes excising every scrap of meat with his penknife. “One more sandwich!” he’d squeal triumphantly before boiling the bones for soup stock.

Foil packets containing a few peas and a spoonful of mashed potatoes littered the fridge. Likewise, he railed at buying garbage bags, only to discard them. He rolled newspaper logs for the fireplace. Old underwear became dusting rags and socks, Swiffer prototypes. He turned lumber scraps into cutting boards, building blocks and picture frames with perfectly mitered corners.

10. Cherish photographs. Cameras fascinated Boppa. He owned what is now a priceless Graflex. I have pictures taken on the battlefields of France during World War I, where he bunked in a tent and drove an ambulance. He documented my childhood on 8mm.

When he died in 1985, at 91, Boppa had survived poverty, The Great War, The Great Depression, fifty-plus years of smoking, several serious accidents and two strokes. Characteristically, he willed his body to a medical school. Boppa’s legacy wasn’t riches or possessions — although I still have some furniture from his workshop. Instead, he bequeathed to me common sense, cunning, frugality, practicality, a sense of humor and the most important lesson of all: When all else fails, try garlic. PS Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

43

HISTORIC OLD TOWN

Village of Pinehurst Rich in History, Southern Charm & Amenities... All Within A Scenic Stroll!

Apparel CoolSweats

Boutiques Eye Max Optical Boutique The Potpourri Old Sport & Gallery

Salons & Spas Elaine’s Hairdressers

Restaurants & Pubs Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour & Gift Shoppe

Services Village of Pinehurst Rentals & Golf

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July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Ho m e to w n

Special Delivery

A small mailbox at the Southern Pines Post Office holds something precious — my family’s history

By Bill Fields

I don’t have much of an emotional

attachment to my current post office. The employees are nice enough, but the lines are long and its architecture has all the soul of a strip mall built in 1976. The parking lot, a skating rink during a wicked New England winter just past, is often full. Still, I pay money to get my mail there. It’s in my blood.

The U.S. Postal Service gets a bad rap — not always without cause, although some of its woes aren’t self-inflicted. But if the day comes when there isn’t a post office on the corner of West New York Avenue and South West Broad Street in Southern Pines, I won’t be happy.

Our family has had a box there since before I was born, and that is not very far south of 60 years. As much as ham at Easter or Monopoly games at Christmas, picking up mail at that 1937 building with the brass eagle over the door and the large Josef Presser painting in the lobby is part of who we are.

I won’t tell you the box number because that would make my sharp and spry mother, who goes to the post office several times a week to see if Coastal Living or the cable bill has come, mad. Let’s just say it has four digits that I know as well as my Social Security number. I look them in the eye if I make a mail run for Mom now, but as a boy I had to crane my neck and stand on my toes to see if the box was empty or occupied.

The mail that has come through that small rectangle behind the sturdy key lock tells a story of my life and that of my family, correspondence of dreams and debt, delight and dread.

It has seen postcards of Atlanta and Mexico City and Paris from my sister who traveled, greetings penned in handwriting so tiny she could fit the Bible

on a church bulletin. There were the annual childhood birthday wishes I received from a family friend, two crisp dollar bills tucked over the verse.

Our box has seen college acceptances and grades — the latter welcomed more after some semesters than others — condolence notes after my father’s death, letters from a neighborhood pal who spent the summers in New York. Around the holidays, there would be Christmas cards aplenty filling the box for much of December, which led to a deflating January when it was back to bills and such. Amid the mundane came my weekly treat, Sports Illustrated, with someone like Lee Trevino, Archie Manning or Tom Seaver on the cover.

The sight of a slip indicating that a parcel was waiting carried the joy of an Almond Joy bar unexpectedly brought home by my dad. That notice could mean a package wrapped in a repurposed grocery bag and cinched with twine.

Once it signaled an oversize envelope from Monsanto with information about Astroturf that I had requested for a sixth-grade report. Another time a clerk delivered an autographed picture of my football hero, Sonny Jurgensen. If it was too big for the box, it was usually something good.

It isn’t just what came in the mail that sticks with me. It was the familiar ritual of going there, of seeing the author Glen Rounds on the way in or the banker Tommie Jessup on the way out, walking past the big magnolias and the tall flagpole. On a table inside, there was a green blotter if you had to write something, which helped a little with those ballpoint pens on chains that seldom seemed to work. In line for stamps or to claim a package, you were with people you knew. As often as not, the person behind the counter was the parent of a schoolmate.

I don’t know the customers or the clerks these days, but when I pass under that eagle I still feel like I belong. PS Southern Pines native Bill Fields never lived on Connecticut Avenue but has lived in the actual Connecticut for a long time.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

45

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PineStraw CreativeWorkshops Say No to Auto

The Dance of Photography

Are you stuck on auto? Having a hard time embracing the camera

In this one day workshop, students will be challenged to produce images that are technically correct and beautifully composed by using advanced features on the camera and training the eye for artistic interpretation. Technique meets artistry to create photographs that stir the senses and evokes an emotion by the viewer.

Digital photography basics with Laura L. Gingerich

user manual? Are your photos lacking the “wow” factor?

If yes, this beginner workshop is for you. This easy-going, hands-on course is designed to get beginners off automatic by understanding the capabilities of the digital camera and unleashing the inner photographer. Transform a snapshot into a work of art through lectures, lively discussions, field work and friendly critiques. No previous knowledge or experience required.

Topics Covered: What makes a great image? Aperture.

Shutter speed. Exposure Compensation. ISO. Color.

Composition.

Workshop List: Digital SLR camera or camera with manual controls. Camera manual. Bag lunch.

Where: Pinestraw Magazine 145 W. Pennsylvania Ave l Southern Pines When: Saturday, August 15, 2015 l 9am-4pm Cost: $95, limited to 8 attendees Instructor: Laura L. Gingerich Register: 910-693-2508 (by August 11)

Say good bye to blasé images with Laura L. Gingerich

Topics Covered: Camera Mechanics. The Exposure Triangle. Reading the Histogram. The Digital Darkroom. JPEG and RAW. The Art of Seeing. The Elements of Design.

Workshop List: Digital SLR camera or camera with manual controls. Camera manual. Bag lunch.

Where: Pinestraw Magazine 145 W. Pennsylvania Ave l Southern Pines When: Saturday, August 22, 2015 l 9am-4pm Cost: $95, limited to 8 attendees Instructor: Laura L. Gingerich Register: 910-693-2508 (by August 18)

For More Information: 910-693-2508 • pinestrawworkshops@gmail.com 46

July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

B I R D WA T C H

Pileated Woodpecker

The big, beautiful sovereigns of the forest are doing well in North Carolina

By Susan Campbell

One of the largest and most distinctive

birds of the forest, the pileated woodpecker is unmistakable. Its dark body, white wing patches and red crest make it seem almost regal, and it wouldn’t be wrong to call it the king or queen of the forest.

As with most of our woodpecker species, they are nonmigratory. In search of food, however, they do roam widely, sometimes in a footprint several square miles in size. Pileateds can be found across our state, anywhere there are large, old trees. Whether you pronounce their name PIE-lee-ated or PILL-ee-ated may depend on what part of the state you come from. Webster’s says either is correct, with PIE-lee-ated being more common.

However you say it, such a sizable bird is bound to make a loud noise.

Indeed pileateds do get your attention. You’ll most likely hear them foraging or calling. But you’ll also hear the distinctive booming echo that comes when they work on a hollow tree or the thudding that comes as they pound their way through thick bark. Although pileateds do not sing, they make a distinctive piping sound, similar to a flicker, which tends to end in a crescendo. They may also employ a sort of “wuk” call as a way of staying in contact with one another as they move about the forest. Although males are the ones that typically make the most racket, both sexes let intruders know when their territory has been compromised. Pairs are monogamous and raise a set of up to five young in a season.

When nesting, pileateds create oblong cavity openings in trees that are quite distinctive. Males choose the dead or dying tree in late winter and do most of the excavation. Females will help especially toward the end of

the process. The nest is unlined: consisting simply of a layer of wood chips at the bottom of the cavity. Deep holes that pileateds create are not reused once the young fledge. So these openings into dead or dying trees provide key habitat for not only other species of woodpeckers but also for snakes, lizards and mammals that require holes for some part of their life history.

Pileateds, of course, are happiest when feeding on insects and other invertebrates in dead and dying wood. But they are opportunistic, taking fruits and nuts as well. In the fall, it’s not uncommon to catch a pileated hanging upside down on a dogwood branch, stripping it of berries. Given their large appetites, adults may divide the fledglings for the first several months as they teach the youngsters to forage. It may take six months or more before the young birds are on their own.

If your bird feeder is within a pileated pair’s territory, you may be lucky enough to attract one or more to a sunflower seed or (more likely) to a suet feeder or mealworms. As long as they have room to perch or have something to cling onto, they may not be shy about becoming a regular visitor, especially during the late winter or early spring as breeding season gets under way and insects are less abundant.

These big, beautiful birds are, from what we can tell, doing well here in North Carolina. Sadly their extinct cousins, the ivory-billeds, who were more specialized and inhabited only bottomland forest, suffered a sad fate.

They did not fare so well with the arrival of Europeans and the associated clearcutting of their habitat early in the last century. But that is a different story for another month . . . PS Susan would love to hear from you. Feel free to send questions or wildlife observations to susan@ncaves.com (or 910-585-0574).

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

47

Honor and purpose don’t end with retirement.

In fact, they become more important than ever.

That’s why I chose Well•Spring.

I had the privilege of leading our men and women in a variety of assignments, including Corps Commander, Commandant of Cadets at West Point, and in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Germany. When my wife Marty and I chose Well•Spring it would be our thirty-third home! Here we found a welcoming, active, and caring community, perfectly suited for a comfortable and productive retirement.

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48

www.well-spring.org 4100 Well Spring Dr. Greensboro, NC 27410 (800) 547-5387 • (336) 545-5468 A member of Well•Spring Services, Inc.

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LIEUTENANT GENERAL. US ARMY, RETIRED

Walter F. Ulmer, Jr. Resident since 2010

July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

A No v e l Y e ar

Counting the Days and Weeks Whatever her true age, every moment with a daughter is a gift

By Wiley Cash

We were at the O.Henry

Hotel, when my wife and I first realized that we had no idea how old our infant daughter was. How is this possible? you might be asking. How can someone not know his child’s age, especially when said child has accumulated so little of it? I wish our confusion could be blamed on sleepless nights, but our daughter has always slept well from the day she was born. How incredible it would be to explain the mix-up by revealing a tale of intrigue: a lost birth certificate, amnesia, the mysterious changeling we discovered one morning in our child’s crib. But the truth is much less interesting.

My wife and I are simply bad at math.

It was a Friday night in late February, and we’d checked into the hotel for an event I’d be attending the following evening. Our daughter, who’d been born in late September and was therefore somewhere around 5 months old, hadn’t slept in the same room as us since her first few weeks home from the hospital. Her naps and 7 p.m. bedtime are sacred, and we do everything we can to honor both her need for quality sleep and the quiet, dark space necessary to achieve it, so we were wary of staying two nights in a hotel room with her sleeping in a travel crib just feet from our bed. With that in mind we decided that 7 p.m. would mean “lights out” for everyone.

We ordered room service. We got ready for bed. We fed our daughter and put her down to sleep. We then climbed into bed with our novels and new reading lamps that had been purchased specifically for these close quarters.

I clipped my reading lamp onto the novel I’d brought with me — Gail Godwin’s A Mother and Two Daughters — and I soon realized that reading in this manner would require both perfect balance and precise timing. Each time I turned the page the lamp’s neck would swing like a pendulum and bathe the room in light as if a lighthouse were strafing the ocean in search of lost ships. The same thing happened if I moved or resettled myself. I spent more time trying to refocus the beam of the reading lamp than I spent reading.

My wife, a lapsed Catholic who isn’t lapsed enough to forgo her nightly prayers, opened her eyes and looked at me, my reading lamp swiveling like a siren every time I turned the page.

“I feel like I’m in a disco,” she whispered, averting her eyes as the light careened toward her.

We decided that one reading lamp would be enough for the two of us, so

we placed it on the bed between our heads and aimed it in the direction of our pages. It was cozy: the two of us reading in bed after a wonderful dinner, the lights extinguished not long after sunset, the knowledge that a long, comfortable night of sleep was ahead of us.

But it wasn’t to be.

At some point in the night I realized my wife had gotten out of bed, and when she returned I asked if everything was OK. She sighed and said, “Let’s talk about it in the morning.” She tossed and turned for a few more minutes, and then, after a little more prodding, she broke the news.

“She’s not 5 months old,” she whispered.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “This past Monday marks twenty weeks since the day she was born.”

“But twenty weeks aren’t five months.”

“There are four weeks in a month,” I said.

“But there are more than twenty-eight days in a month.”

“Then why do people count weeks after babies are born?” I asked. “Why not count months?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “She won’t be 5 months old until the twenty-ninth of this month. That’s not for eight more days. We’ve made her older than she actually is.”

“There are only twenty-eight days in February,” I said.

Our confusion only grew.

While my wife sank into a momentary despair caused by both the confusion over our daughter’s age and the fact that we had actually aged her, I pondered the novel I’d been reading just a few hours earlier. In it, the recently widowed Nell Strickland welcomes home her two 30-something-year-old daughters, both of whom are reeling from the challenges, successes and disappointments of adulthood. With the wisdom that comes from both age and parenting, Nell perceives her daughters’ fears and desires in the same ways she perceived them when they were little girls under her wing. Although so much about her daughters has changed, much more has stayed the same.

“We were only off by a week,” I whispered. “That’s not bad for firsttime parents.”

To my surprise, my wife’s stifled laughter lifted from the darkness beside me.

“We could look at it like we’re getting a week back,” she said. “An extra eight days we get to spend with her.”

“And she’s still the same baby,” I said. “The same girl, no matter whether she’s 5 months old or 4 months and 3 weeks.”

“That’s true,” she said. “She’s the same little girl.”

Beside me, I felt my wife’s body relax and her breathing slowed as she edged toward sleep. In the corner of the room, our 5-month-old baby girl who suddenly wasn’t quite 5 months old stirred almost soundlessly in her crib, and then, just as she always had, slept calmly and peacefully through the night. PS Wiley Cash is a New York Times best-selling author whose second novel, This Dark Road to Mercy, was released last year. He lives in Wilmington.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

49

910-521-4463 • locklearcabinets.com

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July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

S porti n g Lif e

The Great Unloading Out in the garage it’s easy to get lost

By Tom Bryant

I was really quite proud of myself. Here it was

going on seven months in the New Year of 2015 and I had kept almost all my New Year’s resolutions. Nope, what was it George Washington said? “I cannot tell a lie.” I didn’t keep three and honestly can’t even remember what they were. The fourth one I’m bound to keep because the lady of the house is now well and kicking after major back surgery, and hot after me to clean out my garage.

That New Year’s resolution must have been made under duress, because I do recall writing it down somewhere, and I don’t usually write those things down.

“I expect the ‘pickers’ from the History Channel to show up here some morning and ask permission to scrounge through your garage to see if they can find anything worthwhile. I’m sure they could find a lot of stuff; worthwhile might be iffy.” Linda, my bride, seems to have acquired a little more sarcasm since her recent bout in the hospital. She’s feeling a lot better, with no back pain. I think I’ll be cleaning out the garage tomorrow.

The first chore of what would be known as the Great Unloading was to move all the big stuff out into the drive. The old Bronco came first. Our son Tommy’s Mustang had to stay because when he was here on a recent visit, he removed the battery and radiator and propped them in a corner. He promised to take care of them on his next sojourn to Southern Pines. I had talked to him the evening before and told him, “Son, you need to get down here and pick up your stuff and take it back to your mountain. You’ve also

got to get this Mustang.”

Tommy’s ’89 Mustang is a classic.

It was his college car and has been stored in my garage since we relocated to Moore County. He’s a building contractor living on a mountaintop close to Fleetwood in the Boone area.

“Dad, I’ve got nowhere to put it until I finish building my storage/garage building. Don’t throw any of my things away. I’ll come down in a couple of weeks,” he pleaded.

I decided to just put his stuff in a pile in the corner.

After I got the bicycles and all the paraphernalia that went with them in the drive, I tackled my fishing equipment. Rods and reels, spinning outfits, lures in boxes and bait cans, and rod holders, paddles and life jackets and boat cushions, and I found one bait casting reel I thought I had lost years ago. Also under a table were two skeet throwers — one a manual stick thrower, the other a spring-loaded job. I had no idea where they came from.

Had to be Tommy’s, I thought.

Under the workbench I spotted an old metal footlocker I had in college.

It was dust-covered and grungy. I wiped it off with a wet rag, then hauled it outside. I pulled up a dove stool, opened the ancient box and saw it was filled with some of my Boy Scout equipment from years ago. I was just getting ready to go through the old discoveries when Linda came out the back door and said she was on her way to church for a meeting. “I’m proud of you, Honey,” she said. “Now, don’t get sidetracked looking through all that stuff. I’ll be back in a little while and help you.”

“OK, Babe,” I replied as I dug into the locker. The first thing I pulled out was my official Boy Scout cook kit, which was a little black and sooty. It was still in its cloth sheath, ready to go. I put it aside to clean up later. Next was a compass with a missing lens (still worked though), a camping knife, fork and spoon in a molded leather holder, a broken utility knife with half a blade, an aluminum canteen, and a hatchet with a cracked handle. Good stuff, I

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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thought. This equipment was prime in its day.

Belk in downtown Aberdeen used to be the dealer for official Boy Scout equipment. They sold everything from uniforms to cooking gear.

When I was in town, I always made a tour of Belk and the counter where the newest gear was displayed. Rarely did I, or any of my friends, have the money to buy the latest Boy Scout registered equipment; and if one of us did happen to get something from the wish counter, he was envied by the entire troop.

Portions of my uniform were in the locker: a green cloth web belt for a 28-inch waist, khaki shorts, a Scout kerchief, and my merit badge sash with all the badges I had earned while active in old Troop 206. I obtained the rank of Life while in the Boy Scouts, and one of my biggest regrets was not becoming an Eagle. I was almost there with all the qualifications, but along came the age of 16, and with it a driver’s license, sports and girls. The rank of Eagle was put on the back shelf until it was too late.

In the very bottom of the locker was my Order of the Arrow (OA) sash. It brought back tons of memories. Back when our troop was very active, we were part of the charter members of OA. I took my ordeal and was tapped as a member at Camp Durant in Raleigh. Part of the ordeal was to overnight in the woods alone with just a bedroll, then go through a day of silence with only a bologna sandwich for lunch. Afterward, we did odd jobs at the camp. That evening, around a blazing bonfire, we were tapped on the shoulder by an official in full Indian regalia and became members of the Order of the Arrow, a big event for a youngster of 14. The old sash was yellowed with age but still valuable to me, so I put it aside along with the merit badges for safekeeping.

In the distance, I could hear thunder booming, and it looked as if predicted rain was on the way. I dragged all the stuff back into the garage with the exception of the skeet throwers, which I put in the back of the Bronco.

Tomorrow, I’ll finish this. No, I can’t tomorrow. Supposed to go fishing. Maybe I can finish it next week. No, we’re supposed to go to the beach next week. Makes no difference. I’ve got the rest of the summer to get all this squared away, and at least now I know where some of my good stuff is.

I went inside with my two Scout sashes as the rain rolled in over the pines. Now I need to find a safe place to put these, I thought. Maybe Linda can help me when she gets home. She’s gonna love seeing these old Scout badges, but I’ve got to convince her that the garage stuff is not migrating to the house. PS Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

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July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Go l fto w n J o u r n a l

Booking It

The beach house beckons. Don’t forget a great golf book or two

By Lee Pace

The calendar flips to summer, the

Photograph by hugh morton

shrimp are frying in Calabash, the aroma of Coppertone hangs in the air, yet another confounded grain of sand’s to be whisked from the bed sheets. It’s time for the beach and a stack of good books, and here are ten golfing pearls from my shelves for your consideration.

(Modesty and good manners prevent shameless huckstering of the works of our editor, Jim Dodson, whose Final Rounds would otherwise make this list, or my own The Golden Age of Pinehurst, which chronicles the first and only time architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have allowed a writer unfettered access to their thinking and execution of a major design project, that being the two-year restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 beginning in February 2010. And also not included is my favorite genre, the coffee-table book. Certainly no sports lends itself as well to words and majestic color photographs like golf. But a three-pound tome like True Links is just too much for a beach bag.)

Listed in ascending order of book trim size: Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas, by James W. Finegan. Sad to say that author Finegan went to meet his maker just this spring, but happily he left behind three excellent compendiums on Ireland, Scotland and England, each one part golf guide but mostly travelogue. They’re entertain-

ing in and of themselves and portable enough to pop in your suitcase. In this book about Irish golf, Finegan fleshes out the details on hidden gems of the northwest like County Sligo as well as the more renowned clubs like Royal County Down. Mostly, though, he paints the beauty of the Emerald Isle: “My wife has never struck a golf ball, yet she long ago discovered that golf courses, especially those in the splendid dunesland, are among the most beautiful places in the world.”

Unplayable Lies, by Dan Jenkins. New to the bookshelf this year is Jenkins’ spring 2015 anthology of columns—some reprints and some new— and it looks comfortable perched alongside Jenkins’ classic 1970s novel of life on the pro golf tour, Dead Solid Perfect. Jenkins meanders in format and style from chapter to chapter, listing in one place some entertaining, longforgotten quotes from the world of golf and in another casting classic movie lines to the golf course. It’s good stuff, as daughter Sally Jenkins says in the foreword of her dad’s prose: “Peruse the easy rhythms and the jauntiness of phrasing, and yet the unfailing truthfulness and nail-on-the-head precision in each description.”

The Bogey Man, by George Plimpton. This is one of a series of participatory sports books crafted in the 1950s and ’60s by Plimpton, who helped found The Paris Review but also wrote of pitching in the major leagues and playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions before his month-long foray onto the PGA Tour in 1967. The book offers a revealing look at the psychology of the sport, and the amateur hack can readily identify with the 18-handicap author, who writes with a self-effacing style and notes that golf “is the best game in the world at which to be bad.” Plimpton shows you the emotional

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Go l fto w n J o u r n a l

highs enjoyed by a select few greats and the sobering lows endured by those with the yips, shanks and too many hours in the netherworld of the tour’s cocktail circuit.

Doctor Golf, by William Price Fox. The author was a longtime writer-in-residence at the University of South Carolina and wrote often about the Southern experience. But he loved golf and delved into the sport with this collection of Dear Abby-esque letters to and from the good doctor, who was the proprietor of a small golf club called Eagle-Ho Sanctuary in Arkansas. There they flog the caddies every six holes “with a soft-shafted mid-iron” and move balls from footprints in bunkers, reasoning that man is essentially a “burrowing animal” that thus his tracks, under the Rules of Golf, are exceptions from playing the ball “as it lies.” The doctor also advises on the “Care and Selection of a Wife” and how certain types of women are good mates for low-handicappers — essential information for all.

Golf Dreams, by John Updike. The author’s passion for the game is his most luminous calling card, and it is the thread weaving through these thirty pieces of writing culled from three decades of Golf Digest, The New Yorker and other magazines. In Updike’s golf life, “there ran always a bubbling undercurrent of hope, of a tomorrow when the skies would be utterly blue and the swing equally pure,” and he said of his love of the game at a USGA function one year, “I am curiously, disproportionately, undeservedly happy on a golf course, and perhaps we are all here for much the same reason.” You’ll find a kindred spirit in Updike at your private and personal 19th hole, especially helpful if you’ve just foozled a chip into the drink to lose the match.

The Match, by Mark Frost. Eddie Lowery made his first mark in golf by carrying Francis Ouimet’s bag at Brookline in the 1913 U.S. Open. Four decades later, he was a wealthy car dealer in San Francisco and made a bet that two of his salesmen, who happened to be crack amateur golfers, could beat any two professionals in a four-ball match. Thus it was that Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi squared off against Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson at Cypress Point in 1956, and the story of the golfers and their epic match is told in precise detail in Frost’s book. “I’m not about to be tied by a couple of damn amateurs in front of all these people,” Hogan said before draining a birdie putt on 18 to win, 1-up.

The Heart of a Goof, by P.G. Wodehouse.

Bertie Wooster is my favorite Wodehouse character, he and his sidekick Jeeves running amok over British aristocracy in the early 1900s, but The Oldest Member is a close second, very close.

From his perch on the veranda at a fictional club, The Oldest Member ruminates and tells

July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Go l fto w n J o u r n a l

stories on the vagaries of golf and its adherents.

The opening salvo in this book (The Clicking of Cuthbert is another Wodehouse treasure) tells of a “goof” named Jenkinson, “one of those unfortunate beings who have allowed this noblest of sports to get too great a grip upon them, who have permitted it to eat into their souls, like some malignant growth,” and tragically Jenkinson’s business failures appear to be a direct correlation to his “constant stream of hooks, tops and slices.” Usually there’s a happy ending, so stay for the finish.

Tommy’s Honor, by Kevin Cook. Pick this one up and you’ll not put it down until you’ve devoured the story of Old Tom Morris and his son Tommy, how they rose to the top of the game in a wild and wooly 1800s era when Scottish townsfolk hooted, spat at players and kicked golf balls into bunkers during championship matches. You’ll ache over the pain Old Tom suffered watching his son die at the age of 24 and the lengths the old man went to secure his son’s place in history. The book also is a riveting look at golf and life in the early days of St. Andrews.

To the Linksland, by Michael Bamberger.

Who among us would not put their lives on hold for a few months, hop to the United Kingdom for something utterly silly — like caddying on the European Tour and then traipsing about Scotland playing golf? That’s exactly what Bamberger did in February 1991. We meet Peter Teravainen, the Finnish player Bamberger caddies for, who, for ten years, has scraped out a living on the European Tour by playing hard, sleeping rough, traveling cheap and carrying cash. We travel to Machrihanish, an outpost on the western extremities of Scotland where the “early golfers unearthed the ambrosial course hidden within the great linksland.” All fascinating reading.

Following Through, by Herbert Warren Wind.

The thread tying many of these books together is that they’re anthologies, collections of various columns, essays, chapters and snippets from the respective author’s deep reservoir of golf history — perfect fare for the less structured time of summer. Who better to round the list off than the patron saint of golf writers, the late Herb Wind. Whether he’s writing about St. Andrews, Jack Nicklaus or The Masters, Wind goes into meticulous detail in these pieces lifted from a quarter of a century with The New Yorker. My favorite chapter is “North to the Links of Dornoch,” which for a Pinehurst maven is hearty fare with its relevance to the great Donald Ross. PS Lee Pace has written about golf in Pinehurst for 30 years and his most recent book is The Golden Age of Pinehurst — The Story of Rebirth of No. 2.

July 2015P����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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(910) 692-7271 PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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July 2015 Leashed We find a sweet, russet-colored hound on our morning walk. You give her that loving black Lab nuzzle while I examine her tags. Name: Penny, no address.

We press the bells on Wentworth Way until Penny’s recognized by a brisk woman with a cell.

She makes a call. Her yapping terrier rakes the screen.

You’re stunned anew by the hostility of your fellows.

Behind your back, across the street, Penny slips inside a door.

You turn to bewildering absence, tug sniffing up three walkways before Penny’s image dissolves, I’d like to think, in a shower of copper dust beneath a cartoon magician’s wand — Plink! — and her smell slides into your bank of scents.

You pick up the pace. If only I could learn the same.

— Michael Gaspeny

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Scenic Byways Part One

Along the Old Plank Road Ghosts and good neighbors, and some good old string music

A tale in which our intrepid traveling pair goes in search of the Pineland Trail, part of this scenic byways of the Sandhills

By Serena Brown • Photographs by L aura L. Gingerich 62

July 2015P���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

“I

s this a road?”

“It’s not on the map.”

“I love it.” Laura’s enthusiasm was palpable. I wasn’t sure whether she loved that the road did not exist or whether she loved the pine forest the track led into. We were looking for Parkwood, perhaps Moore County’s most famous ghost town. It was founded in the 1880s around a quarry that produced the finest millstone grit. Such was the quality of the millstones that they lasted far longer than the town, which had been abandoned by the end of the century. “. . . At least eight or nine buildings stand there, in the midst of the beautiful woods, entirely deserted; two or three cabins look as if they might have been occupied by workmen; a big, businesslike looking store is nearby; and up the hill is what was a fairly large hotel. In the last-named, through the windows we could see china and glass upon the table.

“The enormous amount of machinery, not only silent, but rusty; the piles of lumber standing just as they were taken from the mill; great, half-finished mill-stones lying about the place; a dilapidated set of post-office pigeon-holes, all give an air of desolation to all except the little stream that runs along rejoicing that its music is no longer drowned by the buzzing mills . . .”

So wrote Alice Stead Binney, an English-born visitor to the area, in 1901. More than a hundred years later Laura Gingerich, her camera and I set out on the Pineland Trail to see what we could find. The Pineland Trail, part of the Sandhills Heritage Gateway, runs along the route of the mid-nineteenth century Plank Road.

We were outfitted with Laura’s photography equipment and a somewhat out-ofdate road map that I had plucked from the deep litter of my car. We had been told that there was little left of the quarry town, but we both hoped for at least an essence of the bustling settlement that once was: a chip of that hotel china in the undergrowth or a splinter from the pigeon holes.

We got out of the car and crunched down an old gravel road. There was a structure ahead of us.

“There it is!” cried Laura. Then she said, “Oh! It’s a deer stand.”

We made our way farther into the woods, brushing through pine needles and bracken. We followed a deer path over a creek bed and found ourselves in a long narrow clearing. Rocks littered the pathway like so many foundation stones. Mysterious overgrown hillocks suggested collapsed houses.

“We’re walking down Main Street,” Laura said.

“I think you’re right,” I replied, listening to the rejoicing stream and imagining the buzzing mills. We tried to work out where the hotel had been; we imagined telephone calls running down the line to Carthage. But for the creek and the birds, it was nearly silent.

A cardinal led us on the trail back, bright red against the green of the trees.

We splashed through Richland Creek and admired the barn swallows’ nests under the bridge. Arriving back at the car, we planned our course through the old county farmland.

Delve into the history of Moore County, back before Moore County existed, and you begin to understand the importance of the watercourses that lace their way across the map. As they are inextricably linked with the state’s history, so they became entwined into our journey. The Little River, Killet Creek, Crane’s Creek, Governor’s Creek, McLendon’s Creek, Richland Creek, Deep River.

We passed rolling meadows, rich with grass and golden with dandelions, sparkling creeks and fine old buildings. We were at the confluence of Killet and McLendon’s creeks. Laura spotted a red-tailed hawk. We stopped to take some photographs and as we did, I checked our progress on the map. Something caught my eye.

“Laura,” I called. “I’ve got to tell you something hilarious.”

“What is it?”

“Parkwood’s on the map. We were nowhere near.”

Back on the road, looking for a dirt track that, like Parkwood, seemed to have gotten lost in the midst of time, we noticed we were getting low on gas. Mathematics are not my strong point, but I wrestled with the gauge and declared we could make it. “If we run out it’ll be worth it,” said Laura.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

63

We didn’t run out, and our journey was worth it. We made friends with some horses, and we found our dirt road. It wasn’t the road we were looking for, but it took us where we wanted to go.

The little hamlet of Parkwood nestles on either side of a railroad that stretches into the woods in both directions. Perhaps it once carried millstone grit. We got out of the car and marched purposefully up the tracks. We saw a bluebird and we clambered up and down the banks, but we didn’t find a ghost town.

We walked back to the tiny settlement, pausing to admire a fine old house and its magnificent grounds. Carole Wunderlin came to the door and, in true hospitable Southern fashion, gave us a tour of the house and garden. She introduced us to her son, John Inge, a pipemaker of extraordinary skill.

“This was Bessie Park’s house,” she told us. We liked the sound of Bessie Park.

She was a voracious gardener. “This is a constant surprise,” said Carole as we strolled around the lawns. “Something is always in bloom.”

We walked down toward the pond. The frogs were croaking a beguiling song. As we followed the path to the banks, Carole pointed out a millstone lying in the undergrowth. It has been there as long as she has known. Perhaps Bessie Park herself put it there, a keepsake of the days of industry. We all gazed at it, wondering at its gravity and strange power. Laura murmured, “We have found Parkwood.”

We were quietly jubilant as we drove away and continued on the Pineland Trail. We passed old millstones decorating the roadside. Now we knew why.

T

here is a pair of oak trees bordering Bethlehem Church Road.

They project magic. Behind them is a scramble of brush and beyond that a thick stand of pines. Have they always stood on their own? Were they left when the land was cleared for the road? Did their beauty save them? Did they signify a driveway, a farmhouse, shade for cattle or horses? Had they been a perch for a black bear or the neighborhood cougars?

It was a gorgeous afternoon, warm and bright. We drove along ribbons of tarmac fringed with luscious green. We passed white porches of wooden lace, tree-lined yards and pastures dotted with cattle and wildflowers.

We were heading for the Bryant House and McLendon Cabin, the oldest house in Moore County still on its original site.

They stand just by McLendon’s Creek, these two bastions of Moore County habitation. The McLendon Cabin was built by Joel McLendon in 1760. The creek is named for him. The land passed to James Bryant and then by descent to the Davis family.

James Bryant’s great-granddaughter, Flossie Bryant Davis, and her children gave the house with 3.4 acres to the Moore County Historical Association in 1969.

It is a happy place.

We learned about weaving and sewing, cooking and planting. A bluegrass band played on the porch. Laura talked to a lady in a crinoline, and I won a thousand Confederate dollars in a wager with a soldier. We met with many members of the Davis family, every one of them friendly, kind and brimming with stories about the houses.

We were shown a trapdoor in the bedroom, “for hiding folks during the war,” and were told how “Grandma took her pony up the stairs.”

I had the great privilege of talking with Bob Davis. His mother, Flossie Bryant Davis, was born in and grew up at the house. It was she who would take her pony upstairs. She married Tebe Davis. They had thirteen children. Bob Davis was one of those children, born nearly ninety years ago at the house on the creek.

Theirs was an idyllic childhood. “Times have changed a whole lot since a whole bunch lived here,” Bob Davis said, gazing at the homestead. “We lived good, we had plenty to eat. We played in the creek a lot . . . At that time there was a lot more water in the creek. We’d fish for great big fish — we thought they were big,” he added with a smile. “Grandmother was a great cook. People always bragged when they got to eat here. If things got a little scarce at times, she could fix a good meal out of not a whole lot. She was very talented.

“There were apples nearly everywhere back then,” Mr. Davis continued, “There used to be rows of them along the edge of the old road.” They were winesap apples, the right kind for the area. He told of collecting wood for crossties, touched on rye whiskey

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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and bootleggers, talked of Yankees in Eagle Springs planting peaches, and how he and his family found work canning and packing. “We canned a lot of peaches,” he said, adding with a chuckle, “Of course the bootleggers, they canned a few too.” He described the beehives behind the house and the smokehouse beyond them.

We learned that there was once a gristmill on the creek. The remnants are still there, but we didn’t go looking for them. There was no need; we could imagine it perfectly.

It was hard to leave. Munching on sweet potato cake, we pried ourselves away.

The wind caught the trees as we turned up Old Scotch Burying Road. Perhaps in the breeze there was a trace of ghostly bagpipes.

The burial ground dates back to 1775, when John Martin, Tory leader of the Scots, set aside the tract from the one hundred acres he bought from Thomas McLendon.

According to Anthony E. Parker’s Guide To Moore County Cemeteries, Martin buried his wife there, but after he died he was buried in Nova Scotia. Further investigation suggested that he may have backed the wrong horse in the Revolutionary War. Our guide, Steady Meares, told us how early Scottish settlers brought their dead from surrounding counties and from far down the Cape Fear region, no mean feat in the days before paved roads. It is said that they held terrific wakes, revelling day and night and racing their horses. Why they chose this spot seems to be a mystery. Laura and I wondered if the pines and the damp, shady cool reminded them of home.

Perhaps it made a central meeting point. Whatever the reason, it is now a place of great tranquillity.

As we drove up the dirt track we could see one or two headstones near the road.

We climbed out of the car and walked quietly through the brush and ivy. We gently brushed overgrowth from worn headstones. Some were elaborate, some simple and home-engraved. The sun broke through the leaf canopy in places, revealing more graves in family groupings and others standing alone, quilted by ivy and periwinkle.

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t was evening. A jaunty sign showed us Maness Pottery and Music Barn.

An impromptu jam session was taking place in the parking lot. Since 1974 bluegrass musicians and fans have gathered at this barn to play, listen, dance and swap stories and food. It feels like family.

All are welcome.

“I’ve never met a stranger,” Clyde Maness told me as he showed us around.

“All humans are made the same way.” They’re made the right way at the Pottery Barn.

Friendly nods and good-natured banter greeted us wherever we went. Groups practiced and jammed together.

Every inch of wall space is decorated. Maness’ grandson’s pots adorn some shelves, glass bottles others. Scrapbooks, photo albums and press cuttings were scattered over the checkered tablecloths. There was a pot-luck supper in the room adjacent to the performance space.

“I’ve never had any trouble here in forty years,” Maness said, taking up his position at the soundboard. It’s impossible to imagine any sort of trouble. The performance space swelled with the sound of bluegrass and the gentle chink, chink, chink of clogging. An audience of all ages emanated a quiet respect for the performers, who played superbly. They come from all over the county, and travel from out of state, from Virginia, Tennessee and the heart of the music’s country.

Asked what he loved most about the Barn, he didn’t hesitate in answering, “The people.” He nodded in emphasis, “The people; the children. I love to see children learning.” As he spoke a pair of teenagers passed by us, one carrying a fiddle, the other a banjo.

We felt we had journeyed through time, and that simultaneously time had waited for us, stayed still as we traveled. “It was such a dream-like day,” I said to Laura as we talked about our journey.

“It was,” she agreed. Then, after a moment’s reflection, she said, “I just love exploring where we live.”

We headed home to dream of children playing and fishing in a sun-drenched creek, a soundtrack of running water and humming bees. The air was warm and rich with the scent of pines as we drove back along the Old Plank Road. It was dusk, the velvet time of the evening. A plaintive strain of old-time music followed us. PS

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The Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) works with landowners to find solutions and opportunities that allow their land to be part of their economy while protecting their heritage. The Trust seeks to equip landowners with the knowledge and awareness of their resources they need in order that they might keep their land within their families, including the negotiation of voluntary conservation agreements (Conservation Easements) on private property. It is a non-profit organization, serving Moore, Richmond, Scotland, Hoke, Cumberland, and Harnett counties.

Since its foundation in 1991 SALT has permanently protected more than 13,500 acres of working farms, water supplies, endangered ecosystems and urban open space in the six-county service region.

The Sandhills Heritage Gateway is an initiative launched by SALT with funding from the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Its aim is to use tourism to bring economic revival to rural counties of North Carolina.

The Gateway consists of three Scenic Byways, chosen for their beauty, their importance to the history of the region and their environmental significance.

“We want to work with landowners so their land can be part of their economy. We feel that’s the best way to protect their land,” says Jesse Wimberley, SALT’s Outreach Coordinator. Wimberley is also a local farmer and landowner whose roots in Moore County are five generations deep.

Simultaneously, the development of the Scenic Byways gives landowners a forum through which to meet, discuss projects and use of natural resources, maintain conservation and to share the history of the region. “Capturing all these stories and tying them back into the natural history [of the area] was a major part of this project,” Wimberley explains. “We want to be a place where people can learn about their history and [where we can] get people back outside.”

There are three Scenic Byways: The Pineland Trail, which runs along the course of the Old Plank Road on Highway 24/27 all the way to the Uwharrie National Forest and traces the early history of Moore County and its settlers The Pottery Road (Highway 705) which takes the traveller along the world-famous Pottery Highway The Indian Heritage Trail (Highway 73), a Piedmont route that travels through local agriculture and Native American history Over the next three months Serena Brown and photographer Laura Gingerich will be travelling the Scenic Byways and sharing their adventures along the way.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Dear Mr. Ross, Dear Richard Part two of an extraordinary correspondence

By Bill Case • Photographs from the Tufts Archives

Editor’s note: We continue our two-part series on the correspondence between Donald Ross and father and son Leonard and Richard Tufts. The extraordinary collection of letters, housed at the Tufts Archives, offers a deeply personal insight into the planning and day-to-day running of Pinehurst, Inc., as well as into the characters of the trio of men who were responsible for so much of what we know Pinehurst to be today.

This month we follow the fortunes of Pinehurst, Inc., through the good times and into the financial difficulties of the Great Depression. We witness the advent of a new era as Leonard Tufts hands over the reins to his capable, popular son Richard and we read how Richard Tufts continues his father’s legacy with Donald Ross a constant, unwavering colleague and support.

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Grass Greens

Leonard Tufts continually exhorted Ross to find a way to install grass greens at Pinehurst. Ross dutifully conducted numerous experiments in an effort to find a strain that would thrive in the Sandhills. On January 9, 1922, Ross told Tufts he was treating “the lawn at Holly Inn as a putting green using various mixtures of fertilizer etc.” However, he cautioned Tufts not to get his hopes up: “I do not believe it is possible to grow grass in this climate of such quality as is required on a putting green during the months of January, February, and March. There must be growth strong enough to resist the wear that it is subjected to day after day, and that is where the difficulty is going to be. However, we will try it out.”

The Tufts Archives contain reports of such experiments by Ross throughout the ’20s- none of which resulted in a viable solution to the grass-greens conundrum. But the exasperated Leonard Tufts refused to take “no” for an answer.

While convalescing from illness in New Hampshire, he posted a hand-written letter to Ross in March 1929 that repackaged his oft-repeated inquiry: “Lying here in bed I think of more fool schemes than you could shake a stick at. I am more or less puzzled over the question of why good putting greens are possible at Augusta [Country Club — not Augusta National] and not here. There isn’t much difference in the temperatures but, of course, their soil is better and I presume their climate is less dry.”

Having designed that course, Ross was very familiar with the greens at Augusta Country Club. Moreover, he continued to serve the club on an advisory basis. He responded: “My experience in Augusta on grass greens the past two years confirms my opinion that the two reasons why they can get grass greens so much easier than we can get here are — a warmer climate and a great deal more moisture in the air.

[Moreover] on the Forest Hills course at Augusta they object to players starting before ten o’clock if there was frost on the previous night. Of course such regulations would never work here.”

Ross’ message also cautioned that the expense of maintaining Augusta’s grass greens amounted to twice the cost of keeping the sand greens of Pinehurst in playable condition. But Ross assured Tufts, “I will be glad to try another experiment in line with your ideas and I have some of my own which I will also try out although I am not hopeful of either of them being a success.” But his continued experimentation ultimately bore fruit when in 1931, Ross and his greenkeeper Frank Maples found a strain of Bermuda grass hardy enough to withstand winter and heavy resort play traffic. The No. 2 course sported new grass putting surfaces when the club hosted the 1936 PGA Championship.

Commentaries On Golf

Given his eminence in the game, Ross was often asked for his views on various issues relating to golf. He opined on such matters as the stymie in 1922 (retain it but modify it so that two feet be allowed between hole and ball and ball and ball); the allowance of steel shafts in 1923 (yes); and mandating a standard ball (yes). Ross recommended a “floater” ball which he felt would “control the distance absolutely on the long hitter, [but] would not take a yard

from the distance of the average players who really are the supporters of golf.” Ninety-two years later the argument over limiting the distance of the golf ball still rages.

Ross also made periodic pilgrimages back to Scotland and inspected the country’s golf courses during his holidays. In September 1928, he proclaimed to Richard Tufts the superiority of golf in the United States: “I formed the opinion from observation and experience that we have very little to learn from them [the U.K.] in any branch of the golf business . . . In golf architecture the work which is being done in the United States is, in my judgment, quite the equal and superior to their best although we have to contend with difficulties they never dream of.”

From the vantage point of 2015, it is difficult to imagine that in the late ’20s there was a death struggle in the marketplace between the old-line wooden-shaft club makers and the upstart steel club manufacturers. A wooden club company promoter lobbied Richard Tufts for the purpose of urging the superiority of hickory shafts in 1928. Ever the traditionalist, Tufts reassured the worried businessman that “I have never felt that they [steel shafts] compared with wooden shafts and have never used steel in any of my clubs.”

Caddies

Having an adequate supply of caddies for golfers was a front-and-center issue for Ross. To combat 1924’s shortage of loopers, Ross advised Leonard Tufts that, “I think an increase in rates [of 25 cents] is justified and it would undoubtedly help us in getting more of them, which, after all, is our aim.” Ross also considered it vital to make good food available for the young men. He reflected to Richard Tufts on September 6, 1928, that, “whether we make a profit or not the fact that the boys get good food at reasonable prices is a very important factor in bringing the boys here, and it is absolutely necessary that we should have them.”

In an era when the Sabbath was particularly sacrosanct, the employment of caddies on Sundays was a touchy subject. On November 27, 1922, Leonard Tufts resignedly advised Ross: “I learn that caddies are being employed on Sundays and I suppose we must put a stop to this in some way.”

In 1926, the Board of Governors skirted the issue by allowing caddies out on Sunday afternoon, but Tufts reminded Ross that “there should be no caddies Sunday mornings.”

Ross worked with the principal of the Negro School in Taylortown to employ school-age boys “in the afternoons, provided he [the principal] sent them to us marked with a tag in such a manner as would prove to us they had put in their full time at school.”

Facing a caddie shortage in 1927, Ross considered asking the principal to find schoolgirls to caddie. Ross suggested that the girls could caddie for women and the club could place “a colored matron” in their charge. Apparently the employment of female caddies did not come to pass during Ross’s time.

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An Added Nine Holes

The lack of golf knowledge and etiquette exhibited by Pinehurst, Inc.’s, employees when allowed to play the courses exasperated Ross: “I have to employ a special policeman to regulate them as well as employ special laborers to repair the damage they do to greens, bunkers, etc. Four or more play with one set of clubs, and they do not know a thing about courtesy or the rules of golf.”

Consequently, it was decided to lay out a nine-hole course for employee use alone. But Leonard Tufts sensed a problem identifying it as such. Adjacent property owners apparently did not appreciate being located next to an “employee course.” So when Tufts advised Ross on March 20, 1928, that employees could play the new nine for $5 annually, he craftily added this instruction: “But we won’t call it an employees’ course — it will be just an added nine holes on which the people of Pinehurst can play as much or as little as they like.”

As W elcome As The Flowers In Spring

While Leonard Tufts and Donald Ross experienced occasional conflicts, they remained loyal and close friends throughout their long relationship.

As such, their letters turned downright chatty now and then. Tufts missed Ross’ companionship when they were apart. Tufts’ July 21, 1925, letter from his home in New Hampshire to Ross, summering at his cottage at Little Compton, Rhode Island, pleads: “Can’t you and Lillian and Mrs. Ross and her son, hop on the train on receipt of this letter and come up and visit with me? I am all alone in this big house and don’t expect anybody here until the first of spring . . . so I can tell you that you will be as welcome as the flowers in spring . . . Do wire me on receipt of this that you are coming.”

Tufts suffered various illnesses during the ’20s. When his health finally improved, Ross expressed his delight. “It seems like old times,” he remarked in correspondence dated December 12, 1928. “You have just got to be careful a little longer and not get too proud of yourself.”

Ross also regaled Tufts with news from his travels. While laying out a private course for Henry Ford, Ross availed himself of the opportunity of conferring with the automobile magnate. On May 11, 1923, he gushed to Tufts that Ford: “. . . is a different type of man from almost any other I have met. He opened up pretty freely to me, and I have a cordial invitation to stay at his house, and I will accept some time. I would like to know him better. He surely likes peculiar angles, and I already know he has a mind of his own. He would be hopeless as a President — and it’s entirely outside his line of endeavor. He is too frank to be a politician. He is a plain democratic man and wealth has not turned his head.”

Ross displayed consideration toward Tufts and his wife.

While experimenting with Poa bulbosa seed in 1926, Ross graciously jotted a note to his boss saying, “I will send you a few bulbs.

It makes a very pretty winter plant for the house if sown in pots. Mrs. Tufts might like to try it.” In March 1928, Tufts decided to build a set of Windsor chairs. Needing wood for spindles, it occurred to him “that you [Ross] must

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have a whole lot of broken golf club shafts that come into the shop that you throw away and if you throw a couple of dozen in a heap sometime I will come over and get them.”

As time passed, the correspondence between Tufts and Ross became increasingly sentimental. Tufts praised Ross in this heartfelt message of June 22, 1932: “You don’t know how much I appreciate your letter of the 17th. It is certainly great to have associated with men like you who are always considerate and willing to get in and help.”

Ross’ letter to which Tufts responded marked the fleeting passage of time.

Ross’ daughter Lillian’s graduation from college moved her father to remark: “How these youngsters grow! Time passes rapidly; it seems like yesterday since I first saw Richard as a bonnie wee boy, and here he is now with a fine boy of his own about ready for school!”

Dear Richard, Dear Mr. Ross

Indeed by then, Richard Tufts was steadily moving to the forefront of the Pinehurst, Inc., organization. Everyone liked and respected the friendly though taciturn Harvard grad and Navy veteran. In 1935, he would ascend to the position of president of Pinehurst, Inc., succeeding his father.

While a good and careful businessman, the thing Richard Tufts really excelled at was the fostering of relationships in the world of sport. A very good golfer, he became increasingly active in the United States Golf Association (USGA), becoming its national president in 1956. Tufts continued to cement his sterling reputation in the game by authoring The Scottish Invasion and The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf. In recognition of his contributions to amateur golf, Tufts received the signal honor of being named the non-playing captain of the 1963 Walker Cup team.

As might be expected given their age differences, Richard Tufts’ correspondence accords deference and respect to the older man who had accomplished so much in Tufts’ chosen sport. Tufts’ letters commence with “Dear Mr. Ross” while Ross responds with “Dear Richard.” From Richard Tufts’ birth, Ross took an avuncular interest in his young friend’s life, and the correspondence reflects this. When Tufts’s wife sent a picture of the couple’s young son Peter, Ross warmly wrote Tufts: “I received the photograph of little Peter which Mrs. Tufts kindly sent me. It is great and I appreciate having it very much indeed. He is a handsome wee lad and my best wish is that he may have a long life of health and happiness.”

Richard Tufts rarely took issue with Ross on business matters. The latter’s recommendations on such matters as course maintenance, hiring of tennis pros, caddie policies, and personnel management were largely acceded to by Tufts. In October 1928, he wrote, “Father and I never think of anything in connection with golf here without thinking of you first as we know that you are responsible for our prominent position in the world of golf.”

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The Rest Of The W orld Has Followed Us

The economic turmoil of the ’30s resulted in Leonard Tufts’ retreat from executive duties at Pinehurst, Inc., and Richard Tufts’ corresponding ascendance to leadership. Leonard Tufts chafed some at being left out of the loop.

From his home in New Hampshire, he wistfully registered this mild fatherly complaint to his son on August 10, 1934: “My only criticism of you for the past year or two has been your failure to come to me with your problems. Perhaps it is due to your fear of interference . . . in such cases my forty years of experience would have helped you . . . The reason is probably due to not wishing to worry me.”

Looking to impart advice regarding activities that Pinehurst, Inc., should be marketing to fight its way out of the dregs of financial distress, Leonard Tufts offered this follow-up advice to Richard on August 13: “Read the newspapers and magazines and ask yourself on what is the accent being placed in the field of sports today? Is it not the horse?”

But Leonard Tufts was proud of what he and his own father, James, had achieved at Pinehurst. He reminded Richard in 1934: “Remember your grandfather and I introduced to resorts sports . . . tournaments and contests of all kinds . . . The rest of the world has followed us.”

Leonard Tufts lived to see the fortunes of Pinehurst, Inc., rebound under his son’s astute leadership.

The Measure Of The Men

While the bulk of Ross’ correspondence contained in the Tufts Archives is with Richard and Leonard Tufts, there is a notable exception. On May 24, 1927, Ross congratulated young Ellis Maples (the son of Frank Maples, and much later the designer of Pinehurst No. 5) upon his graduation from high school. His note to the young man contained some excellent life advice. No one would gainsay the fact that Ross practiced what he preached: “My experience is that if a man follows the golden rule, gives consideration to others, do[es] some good, however small every day of his life, acts as a gentleman under all circumstances, he cannot fail to make a success of his life, however humble our work may be.”

It is no accident that Pinehurst became the country’s golf mecca.

Attention to detail, adherence to a well-defined business plan targeting the well-heeled, dedication to providing a quality experience, rigorous control of costs by requiring separate accountability in each division of Pinehurst, Inc.’s, operations, and loyal respect and fondness for each other stream through the letters of Donald Ross, Leonard Tufts, and Richard Tufts.

It is their combined industry that made Pinehurst. To paraphrase words Donald Ross employed in describing satisfaction of his design of majestic Aronomick in Philadelphia, it is fair to say that these three wise men “built better than they knew.” PS Having retired from the practice of law, Pinehurst resident Bill Case is enjoying his “second act” as a history writer.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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BerryBerry Good It’s strawberry time again

By David Claude Bailey

“D

oubtless God could have made a better berry,” a 17th century English writer once said of the strawberry, “but doubtless God never did.”

Anyone who has ever popped a perfectly ripe, wild strawberry into his or her mouth surely agrees.

“But most people think strawberries are only for dessert,” says Mary James Lawrence, whose TV segments on WFMY-TV and cooking classes at Rooster’s Gourmet Market encouraged generations of Greensboro cooks to create dishes that are easy, impressive and delicious. “Strawberries can be so good in savory dishes.”

Like the strawberry soup Lawrence serves as an appetizer or first course whenever the season floods the Piedmont with lush berries so ripe they stain the fingers preparing them.

“Some years ago, I was doing the food styling nationally for Macy’s for their bridal registry magazine,” she recalls, snipping the caps from a bowl of berries and popping the occasional stray berry into her mouth. “They wanted soup and specifically wanted the bright red color of strawberries.”

Most strawberry soup recipes tend to be too sweet and are finished with sour cream or heavy cream, she says. “I wanted something vibrant and red with no dairy.”

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Experimenting, Lawrence splashed in some red table wine, Rose’s grenadine (pomegranate-flavored syrup) and a cinnamon stick, and, voila, a savory and piquant soup emerged. “I serve it with a scoop of my basil sorbet and the combination is heavenly. If you’re serving it for dessert, add some chocolate curls. If as an appetizer, add lime zest or a sprig of mint.”

On the side she serves upscale biscuits, which she calls savory Parmesan shortbread with fennel dust. “This is the one time it’s fine to use the Parmesan that comes in the big green can from Kraft because you want it grated very fine.”

Lawrence, who also conducts periodic culinary tours of France and Provence (www.maryjames.net/provence.html), opens a chilled bottle of rosé. Suddenly, the photographer’s flash stops blinking and the writer’s pen stands still as slurps and moans of appreciation fill the kitchen.

Lawrence says that a bottle of Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé 2014 from her friends at Zeto’s would also make a delightful pairing. And for goodness sakes, she says, buy your berries from the farmers’ market.“The huge hybridized berries you sometimes see in the supermarkets that come from Florida and California don’t hold a candle to some of the smaller and fresher berries you can find here in farmers’ markets.”

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Fennel Dust

2 tablespoons fennel seed 2 teaspoon coarse salt (grey, Maldon or kosher) Fennel seeds need to be very fresh. The Savory Spice store at Friendly Center fills the bill. Using a mini-mincer or food processor, grind fennel seed to a powder then add salt and pulse just to combine. Set aside.

Mary James dishes it out: To achieve an even thickness with the dough, place two paint stirring sticks (free from the paint store) on the floured counter and roll the dough between them using an untapered rolling pin.

Mary James dishes it out: To measure flour accurately, pour more than is required into a mixing bowl. Stir. Spoon into measuring cup. Mound, then level with the back of a knife. No tapping on the table, no scooping from the bag.

Basil Lime Sorbet

Mary James dishes it out: Turn those extra strawberries into soup and freeze it for a wintertime treat. It also makes a fun summertime pass around at outdoor parties. Serve in mini plastic cups with straws.

Strawberry Soup

2 pounds of fresh strawberries 1 cup red wine 1 cup grenadine syrup 1 cinnamon stick Stem the strawberries and cut them into pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Purée using an immersion blender. Or cool to warm and use a traditional blender or food processor. Chill. Serve with a mint leaf garnish or with a petite scoop of Basil Lime Sorbet. Yield: 4 1/2 to 5 cups.

36 medium to large leaves of fresh basil 2 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups sugar pinch of salt zest of 1 lime 1/2 cup lime juice Combine basil leaves, water, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm. Remove basil leaves. Add lime zest and lime juice. Chill. Transfer to ice cream machine and freeze following manufacturer’s directions. PS

Savory Parmesan Shortbread with Fennel Dust

Photographs by Sam Froelich

Shortbread:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon fennel dust (see below) 2 cups flour 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Using the food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine butter, powdered sugar, pepper, salt and fennel dust (see below) until smooth. Scrape down sides a couple of times. Add flour and cheese and process just until it begins to come together as a dough Turn out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic wrap to press it together into a ball. Divide in half . Place each half on a clean piece of plastic wrap and press into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours or up to two days. Or you can freeze the mixture at this point.

To roll and bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove disks from refrigerator about 30 minutes so they warm up a little. Flour counter lightly and roll out to about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick . Cut as desired and place on baking sheet lined with pan liner or parchment. Sprinkle with fennel dust.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until just lightly brown on the edges. Cool.

Store in tins.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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S tor y of a h o u s e

The Marshalls’ Plan Where the other George slept

By Deborah Salomon • Photographs by John Gessner

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H

ouses, like pets, adapt to new ownership. Some adapt structurally — others, cosmetically. The rare house speaks for itself, having survived additions and renovations with dignity intact.

Five-star General George Marshall and his wife, Katherine — arguably Pinehurst’s most illustrious residents — seem to have left an aura in Liscombe Lodge, visited during their tenure by Harry Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, a firmament of multi-star generals and political luminaries.

Although current residents Mark and Patty McGrath deny intent, the leather upholstery, forest greens and browns, dark wood case pieces and jewel-toned Persian carpets, framed maps and lack of clutter channel masculinity, a whiff of the military, perhaps — the enclave of a soldier so decorated he needn’t display his medals.

Ironically, the sole campaign-style chair did not belong to the general.

But a good imagination places him there.

The McGraths of Chicago thought differently. “We shared a vision,” says Patty, a landscape architect, who transformed the corner lot into a thicket of native foliage, camouflaging the cottage from Linden Road traffic. The Marshall factor did not influence their acquisition, Mark, a retired management consultant, insists. “It was a nice, simple, straightforward house. Our idea was to bring an old gem into the modern age.”

This took some doing. “The house was very tired — it hadn’t been cared for,” Patty continues.

No AC. Choppy floor plan. Only three bedrooms. Dated kitchen. “But it was the only house in the neighborhood where the original trees hadn’t been cleared — magical for us.”

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Liscombe Lodge was built by Mrs. Florence Cunningham in 1927, during the waning years of Pinehurst cottage development. She called it Tuckaway, of an architectural style common to many village homes: broad white clapboards, green shutters, veranda. Tuckaway, however, had superior-quality exterior features like a roof overhang with carved buttresses and many tall windows. Walter Hyatt owned the residence in 1944 when the Marshalls rented, then purchased the house, where the general’s second wife, Katherine, recuperated from pneumonia. Golf wasn’t a factor, although Marshall enjoyed watching, from horseback. This same year, Marshall was elevated to general of the Army, the first to receive five-star rank.

The Marshalls entertained locals and visitors, Katherine’s children and grandchildren during the winter, returning to Leesburg, Virginia, for summers.

Katherine wrote of the experience in Together: Annals of an Army Wife, published in 1946: While my husband was helping to make world history, I was making our new home gay and livable to receive him on his return. Liscombe Lodge had been furnished very attractively when we bought it but the hangings, dull and heavy with fringe, reminded me of a somewhat pretentious funeral parlor. The lodge was small and attractive and the grounds really beautiful. George would work PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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here surrounded by longleaf pines and magnolia trees with a lawn of winter grass as green as emeralds . . .

Pinehurst, with its delightful climate, was a godsend to an over-burdened and tired man.”

Marshall went on to become secretary of defense and secretary of state; he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the Marshall Plan, which enabled Europe to recover from World War II. George Marshall died in 1959. Katherine sold the cottage in 1960. She lived elsewhere until her death in 1978.

“P

atty knows what she wants,” say Liz Morgan, the residential designer hired to accomplish the McGraths’ vision. This knowledge resulted from half a dozen other renovations. Mark also contributed. “It is not a place with unconnected spaces. The rooms flow into each other,” he says, beginning with a traditional foyer and archway leading into the living room, where eyes tilt upward to the ribbed barrel-vaulted ceiling, a feature uncommon in casual cottages of the era. This room, like all others, is flooded with light from a wall of windows, many original, left uncovered or dressed simply with louvers. Antique furnishings span periods and styles, as might be expected in The White House, or a governor’s mansion. Some pieces came from the McGraths’ Winnetka residence, during a remodeling. Except for repeated greens, no one color predominates. The living room sofa is white, a chair, turquoise velvet. The rug, maroon Oriental but the wallpaper, broad two-tone khaki stripes and the coffee table a tall drop-leaf. Just beyond lies a

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gasp-worthy dining salon, similar to a reading room in a fine library. Built-in bookshelves cover one entire wall; a window seat stretches the length of another. The third wall supports a narrow plank shelf. Mark challenges guests to guess its provenance.

“An old teeter-totter,” he answers, gleefully.

In the center, a narrow 10-foot harvest table stands surrounded by six oversized upholstered arm chairs — another dining room rarity.

“It’s hard to get people out of them,” Patty says.

Notice, no chandelier, only a ceiling fan. “I like soft lighting,” Patty explains, provided by strategically placed floor and table lamps.

A breakfast room with bay window overlooking the garden holds a petite antique corner cupboard, painted decoratively on the inside.

Furnishings are intentionally sparse, giving each piece an opportunity to shine. One, a delicate bentwood settee with caned seat, is beyond beautiful.

Patty prefers American art, including an archival painting of whaling, probably off the New England coast — also some pencil sketches by her son, “early-early John McGrath,” she calls them.

The general’s master bedroom has become a media room, styled contemporary with a long sectional upholstered in green leather. Patty’s kitchen remains a masterpiece of forward-thinking, considering it was assembled from a warren of small rooms twenty years ago. White cabinetry punctuated by an antique cupboard, gleaming heart pine floors, windows on three sides, baskets and North Carolina pottery arranged on the counter interpret timeless modernity, more practical than precocious.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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onstruction of an L-shaped master suite wing merges seamlessly with the floor plan, using Marshall’s card room, now with a green (again) leather chair facing a painted brick fireplace, as a segue. The closet/dressing room/spa bathroom (as large as some studio apartments) can be entered from either side. Mark wanted a steam shower, and got one.

Patty and Mark preferred to combine work and sleeping space. Each has a dining-room sized table — his, elaborately carved Asian, hers, functional American primitive — within the bedroom.

“I used to come down for six to eight days at a time,” Mark says. “Pre-Internet, we lived our lives differently. I made conference calls and scheduled appointments from that desk.”

French doors, another McGrath signature, lead from the bedroom into the garden, which is divided by brick and stone walkways into seating areas surrounded by perennials but no grass, only groundcover. A potting shed became charming guest accommodations done up in flowery quilts, reminiscent of a New England B & B. For George and Katherine Marshall, Liscombe Lodge represented escape from government and the military. Photos show them celebrating birthdays, welcoming guests, chatting with friends on the veranda. In one, Gen. Marshall in dressing gown and plaid lap robe reads a story to his stepgranddaughters, by the brick fireplace. For the McGraths, this — of all their homes — became the Thanksgiving house, Patty says.

“We celebrated more Thanksgivings there than anywhere else. It’s great for entertaining — dinner parties where the wine and the stories start to flow.”

The family has since dispersed, preferring to celebrate winter holidays in a tropical climate.

“But one attribute remains always in my memory,” Patty continues. “It’s a happy house that makes me smile.” PS PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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A L M A N A C

July

By Rosetta Fawley

n

Pick your peppers now How does your garden grow? Are your hot peppers as fiery as a late July afternoon? If you’ve left them to ripen, then they should be turning color by now. Harvest them with scissors or shears; they can break if you pull them off. If you have a glut they freeze very well.

Summertime And the livin’ is easy Fish are jumpin’ And the cotton is high Oh, your daddy’s rich And your mama’s good-lookin’ Hush little baby, Don’t you cry.

(DuBose Heyward/Ira Gershwin/ Music by George Gershwin)

Can’t elope this summer Plant cantaloupes in the first half of July for a fall crop. Plant the seeds about one inch into good soil, twenty-four inches apart. They like full sun. If the weather is dry, water them generously until the fruit is about the size of a tennis ball, after which time just water them when the leaves are wilting. Don’t let the soil get too wet or the fruit will be squashy and tasteless. Once the fruit start to rest on the ground, put them on a plank of wood to keep the insects from munching on them. They should be ready to harvest after about three months.

They’ll be delicious. Don’t sweat it if they go wrong; they’ll make a nice change from all those pumpkins in fall decorations.

Humming along Hummingbird feeders get crowded this month. Those tiny avian jewels are about to fly south and across the Gulf, and most of them will make that crossing in one go. Prepare extra food for them before they set out on the long journey south. Consider it like mixing a cocktail: one part sugar to four parts water, i.e., a quarter cup (four tablespoons) of sugar to one cup of water. Ordinary white table sugar works just fine. Boil the water, dissolve the sugar in it and allow it to cool before filling the feeders. There’s no need to color the water, it’s the red flowers that the birds look for. Besides, studies suggest that food coloring may be harmful to hummingbirds. At this time of year the birds work through the food pretty rapidly; all the same it’s worth keeping an eye on the sugar solution in the hot weather. If it starts to ferment then it becomes poisonous. If all the water boiling and feeder cleaning start to get old, remember that you’re fueling your hummingbirds to catch their favorite insect food: mosquitoes, gnats and fruit flies.

Simple refreshment The other good news about all this avian altruism is that sugar and summer cocktails go hand in hand. While you’re feeding the hummingbirds, make a batch of simple syrup on the side. This time it’s one part water to one part sugar. Boil them together in a small saucepan and then let the solution cool.

Now, what to create with your own syrup? It’s the height of peach season. Make a Bellini. Do it North Carolina style, using our own peaches instead of the traditional flat white ones.

Whizz up a peach in the blender and strain it through a sieve.

Pour the liquid into a champagne flute. Add a teaspoon of sugar syrup and a little squeeze of lemon. Then pour in Prosecco all the way to the top. Eat the leftovers in the sieve with a teaspoon later.

How to refresh oneself as the peaches slow down and the weather gets truly stifling? A Bajan Rum Punch. This is what one drinks in Barbados. It’s heaven. How many cocktails are built by rhyme?

One of sour Two of sweet Three of strong Four of weak.

One measure of fresh lime juice, two of your sugar syrup, three of good dark rum, the older the better and preferably from Barbados, and four measures of water. Mix the lime and syrup, then add the rum and water. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with a dash of Angostura Bitters and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Now turn up the spouge, close your eyes and picture the Caribbean lapping at the white sands at your feet. Take long cooling sips of island life.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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&

Arts Entertainment C a l e n da r

Sunrise Theater Blues Crawl

Cooking Class

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18

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ART TALK. 5 – 6 p.m. Denise Baker, former head of the Art Department of Sandhills Community College, will give a provocative and engaging talk on art. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or information.thecountrybookshop@gmail.com.

Wednesday, July 1—3

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115TH MEN’S NORTH & SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. (Continuing from June 27) The longest consecutive-running amateur golf championship in the United States. Entries are open to male amateur golfers who have a handicap index of 5.0 or less. Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst Resort, 1 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 2358140 or (800) 795-4653, Opt 3, or pinehurst.com.

Wednesday, July 1—10 (except July 3, 4, and 5)

•

HOME FRONT & DOWNRANGE: WITNESS THE ART IN MILITARY LIFE. Weekdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exhibit focusing on military life and honoring our military’s sacrifices and service. Presented by the Arts Council of Moore County and Street Joseph of the Pines. Campbell House, 482 E Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2787 or mooreart.org.

Wednesdays, July 1—31

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PHOTOGRAPH CONTEST. All day. Monthly projects for young adults. Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

Wednesday, July 1—August 1

SIGN UP FOR CANADIAN ROCKIES TOUR. Sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association and

Key:

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• • Art

Music/Concerts

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Dance/Theater

27–31

7/

Wednesday, July 1

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Youth Pottery Class

handled by Collette Tours, this tour takes place October 2—11, 2015, and includes Vancouver, British Columbia; Jasper, Alberta; Lake Louise; the Columbia Icefields, and Calgary, Alberta. Info: (910) 639-3823 or (910) 692-2051 or info@ moorehistory.com.

Thursday, July 2

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COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. With Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Call for prices. The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines.

Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

Friday, July 3

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COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Pasta with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Call for prices. The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines.

Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

•

FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8:30 p.m. A family-friendly event with live music by Dr. Bacon. Food, beverages, and entertainment. Free admission. Sunrise Green Space, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: firstfridaysouthernpines.com.

•

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 6 p.m. Enjoy a bottle of wine and dancing with friends under the tent while The Mike Wallace Quartet entertains you with live jazz music. Cost: $10/person.

Reservations and pre-payment are required for parties of eight or more. Food vendor will be on site. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or cypressbendvineyards.com.

Saturday, July 4

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VILLAGE OF PINEHURST 4TH OF JULY PARADE. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The fun begins at 9 a.m. with the Patriotic

• • Film

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Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

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Pet Competition, followed by the Pet Parade and a traditional parade at 10 a.m. Afterward, there will be an antique cars display, music, face painting, and The Sandhills Farmers Market Vendors. Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road W, Pinehurst Info: (910) 295-8656 or vopnc.org.

•

CARTHAGE JULY 4TH PARADE. 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Annual parade with floats, cars, bands, ROTC, Marine Color Guard and more. Hosted by the Carthage Rotary Club. Town of Carthage, Monroe Street to County Courthouse. Info: (910) 947-6555 or townofcarthage.org.

•

AMERICAN MUSIC CONCERT. 2 p.m. The Moore County Concert Band will perform a program of American music in the Grand Ballroom of the Carolina Hotel. The concert is free and open to the public. 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 235-5229 or moorecountyband.com.

•

JULY 4TH CELEBRATION ON FORT BRAGG. 3 – 10 p.m. Activities include national recording artists, USASOC’s Black Daggers Parachute Team, patriotic flag ceremony, kiddieland, and fireworks. Food and beverages available for purchase. Pets, glass bottles, and BBQ grills not allowed. All tents and shelters must be erected in the designated area. Cost: The event is free and open to the public. Kiddieland, $10. Tent spaces available for $10 with your own tent, or $25 with a tent set up by Family and MWR. Arrive early to avoid heavy traffic. Main Post Parade Field, Fort Bragg. Info: fortbraggmwr. com/july4th.

•

ABERDEEN JULY 4TH CELEBRATION. 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. Entertainment, activities, and fireworks for people of all ages starting around 5:30 p.m., live music begins at 6:00 p.m.

Food, drinks, and treats from vendors. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs, but please no pets, no alcoholic beverages, no personal fireworks, and no coolers! Cost: Admission is free to Aberdeen Lake Park. Children can purchase a $3 wristband to

Sports

July 2015P��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

participate in games and a variety of activities. Aberdeen Lake Park, 301 Lake Park Crossing, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7275 or townofaberdeen.net.

•

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS CELEBRATION. 6 – 9:30 p.m. Fun and games for all ages, including ponyrides and hayrides, face painting, and live entertainment. Food and beverages will be sold by local caterers or you can bring your own picnic favorites. Don’t forget lawn chairs and blankets! Fireworks at 9:15.

Pinehurst Harness Track (1 mile track), 200 Beulah Hill Road S, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-1900 or vopnc.org.

Sunday, July 5

•

A DAY AT THE FARM. 12 – 4 p.m. Fun for entire family: tractor-drawn hayrides, pony rides, bounce house, barrel train, food vendors, farm-skill demonstrations. Cost: General admission is free, children 2 and up can have unlimited ride access on the ponies/horses, bounce house, barrel train and families can take the hayride together for just $15 per child.

A portion of the proceeds goes to support the Leilani Mae Horse Rescue. Peaceful Meadows Farm, 831 Priest Hill Road, Carthage. Info: (910) 986-4774 or mooreequineevents.com.

•

NATURE STUDY PROGRAM. 3 p.m. Learn about some of the living things, from fireflies to mushrooms, that exhibit bioluminescence, “nature’s light show.” Meet at Visitors Center, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Jack Grace performs.

Cost: $12 (in advance). Doors open at 6:16 p.m. Tickets available online and at the door. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or theroosterswife.org.

Sunday, July 5—8

•

37TH JUNIOR NORTH & SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Male and female golfers between the ages of 15 and 18 will compete on courses No. 5, No. 8, and No. 2. There will be a North & South Contestant Dinner in the Outlook Room at Pinehurst Country Club on Sunday, July 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests tickets can be purchased at contestant registration. Please do not send money for guest tickets in advance. Info: (910) 235-8140 or pinehurst.com.

Monday, July 6—8

•

PINEWILD YOUTH GOLF CLINICS. 9 – 11 a.m.

These three-day clinics are for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 16 and will focus on golf fundamentals, etiquette, rules of play, and more. Appropriate golf attire and own clubs required. Cost: $85. Assemble by the flagpole in front of the clubhouse, 5 minutes prior to start time. Golf Academy at Pinewild Country Club, 6 Glasgow Drive, N.C. 211 W, Pinehurst: Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

Monday, July 6—10

•

KAMP KIDWORKS (FIRSTHEALTH). 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Co-sponsored with FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness, this safe, supervised program of daily activities includes swimming, crafts, games, sports, and more.

Registration forms will be available at the Pinehurst Parks and Recreation Department and the Fitness Center. Cost: $47/ resident; $70/non-resident . Non-resident Fitness Center members need to call (910) 295-1900 with membership number to receive the discount online. Camelot Playground at Cannon Park or Gymnasium @ Pinehurst Elementary School. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

Monday, July 6—September 3

Saturday, July 11

Tuesday, July 7

•

•

•

•

Tuesdays, July 7—28

•

Thursday, July 9

• •

Thursdays, July 9—30

•

•

•

ADULT SOFTBALL LEAGUE. 6 – 11 p.m. This league is for men and women ages 18 and over. Teams will play at least twice a week — call for days. Cost: To be determined by the number of teams. Cannon Park Ballfield #1, off N.C. 211, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

NATURE JOURNALING PART III: OBSERVING BIRDS. 3 p.m. Draw eggs, nests, and skins in the Auditorium and live birds outdoors by feeders. Bring your own paper or use ours. For all ages and levels of experience. Visitor Center at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

SOUTHERN PINES SIDEWALK SALE AND CIRCUS. Sizzling sales and an all-American summer carnival with clowns, games, food, contests, and other attractions.

Hosted by Southern Pines Business Association.

MEET THE AUTHOR. 6 p.m. Patti Callahan Henry, NYT best-selling author, will discuss her latest novel, The Idea of Love. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211.

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY. 2 – 4 p.m. Technology exploration on a Raspberry Pi. Free and open to the public.

Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

PIANO RECITAL. 7 p.m. Pianist Joseph Melvin makes his debut performance. A reception will follow. Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-6261.

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Gnocci with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

•

YOUTH TENNIS LESSONS. 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. For ages 6 – 9. Lessons cover the basics of the game, including proper grip, forehand, and backhand strokes. Cost: $5/resident; $10/ non-resident. Rassie Wicker Park tennis court #1, 10 Rassie Wicker Drive, Pinehurst. Bring racket and tennis shoes. Please pre-register with the Recreation Department. Info: (910) 2952817 pinehurstrec.org.

LIVE MUSIC. 7 – 10 p.m. Becca Rae performs at the Wine Cellar & Tasting Room, 241-A NE Broad Street, Southern Pines. Free to the public. Info: (910) 692-3066.

SUNRISE BLUES CRAWL. 7 – 11 p.m. With an allaccess wristband sold by Sunrise Theater, participants can sample different Blues musical styles while enjoying food from all of the restaurants hosting the bands. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or sunrisetheatre.com.

•

MEET THE AUTHOR. 10 a.m. Edd Clay, author of Hardscrabble to Pearl Harbor and Beyond: Memoirs of a World War Two Vet, will speak about his experiences during Pearl Harbor and World War II. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines.

WAR HORSE EVENT SERIES. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Open to all riders, this is an opportunity to school any or all phases for the Sunday competition. (An extra show jumping course will be set in the ring.) Cost for Open Schooling (XC, Show Jumping, & Dressage $125/Regular; $70/Friend of The Park.

Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074.

•

ADULT TENNIS LESSONS. 6 – 7:30 p.m. The first 45 minutes will be instruction, followed by 45 minutes of instructional match play. Cost: $50/resident; $100/non-resident.

Rassie Wicker Park tennis court #2, 10 Rassie Wicker Drive, Pinehurst. Bring racket and wear comfortable clothing. Please pre-register with the Recreation Department. Info: (910) 2952817 pinehurstrec.org.

Sunday, July 12

•

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM. 3 – 4 p.m. Walt Wolfram and Jeffrey Reaser, the authors of Talkin’ Tar Heel: How Our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina, will speak in this second of three events to be presented by the Southern Pines Public Library Adult Summer Reading Program, One Community: Many Voices. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines.

Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

Friday, July 10

•

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Lebanese with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or the flavorexchange.com.

•

NATURE STUDY PROGRAM. 10 – 10:45 a.m. “Turtle Time for Wee Ones” is an opportunity for 3- to 5- year-olds to learn about turtles, our most loveable group of reptiles.

Activities include games, crafts, and meeting a live box turtle.

Parents are intended to participate. Meet at Visitors Center, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

•

•

BEACH FRIDAYS. 6 p.m. Enjoy a bottle of wine and dancing with friends under the tent while The Sand Band entertains you with live music. Cost: $10/person. Reservations and pre-payment are required for parties of eight or more. Food vendor on site. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or cypressbendvineyards.com.

•

•

WAR HORSE EVENT SERIES. The horse trials, combined tests, and dressage test of choice are open to all riders.

Cost for entrants: $135 for horse trial (dressage, cross-country, and jumping) or $75 for combined test (cross-country and jumping only), or $40 for dressage only. Stabling and hookups extra. No cost for spectators. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074.

PRE-SCHOOL STORYTIME. 10:30 a.m. Special guest will be Kathy Mcgougan and Buddy the Dog. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines.

Info: (910) 692-3211.

Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

NATURE STUDY PROGRAM. 3 p.m. In the “Hummingbird Program” naturalist Susan Campbell presents a slide show and gives a short talk about hummingbird’s natural history, feeders and plants that attract them. Visitors Center Auditorium, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

• • • Film

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Nicki Perrott performs. Cost: $20 (in advance). Doors open at 6:16 p.m.

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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ca l e n d a r Tickets available online and at the door. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or theroosterswife.org.

Sunday, July 12—17

•

WOMEN’S NORTH & SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Women’s championship celebrates it’s 113th year. Tournement played on Course No. 2. Pinehurst Resort, 1 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 2358140 or pinehurst.com.

Monday, July 13—17

•

Monday, July 13

•

OUTDOOR JAZZ CONCERT AND BARBECUE DINNER. Dinner at 5, concert at 6:30 p.m. Sandhills Community College Jazz Band, directed by Rob Hill. Cost: $7 per plate for dinner; concert is free. On the Lawn at Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: mccune-7lakes.home.mindspring.com.

•

COOKING WITH CURT, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Curt Shelvey of Curt’s Cucina in Southern Pines will conduct a cooking demonstration & tasting. Call for cost and details. Ball Visitors Center at the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 695-3882.

•

ART CLASS: ABSTRACT ACRYLICS. 10 a.m – 3 p.m. Debby Kline demonstrates different methods of abstract painting based on a photo. Participants create a painting. No prior knowledge required. Cost: $32/$36/$40. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or artistleague.org.

•

SANDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB. 7 p.m. Club meeting, program and speaker (TBA). Hannah Theater Center, The O›Neal School, 3300 Airport Road, Southern Pines. Guests welcome. Info: sandhillsphotoclub.org.

Key:

YOUTH COOKING CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Young

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

KAMP KIDWORKS (FIRST HEALTH). 7:30 a.m.

– 12:30 p.m. Co-sponsored with FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness, this safe, supervised program of daily activities includes swimming, crafts, games, sports, and more.

Registration forms will be available at the Pinehurst Parks and Recreation Department and the Fitness Center. Cost: $47/ resident; $70/non-resident . Non-resident Fitness Center members need to call (910) 295-1900 with membership number to receive the discount online. Camelot Playground at Cannon Park or Gymnasium @ Pinehurst Elementary School. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

Wednesday, July 15

•

THE COUNTRY BOOKSHOP SPECIAL EVENT. 5 p.m. Dr. Saif Ataya will give a brief history of Islam and its many different interpretations. Dr. Ataya is a professor for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and for the Department of Defense. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211.

•

SIP & PAINT WITH JANE. 5 – 7 p.m. Join resident artist Jane Casnellie for a fun evening of sipping and painting and take home your own masterpiece! No experience necessary and all materials provided, including wine. Cost: $35.

Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 to register.

•

Monday, July 13—16

•

Chefs in the Sandhills Cooking Camp. Young chefs will learn how to make a main course, side dish, dessert, and beverage each day, with a focus on food from Italy.

Cost: $185/resident; $278/non-resident. Community Presbyterian Kitchen, 125 Everett Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 pinehurstrec.org.

PAINTING EVENT. 6 p.m. The theme for this Sociable Art’s Public Painting event is “Flip Flops.” Instruction and a template for sketching will be provided. Cost: $35 for all supplies (food and drinks sold separately). Register at

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

sociableart.com. The Wine Cellar & Tasting Room, 241-A NE Broad Street, Southern Pines. Free to the public. Info: (910) 692-3066.

Wednesdays, July 15—August 5

•

TAI CHI. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Lee Holbrook will instruct these classes based around the gentle circular movements of Tai Chi. Recreation Room, 300 Kelly Road, Pinehurst. (Please pre-register with the Recreation Department.) Info: (910) 2952817 pinehurstrec.org.

Thursday, July 16

•

SUMMER BOOK CLUB. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Sign-up and pick up your book at the Douglass Center or the Southern Pines Public Library. Books are provided through the Library’s Book Club Kits. The Game Room, Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or (910) 692-7376.

Thursday, July 16—18

•

PINEHURST JUNIOR TENNIS CLASSIC. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sponsored with Southern Pines Recreation & Parks Dept., Sandhills Tennis Association, and Pinehurst Tennis Club. All players must have current USTA card. Cost: $36/ singles; $15/doubles. Pinehurst Resort Tennis Center, 2 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 or tennislink.usta.com.

Thursday, July 16—19

•

THE TEMPEST. 7 p.m. Shakespeare’s play about the Duke of Milan using illusion and skillful manipulation to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place on the throne.

Performance at the 897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, 206 Bradford Ave., Fayetteville.

Info: (910) 916-0281 or sweetteashakespeare.com.

Friday, July 17

•

FUN FRIDAYS. 3:30 – 7 p.m. Bowling and Dinner at

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ca l e n d a r Vito’s for youth ages 14 and older. Cost: $15/residents; $30/ non-residents. Magnolia Lawn @ Arboretum, 395 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 pinehurstrec.org.

•

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 6 p.m. Enjoy a bottle of wine and dancing with friends under the tent while The Mike Wallace Quartet entertains you with live jazz music. Cost: $10/person.

Reservations and pre-payment are required for parties of eight or more. Food vendor will be on site. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or cypressbendvineyards.com.

•

• •

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Moroccan with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and pre-payment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

Saturday, July 18

•

MEET THE ARTIST AT WORK. 12 – 3 p.m. Come visit with artist Charlie Roberts. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or hollyhocksartgallerycom.

•

MEET THE AUTHOR. 2 p.m. Barbara Claypole White will discuss her book The Perfect Son, the story of a mother, a father, and their eccentric son. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211.

•

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY. 2 – 4 p.m. Technology exploration on a Raspberry Pi. Free and open to the public.

Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

NORTH CAROLINA PEACH FESTIVAL. 10 a.m.

– 5 p.m. Parade kicks off 19th annual festival, followed by activities and games, rides and activities for the kids (bungee trampoline, rock wall, bounce houses, magician, and more.), food galore, and peaches. Live entertainment with The Sand Band and The Band of Oz. See beautiful Montgomery County via helicopter tours. Cost: Admission is free. Fitzgerald Park, Candor. Info: (910) 974-4221 or ncpeachfestival.com.

•

SENIOR TRIP TO GREENSBORO SCIENCE CENTER. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission will include entrance to the Zoo, Museum, and SciQuarium. Cost: $22/resident; $44/non-resident. Registration due by July 6. Spaces limited.

Meet at Campbell House Grounds, 482 E Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2463.

•

ECK MCCANLESS POTTERY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pottery-making demonstrations and refreshments. Eck McCanless Pottery, 6077 Old U.S. Hwy 220, Seagrove. Info: (336) 873-7412 or eckmccanless.webs.com

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Ravioli with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and pre-payment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

SATURDAY CRAFT DAY. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The library provides materials for children in grades K through 5 and their families. The theme will be “Hero Masks.” Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

LIVE MUSIC. 7 – 10 p.m. Tim Wilson performs at the Wine Cellar & Tasting Room, 241-A NE Broad Street, Southern Pines. Free to the public. Info: (910) 692-3066.

Sunday, July 19

Health and Fitness, this safe, supervised program of daily activities includes swimming, crafts, games, sports, and more.

Registration forms will be available at the Pinehurst Parks and Recreation Department and the Fitness Center. Cost: $47/ resident; $70/non-resident . Non-resident Fitness Center members need to call (910) 295-1900 with membership number to receive the discount online. Camelot Playground at Cannon Park or Gymnasium @ Pinehurst Elementary School. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

Thursday, July 23

•

NATURE JOURNALING IV. 2 p.m. French and Spanish for Nature Lovers. Learn bilingual nature vocabulary relevant to the Sandhills. Bring your own paper or use ours. For all ages and levels of experience. Visitor Center at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

•

NATURE STUDY PROGRAM. 3 p.m. “Turpentine in the Pines” presents a closer look at the history of this industry, the products derived from pine resin, and the origin of our state’s nickname, The Tarheel State. Visitors Center Auditorium, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

Thursday, July 23—25

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Get Right Band and Mary Johnson Rockers perform. Cost: $15 (in advance). Doors open at 6:16 p.m. Tickets available online and at the door. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or theroosterswife.org.

Thursday, July 23—27

•

•

SUNDAY FILM SERIES. 2:30 p.m. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his wife and kids, however, Chris finds that he can’t leave the war behind. Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

BEACH FRIDAYS. 6 p.m. Enjoy a bottle of wine and dancing with friends under the tent while The Sand Band entertains you with live music. Cost: $10/person. Reservations and pre-payment are required for parties of eight or more.

Food vendor on site. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or cypressbendvineyards. com.

•

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Pasta with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and pre-payment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

Monday, July 20—21

•

ART CLASS. 1 – 3 p.m. Pat McMahon demonstrates an exciting new technique using acrylic or watercolor paints on rice paper. Cost: $32/$36/$40. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 9443979 or artistleague.org.

Saturday, July 25

•

MEET THE ARTIST AT WORK. 12 – 3 p.m. Come visit with artist Linda Griffin. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or hollyhocksartgallerycom.

Monday, July 20—24

•

KAMP KIDWORKS (FIRST HEALTH). 7:30 a.m.

– 12:30 p.m. Co-sponsored with FirstHealth Center for

Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

THE TEMPEST. 7 p.m. Shakespeare’s play about the Duke of Milan using illusion and skillful manipulation to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place on the throne.

Performance at the 897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, 206 Bradford Ave., Fayetteville.

Info: (910) 916-0281 or sweetteashakespeare.com.

•

WINE BENEFIT. 4 – 6:30 p.m. College for Connor, in memory of Kerriann Hillgrove. Tickets are $35 and very limited. Call (910) 692-3066 for tickets. The Wine Cellar & Tasting Room, 241-A NE Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3066.

• •

•

Friday, July 24

•

Key:

TEEN GOLF TOURNAMENT. The U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championship is the largest event in junior golf. It will be played at Pinehurst Resort and Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club. 1 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst; and 1010 Midland Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.uskidsgolf.com.

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

89

PineServices

•

Giving families

CHRISTMAS IN JULY. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. More than 30 local craft artisans, good food, and music by Party Tyme Entertainment to support Caring Hearts for Kids of Moore (a local nonprofit organization that helps in-need families with children. (Vendors accepted until full.) National Guard Armory, 505 W Morganton Road, Southern Pines. Info: Debbie Scherer at tresuredjewelsorg@yahoo.com.

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IN-HOME CARE SERVICES

•

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Thai with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

•

TEEN MOVIE. 2 p.m. In this film, Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they are all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow “runners” for a shot at escape. Free to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

LIVE MUSIC. 7 – 10 p.m. Josh Haley performs at the Wine Cellar & Tasting Room, 241-A NE Broad Street, Southern Pines. Free to the public. Info: (910) 692-3066.

Sunday, July 26

•

NATURE STUDY PROGRAM. 3 p.m. “Squirrels of the Sandhills” is a program about the lifestyles of the flying, fox, and gray squirrels. Visitors Center, Weymouth WoodsSandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Choro Das 3 performs.

Cost: $15 (in advance). Doors open at 6:16 p.m. Tickets available online and at the door. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or theroosterswife.org.

Monday, July 27

•

FedEx & All USMail Shipping Packing Supplies Service In-store Packing • Fed Ex & US Postal Services • Copying, Faxing, Notary… & More!

• Party Supplies for any occasion!

Baby Showers, Weddings, Anniversaries, and Much More!

•

• Full

910-400-5459 SEVEN LAKES

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By the Project By the Hour Call for appointment

Pinehurst

910-315-3206 vickieaumaninteriors@yahoo.com

90

Practicing the 3 C’s Care • Compassion • Comfort • Interactive Caregiving™ • Personal Care • Companionship Services • Home Safety Technology

(910) 246-8000 10677 Hwy 15-501 Southern Pines Southernpines-594.comfortkeepers.com Most offices independently owned and operated

SANDHILLS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY MEETING. 7 p.m. Potluck: bring a dish or snack to contribute while we look through a collection of nature photography taken by members throughout the past year. Visitors welcome!

Weymouth Woods Auditorium, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or sandhillsnature.org.

•

LUNCH AND LEARN AT THE GARDENS. 12 – 1 p.m. Discussion with Adele Kushe and Peggy Hudson of Big Bloomers Flower Farm. Free and open to the public. Bring your lunch — drinks provided. Ball Visitors Center, Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 695-3882. Register by email: landscapegardening@ sandhills.edu.

•

MEET THE AUTHOR. Time TBD. Margaret B. Thorton will discuss her new book, Charleston. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211.

Monday and Tuesday, July 27 and 28

•

GOLF TOURNAMENT. The Country Club of North Carolina hosts the 2015 Moore County Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament, a two-day, stroke play event.

Cardinal course, The Country Club of North Carolina, 1600 Morganton Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 315-6061 or moorecountywomensamateur.com.

Monday, July 27—29

•

PINEWILD YOUTH GOLF CLINICS. 9 – 11 a.m.

These three-day clinics are for boys and girls ages 8 – 16 and will focus on fundamentals, golf etiquette, rules of play, and more. Appropriate golf attire and own clubs required. Cost: $85. Assemble by the flagpole in front of the clubhouse, 5 minutes prior to the start time. Golf Academy at Pinewild Country Club, 6 Glasgow Drive, Pinehurst: Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

••• • •

Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports

• • •

Dance/Theater Fun History

July 2015P��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

ca l e n d a r

Monday, July 27—30

•

YOUTH COOKING CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Young Chefs in the Sandhills Cooking Camp. During this week, young chefs will learn how to make a main course, side dish, dessert, and beverage each day, with a focus on food from France. Cost: $185/resident; $278/non-resident. Community Presbyterian Kitchen, 125 Everett Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 pinehurstrec.org.

Monday, July 27—31

•

KAMP KIDWORKS (FIRST HEALTH). 7:30 a.m.

– 12:30 p.m. Co-sponsored with FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness, this safe, supervised program of daily activities includes swimming, crafts, games, sports, and more.

Registration forms will be available at the Pinehurst Parks and Recreation Department and the Fitness Center. Cost: $47/ resident; $70/non-resident . Non-resident Fitness Center members need to call (910) 295-1900 with membership number to receive the discount online. Camelot Playground at Cannon Park or Gymnasium @ Pinehurst Elementary School. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or cypressbendvineyards.com.

Botanial Garden, 536 N Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville, Info: Please call 910.486.0221 to pre-register.

•

Wednesdays

COOKING CLASS. 6:30 p.m. Ravioli with Chef Maria DiGiovanni. Hands-on preparation of menu items.

Reservations and prepayment required. Cost: Call for prices.

The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

•

FAMILY STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Stories, songs, and fun for children , newborns and children up to 5 years of age, and their families. Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

DAYTRIPPERS. 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Trip for teens and young adults to Corbetts Burgers and Cary Town Center. $16/residents; $32/non-residents. Bring money for lunch. Call for details. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

•

SANDHILLS FARMERS MARKET. 3 – 6 p.m. Fresh and locally grown fruit and vegetables. Village Center Parking Lot, 1 Village Green W, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 2951900 or vopnc.org.

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS

•

Thursdays (except July 2)

•

FULL-DAY CAMPS. 7:45 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Activities will include games, crafts, sports, swimming, and more. Camps will use Cannon Park and Camelot Playground and also take a weekly in-town trip. Cost: $120/resident; $163/non-resident.

Cafeteria at Pinehurst Elementary School, 100 Dundee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org. Call for availability and waitlist.

•

SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS. A variety of activities and crafts for kids of all ages. See the Spring and Summer Brochure on the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks web page for details, dates, costs, and availability. Info: (910) 6922463 or southernpines.net

•

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Produce only — fresh and locally grown. Armory Sports Complex, 604 W Morganton Road, Southern Pines. Info: Info: (910) 947-3752 or moorecountync.gov or localharvest.org.

Thursday, July 30

Sundays

Fridays

Mondays

•

YOUTH POTTERY CLASS. 1 – 3 p.m. Participants will create 10 unique pottery pieces with white earthenware clay and paint with under glazes. Cost: $70/resident; $140/nonresident. Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-0166 or pinehurstrec.org.

•

SOUNDS ON THE GROUNDS. 6 – 9 p.m. The Breakfast Club, a 1980s tribute band, will perform in this Young Affiliates Summer Concert Event. Food and beer trucks will be on site. Cost: $5/in advance (call or stop by Weymouth Center Office); $10/at the gate day of event.

Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-6261.

Thursday, July 30—August 1

•

KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT. The U.S. Kids Golf 2015 World Championship is for golfers age 12 and under. It will be played at Pinehurst Resort and several other area golf courses. Pinehurst Resort, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst.

Info: (888) 387-5437 or uskidsgolf.com.

Thursday, July 30—August 1

•

•

Saturdays

•

SANDHILLS FARMERS MARKET. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Fresh and locally grown fruit and vegetables. Village Center Parking Lot, 1 Village Green W, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 2951900 or vopnc.org.

Tuesdays

•

YOGA. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. This class is for beginners and those who want a gentle, mindful yoga practice. Bring a yoga mat and a towel. Cost: $30/resident; $60/non-resident.

Classes at the Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S, Pinehurst.

Info: (910) 295-2817 or pinehurstrec.org.

•

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 6 p.m. Enjoy a bottle of wine and dancing with friends under the tent while The Mike Wallace Quartet entertains you with live jazz music. Cost: $10/person.

Reservations and pre-payment are required for parties of eight or more. Food vendor will be on site. Cypress Bend Vineyards,

STORYTIME FOR CHILDREN. 10:30 a.m. The Country Bookshop. 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines (910) 692-3211.

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. Produce only—fresh and locally grown. FirstHealth (Fitness Center) 170 Memorial Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 947-3752 or moorecountync.gov or localharvest.org.

TAI CHI FOR HEALTH. 10 – 11:30 a.m. Practice this flowing Eastern exercise with instructor Rich Martin at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Cost: Single class: $15/member; $17/non-member; monthly: $50/member; $60/non-member.

Three-month series fee: 13 classes: $145/member; $175/nonmember. (No refunds or transfer for these classes.) Cape Fear

Friday, July 31

FREE COOKING DEMO. 5 p.m. A great way to start off the weekend and get scrumptious ideas. No Reservations Needed. The Flavor Exchange, 115 E New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

ADULT SAND VOLLEYBALL. 2 – 4 p.m. Get a good workout and meet some new friends. Participation is free.

Memorial Park, Memorial Park Court, Adjacent to US 1, Southern Pines. Info: southernpines.net.

•

•

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 8 a.m.

– noon. Produce only—fresh and locally grown. SE Broad Street and New York Ave. Southern Pines. Info: (910) 9473752 or (910) 690-9520 or moorecountync.gov/index.php/ farmers-market.

BABY STORYTIME. 10:30 – 11 a.m. Stories, songs, and fun for newborns and children up to age 5 years. Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

STORY HOUR. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. For ages 3 to 5.

Givens Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst.

Info: (910) 295-6022 or tuftsarchives.org.

•

Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

FAMILY FUN NIGHT. 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Hands-on activities for kids, take-home summer ideas, snacks, and stories about heroes (Fire-fighting Heroes, Ancient Heroes, Crimefighting Heroes, and Military Heroes). Free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or sppl.net.

•

•

60TH ANNUAL ROBBINS FARMERS DAY. Arts and crafts and activities that include a wagon train festival, a horse parade, entertainment, special demonstrations, and square dancing in a carnival atmosphere. Downtown Robins, 101 N Middleton Street, Robbins. Info: (910) 295-7808 or robbinsfarmersday.com.

•

Art Galleries

ABOUT ART GALLERY inside The Market Place Midland Bistro Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. The gallery features local artists. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 215-596.

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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ca l e n d a r FEATURING ELLIOTT LAUREN JOSEPH RIBKOFF TRIBAL LISETTE PANTS MING WANG NIC & ZOE AND MORE! SIZES 2-16

Artist GAlleRy OF SOUTHERN PINES, 167 E. New Hampshire Avenue., Southern Pines. Features art and fine crafts from more than 60 North Carolina artists. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 692-6077.

Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon – 3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979.

Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Road, Pinehurst.

Showcases works by nationally recognized artists such as Carol Bechtel, Jason Craighead, Linda Ruth Dickinson, Bruce Dorfman, Kathleen Earthrowl. Meet-the-artist opportunities available. Monday-Friday (closed Wednesday), 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m and special appointments.

(910) 295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com.

The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Avenue., Southern Pines. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and every third weekend of the month from 2 – 4 p.m. (910) 6924356, www.mooreart.org.

Casual to Dressy

CELEBRATING WOMEN OF ALL AGES! the

CLOTHES HORSE • Beside The Fresh Market •

163 Beverly Lane, Southern Pines, NC 28387

910.693.2111

Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm (after 5 by request) Sunday Closed facebook.com/ClothesHorseofSPines

The Downtown Gallery inside Cup of Flow, 115 NE Broad St., Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910) 693-1999.

Exchange Street Gallery, Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange Street in historic Aberdeen.

“It’s Southern, Ya’ll,” works of Pat McMahon and Betty DiBartolomeo. September 2-28. Regular hours noon to 3:00, Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979.

The Gallery at Seven Lakes at the St. Mary Magdalene building, 1145 Seven Lakes Drive. Just nine miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211, this gallery is dedicated to local artists. Wednesday-Thursday 1 – 4 p.m.

Hastings Gallery in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

HOLLYHOCKS ART GALLERY, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Features artwork by local award winning artists, Diane Kraudelt, Linda Griffin, Jessie MacKay, Julie Messerschmidt, Charles Roberts, and artist/owner, Jane Casnellie. Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Sunday 4 – 9:30 p.m. (910) 255-0665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, 21 Chinquapin Road, Pinehurst. Features local artists.

Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (910) 255-0100, www. ladybedfords.com.

The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen.

Specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures.

Monday, Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (910) 295-2055.

SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE, 15 Azalea Road, Pinehurst. All merchandise at the Exchange is handmade by consignors who live in the community. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch served 11.30 a.m – 2 p.m.

(910) 295-4677.

Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Showcases art of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., (910) 695-0029.

SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen. Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (910) 944-9440, www.skyartgallery.com.

Studio 590 by the pond in Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst. This historic log cabin is the working studio and gallery of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. (910) 639-9404.

White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910) 947-6100.

Nature Centers

Sandhills Horticultural Gardens (32 acres of gardens). The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handi-

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ca l e n d a r capped-accessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910) 695-3882.

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres). 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167.

VILLAGE ARBORETUM. 35 acres of land adjoining the Village Hall on Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900.

Historical Sites

Bethesda Church and Cemetery. Guided tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen. (910) 944-1319.

Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. Tours by appointment. (910) 692-2051 or (910) 673-0908.

Carthage Historical Museum. Sundays, 2 – 5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (9 10) 947-2331.

House in the Horseshoe. Open year-round. Hours vary. 288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of Carthage), Sanford. (910) 947-2051.

Malcolm Blue Farm and Museum. 1 – 4 p.m.

Wednesday-Saturday. Group tours can be arranged by appointment. (910) 944-7558 or (910) 603-2739.

North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. 10 a.m.

– 2 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Avenue., Southern Pines. (910) 692-6261.

Shaw House. Open 1 – 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. (910) 692-2051.

Tufts Archives. 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Saturday. (910) 295-3642.

Union Station. Open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Located in downtown Aberdeen. (910) 944-5902.

Sandhills Woman’s Exchange Log Cabin. Open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (910) 295-4677. PS To add an event, email us at pinestraw.calendar@gmail.com by the first of the month prior to the event. Or go to www.thepilot.com and add the event to our online calendar.

Enjoy the BLUES! from page 111

June PineNeedler Answers Solution:

R E A C T

I G L O O S

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SONOMA

Mid-State Furniture of Carthage

403 Monroe Street Downtown Carthage 910-947-3739

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Using Dikson Italian Hair color technology for less damage, zero fade, complete gray coverage and no carcinogens.

And offering a variety of organic styling products.

104 Bradford Village, Southern Pines (910)692-2825 | www.thehaircottage.com

Please visit our website for location and directions.

4 Courses

2 Clubs

YOUR Membership!

Quality CARE at an Affordable COST The Club of the Sandhills 4 Championship Golf Courses

Designed by Ellis Maples and Gene Hamm

Unlimited Golf at All Four Courses Unlimited Complimentary PGA Golf Instruction Swimming Pool & Fitness Center Access Exceptional Meeting Space for 10 - 345 Guests

Beautiful Wedding Venues Experienced Event Planner & Culinary Team Lodgings at CCWP Golf Courses Open To The Public For Membership, Events & Accommodations 910.949.4332

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ACTive DUTY Military Discounts on All Memberships

Talk with your doctor to learn more about Surgery Center of Pinehurst or call (910) 235-5000 to see how much you could save on your next surgery.

Surgery Center of Pinehurst is committed to the comfort and well being of our patients and their families with a patient-focused approach that promotes long-term health and the highest level of patient satisfaction.

10 First Village Drive • Pinehurst, NC 28374

• (910) 235-5000 • SurgeryCenterOfPinehurst.com

July 2015P��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

By Sandra Redding

Fireworks are flowers in the garden sky — Jarod Kintz

LITERARY EVENTS

July 5–10 (Sunday through Friday).

John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown: The Breath of Life, a writing workshop emphasizing the creation of compelling characters. Join instructor Valerie Nieman, Piedmont poet, novelist and professor, to perk up your prose. Info: folkschool.org.

July 15 (Wednesday, 7 p.m.). Scuppernong Books, Greensboro. Eric G. Wilson, Wake Forest English professor and leading expert on the relationship between literature and psychology, will read from his popular nonfiction book, Keeping it Fake: Create an Authentic Self. Info: scuppernongbooks.com.

September 10–12 (Thursday through Saturday). Tenth Annual Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, Burnsville. Come to “Our Earth . . . Our Time . . . Our Space” and “leave feeling renewed and rededicated to your work.”

Join Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett, who will speak on Saturday evening, and “read more, write more and contribute positively to society through the literary arts.” Info: cmlitfest.org.

October 8–11 (Thursday through Sunday) Bouchercon 2015, Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, Raleigh. Billed “Murder Under the Oaks,” this year’s World Mystery Convention, honoring mystery writer Anthony Boucher, brings Margaret Maron, Kathy Reichs and Tom Franklin to explore the dark side of fiction writing. Register early; this event will be a sell-out. Info: bouchercon2015.org.

CONGRATULATIONS

Brad Feld of Wilmington won the prestigious 2015 Doris Betts Fiction Prize, $250 and publication of his story, “Achmed’s Lesson,” in North Carolina Review.

On May 14 in the Music Building at UNCG, Fred Chappell, former N.C. Poet Laureate and internationally recognized, received the Charles Duncan McIver Medal given to “North Carolinians who have rendered unusually distinguished public service to the state or nation.”

Cheers! For her novel Byrd, Kim Church of Raleigh was presented the annual Crook’s Corner Book Prize, $1,000 plus a free glass of wine every day for a year.

Elizabeth Gonzalez of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, won The 2015 Press 53 Short Fiction Award for her collection, The Universal Physics of Escape. Three N.C. writers were semi-finalists: Forrest Anderson of Salisbury, Heather Frese of Durham and Philip Gerard of Wilmington. Submission deadline for the Award for Poetry is July 31, 2015. Info: press53.com/Award_for_Poetry.html.

Kudos to the twenty-eight recipients of the 2015 N. C. Poetry Society Contest awards presented at Weymouth Center in Southern Pines on May 30. Marty Silverthorne’s serious poem, “Testimonial of Jars,” garnered the Poet Laureate Award ($100). Winning poems will be published in Pinesong, an annual anthology. Info: ncpoetrysociety.org.

LESSON

I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep, I wrote in the dark.

— Henry David Thoreau

For the past few months, I’ve been asking writers, “How do you lure your muses to your side?” Poet Rosalyn Marhatta believes showering and handwashing dishes stimulates creativity.

When lines of poetry pop into her head, she runs to her computer to get them down.

Novelist Jacob Paul plays music to get in the mood, but avoids all sounds once he begins composing. Poet/playwright Debra Kaufman always carries a pocket-sized notebook for writing when she’s out and about. And a journal and pen wait by her bed, ready when inspiration strikes or dreams appear at night. Writer/actor Billy Ingram never learned to type, so you can imagine watching him pounding away on his computer using only one finger. Novelist Steve Lindahl uses a Kindle.

He says the tiny screen and his one-finger keying force him to concentrate.

Most wordsmiths need a specific place. Brenda Loy Wilson enjoys the picturesque view from her deck as she pens poems on a legal pad. Charles Rodenbough, author of four books, transformed one of his bedrooms into a writing sanctuary. A few prefer company. As Gary Furnas writes Niburian Sequence books, his cat Tribble sits on his shoulder, editing. Mystery novelist Laura Wharton reads her works-in-progress to her dog. If he approves, he wags his tail. TV personality/true crime writer MayCay Beeler believes the spirit of Jack Reed, the now dead adventurer featured in her book, visits her as she composes.

Perhaps science fiction writer, C. Craig Coleman, has the best idea for success: “I sought help from experienced writers early on and took their advice seriously.” b Keep reading and writing and please let me know about literary happenings in your community. sanredd@earthlink.net Greensboro writer Sandra Redding’s novel, Naomi Wise: A Cautionary Tale, is a riveting story about heartbreak and hope in a Quaker community.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Sandhills Photography Club “Flowers” Competition Winners

CLASS A WINNERS

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CLASS A WINNERS 1 1st Place – Marti Derleth – Inside Surprise 2 2nd Place – Debra Regula – Natural Curls 3 3rd Place – Matt Smith – Nature Finds a Way 4 Honorable Mention – Tom Reedy – Nature’s Beauty 96

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Honorable Mention – Jim Davis – Pin Cushion Protea Honorable Mention – Donna Ford– Iris Honorable Mention – Debra Regula– After the Bloom Honorable Mention – Chris Christiansen– Orchid

July 2015P��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

CLASS B WINNERS

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3 CLASS A WINNERS 1 1st Place – Bill Bower – Magnolia Blossom 2 2nd Place – Lana Rebert – Daylily 3 3rd Place – Bill Stagg – Hawaii 4 Honorable Mention – Judy Nappi – Am I Blue?

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Honorable Mention – Jennifer German – Water Lily Honorable Mention – Tobe Saskor – Tulip Honorable Mention – Pat Anderson – Happy Happy, Hibiscus Honorable Mention – Joanne Lentz – Pretty Pink Posies Honorable Mention – Cathy Locklear – Lily Pad

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Encore

BARGAIN BOX II NON-PROFIT THRIFT SHOP

Bene fits Moore Cou nty Charities & Nursi ng Schol arship s for SCC Stud ents

Husqvarna Battery Units...

The only tool you will ever need

Donations Accepted During Regular Business Hours

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm 7299-A, 15-501 in Eastwood (Behind Wylie’s Golf Cart) 910-235-5221

Antiques & Newtiques 5336 NC Hwy 211, West End, NC 27376 (at the traffic light)

910-673-2065

Tues-Sat 11am-4pm • Sun 1pm-4pm www.westendpastimes.com

Gas-powered performance – with no gas!

The Husqvarna Battery Series includes highly efficient electric cordless chainsaws, trimmers and hedge trimmers driven by a powerful 36V lithium-ion battery pack.

Now available at

Carthage Saw & Mower 3812 Hwy 15-501

. Carthage

910-947-2041

Sunshine Antique & Mercantile Company Buy, Sell or Trade Specializing in Primitive & Country Furnishings Thursday- Saturday 10 to 5 Monday-Wednesday by appointment or chance 115 N. Sycamore St., Aberdeen, NC (919) 995-3488 shop • (919) 673-9388 or (919) 673-9387 cells

Buying Vintage

and Military Watches

Cover Model Look Like a

Hats: $15

Two colors to choose from PineStraw Magazine on the front, Southern Pines, NC on the back

Bags: $13

ROLEX & TUDOR Especially 1950s-1980s era GMT & SUBMARINER WARPATH MILITARY COLLECTIBLES 819 Hope Mills Road, Fayetteville Ed Hicks (910) 425-7000 edhicks82@aol.com • warpathmilitaria.com

Great canvas bag designed by Denise Baker for PineStraw’s 10th Anniversary To purchase, just stop by 145 W. Pennsylvania Ave in Southern Pines, or call Darlene at 639-2488 for shipping

(additional charge for mailing).

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SandhillSeen

Karen Smith, Janice Malpass

Bill Henshaw, John Hatcher

Jazz Band outdoor concert at SCC Monday, June, 8, 2015 Photographs by London Gessner

Barbara Gaylord & Willow (dog)

Tom & Karen McCarthy

Shirley Percival, June Nance Shirley Reardon, Pat & Mac Andrews

Lilly Belle & Lori Haley

Terry Appen, Jane Lambert front: Skip Stacy, Liz Harry Back: Beth & Bob Cunningham

Helen Walsh, Jack Frederick

Michael & Diane Braun

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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LET’S CELEBRATE

Christmas in July

WITH A

NeedleDeeva Trunk Show!

JULY 2ND - 25TH

THE CHOICE FOR NEEDLE ARTS

IN THE SANDHILLS 910-295-3727

moorethanneedlepoint.com

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850 Linden Road, Pinehurst, NC Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm

July 2015 i������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen A Tribute to the Military CCNC Lakeside Terrace Sunday, May 24, 2014

Marianne Kernan, Jim Fisher and Gen. W.F. “Buck” Kernan

Paula Youngblood, Jane Furland

Photographs by Katie Bolt

Cpt. Christopher & Jessica Esquivel

Michele Nidiffer, Sara Hemphill

Bill & Sis Mann, Katie & Austin Koonce & Khaki

Karen Fisher, Nickie Steele, Lt. Col. Brian Steele, Jim Fisher

JoAnn Ryan, Gen. W.F. “Buck” Kernan

Nickie Steele & Lt. Col. Brian Steele

Fred Furland, Perry Youngblood

CUTLER TREE

Tree Pruning • Removal Plant Site Consulting Stump Grinding • Shrub Care Tree Conservation for New Home Sites Free Estimates Geoffrey Cutler Fully Insured 910-692-7769 910-690-7657

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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P Aul B lAke & A ssociAtes

&

ESTATE LIQUIDATION & TAG SALE SERVICES Serving buyers and sellers in Moore and surrounding counties for over 30 years.

LICENSED & BONDED

Refer to The Pilot Newspaper for current sale dates & locations or go to ThePilot.com or estatesales.net

ESTATE LIQUIDATORS Paul Blake 910.315.7044 Chuck Helbling 910.315.4501

CONCEPT SALON The Art & Science of Pure Flower & Plant Essences

125 NE BROAD STREET DOWNTOWN SOUTHERN PINES 910-246-0552

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SandhillSeen

Andrew & Rollie Sampson, Laura Douglass, Becky & Greg Oldham

Jill & Jeb Phillips

6th Annual Festival of Beers Saturday, May 16, 2015

Photographs by Al & Annette Daniels

Brian & Holly Neal, Linda Parsons, Emily Ivey, Teri Hoffman

Carmel King, Annette Thompson

Jonna Graves, Danny Hayes

Justin Phillips, Melissa Walters

April Page, Todd Casey

Michael & Ashleigh Shinkle, John Aitken, K.T. Gelley.

Matt Johnston, Claudia Bravo, Samantha Blais, Jeanette Sabo.

Devin & Amy Kilarski, Chris Devine

Barbara & Guy Bailey

Rakiema Sellars, Monique Wallace

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Arts & Culture

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SandhillSeen

Allison Johnson, Jenna Taylor, Madison Elliott

Rowan Rockafellow, Karl Balogh

Carolina Polocrosse Club Presents Carolina Classic Tournament Sunday, May 31, 2015 Photographs by London Gessner

Kate Liner & Jay Lo Evan Vallee, Jordan Almony

Whitney Winn Digney, Dana Deiner, Manny Deiner

Ceci Liner with Playmate

JoAnne Thorton, Nicole Thorton

John Palmer, Jeannie & John Burch

Rachel King & Brandon King

Kelly & Mark Elliott

Mary Jane Lahr, Terri Seals

Jeff & Laura Almony

Tony Cameron, Charla Olson

Reid Hall, Elizabeth Ciskowski

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Arts & Culture

SUMMER 2015 CLASSES OIL and ACRYLIC

ABSTRACT ACRYLICS Debby Kline – Monday, July 13, 10:00-3:00 $40 ACRYLIC OR WATERCOLOR ON RICE PAPER Pat McMahon, Monday/Tuesday, July 20/21, 1:00-3:00 $40 CREATING WITH OILS Diane Kraudelt - Monday, August 3, 9:30-3:30 $82 Supplies included.

OIL PAINTING WITH COURTNEY Courtney Herndon – Wednesday/Thursday, – August 26/ 27 9:00-3:30, $110 FOLLOW THE LEADER - (OIL) Joan Williams – Monday, August 24, Saturday, August 29, 10:00-4:00 $325 no discount - Supplies included (Painting a 30 x 40 gallery wrapped canvas – Poppies)

WATERCOLOR

INTERMEDIATE WATERCOLOR Sandy Scott – Tuesday, July 7, 10:00-3:00 $40 WATERCOLOR OR ACRYLIC ON RICE PAPER Pat McMahon, Monday/Tuesday, July 20/21, 1:00-3:00 $40 BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE WATERCOLOR Sandy Scott – Tuesday/Wednesday, July 28/29, 10:00-3:30 $90 SOFT AND LOOSE WATERCOLOR Sandy Scott – Tuesday/Wednesday, August 11/12, 10:00-3:30 $90

DRAWING

FIGURE DRAWING (WITH A LIVE MODEL) Linda Bruening - Wednesday, July 8, 9:00-12:00 $35 DRAW IT I - HOW TO DRAW AN OBJECT Sandra Kinunnen – Thursday/Friday, July 16/17, 9:00-12:00 $60 FIGURE DRAWING (WITH A LIVE MODEL) Linda Bruening - Thursday, August 13, 9:00-12:00 $35

COLORED PENCILS AND PASTELS

WATERCOLOR PENCIL Betty Hendrix - Wednesday, July 22, - 10:00-4:00 $50

OTHER MEDIUMS

REDUCTION PRINTING Lynn Goldhammer – Thursday, July 23, 9:00-4:00 $95 Supplies included GO WITH THE FLOW-BASIC ALCOHOL INK Pam Griner – Friday, July 24, 12:00-3:00 $40 Supplies included.

PRINTMAKING MADE EASY-MONOPRINTS Sandy Stratil – Monday, July 27, 10:00-4:00 $53 GELLI PRINTING Pat Halligan – Saturday, August 8, 10:00-12:00 (Gelli plate included) $30

WORKSHOPS 2015

AUGUST 17-20 – “PUSHING THE ENVELOPE IN WATERCOLOR” Mel Stabin $590 SEPTEMBER 16-18 – “INSIDE ACRYLICS” Phillip Garrett $375

A STROKE OF PATRIOTISM

WHAT: Beer, Brats and Art – A silent auction of work donated by local artists and celebrities.

Proceeds go to meet the needs of Sandhills area veterans and their families.

WHEN: July 18, 2015 – 2 to 4pm WHERE: Railhouse Brewery, 105 East South St. Aberdeen Check us out & register at

www.artistleague.org 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen 944-3979 Follow us on

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July 2015 i����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

T h o u g h ts F r o m T h e Ma n s h e d

Make Way for Ducklings . . . in the Pool

By Geoff Cutler

We’d been for a long

weekend walk with the dog and returned to our house to find a mother duck and her thirteen ducklings swimming in our pool.

The mother duck spread her wings and flew the second she saw us, but the little ones hadn’t yet learned to fly. Round and round the edge of the pool they swam, looking for a way out. At first, the mother duck flew in circles over the pool, but soon she landed and skedaddled under the manshed. My wife, Brooke, thought this quite an adventure, and surely the cutest thing she’d ever seen. Imagine! A family of ducks had chosen to stop and swim in her pool.

Cute, no doubt, but it quickly became clear that the little ones couldn’t get out of the pool. They’d stop every so often along the pool’s edge to try to jump out, but the pool’s coping was slippery and just a hair too high for them to reach the deck. We thought we might be able to pluck them out one by one, but as we approached them, they dove like submarines. We had no idea how well ducks can swim underwater because most water is so dark you can’t see them. Darting this way and that, and skimming off the bottom in the deep end, they’re as fast and graceful as dolphins, or penguins.

I sat down like Winnie the Pooh to think. How to get the little ones out of the chlorinated pool? Think . . . think . . . think . . . think. I could fill the pool up and then they could walk out. Nah, that would take too long. Then, the makings of an idea. I got a couple of bricks and staggered them on the top pool step, making a pint-sized and extra bit of stairway. With Brooke positioned just off to the side of the stairs, I walked along the deck and the

brood, moving away from me, swam around the edge of the pool until they reached the stairs. Seeing Brooke, they stopped, and were thus directed onto the stairs themselves.

It took a minute, but finally, one of the ducklings scrambled up the bricks and out. When the others saw him do it, the puzzle was seemingly solved. One by one, up the bricks the little ones came. They dashed for cover behind the pool chairs and crept around the edge of the deck to their mother, who was now waiting patiently for them out on the lawn.

Except for three. The runts. Either they couldn’t figure out what the bricks were for, or they were still too little to make use of them. Into the middle of the pool they scattered.

One dove, and two swam into each of the pool’s skimmers. We ran to the first skimmer and pulled the top off. The duckling was whirling around inside like a sneaker in the dryer. I plucked him out. Held by a human, he became ever so still and quiet. Perhaps playing dead. I passed him to Brooke, and she dashed to the bushes where we could hear the rest of the family quacking and chirping and carrying on. In the shelter of the tall shrubbery, they were waiting for the remaining two.

I got hold of the duckling in the other skimmer just as before, and I swear his little eyes were red from the pool chemicals. Passing him off to Brooke, I went in search of the pool net for the last one. So tiny, this last.

But what a swimmer! He evaded the net time and again, diving and bobbing away from me. Eventually, I snagged him in the corner when he came up for air. Brooke took the last little duck, tired and drenched, to join the rest of his family.

And off they went. We could hear their duck racket getting softer and softer as they padded out of our neighborhood.

We’d like to think the thirteen ducklings were born in the swamps that lie down behind us in Weymouth Woods. That the mother duck had flown about looking for a good place to finish bringing up her babies, and that maybe she had found that spot in the pond of the new Ray’s Mill Park in Aberdeen. That she and her ducklings were on their way to that new home, a wonderful place where nice people might throw them good things to eat, and that along their journey there, they stopped to cool off in our pool. PS Geoff can be reached at geoffcutler@embarqmail.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Dining Guide

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MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET “Sat. July 11th 9am- 12 noon Peach Day Celebration

with Peach Queen and free ice cream” “Sat. July 18th 9am – 12 noon Cooking Demo

by Martin Brunner of the BakeHouse” Tomatoes, Fruits, Veggies, Jams, Meats, Flowers & Plants, Goat Cheese, Prepared Foods, Baked Goods, Crafts, Peaches, Blueberries, Corn, Cantaloupes, Watermelons, Squash, Green Beans, Cucumbers Mondays- FirstHealth (Fitness Center) Facility courtesy of First Health

170 Memorial Dr • Pinehurst 2pm-5:30pm Will be open through October 26th Open Year Round • Thursdays - 604 W. Morganton Rd

american fusion cuisine

(Armory Sports Complex) Facility courtesy of Town of Southern Pines Southern Pines 9am-1pm

lunch tues-sat 11-3 dinner wed-sat 5:30-9:30

Facility courtesy of Town of Southern Pines Broad St & New York Ave 8am-Noon Will be open through October 31th

supporting local farmers

chef prem nath

195 bell avenue southern pines 910.692.7110 www.195americanfusion.com

Saturdays - Downtown Southern Pines

Call 947-3752 or 690-9520 for more info. hwwebster@embarqmail.com Web search Moore County Farmers Market Local Harvest www.facebook.com/moorecountyfarmersmarket SNAP welcomed here

Restaurant Authentic Thai Cusine

U.S. Hwy 1 South & 15-501 1404 Sandhills Blvd.

Aberdeen, NC 28315

Smoke Free Environment Lunch

Closed Monday Tuesday - Friday 11:00am - 2:30pm Saturday Closed for Lunch Sunday 11:30am - 2:30pm

Dinner

Tuesday - Sunday 5:00pm - 9:30pm Saturday 4:00pm-9:30pm See our menu on MooCo under Oriental Restaurants

(910) 944-9299

Carryout and Vegetarian Dishes 108

Come enjoy our Italian Atmosphere for great food with friends and family!

Tues., Wed., & Thurs. Fri. & Sat. Sun. & Mon. 5pm to 9pm 5pm to 10pm Closed

We accept reservations.

515 S.E. Broad St | Southern Pines, NC 28387 910-725-1868 | www.curtscucina.com

July 2015 i����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

T h e A c c i d e n ta l A st r o l o g e r

Life in a Well-Fed Universe Wind up, honey pie, and heave that ripe tomato!

By Astrid Stellanova

Food fighters unite! Star Children, I love me a good old-fashioned food

fight. I once lobbed a heaping helping of marshmallow fluff right at Beau’s forehead. If you never heard of Beau, my sometimes boyfriend, then you ain’t been reading Astrid. In the scheme of things, a little fluff flung at a boyfriend (especially one who has a wandering eye) ain’t the worst thing. I say vent your humor, vent your spleen, but don’t carry angst around — that would be a big waste of a wonderful summer month and bad for the digestion!

Cancer (June 21–July 22) You say you don’t much enjoy a fuss being made over your birthday. But you are sulky when the party doesn’t come off — so don’t pretend. Make a fuss over yourself. Eat more (expensive) chocolate this month. Seriously. You have quietly done a lot of nice things for others that may not be appreciated. Honey, that’s OK, because karma is swift. In your case, that is a good thing; your being a dependable friend is one of your best attributes. You may try very hard to pretend you have an aura of nothingness — just fitting in with the crowd — but that is so not true.

Leo (July 23–August 22) It is comical when you get worked up and all self-righteous. And there you go, thinking somebody else is always trying to hog the high road. Life is a lot like a tapas restaurant — the best things come in small servings you can share with others. Do not spend another month of your life looking for congratulations and recognition, when all you did was sit down and order off the menu. Also, try cinnamon for your high blood pressure, Sweet Thing, and wiggle your tense little tootsies when you get up in the morning.

Virgo (August 23–September 22) Face it, you are witty . . . but you ain’t going to wind up being no refrigerator magnet. So try distracting your best friend from their troubles. This is a good opportunity to take them to eat at a food truck. If you haven’t done that, it is high time. It ain’t like you are in the Hunger Games. While you are inhaling that second fish taco, don’t forget why you’re there: for your buddy. Really focus on them and lend an ear.

They need your counsel and support more than they need air.

Libra (September 23–October 22) Still saving up for a Thigh Master, Honey? (Beau bought me a knockoff, Big Mike’s Fitness Thigh Blaster. Matter of fact, I’m using it right now.) You are a person of substance, and that’s the way God made you. Always ready for the party, and the first one there. When you get in your Bermuda shorts, everybody appreciates you being you, and the fun you bring to the table. If you are still determined to lose weight, don’t get so serious you leave the whipped cream off the Jell-O. Order from the full menu of life and stop worrying.

Scorpio (October 23–November 21) This is a good month to pay attention to eating better. Change is an inside job.

Stock local produce and eat things that weren’t imported from thousands of miles away. Get your collard greens fix this month and throw in some hog jowl for good measure. Let things roll off your back and chill.

Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) Don’t make fighting regret your main pastime. Sometimes you fight with your demons, and sometimes you just gotta cuddle up and make friends with them. And speaking of making friends with your demons, don’t fight your obsession with all things blueberry. I intend to change the world one gigantic blueberry muffin at a time; or was that one muffin top at a time? Either way, flash them blue teeth and smile more!

Capricorn (December 22–January 19) When you repeated yourself all over again last month, and resisted accepting the one thing that would make you happy, well, Honey, all Astrid can say is that was just pants on the head stupid. Get your pants off your head, pull your big boy or big girl pants on one leg at a time, and undo that ridiculousness you set in motion. You know what it was and you know how to fix it. You can; you will. And by the way, you happen to be a born sous chef; enjoy some quality kitchen time.

Aquarius (January 20–February 18) It is not a Burger King World, and, Darling, you cannot always have it your way. Except when you can. In July, you can. Let me simply say, this is a month that should leave you feeling full of your very fine self. Snap your fingers, and somebody jumps. Enjoy it. You have not had an easy year. Can you deal with everything going your way for a while?

Others learn from watching you operate so smoothly in the kitchen of life. Tie those apron strings and enjoy just how fine it is going to be.

Pisces (February 19–March 20) Eat your broccoli. Try juicing some green stuff. You’ve been looking a little peaked lately, and some of that is from ignoring what your body needs. You don’t have to wear garlic around your neck, but do be wary when your spirits register low, Baby. Rest up, because you have a visitor coming that will require more than a little psychic energy. What this friend needs most is to be recharged by time with someone they value — and that is you, Sweet Thing.

Aries (March 21–April 19) You have got high-on-the-hog tastes, but when you are home alone you are more like Miss Piggy than Duchess Kate. That’s right, my Ram: You have a thing for peanut butter straight from the jar. There’s something about licking peanut butter right off the spoon that keeps you grounded and real; it is part of what makes you naturally lovable. Celebrate this month with an old friend who has had a run of bad luck. You will have enough good luck to go around, July Bug. Taurus (April 20–May 20) Your experimental side has taught you that goats can be good for Caribbean stew but bad as a role model. Your palate is pretty incredible; there are not many people that eat turtle, goat, squirrel and even gator, but you do, and that is why you are endlessly fascinating to an ever-growing circle. At least once in a while, try a turn in the kitchen.

You are a creative cook, and this would delight your partner.

Gemini (May 21–June 20) Your sweet tooth is legendary. Yes, Honey, you know your way around a dessert cart, and yet you don’t let yourself loose nearly enough. Indulgence is the word for this month, when you have the appetite and the opportunity to taste some truly sweet moments. Don’t pass them up. Order the sampler. If you wind up living a life of sad denial, you still won’t make it to sainthood, Sugar. PS For years, Astrid Stellanova owned and operated Curl Up and Dye Beauty Salon in the boondocks of North Carolina until arthritic fingers and her popular astrological readings provoked a new career path.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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Real Estate in the Sandhills

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Contact Perry Loflin for advertising information!

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July PineNeedler Enjoy the BLUES! Enjoy the blues!

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33 Tell a lie 65 Billings’ location ACROSS neighbor, abv.in glass 49 new ACROSS 1 Eve’s beginning 35 Pinehurst No.Jersey's 2 67 Sealed food elevator 50 throng 70 Eat 4 Reverberate 36 Also 8 Incapable of 51 Creative work 71 Clock time (abbr.)

1 eve's beginning 38 ___ ___ carte 72 Winged 14 Pride 52 Greatest amount 4 reverberate 39 Nimbus 73 Leg joint 15 Region 55 niches 8 Incapable of 40 Blueberry goody 74 Blueberry goody 16 Grief 58 egg-shaped 4 Pride 17 Loose gown worn at 44 Blueberry goody 75 Forceful 46 Beehive State Mass 61 Molecule 5 region 76 Nobleman 47 Island Wonder 63 liquor 6 Grief 18 Smallest of the litter 77 Foxy 49 New Jersey’s neighbor 19 Indirect way Billingsʼ location loose gown worn at mass 65 7 (abbr.)

20 Blueberry goody glass 67 sealed food in DOWN 8 smallest of the litter 22 Food and agriculture 50 Throng 1 Respond 70 eat 9 Winding path organization (abbr.)

51 Creative work 2 Eskimo houses 23 goody Work hard 52 Greatest amount time, abv3 Spool of thread 71 Clock 0 blueberry 55 Niches 24 agriculture Spat 72 Winged 2 Food and 4 Duke 27 Laundry detergent 58 Egg-shaped leg joint organization (abbr.)

5 Bottle for salad 73 brand 61 Molecule dressings 74 blueberry goody 3 Work hard 31 Stuck-up person 63 Wonder 75 Forceful 4 spat 76 nobleman 7 laundry detergent brand 3 9 6 77 Foxy 1 stuck up person 3 tell a lie 7 8 Sudoku: DOWN 5 Pinehurst #2 elevator Fill in the grid so every row, 4 5 6 also every column and every 3x3 1 respond 8 ___ ___ carte box contain the numbers 9 2 1 1–9.

9 nimbus 2 eskimo houses 3 spool of thread 0 blueberry goody 5 4 duke 4 blueberry goody Puzzle answers on page 93 5 bottle 6 beehive state Mart Dickerson lives in Southern Pinesfor salad dressings 1 ___ Matisse, painter 6 7 Island liquor and would welcome any suggestions

from her fellow puzzle masters. She can be reached at gdickerson@nc.rr.com.

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99 Wanderer Wanderer vines 1010 shelter Shelter under under vines Women’s undergarment 1111 Women's undergarment 12 lumber 12 Lumber sheep 1313 Female Female sheep redmark mark 2121 Patchy Patchy red Farming club club (abbr.) (abr.)

2525 Farming 26 Movie 26 Movie 28 Decorative needle needle case 28 decorative case plant 2929 Jungle Jungle plant 30 What Celestial What Celestial seasonings 30 Seasonings makes makes 32 Feather scarf scarf 3234 Feather Data transmission rate transmission rate 34 data Gumbovegetable vegetable 3737 Gumbo 39 drifting Drifting 39 40 Mountain lion lion 4041 Mountain A spinning toy (2 spinning toy (2 wds.)

41 a words) Peanut butter/cheese butter /cheese crackers 4242 Peanut crackers Money in 4343 Money in France France masc.

4545 opposite Opposite of of masc. ___ 4848 I want I wantmy my ___ Postage 5353 Postage Throatpart part 5454 throat 56 Planet 56 Planet 57 Sugary 5759 sugary Type of acid of acid 5960 type Solitary type Ahoy there __!

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6264 ahoy 66 Require 64 river whirl 67 Blueberry goody 6668 require Boxer Muhammad goody 6769 blueberry Scrap of cloth Muhammad 6870boxer 10 liters (abbr. for dekaliter) of cloth 69 scrap 70 10 liters (abbr. for dekaliter)

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2015

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southwords

The Yellow Peril

By Joyce R eehling

“This too shall pass,” I tell my friends, visiting from less humid destinations, although I’m not sure I believe it.

Summers in the Sandhills seem eternal, but a journal entry I wrote just a few short weeks ago reminds me that, well, it could be worse: The skies are blue, azaleas are blossoming, and life around Pinehurst is gathering speed. Plant sales are popping up like dandelions, and the gardener in all of us gazes out the window, dreamily making plans.

And then you remember: It’s pine pollen time.

I have to say that I grew up in a very rural section of Maryland (back many years ago, before it got developed). Think hog farms and hayfields, corn and tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, strawberries and more in home plots. We had plants every which way. So, of course, we had pollen. I had allergies and that was life.

What we did not have were clouds of Yellow Peril blowing in the wind, looking for all the world like visual tree farts. I kid you not, the first year we lived here I had to drive north, and on my return you could nearly mark the boundary of the great state of North Carolina by the yellow “smoke” that seemed to float in balloon-like formations across the interstate. Yep, I knew I was headed into the Land of the Pine.

I look up one day each spring when the air is still clear and the sky is that divine blue and I think how beautiful it is here; warmish temperatures, birds singing away and the scent of damp earth wafting in the most inviting way.

Two days later, seated in the selfsame chair, I look up and see pine cones laced with Yellow Peril. I honestly think I can hear the pines singing a quiet song: We are gonna get you, you won’t know when but we are gonna get you . . . soon.

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And then one day the mighty tree-farts begin.

Waves of yellow wafting, without scent but like the “silent and deadly” we most often fear as it’s visual and physical too. That lovely brick home, no longer brick-red but pasty yellow.

That silvery blue car that cost you the equivalent of a college tuition? Yellow. Your black Lab, outside for more than five minutes, now resembles a golden retriever!

Goodness me, it is enough to make you question the Almighty’s intentions. I mean, how much pollen does a tree need to reproduce? What does He want from us that we are not giving Him that He sends this rain of terror? Maybe we should narrow our view on the good things we can do every day to please the Almighty so that one spring we get, say, a pine pollen season that happens quietly on a weekend, only at night followed by a gentle, cleansing rain.

If I lose weight, will that help? If the Republicans and Democrats work together, might that do the trick? What if teenagers are nice to their families and don’t drink and drive? Will He stop the pollen clouds then?

OK, I am not holding my breath for these things to come to pass, and I suspect the pollen farting will continue from here to eternity.

I always try to remember that we have glorious weather most of the time.

Well, not in July and August and sometimes not even in June, but surely that mild fall . . . oh, wait, that can be hot right into September! Yes, well, I no longer have or need a snowblower and that is worth it all. But I could sure get behind a change in the heart of the Almighty that we have suffered enough and that it was time to remove the plague of pine pollen.

In the meantime, pass me the hose and stand back, it’s spring.

So I was wrong. The pollen plague didn’t last forever. And neither will this steamy midsummer weather, although it sure feels like it.

In the meantime, I’ll try to keep reminding myself that I no longer have or need a snowblower. And that, folks, makes it all worth it. PS In another life, Joyce Reehling was TV’s Dr. Mom. Joyce, heal thyself.

July 2015 i����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Illustration by Meridith Martens

The pine pollen that makes endless Sandhills summer, well, not so bad

Offering a Certified Green Built Home at McLendon Hills 429,000

$

Living Area: 2235 sf Optional Finished Lower Level: 674 sf Lot Size: 1.47 Acres 3 BR/ 2 ½ BA

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www.StewartConstructionDevelopment.com