Dental Problems? Gum Disease? Cavines?
Prevennve Dennstry Can Help www.kuhndennst.com (910) 692-4450
1902 North Sandhills Blvd., Suite H Aberdeen, NC 28315
Skipping just one prevennve dennstry appointment can cause your oral health to decline. Prevennve dennstry is important for catching problems early on and prevennng them from occurring in the ďŹ rst place. Staying consistent with prevennve dennstry appoi appointments will save you from costly procedures down the line and keep your smile healthy for life. Schedule your next cleaning. Call (910) 692-4450 today. OďŹƒce Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7:30am-3:30PM
www.kuhndennst.com (910) 692-4450
s r a l l o D f o Average Savings Sales Price
250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000
Savings*
$3,750 $4,500 $5,250 $6,000
Sales Price
Savings*
Sales Price
Savings*
450,000 500,000 550,000 600,000
$6,750 $7,500 $8,250 $9,000
650,000 700,000 750,000 800,000
$9,750 $10,500 $11,250 $12,000
Sales Price
850,000 900,000 950,000 1,000,000
*All real estate companies set their own commission rate. Savings are based on a 6% rate.
McDevitt town & country properties
Savings*
$12,750 $13,500 $14,250 $15,000
$3,500
2310 Midland Road, Pinehurst
10 Village Green Road, Pinehurst $2,989,999 5 bed / 4.5 bath
Emily Hewson 910-315-3324 Pamela O’Hara 910-315-3093
4 bed / 6/1 bath Kay Beran 910-315-3322 Pat Wright 910-6913224
Gorgeous French Country Home in Pinewild Country Club. Over 6,000 sqft on lovely grounds.
MLS 195762
3 bed / 3 bath
Pamela O’Hara 910-315-3093
“Monreve Farm” Beautiful equestrian property adjacent to Walthour Moss Foundation. 8 stall Morton barn, 2 run in sheds/stalls, 10 paddocks, riding ring, High Ground.
Chance of a lifetime to own special 16.74 prime acres with 4 houses only minutes to Pinehurst Village. Zoned R-210. Allows many uses from horse farm to golf course.
MLS 192774
201 Plantation Drive, Mid South Club $850,000 5 bed / 4/1 bath
Debbie Darby 910-783-5193
This could be your view! Stunning golf front estate. Main house with guest house, 5 garage spaces, pool/spa, and many custom details. This is a one of a kind property.
MLS 198780
1220 Aiken Road, Vass $825,000
B H HS PRG .CO M
Pamela O’Hara 910-315-3093
MLS 182223
11 Oxton Circle, Pinewild CC $949,000
$2,500,000
Original Schoolhouse on 1st fairway of #2 golf course. Totally renovated. Enclave blends tradition with luxury amenities. Garage apartment.
28 Middlebury Road, Forest Creek $799,000
4 bed / 4/1 bath Kay Beran 910-315-3322
Forest Creek golf front home with impressive interiors and superb outdoor areas. Covered patios and decks overlooking the north course.
70 Laurel Road, Pinehurst $825,000 5 bed / 4/1 bath
Emily Hewson 910-315-3324 Pamela O’Hara 910-315-3093
Own a special part of Pinehurst History, “Pine Villa”. Original Tufts cottage in the Heart of the Village of Pinehurst. Great Location!
MLS 196039
815 Lake Dornoch, CCNC $700,000
3 bed / 5 bath Kay Beran 910-315-3322
Impressive home on 5-acre lot with grounds for a master gardener and a home for an accomplished designer.
MLS 196642
MLS 198891
5 Chestnut Lane, Pinehurst $539,000 3 bed / 2/1 bath
Frank Sessoms 910-639-3099
Lake front, great view of Lake Pinehurst. All brick, built in 1993. New 16x14 deck, new hardwood floors, new appliances, and walk-out basement.
MLS 199346
71 Glasgow Drive, Pinehurst $480,000
3 bed / 3/1 bath
Cathy Breeden 910-639-0433
Stunning, custom build Pinewild. 3 master ensuites in pristine condition. Beautifully landscaped, two decks, with views of Magnolia Golf Course.
MLS 198418
141 Overlook Drive, Seven Lakes $169,000
2 bed / 2 bath Marie O’Brien 910-528-5669
Lake views, large fenced yard with in-ground pool, 2Bd/2Ba ranch in gated community of Seven Lakes North. Enjoy lakes with boating, swimming and golf course available.
MLS 200094
Pinehurst Office • 42 Chinquapin Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374 • 910 –295 –5504 | Southern Pines Office • 167 Beverly Lane, Southern Pines, NC 28387 • 910-692-2635 ©2020 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC.
Y O U K N O W M A I N TA I N I N G Y O U R H E A LT H I S I M P O R TA N T
AND SO DO THEY. You do everything you can to care for your family. A big part of that is making sure that you take care of yourself as much as you take care of them. Call today to make an appointment so you can be confident that you’re still doing everything you can to be there for your family.
Pinehurst Surgical Clinic Urologic Surgery
910•295•6831
nickers K nickers K F R O M D A Y T O N I G H T F R O M D A Y T O N I G H T
WI M I M HHAAS SAAR R ED SSW RR I VI V ED ! ! CCOOMMEES SE E E EUU S !S ! ShopLocal Localand andSupport Support Shop OurSmall SmallBusinesses. Businesses. Our We WeAre AreAll AllInInThis ThisTogether! Together!
L LI N I EI E I NG GE ER R S SL LE EE EP PWW E E AA R R L LO OU UN NG GE EWW E A R R E A MME EN NS S WW E E AA R R B R A S B R A S B R E A S T F O R M S B R E A S T F O R M S
www.knickers-lingerie.com www.knickers-lingerie.com 910-725-2346 910-725-2346 Open Tuesday - Friday 11-5:00 Open Tuesday - Friday 11-5:00 Saturday 11-4. Saturday 11-4. Sunday and Monday closed. Sunday and Monday closed. 150 E. New Hampshire Avenue 150 E. New Hampshire Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 Southern Pines, NC 28387
June ���� DEPARTMENTS
17 23 25 27 29
Simple Life By Jim Dodson PinePitch Instagram Contest Good Natured By Karen Frye The Omnivorous Reader
By D.G. Martin
33 Bookshelf 37 Hometown By Bill Fields 39 In the Spirit By Tony Cross 43 The Kitchen Garden By Jan Leitschuh 47 Crossroads By Julie O. Petrini
49 51 53 57 91 92 93 95 96
Out of the Blue By Deborah Salomon Birdwatch By Susan Campbell Sporting Life By Tom Bryant Golftown Journal By Lee Pace Arts & Entertainment Calendar SandhillSeens PineNeedler By Mart Dickerson The Accidental Astrologer By Astrid Stellanova
Southwords By Beth MacDonald
FEATURES 63 We Trade Eggs and Olives Poetry by Sam Barbee
64 Historic Camp Mackall By Bob Curtin The secret in the Sandhills
70 Hooked
By Ron Rhody A fly-fishing son of Pinehurst reels in mountain adventures
74 Subterranean Homesick Blues
By Bill Case Discovering the basement treasures of Southern Pines
80 Do Your Homework
By Deborah Salomon Going nowhere and getting it done
89 Almanac
By Ash Alder
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Cover Photograph By John Gessner Photograph This Page By Sam Dean The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Luxury Gifts for
FATHER’S DAY Treat your dad to something special this year.
For over 90 years, DUX has blended sleep science with world-class craftsmanship to deliver one of the most advanced beds available. DUX, headquartered in Sweden, is committed to improving life through better sleep, combining research, the finest materials and the most experienced craftsmen, to ultimately provide a more healthful sleep. Resolve to invest in your health. Visit a DUXIANA® store near you to discover the difference The DUX Bed can make in your life.
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
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www.OpulenceOfSouthernPines.com Serving the Carolinas & More for Over 20 Years – Financing Available
Talent, Technology & Teamwork! Moore County’s Most Trusted Real Estate Team! D
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PINEHURST • $366,800
PINEHURST • $458,000
SEVEN LAKES SOUTH • $305,000
34 STONEYKIRK DRIVE Lovely 3 BR / 2.5 BA single level home located in beautiful Pinewild w/seasonal views of the lake across the street.
86 MCMICHAEL DRIVE Beautiful 2 BR / 2.5 BA custom home on 7th hole of the Holly course. This home has the most beautiful views in Pinewild.
102 HUNTINGDON COURT Lovely and unique 3 BR / 2.5 BA home in quiet location overlooking both golf and water – spectacular views from 3 sides.
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PINEHURST • $460,000
PINEHURST • $350,000
PINEHURST • $397,500
58 KILBRIDE DRIVE Lovely 4 BR / 3.5 BA custom home in gated golf community of Pinewild. Layout is bright and open w/natural stained white oak flooring.
20 KILBERRY DRIVE Custom 3 BR / 2.5 BA golf front home located on the 4th tee of the Azalea course in Pinewild. Home is single level w/spacious layout.
24 GLASGOW DRIVE Contemporary 3 BR / 2.5 BA golf front home on 10th green of Magnolia course in Pinewild. Interior is open and bright w/beautiful golf course views.
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PINEHURST • 318,000
PINEHURST • $368,500
PINEHURST • $310,000
7 PINYON LANE Adorable 3 BR / 2.5 BA home on large lot corner lot in great location near Lake Pinehurst. Beautifully renovated, this home won’t last long.
3 INTERLACHON LANE Custom built 3 BR / 3 BA home in quiet location. It’s been recently updated w/fresh paint on the interior/ exterior as well as new carpet and floorcovering.
131 MCDAIRMID ROAD Immaculate 4 BR / 2.5 BA 2-story traditional home w/spacious living area, beautiful kitchen in great location. Home is move in ready!
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IN MOORE COUNTY REAL ESTATE FOR OVER 20 YEARS!
Luxury Properties Moore County’s Most Trusted Real Estate Team!
PINEHURST • $795,000
PINEHURST • $599,000
PINEHURST • $539,000
26 OXTON CIRCLE Appealing 4 BR / 3.5 BA home in great location w/ spacious layout, gorgeous with views of golf and water. Tons of appeal inside and out.
51 STONEYKIRK DRIVE Stunning custom 5 BR / 3.5 BA brick home in beautiful Pinewild CC. Home offers exquisite finishes and detail throughout w/spacious layout and gorgeous kitchen.
13 HALKIRK DRIVE Nicely maintained 4 BR / 4.5 BA brick home in Pinewild community. Home offers nice layout w/ beautiful hardwood flooring throughout.
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PINEHURST • $582,000
PINEHURST • $535,000
64 GREYABBEY DRIVE Grand all brick 3 BR / 3.5 BA golf front home on Magnolia course in Pinewild. Open layout w/ beautiful views of fairway and green on hole #3.
29 NORTHAM COURT Stunning 4 BR / 3.5 BA secluded estate w/lovely views of the 16th green of the Holly course and beautiful golf views from almost every room in the house.
49 GREYABBEY DRIVE Contemporary 4 BR / 4.5 BA home on 7th hole of Pinewild CC’s Magnolia course. Interior is light and open w/beautiful gourmet kitchen.
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SEVEN LAKES WEST • $538,800 106 SUNSET POINT Amazing 3 BR / 3.5 BA custom brick and stone stunner. Home offers beautiful layout and is movein ready and is truly a rare find on Lake Auman.
PINEHURST • $749,000
PINEHURST • $619,000
102 STRATHAVEN COURT Elegant 4 BR / 3 full BA 2 half BA golf front home located on the signature hole of Pinehurst #9 course.
37 STRATHAVEN DRIVE Alluring 3 BR / 3 Full BA 2 half BA French Country home overlooking the 11th hole of the Holly course. Truly one of the most beautiful homes in Pinewild!
Re/Max Prime Properties, 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC 910-295-7100 • 800-214-9007 • Re/Max Prime Properties 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC hE ENTRY EAM COM
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• 910-295-7100
ExquisitE VillagE Charm
M A G A Z I N E Volume 16, No. 6 David Woronoff, Publisher Jim Dodson, Editor
910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com
Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director
910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com
Jim Moriarty, Senior Editor
910.692.7915 • jjmpinestraw@gmail.com
Alyssa Rocherolle, Graphic Designer
910.693.2508 • alyssa@pinestrawmag.com
Lauren M. Coffey, Graphic Designer
910.693.2469 • lauren@pinestrawmag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Mary Novitsky, Sara King, Proofreaders CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Gessner, Laura Gingerich, Tim Sayer
CONTRIBUTORS Tom Allen, Jenna Biter, Harry Blair, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Wiley Cash, Tony Cross, Brianna Rolfe Cunningham, Mart Dickerson, Bill Fields, Laurel Holden, Jane Lear, Jan Leitschuh, Meridith Martens, D.G. Martin, Lee Pace, Renee Whitmore, Joyce Reehling, Scott Sheffield, Stephen E. Smith, Astrid Stellanova, Angie Tally, Kimberly Taws, Ashley Wahl ADVERTISING SALES
40 Orange Road • Old Town • Pinehurst
Ginny Trigg, Advertising Director 910.693.2481 • ginny@thepilot.com
On a quiet road in the heart of the Village there is a Dutch Colonial cottage that embraces perfection in every exquisite detail. The wood paneled dining room has French doors opening to a private walled terrace perfect for tea or cocktails. The Carolina room is wrapped by windows with lovely landscaped views. The covered back porch overlooks a formal English garden, outdoor fireplace setting and pierced brick garden walls. Built in 1922, and lovingly restored more than once, the cottage offers a downstairs bedroom and bath, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths upstairs, a generous breakfast room, and welcoming foyer. The essence is in the details in this uniquely charming home. Price upon request
Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Dacia Burch, 910.693.2519 Patty Thompson, 910.693.3576 Samantha Cunningham, 910.693.2505
To view more photos, take a virtual tour or schedule a showing, go to:
Maureen Clark
www.clarkpropertiesnc.com
when experience matters
Pinehurst • Southern Pines BHHS Pinehurst Realty Group • 910.315.1080 ©2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of American, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC.
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ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
Emily Jolly • pilotads@thepilot.com
ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN
Mechelle Butler, Scott Yancey
PS Steve Anderson, Finance Director 910.693.2497 Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488 SUBSCRIPTIONS
910.693.2488 OWNERS
Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels Jr., Frank Daniels III, Lee Dirks, David Woronoff 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2020. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
100 Lake Dornoch • CCNC. Pinehurst
The stunning contemporary home, poised over the 17th hole of the Dogwood Course, is characterized by rooms with a view. 4BR, 5BA, 2HB, 4570 sf. Offered at $775,000
40 Village Green East . Old Town . Pinehurst
Historic Whispering Pines Cottage, 1915, was totally restored and expanded 2007-2012. Main floor master, 3 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen, brilliant landscaping. 4 BR, 3.5 BA, 5754 sq ft, .69 acres. Offered at $1,640,000.
Maureen Clark
910.315.1080 • www.clarkproperties.com
LD SO
Chanticleer at Forest Creek • Pinehurst
Choose one of these French Country Cottages designed by Mark Parsons for Chanticleer at Forest Creek, or select from the remaining 14 lots available. Call 910.295.5000 to preview. $485,000 - $538,000.
770 Yadkin Road • Southern Pines The perfect farm on 10 acres, short hack from the Foundation. Offering: huntbox (2008) 5-stall barn, 2 BR and Residence (2011) 3 BR, 4610 sq ft, pool. $1,875,000.
5 Merion Place • CCNC • Pinehurst Rambling, fun-filled home on 5 acres, has it all for family living: 2 family rooms with fireplaces, 4 BR, 4.2 BA, guest apartment, main floor master, 5500 sq ft., 3 car garage. $899,000.
140 North Valley • Southern Pines Loblolly, a Southern Pines historic treasure, located on a quiet, tree-lined street, is a lovely combination of unparalleled building elegance embraced by comfortable living features. 5BR, 5BA, 8,050 sf. Offered at $1,490,000
Berkshire Hathaway HomeSercies and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.Housing Opportunity.
Always a Step Ahead
Introducing Introducingaabrand brandnew newCaviness Caviness a brand new Caviness Land development in NC. LandIntroducing development inAberdeen, Aberdeen, NC. Land development in Aberdeen, NC.
Pre-Selling Pre-SellingNow! Now!
Pre-Selling Now! Winds Way Farm Way Farm Winds Way Farm Set among beautifully beautifully manicured Set manicuredgrounds groundswith withaaspectacular spectacularwooded wooded
Set among grounds with a spectacular wooded backdrop. upon lots access totoan backdrop. Each beautifully home is set setmanicured upon ½ ½ acres acres lotswith with access animmaculately immaculately backdrop. Each home isopen-air set uponcovered ½ acresBBQ lotsarea. with access to an plans immaculately presented are presented pool and open-air coveredBBQ area.Open Openfloor floorplans are presented pool and open-air covered BBQ area. Open floor plans are generously proportioned proportioned and generously and flow flow effortlessly effortlesslythroughout throughoutfrom fromthe theliving living generously proportioned and flow effortlessly throughout from the living room through can enjoy the stunning room private covered patio where you can enjoy the stunning roomthrough throughtotoyour yourprivate privatecovered coveredpatio patiowhere whereyou you can enjoy the stunning views. Gourmet with double oven and soft-touch cabinetry are just a aa views. Gourmet kitchens with double oven and soft-touch cabinetry are just views. Gourmet kitchens with double oven and soft-touch cabinetry are just couple with these homes. These couple features that come asasstandard standard with these homes. These coupleofofupgraded upgradedfeatures featuresthat thatcome comeas standard with these homes. These brand and brand provide all the elements for relaxing, comfortable, and brandnew newhomes homesprovide provideall allthe theelements elementsfor forrelaxing, relaxing,comfortable, comfortable, and easy-care way ofof life. easy-careliving. living.See Seeour ourfloorplans floorplansand anddiscover discoveraanew anew new way of life. easy-care See our floorplans and discover way life.
Serving Moore County and Surrounding Areas! 910.684.8674 | 120 N ASHE ST | SOUTHERN PINES, NC 28387
www.maisonteam.com
MLS 198255 35 CYPRESS CIRCLE Southern Pines, NC • $210,000
MLS 199829 121 NEWINGTON WAY Aberdeen, NC • $260,000
MLS 199660 587 FOOTHILLS STREET Aberdeen, NC • $284,900
MLS 198403 430 PALISADES DRIVE Aberdeen, NC • $284,900
MLS 199659 581 FOOTHILLS STREET Aberdeen, NC • $302,500
MLS 196375 1220 BURNING TREE ROAD Pinehurst, NC • $325,000
MLS 199474 490 SHELDON ROAD Southern Pines, NC • $340,000
MLS 198794 660 E MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE Southern Pines, NC • $610,000
MLS 199474 938 WINDS WAY Aberdeen, NC • $322,500
MLS 199421 711 WINDS WAY Aberdeen, NC • $320,000
MLS 199420 712 WINDS WAY Aberdeen, NC • $318,500
MLS 199892 437 PALISADES DRIVE Aberdeen, NC • $310,500
Buy, Sell or Rent through us - we do it all! 910.684.8674 | 120 N ASHE ST | SOUTHERN PINES, NC 28387
50%OFF SALE GOING ON NOW!
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Village of Pinehurst • 910.295.3905 • Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
PineStraw
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SIMPLE LIFE
The Stolen Flower Child Love, loss and living things
By Jim Dodson
On the 50th anniversary of Earth
Day, a clear spring morning in my tiny corner of the planet, I was out early planting a fig tree in the side garden — my primary hideout even before a killer virus came to town — when I witnessed an enchanting scene of discovery.
An elegant gray-haired woman and a toddler on wobbly legs came slowly down the street hand in hand. The woman was about my age. I guessed the little dude might be her grandson. They paused at the edge of my garden. The woman pointed to a birdbath and a pair of busy bird feeders hanging over flowering shrub roses. Several finches were at the feeder and two cardinals were taking morning dips in the birdbath. Bees were circulating through blooming sage. Spring was alive and buzzing. The little dude dropped the woman’s hand and wobbled straight into the garden for a closer look at the action. The woman followed close behind, keeping a maternal hand ready to catch him if he fell. The birds didn’t appear the slightest bit perturbed by the pair’s intrusion, and neither was the gardener — for what good is a garden if living creatures don’t pay a visit, be it birds, bees or boys? Indeed, at one point, the little guy tripped and tumbled over. He didn’t cry, however. He pushed himself back to his feet and giggled, holding out a fistful of my good garden dirt to share with his companion.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
She made a delighted show of accepting his special Earth Day gift. Together they examined something in the palm of her hand, perhaps a big wiggly earthworm. My garden is full of them. How wise she was to encourage this new citizen of the Earth to get dirty in a garden. Once upon a time, when people lived much closer to the soil, Nature was regarded as an essential teacher of the young, a maternal presence used in the service of myths, legends and fairy tales to convey important lessons about survival in a wild and unforgiving world. Perhaps the handsome older woman knew this. Perhaps, given the enchantment of the moment, she actually was Little Dude’s fairy grandmother. In any case, as I watched this tender scene unfold, leaning on a shovel in my side yard, two thoughts came to mind. One was a line from a poem that I had commited to memory decades ago, “The Stolen Child” by Irish poet William Butler Yeats
Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.
The other was a powerful flashback to the enchanted young woman who introduced me to this poem and changed my life, 50 years ago to the day.
* * *
Her name was Kristin. We grew up attending the same church and sang together in the youth choir, but she never really looked my way because she was a year older and several lifetimes wiser, a beautiful cheerleader who became a wise and spirited flower child. PineStraw
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SIMPLE LIFE
During the autumn of my junior year in high school, however, she turned to me after choir practice and wondered if I might give her a ride home. On the way home, she informed me that she’d ditched her college boyfriend and wondered, with a teasing laugh, if we should begin dating. I had a new Chevy Camaro from money I saved up from mowing lawns and teaching guitar. I thought she just liked my car. What she saw in me at that moment is still hard to say. I was such a straight arrow kid, an Eagle Scout who grew up camping and fishing and was more at home in the woods than the city. Once upon a time, I’d even briefly been a member of the local chapter of Young Republicans and shaken Richard Nixon’s hand, though I didn’t dare let this out until our second or third date. “That’s OK,” she said with a laugh, “I think the universe sent me to wake you up and save you from the Republicans.” Perhaps it was our shared passion for the outdoors that created such a powerful bond. She loved to hunt for wildflowers and visit public gardens where she could sit and read poetry or study her lines for a play. She even walked golf courses with me doing the same. Yeats and Walt Whitman were her favorite poets. Because of her, I fancied Yeats and Whitman too. I was 17 on the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, though I cannot tell you much about the rally we attended in a public park after school that Wednesday. There was a good crowd, lots of posters and energy, a bevy of passionate speakers warning about the dangers of air and water pollution to future generations. Someone had hauled a rusted heap to the rally site, as I recall, and protesters took turns gleefully bashing
the gas-guzzler with a sledgehammer — or maybe this was a subsequent protest we attended together. In any case, I was grateful we’d parked my almost-new Camaro well away from the scene. I recently learned from the earthday.org website that the first Earth Day protest “inspired 20 million Americans” — at the time, 10 percent of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums “to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development that had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts.” The site goes on to note that the first Earth Day led to some significant steps by year’s end: the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other environmental firsts including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Ironically, Richard Nixon signed these pieces of legislation into law. He deserved a handshake for this. “Two years later,” the website adds, “Congress passed the Clean Water Act, followed by the Endangered Species Act — laws that protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death as well as hundreds of species from extinction.” In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries mobilized to make recycling and alternative energy sources primary objectives of Earth Day activism. “Today,” the site concludes, “Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior.” And create a sustainable planet. For me, the best part of that first
Lin gets Results! DESIRABLE PINE GROVE VILLAGE
255 WOODLAND DR • PINEHURST
ENERGY. EXPERIENCE. EFFORT. 18
PineStraw
Meticulously maintained home on over an acre lot which has been converted to an outside OASIS. Enjoy the gorgeous two-level trex deck w/ pergola covered in grape vines next to handsome water feature w/Koi and goldfish, fire pit and well for efficient irrigation. Beautiful crown molding, wainscoting and built-ins throughout with 9 foot ceilings. Hardwoods for the entire main floor and carpet on the second floor.
Lin Hutaff’s PineHurst reaLty GrouP Village of Pinehurst | 910.528.6427 |linhutaff@pinehurst.net The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
If Pinehurst has it, Lin can get it for you! Go to LinHutaff. com
315 N BEULAH HILL RD • OLD TOWN Elegant, historic, formal, informal. ‘’Cotton Cottage’’ . Completely restored Historic home with addition of large Master Suite, Indoor pool and elevator. New 3 Bay garage. 6BD, 5 1/2BA. Offered at $1,250,000.
64 STONEYKIRK DR – PINEWILD Nothing was spared in either design or quality of materials in the building of this beautiful Custom home. Two Master suites on 1st floor, gourmet kitchen. Extensive deck, with second living space on lower level. Offered at $799,000.
14 GREYABBEY DR • PINEWILD STUNNING, golf front contemporary home with walls of glass from ceiling to floor. Amazing gourmet kitchen boasts Miele and Thermador appliances, plus Miele stainless Hood. Superb. 5BD, 4 1/2BA. Offered at $795,000.
129 NATIONAL DR • NATIONAL Seller was a successful Interior Designer on the national level, particularly in Northern Virginia and the District. Her expertise is evident in every detail of this home. Spectacular golf and pond vistas. 4BD, 4 1/2BA, plus large Bonus Rm. Offered at $795,000.
11 MCMICHAEL DR • PINEWILD All brick stunning home on the 18th Hole of the Magnolia course, just steps from the Pinewild Clubhouse. Re-designed main areas including new kitchen and Master bath suite. Lower level has game room, bedroom suite and ample storage. Offered at $775,000.
91 SAKONNET TRAIL • PINEHURST NO 6 Spectacular property. Custom, all brick, with French doors and walls of glass showcasing cobalt blue, in-ground, salt water pool. Gourmet kitchen with Bertazzoni, dual fuel gas range. Fenced yard. 4BD, 4 ½ BA. Offered at $675,000.
49 GLASGOW DR • PINEWILD Contemporary home like no other in the gated community of Pinewild Country Club. Gourmet kitchen opens to large family area overlooking patio, golf course. 3BD, 3 ½ BA. Offered at $639,000.
16 APPIN COURT • PINEWILD GOLF FRONT, Pinewild home tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac. Stunning home with walls of windows. The handsome kitchen with access to deck overlooking longleaf pines, small stream and 11th hole of the Holly Course. 5BD, 3BA. Offered at $597,000.
8 STANTON CIRCLE • COTSWOLD Beautiful Cotswold home boasts full basement with 11 ft ceilings and 23 x 45 heated/cooled area. Great for practicing golf, fitness room, storage, game room and more. Hardwood floors throughout main level. Anderson windows, Trane heat pumps, Trane electronic air cleaners etc. 4 BD, 3BA. Offered at $475,000.
165 LINDEN RD OLD TOWN CHARMING. Cozy cottage on nearly an acre. Lots of upgrades including roof and HVAC. 2BD, 2BA. Offered at $439,000.
1 STANTON CIR COTSWOLD. Large open rooms, handsome kitchen and sun filled Carolina Rm with private courtyard. 3 BD, 2 ½ BA. Offered at $380,000.
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local rally was when Kristin read Yeats’ “The Stolen Child,” a poem that appeared in his first poetry collection in 1889. The theme plays off loss of childlike innocence against the unmentioned backdrop of a world being turned upside down by the social upheavals of Britain’s Industrial Revolution. Yeats grew up in beautiful County Sligo where folklore and legends of fairies stealing children were commonplace, a subject that deeply interested the poet for much of his career. In the end, the innocent child is lured away from the familiar comforts of home to a world far removed from the one he knows and loves — stolen away, in the end, to a place that is both wild but also faintly sinister. On some level, the message is an allegorical plea not to abandon the beauty and challenges of real world, seduced by an illusionary longing to leave troubles behind. Over the year and a half we were together, Kristin opened my eyes about so many things in this world — poetry, art, music, the power of an open mind and the spiritual connectedness of every living creature. Whenever we debated politics — I was still something of a half-hearted Republican — she joked that she might end up becoming my Maud Gonne, the 23-year-old English heiress and ardent Irish Nationalist Yeats met in 1889 and proposed to — without success — at least three times. She became the poet’s unrequited love and lifelong haunting. In a way, Kristin became mine — or at least my Stolen Flower Child. We agreed to part when she went off to college in the mountains. The separation was my suggestion. I had a cool Camaro and a silly notion that I needed “space” to date around “before I settled down.” The decision was one I soon came to regret. Two years later, we got back together. For three October weekends in a row, I drove six hours across the state to reconnect with my first love. She was soon to graduate with degrees in social work and drama, and was being considered for an understudy role in London. I was trying to decide between becoming an English teacher or a journalist. She helped convince me that writing was my proper path. On Sunday night, October 25, 1973, we parted having made a plan to go to England The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SIMPLE LIFE
together someday soon and see what life would yield. Kristin went to the steak house where she worked as weekend hostess and I drove six hours back to school. Later that evening, three young teenagers entered the restaurant to rob patrons, held a gun to the head of the hostess and pulled the trigger.
* * *
As I watched the wise fairy grandmother and Little Dude resume their walk down the block, hand in dirty hand, I went back to planting my young fig tree, marveling how quickly half a century had passed. I also wondered, on this important day in the life of the planet, what sort of world Little Dude would soon inherit. Ironically, just days before, a gutted Environmental Protection Agency removed the last regulations on air and water pollution in America, part of a systematic dismantling of the sweeping gains in environmental protection that had taken place over half a century, at a time when the vast majority of scientists warn the Earth is facing perilous consequences due to climate inaction. Among other things, the coronavirus pandemic has been traced to human encroachment into formerly wild places where Ebola, SARS and other killer viruses were born. Experts also warn that the world’s population of insects — the basis of our own food chain — is nearly half what it was the year of the first Earth Day. As for me, it took almost two decades to speak of my own personal tragedy. A final golf trip with my father to England and Scotland when he was dying allowed me to finally open up about that dark October. It proved to be my second great awakening. Today, I understand that the world is indeed full of sorrows, but thanks to the gifts my stolen flower child gave me, I understand that the power of love is the real magic of life on this planet, not to mention the importance of keeping an open mind while celebrating the spiritual connectedness of every living creature. I sometimes feel her presence — keeping an eye on my progress, I suspect — especially when I’m in the garden. PS Contact Editor Jim Dodson at jim@thepilot.com.
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TRUST BUT VERIFY: As our communities deal with the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus, please be aware that events may have been postponed, rescheduled or existed only in our dreams. Check before attending.
Tiffany Lamps Relit
Tickets have gone on sale for “Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” at the Reynolda House Museum of Art in Winston-Salem, N.C., rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 7, to Sunday, Nov. 29. The exhibition, the first of its kind for Reynolda, includes five windows, 20 lamps (in addition to several forgeries) and displays on how Tiffany glass was manufactured and the lamps assembled. To purchase tickets go to www.reynoldahouse.org.
Calling All Druids
On Sunday, June 21, it will be possible to join the summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge from the comfort of your own bed. Ordinarily the annual celebration brings together pagans, druids and just plain folks to watch the sun rise behind Heel Stone in the English countryside. Think of it like breakfast at Wimbledon without all the overhead smashes and grunting. The sunrise will be live streamed on all English Heritage social media accounts. Do allow for the five hour time change. Pip, pip, cheerio and all that rot.
Ponies on the Block — Literally and Virtually
The painted ponies that have been parading on the streets of Southern Pines will be sold in a virtual auction from Wednesday, June 17, to Saturday, June 20. Proceeds benefit the Carolina Horse Park, a charitable nonprofit corporation. For further details, visit carolinahorsepark.com.
Mozart in the House
The Great Composers series continues (resumes, exists — hey, we’re all doing our best with this thing) with In Search of Mozart on June 25 at 10 a.m. at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Co-sponsored by Sandhills Community College, ticket sales will be limited and people oh so socially distanced. Naturally, the screening will be dependent on whether or not North Carolina’s theaters are allowed to reopen by that date. For more information, call (910) 692-3611 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.
Get Your Walk On
Weymouth Woods — Sandhills Nature Preserve never did put its woodpeckers, tree frogs or fox squirrels on lockdown, and now all state park trails are officially open so you can commune with them. Another popular option is Morrow Mountain State Park, an hour away in Albemarle, offering some of the best hiking trails this side of the Great Smoky Mountains. Visit www.ncparks.gov for all the details. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Wrestling Pixels
If you’re interested in getting some tips on how to make those pictures you’re taking with that new digital camera Amazon left on your doorstep look even better, sign up for “Virtual! 7 Steps to Better Photography.” It’s a fast-paced four-hour workshop on Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Marian Diop, the founder of Butler & Badou Portraits. For information, go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.
Float Like a Butterfly
The Native Pollinator Garden in the Pinehurst Village Arboretum is in bloom and attracting butterflies of all shapes and sizes. The garden is a perfect place to take your kids for an outdoor, socially distanced, educational activity learning about Sandhills pollinators. The garden has a covered area with detailed information about the pollinators you might see, as well as the plants that are in bloom. The main entrance to the arboretum is at 395 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst.
Roosterʼs Wife
Grammy winner Mike Farris will be broadcasting live from the listening room of the Poplar Knight Spot on Sunday, June 28. Visit the Rooster's Wife Facebook page to join in the celebration. Show begins, naturally, at 6:46 p.m. PineStraw
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
INSTAGRAM WINNERS
Congratulations to our June Instagram winner!
Theme:
Outside Play
#pinestrawcontest
June Winner Next month’s theme:
“Fathers” Happy Father’s Day!
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To submit your photo on Instagram you need to post a photo, tag us @pinestrawmag and in the caption field add the hashtag #pinestrawcontest (Submissions needed by Monday, June 22th) PineStraw
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“A forest knows things.”
-Richard Powers, The Overstory, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Country Bookshop Staff Pick
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140 NW Broad St, • Southern Pines, NC • 910.692.3211 • www.thecountrybookshop.biz • thecountrybookshop Website Open 24/7 • Delivery Offered • Check Website for Hours PineStraw
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
G O O D NAT U R E D
Immune Health Basics
w r i g h t s v i l l e
b e a c h
Help yourself help yourself
By K aren Frye
All of us are now clearly aware of the
importance of maintaining a very healthy immune system. It is the body’s defense against invading germs, viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that we are constantly exposed to every day.
Some people have a healthier immune system than others. It’s hard to say why. Is it simply the hand you were dealt when you came into this world? Maybe so. But even if you were born with a less robust immune system, you can make it stronger and more dependable by having a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet is a key element in preventing, and recovering from, any disease. Sugar and refined carbohydrates contribute to obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis and many other issues. Sugar can deplete nutrients and disrupt hormones, increasing the risk of degenerative diseases. When you crave something sweet, go for some fruit or a bite of dark chocolate. One of my favorites is a small dark chocolate honey mint. Spring and summer are great times of the year to improve your diet by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. Many of us have planted gardens. The farmers markets will be filled with a beautiful bounty of berries, melons and vegetables. The prices can’t be beat, and you’ll find the freshest produce around in them. The convenience of fast food (and other poor food choices) has made nutritional deficiencies common among our population. Many of the vital nutrients our bodies need aren’t contained in these foods. Instead, we are ingesting chemicals, preservatives and unwanted hormones that can undermine our health. There is a lot to be said for taking supplements to keep the immune system healthy. Vitamin C has outstanding benefits, and vitamin D is another common nutrient that many people may need to supplement. Try to get out in the sunshine for 10-20 minutes a day to increase vitamin D levels. Choose a time of day like the morning or late afternoon to reduce skin damage. Go for a walk and enjoy nature. The mineral zinc has become a key nutrient because of its ability to reduce the risk of susceptibility to viruses and ease the recovery from them. Do your research. Eat well. Sleep well. Think positive thoughts. Don’t be afraid; fear weakens your immune system. PS
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Karen Frye is the owner and founder of Nature’s Own and teaches yoga at the Bikram Yoga Studio. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
THE OMNIVOROUS READER
An Honest Day’s Storytelling Finding truth in Lee Smith’s fiction and nonfiction By D.G. Martin
Some North Carolina writ-
ers say that it is easier for them to tell the truth in fiction than it is in nonfiction. In nonfiction, the facts can bind up authors so tight that it is hard for them to deliver the truth. The two most recent books by North Carolina’s beloved novelist Lee Smith give us a chance to compare her “truth-telling” strengths in her fiction versus her nonfiction writing. Her most recent book, Blue Marlin, which came out in April, is fiction, while her memoir, Dimestore: A Writer’s Life, was published in 2016. The main character and narrator of Smith’s Blue Marlin is a young teenage girl dealing with growing up, religion, boys and the troubled mental health and marital problems of her parents. Much of Dimestore, Smith’s only nonfiction book, deals with the same topics in the context of the real life experiences of Smith and her parents. Blue Marlin is short, about 120 pages, each filled with Smith’s warm and sympathetic storytelling gifts and characters who reach out and remind us of people we knew growing up. In the book, the Lee Smith-like character, Jenny, age 13, discovered her beloved small-town lawyer dad was having an affair. Soon everybody in town knew. Her dad moved out of their home. Her depressed mom sought treatment at a hospital in Asheville. After a time, her parents decided to try to put their marriage back together on a trip to Key West, Florida, with Jenny. Riding to Key West in the back seat of her dad’s new Cadillac, Jenny began a list of good deeds she would do on each day of their trip, “which ought to be enough,” she thought, “to bring even Mama and Daddy back together.” But, will the time in Key West do the job? Their motel, the Blue Marlin, was a positive, not just because of its swimming pool and waterslide. The motel was occupied by a movie crew, including actor Tony Curtis. Jenny and her mom were big movie fans and read the fan magazines together. They “squealed together” over Curtis. Things were off to a good start. Jenny settled into Key West. She walked the streets, visited the sites, made friends with the locals, and did her good deeds every day. But she’s not sure her good deeds are working. “My parents were endlessly cordial to each other now, but so far they had never slept in the same
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
bed. I knew this for a fact. I checked their room every morning.” To find out whether Tony Curtis’ help and Jenny’s good deeds could bring about real marital reconciliation, you will have to read the book, but Smith leaves clues in the afterword. Following a real family trip to Key West to help her real parents’ troubled marriage, Smith writes that the Key West cure worked. “Mama and Daddy would go home refreshed, and stay married for the rest of their lives.” She writes that of all the stories she has ever written, “this one is dearest to me, capturing the essence of my own childhood — the kind of unruly, spoiled only child I was; the sweetness of my troubled parents, and the magic essence of Key West, ever since January 1959, when these events actually occurred.” Smith cautions her readers that not all the events in her book happened, describing it as “autobiographical fiction, with the emphasis on fiction.” She explains, “I can tell the truth better in fiction than nonfiction.” A few years ago when I read Dimestore, I thought her memoir’s real stories were, in some respects, even better than the wonderful ones she had told in her novels and short stories. Her descriptions of the real characters in her life were, like her fictional characters, compelling. Dimestore opened the door for her many fans to know her as well or better than her good friends do. It gave clues about how growing up in a small Appalachian coal mining town and spending most of her life working, writing and raising a family here in North Carolina have influenced her writing. We learned that her seemingly idyllic childhood, with devoted parents, surrounded by loving members of an extended family, was also full of challenges. In a chapter titled “Kindly Nervous,” Smith described the “immense anguish” her beloved father felt during his bouts of bipolar mania. But for Smith there was a bright side to her father’s condition, which he described as “kindly nervous.” When her father could not sleep, he would work all night at the dimestore he owned in downtown Grundy, Virginia. Smith often accompanied him to the store and slept on a pallet under his desk. In the morning, he took her to breakfast. “How I loved those breakfasts! I got to have my scrambled eggs and my own big white china cup of sweet, milky coffee alongside early-morning truckers and the miners who’d just worked the graveyard shift, their eyes rimmed with coal dust like raccoons.” Her mother suffered, too, and was frequently hospitalized for PineStraw
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OMNIVOROUS READER
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depression and anxiety. But, again, Smith emphasizes the bright side. “This is my story, then,” she writes, “but it is not a sob story. Whenever either of my parents was gone, everybody — our relatives, neighbors, and friends — pitched in to help take care of me, bringing food over, driving me to Girl Scouts or school clubs or whatever else came up.” One time, both parents were hospitalized, her mother in Charlottesville. Her mother’s doctor invited the 13-year-old Lee to have lunch with him. “Our luncheon,” she writes, “remains one of the most memorable occasions of my youth.” After a long formal lunch with lots of conversation about Smith’s love of literature, the doctor asked her if, because both parents were ill, she was worried about getting sick herself. Smith replied, “You mean, if I am going to go crazy, too.” When the doctor said, “yes,” Smith thought, “How did he know? Because that was exactly what I thought about, of course, all the time.” The kindhearted doctor assured her that he was a good doctor and she seemed to be “a very nice, normal girl, and I am here to tell you that you can stop worrying about this right now. You will be fine.” She was fine, and explains how such events can be blessings for an author. “This is an enviable life, to live in the terrain of one’s heart,” she writes. “Most writers don’t — can’t — do this. Most of us are always searching, through our work and in our lives: for meaning, for love, for home. Writing is about these things. And as writers, we cannot choose our truest material. But sometimes we are lucky enough to find it.” Is Smith’s “truest material” in her fiction or her memoir? I am not sure I know the answer. But one thing is certain, whenever she puts pencil to paper, the result is going to be moving, and honest. PS D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch Sunday at 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. and other times. To view prior programs: http://video.unctv.org/show/ncbookwatch/episodes. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The Carolina Philharmonic continues to bring the Joy of Exceptional Music to the community creatively
LIVEstream at BPAC
Throughout April and May, The Carolina Philharmonic, in partnership with Sandhills Community College, presented a popular series of mini concerts called LIVEstream at BPAC from the stage of Owens Auditorium at SCC. The hall seats 600 – each concert reached thousands of viewers. David Michael Wolff shares, “I wanted to create a virtual space where each of us in our isolated corners could come together and communally experience music as a source of comfort, distraction, intellectual stimulation and entertainment. Each concert has been unique, and I hope in a small way responded to this moment in time. It’s been a joy to see so many people gather virtually for the series.” For updates on LIVEstream at BPAC events over the summer, visit www.carolinaphil.org.
Bringing musical opportunities directly to children in their homes
As Moore Co children were unexpectedly confined to their homes for distance learning, Maestro Wolff created the Twilight Virtual Children’s Choir project, inviting children ages 6-12 from across the county and beyond to create music together. Children recorded their own video of them singing “Twilight” to the accompaniment of a pre-recorded sing-along video of the inspirational theme song from the Philharmonic’s Encore! Kids program, and then all of the individual videos were assembled into a children’s choir. Visit our website to view the stunning and heartwarming final result: www.carolinaphil.org.
Support your local Philharmonic
These are trying times for all businesses – especially non-profits – to stay afloat. We count on your continued support as we temporarily reinvent ourselves to continue bringing value to the community. We expect to come out even stronger on the other side. In the meantime, please send your tax-deductible donation to The Carolina Philharmonic, 5 Market Square, Pinehurst, NC 28374. You may also donate online at www.carolinaphil.org or call our office: 910-687-0287.
LOOKING AHEAD: 2020/21 Subscription Series The Carolina Philharmonic’s 2020/21 Season is slated to kick off on the eve of Thanksgiving with Holiday Pops and proceed with an exhilarating series of concerts. We will adapt and make adjustments to the season as necessary. Season subscriptions to new subscribers are now available for purchase.
Call our Box Office today at 910-687-0287 to reserve your seat at Owens Auditorium at BPAC, Sandhills Community College. Visit www.carolinaphil.org for more information. The Carolina Philharmonic is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations to “The Carolina Philharmonic” are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 2020
Home
It has taken on a whole new meaning. Home is ... The Classroom. The Studio. The Office. We are cooking and baking. Sorting through old photos. Planting our Summer Garden. We are learning to communicate remotely. We are hitting “pause.” Somewhere in the Solitude we find Hope that allows us to embrace the “new normal.” Are you looking to make changes to your home to adapt to your new routine?
Ready to design that outdoor living space complete with a wood burning fireplace?
Extended family moving in? Let’s build that addition! Let’s Talk About Your Home Project!
Thinking About Selling? Ready For a New Home? Maybe it is time to shop for a home that will fit all of your needs I feel fortunate to live in Pinehurst, North Carolina - and in my opinion, there is no better place to “Work From Home.” If you are looking to downsize, upgrade or relocate - Our team is ready to help!
Call Mary Lou Vecchione 910-639-1387 Mary Lou Vecchione, Broker/Owner
House & Home Services and Property Management, Inc. and MLV Properties 5 Dowd Circle. Suite D Pinehurst, North Carolina. 28374
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910-639-1387 The Art & Soul of the Sandhills houseandhomeservices@mindspring.com
BOOKSHELF
June Books
FICTION Friends and Strangers, by J. Courtney Sullivan From the best-selling author of Maine and Saints for All Occasions comes this insightful, hilarious and compulsively readable novel about a complicated friendship between two women who are at two very different stages in life. Elisabeth, an accomplished journalist and new mother, is struggling to adjust to life in a small town after nearly 20 years in New York City. Alone in the house with her infant son all day (and awake with him much of the night), she feels uneasy, adrift. Enter Sam, a senior at the local women’s college, whom Elisabeth hires to babysit. Sam is struggling to decide between the path she’s always planned on and a romantic entanglement that threatens her ambition. She’s worried about student loan debt and what the future holds. In short order, they grow close. But when Sam finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Elisabeth’s father-in-law, the true differences between the women’s lives become starkly revealed, and a betrayal has devastating consequences. A masterful exploration of motherhood, power dynamics and privilege in its many forms, Friends and Strangers reveals how a single year can shape the course of a life. Mother, Daughter, Widow Wife, by Robin Wasserman Who is Wendy Doe? The woman, found on a Peter Pan Bus to Philadelphia, has no money, no ID, and no memory of who she is, where she was going, or what she might have done. She’s assigned a name and diagnosis by the state: dissociative fugue, a temporary amnesia that could lift at any moment, or never at all. When Dr. Benjamin Strauss invites her to submit herself for experimental observation at his Meadowlark Institute for Memory Research, she feels like she has no other choice. To Dr. Strauss, Wendy is a female body, subject to his investigation and control. To Strauss’ ambitious student, Lizzie Epstein, she’s an object of fascination, a mirror of Lizzie’s own desires, and an invitation to wonder: Once a woman is untethered from all past and present obligations of womanhood, who is she allowed to become? To Alice, the daughter she left behind, Wendy Doe is an absence so present it threatens to tear Alice’s world apart. Through their attempts to untangle the mystery of Wendy’s identity — as well as Wendy’s own struggle to construct a new self — Wasserman has crafted a jaw-dropping, multi-voiced journey of discovery, reckoning and reclamation. Super Host, by Kate Russo Bennett Driscoll is a Turner Prize-nominated artist who was once a rising star. Now, at age 55, his wife has left him, he hasn’t sold a painting in two years, and his gallery wants to stop selling his work, claiming The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
they’ll have more value retrospectively . . . when he’s dead. So, left with a large West London home and no income, he’s forced to move into his artist’s studio in the back garden and list his house on the popular vacation rental site, AirBed. A stranger now in his own home, with his daughter, Mia, off at art school, and any new relationships fizzling out at best, Bennett struggles to find purpose in his day-to-day. It all changes when three different guests — lonely American Alicia; tortured artist Emma; and cautiously optimistic divorcée Kirstie — unwittingly unlock the pieces in him that have been lost for too long. Warm, witty and utterly humane, Super Host offers a captivating portrait of middle age, relationships and what it truly means to take a new chance at life. NONFICTION Finding Dora Maar: An Artist, an Address Book, a Life, by Brigitte Benkemoun Merging biography, memoir and cultural history, this compelling book traces Maar’s life through a serendipitous encounter with the artist’s address book. In search of a replacement for his lost Hermès agenda, Brigitte Benkemoun’s husband buys a vintage diary on eBay. When it arrives, she opens it and finds inside private notes dating back to 1951 — 20 pages of phone numbers and addresses for Balthus, Brassaï, André Breton, Jean Cocteau, Paul Éluard, Leonor Fini, Jacqueline Lamba and other artistic luminaries of the European avantgarde. After realizing that the address book belonged to Dora Maar — Picasso’s famous “Weeping Woman” and a brilliant artist in her own right — Benkemoun embarks on a two-year voyage of discovery to learn more about this provocative, passionate and enigmatic woman, and the role that each of these figures played in her life. Longlisted for the prestigious literary award Prix Renaudot, Finding Dora Maar is a fascinating and breathtaking portrait of the artist. The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir, by Wayétu Moore When Wayétu Moore turns 5 years old, her father and grandmother throw her a big birthday party at their home in Monrovia, Liberia, but all she can think about is how much she misses her mother, who is working and studying in faraway New York. Before she gets the reunion her father promised her, war breaks out in Liberia. The family is forced to flee their home on foot, walking and hiding for three weeks until they arrive in the village of Lai. Finally, a rebel soldier smuggles them across the border to Sierra Leone, reuniting the family and setting them off on yet another journey, this time to the United States. The Dragons, the Giant, the Women is a deeply moving story of the search for PineStraw
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home in the midst of upheaval. Moore shines a light on the great political and personal forces that continue to affect many migrants around the world, and calls us all to acknowledge the tenacious power of love and family. CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Ocean! Waves for All, by Stacy McAnulty Home to the world’s biggest animal, longest mountain range, and largest living structure, the ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, holds a wealth of riches, and is the ultimate melting pot because the waves are for all, man! In this latest fun fact-filled STEM title (as told by Ocean — his salty self), engineer-turned author McAnulty once again brings science to life for the youngest readers. (Ages 4-7.) Grow Kind, by Jon Lasser Everyone wants their child to grow up to be kind, but how do you grow a kind child? In this sweet story of sisterhood, friendship and neighborly love, Keiko shares the bounty of the garden she has lovingly tended and finds extra special joy in the delight of others. Grow Kind is the third book in a series that also includes Grow Happy and Grow Grateful. (Ages 3-7.)
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Moments like these are missed but not gone forever...
Our Our OurLife Life LifePlan Plan PlanCommunity Community Community has has hasserved served servedolder older olderadults adults adultssince since since1964, 1964, 1964, As restrictions are loosened in North Carolina, please know that we were early to put measures providing providing providing exceptional exceptional Independent Independent Living, Living, Living, in place to protect our Penick Village family and that meansexceptional we will also beIndependent the last to loosen.
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has served adults since 1964, Home Home HomeCare, Care, Care,Assisted Assisted Assisted Living Living Living &older &&Plan Skilled Skilled Skilled Nursing. Nursing. Nursing. Our Our Our Our Our Life Life Life Life Life Life Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Community Community Community Community Community Community As our community remains closed to visitors, we will continue to utilize alternative means providing exceptional Independent Living, has has has has has has has served served served served served served served served older older older older older older adults adults adults adults adults adults since since since since since since 1964, 1964, 1964, 1964, 1964, to facilitate communication with loved ones. We find ways to be innovative in providing providing providing providing providing providing providing exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Independent Living, Living, Living, Living, Living, Home Care, Assisted Living Skilled Nursing. providing services to and engaging with our residents daily. Our Our Life Life&Plan Plan Community Community has has has served served served& older older adults adultsNursing. since since 1964, 1964, Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Care, Care, Care, Care, Care, Care, Care, Assisted Assisted Assisted Assisted Assisted Assisted Assisted Assisted Living Living Living Living Living & & & & &Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Skilled Nursing. Nursing. Nursing. Nursing. Nursing. providing providing providingexceptional exceptional exceptional Independent Independent IndependentLiving, Living,
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Our Life Plan Community
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Enjoy Enjoy Enjoyvibrant vibrant vibrantliving living livingwith with withdelicious delicious delicious cuisine, cuisine, cuisine,personable personable personableservices, services, services,and and and enriching enriching enrichingopportunities opportunities opportunities&&&amenities amenities amenities Out of Clorox but loaded with ketchup that that thatallow allow allowyou you youtototogrow grow growolder older olderbetter. better. better. HOMETOWN
Southern Cornucopia
By Bill Fields
Enjoy vibrant living with delicious
Going toJoin the gro-us. Join us.
cuisine, personable services, cery store these days, even and in fraught times when being enriching opportunities & amenities Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant living living living living living living living with with with with with with with delicious delicious delicious delicious delicious delicious delicious on the lookout forliving Clorox or coughsyou can cause a headache, thatcuisine, allow to grow older services, better. cuisine, cuisine, cuisine, cuisine, cuisine, cuisine, cuisine, personable personable personable personable personable personable personable personable services, services, services, services, services, services, and and and and and and and
There was one kind of mustard, the bright yellow kind. If it was around Thanksgiving or Christmas, apple rings and olives would make the cut. Chow mein or pizza out of the storebought kits were as exotic as we got. The market was sparse with ethnic foods, although there was more variety in the aisles of Big Star than the downtown Colonial Store it supplanted, still the only grocery store I’ve seen shaded by a magnolia tree. We weren’t an A&P family, except for Jane Parker pies during the holidays. There were variations of cuisine by families, depending on their roots. The kitchen of our neighbors, ItalianAmericans from New York, was alive with smells different from ours, of spices and sauces I wouldn’t really get to know for years. My tastes broadened during college, practically from my first week on campus in Chapel Hill. At one orientation function, there were catered Blimpie sandwiches. I’m not sure if it was the oregano or the oil and vinegar, but it was unlike any sandwich I’d ever had. Two independent places in town, Sadlack’s and Hoagie’s Heroes, had even better offerings. My grilled cheese standard had long been from the buttery skillet of my friend Chuck’s mom, but it didn’t take very long in first semester to discover Hector’s Greek version, on pita bread with tzatziki. To be reminded of home, I only needed to have dinner at the Porthole, where the menu was filled with Southern staples. Within a few years, I would enjoy my first jalapeño (Lubbock, Texas), lobster (Boston), bagel (New York) and fish-that-wasn’t-fried (Jacksonville Beach, Florida). Everything is available almost everywhere now, choices we have even if we don’t need them. I don’t miss potted meat or fruit cocktail, to name two canned goods I regularly ate growing up, but we would be just fine without nine flavors of ketchup. PS
it’s hard not to marvel at what enriching enriching enriching enriching enriching enriching enriching enriching enriching opportunities opportunities opportunities opportunities opportunities opportunities opportunities & && & & amenities & amenities & amenities amenities amenities amenities amenities amenities is there. opportunities So many options, so different from that that that that that that allow allow allow allow allow allow allow you you you you you you you to to to to to to to grow to grow grow grow grow grow grow grow older older older older older older older better. better. better. better. better. better. better. better. Join theallow way things used tous. be.
I was reminiscing with Dianne, one of my older sisters, and recalled a meal she Enjoy Enjoycooked vibrant vibrant vibrant living living living with with with delicious delicious for me when I was 10. Idelicious felt as if I’d gone to another country instead ofand to and cuisine, cuisine, cuisine,personable personable personable services, services, services, and Winston-Salem. It was my first lasagna. enriching enriching enriching opportunities opportunities opportunities && & amenities amenities amenities That layered deliciousness wasn’t the only culinary highlight of my weeklong that thatallow allow allow you you youtoto to grow grow grow older older older better. better. better. visit. One night supper was tacos, which weren’t on our household’s menu growing up either. Oh, we ate well. Mom and Dad cooked tasty, filling meals. But they were predictable and limited, the way mealtime was for most families of the time and place. I was reminded of this upon finding a grocery list, circa the early 1970s, in Dad’s handwriting — because Mom worked too, he often did the shopping — that he no doubt had tucked into his shirt pocket and set out for the Big Star. Sugar & Tea. Rolls. Barbeque 2 LBS. Sliced Peaches. Chicken. Ribs. Barbeque Sauce. Roast. Milk. Baking Potatoes. Sausage. Although Dad liked to cook out in any season, I’m guessing that was a summertime trip to the store. Given that Big Star was across the street from Memorial Field, you had to be alert for foul balls in the parking lot. My friend Alvin Davis’ mom, Marjorie, likely checked us out. Two items that didn’t need to be on a list were bagged up too — a six-pack of Budweiser and a carton of Salems. If it had been a good day for me, I would have slipped some Cokes and potato chips into our cart without pushback. On another day, the list would have included iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, baked beans, applesauce, fish sticks, instant grits, Taster’s Choice coffee, white bread, bananas and hot dogs.
Join Join Join Join Join Join Join Join us. us. us. us. us. us. us.
Enjoy Enjoy Enjoyvibrant vibrant vibrantliving living livingwith with withdelicious delicious delicious cuisine, cuisine, cuisine,personable personable personableservices, services, services,and and and Join Join Joinus. us. us. enriching enriching enriching opportunities opportunities opportunities &&amenities amenities amenities Enjoy vibrant living with delicious& cuisine, personable and that that thatallow allow allowyou you youservices, to totogrow grow grow older older olderbetter. better. better.
enriching opportunities & amenities that allow you to grow older better.
Join Joinus. us.
Join us.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Southern Pines native Bill Fields, who writes about golf and other things, moved north in 1986 but hasn’t lost his accent. Bill can be reached at williamhfields@gmail.com. PineStraw
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Caring For People. Then. Now. Always. Coronavirus has changed almost everything, but our resolve is stronger than ever.
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills 540-170-20
IN THE SPIRIT
Home Alone � Lost in quarantine
By Tony Cross
Welcome
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY CROSS
back for another installment of Solitary Confinement. I’ll be your host.
As I type, I’m still locked down, but it seems some restrictions will be lifted soon with three or four phases gradually reopening different types of businesses. If all goes exactly as planned, restaurants should be allowed to let guests come in and dine sometime early this month. That’s a big “if.” Since, realistically, we could still be fending for ourselves well into mid-June, I’m going to recommend a few more drinks that you can make at home with your spouse, or by yourself. Please remember that our ABC stores are open, and they carry many local distilleries’ spirits. Although I’m only naming two for the recipes below, also look for the following: Durham Distillery, Instill Distillery, Fair Game Beverage Company, Fainting Goat Spirits, Doc Porter’s Distillery, Crude Bitters (available in Nature’s Own and Triangle Wine), Muddy River Distillery, and many more. They thank you. I thank you.
Negroni
I’ve probably mentioned before about my first interaction with Campari. It didn’t go well. “That’s freaking gross,” I’m sure I said. Well, what the hell did I know? I was still smoking a pack a day, I flipped my hair (which I still had) up in the front like Tin-Tin, and fast food was dinner five or six nights a week. When I got my act together and started taking better care of my body (the hair was a lost
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
cause), a few things happened: I felt better, and my palate expanded like you wouldn’t believe. I fell in love with certain vegetables that I never enjoyed before and started to fall in love with all things bitter. Bitter foods, bitter beer, bitter women, and yes, bitter spirits, especially amari. Author Brad Thomas Parsons says in his book Amaro that “the ingredients of Campari, one of the world’s most famous amari, remain a closely guarded secret, with the only two known ingredients being alcohol and water. Beyond that, the recipe is based on an ‘infusion of herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit in alcohol and water.’” I think you either love Campari or you don’t. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that’s in the middle. My favorite cocktail to make with Campari is the Negroni. In my opinion, it’s one of the best cocktails to have before dinner. It really wakes up the palate. This is an extremely easy cocktail to make. You’ll need three ingredients: gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Four, if you count ice. For the gin, I stand by Sutler’s Spirit Co. out of Winston-Salem. I’ve written about Sutler’s a bunch, so take my word for it, it’s a lovely gin that’s not juniper-forward. For the sweet vermouth, I recommend Carpano Antica from Italy (also available at Nature’s Own). Traditionally, the recipe calls for equal parts of all three ingredients, but I like to up the gin a touch, so here we go: Take 1 1/4 ounces of gin, and put it into your rocks glass (yes, we’ll be building this cocktail). Add 3/4 ounce of Campari, and 3/4 ounce of the sweet vermouth. Add ice, and stir until the cocktail is nice, cold, and properly diluted. All that’s left is the garnish. You can take an orange wedge and drop her in, or you can take the peel of an PineStraw
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IN THE SPIRIT
THE ATTITUDE OF
gratitude
orange and express its oils over the cocktail and discard the peel into the drink. Either way, it’s one helluva way to start the evening. Or afternoon. Or morning (you know who you are, quarantine champs).
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This is one of the first cocktails I learned how to make when I was trying to make heads or tails of the cocktail business. Also extremely easy to make, it just has a few more ingredients. This drink is a spin on the classic Westside, subbing vodka for gin. The Westside was created at the bar Employees Only, in New York City. My first crush was with these folks — their whole ideology of creating drinks, setting the mood, etc. Anyway, before I start getting too awkward, here’s the drink: The original recipe calls for a Meyer lemon-infused vodka, but this will definitely work with TOPO vodka (out of Chapel Hill). You’ll also need cold sparkling water (Mountain Valley or die), mint, a lemon, rich simple syrup, ice, and a cocktail coupe (or martini glass). Before you start making this drink, place your coupe glass in your freezer, so it’s nice and cold by the time you’re ready to pour. Take 4-5 mint leaves, and break them in half, putting them into a cocktail shaker. Next, add 1/2 ounce of rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water). You’ll take 3/4 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and finish with 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of vodka. Add ice to your shaker, seal it up, and shake hard for about 10 seconds. Take your coupe glass out of the freezer and place it on the table. Before you strain this cocktail into the glass (or double strain if you want to keep as much mint from entering the glass as possible), you want to add a splash of the sparkling water to your shaker. Bubbles! OK, now strain. You can garnish this drink with a very thin slice of lemon, or nothing at all. These go down pretty quick, so imbibe responsibly. Just kidding, you’re grown up; you’re in own house; the world is set on “virtual.” What have you got to do? Go to town. PS Tony Cross is a bartender (well, ex-bartender) who runs cocktail catering company Reverie Cocktails in Southern Pines. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
Return of the Victory Garden Idle time can lead to busy hands
By Jan Leitschuh
Got time on your hands? Matt and Betty
Kuhn did.
They tired of a patch of overgrown blackberries at their Whispering Pines home. They were planning to “do something with it” — someday. “Then, COVID came along,” recalls Matt. “Betty and I were cocooning at home, and the garden project just popped right up.” Out came the blackberry tangle. In went, not shrubbery, but garden produce — six varieties of tomatoes, green beans, okra, several kinds of peppers, onions, herbs and garlic. “Our little COVID-19 Victory Garden,” he says. In these slower, socially-distanced times, many of us find ourselves sticking closer to home. And suddenly, little produce gardens are popping up where before there were none. It makes sense for spring 2020. In a flash, we had extra time on our hands. We boned up on simple ways to strengthen our immune systems, from vitamin D to eating a healthy, whole-food diet. The siren call of spring drew us into the sun. We found a renewed enjoyment in going outside, even if it was the backyard. We eyed a sunny spot and began to muse about ripe tomatoes and crisp cukes, pungent basil, watermelon, beets and beans. At the same time, we were seeing headlines highlighting incredible waste — dumped dairy, produce rotting in the fields, meat-packing plants shutting down, supply chains upended due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Going to a grocery store became an undertaking requiring masks and disinfectants. We found ourselves ordering seeds and produce plants. Not to replace the grocery store. A little plot of land in the backyard, that’s something we could control in unsettled times. A distraction that could land on a plate. These and other factors are at play this year, creating what some news reports are calling “the return of the Victory Garden.” National online retailers are reporting seed sellouts and up to a 300 percent increase in sales, with local sellers mirroring that demand. Food. It’s not just for farmers anymore. Making light of that which unsettles, one social media meme goes: “We are thinking of planting a garden in case of food shortages. Anybody have any Snickers or Cheetos seeds?” Despite stores nationally keeping plenty of food on the shelves, runs on certain items may have spooked a few consumers. “I think there are a few people who worry about there being enough in the grocery store — in case the trucks can’t get through or the farmers
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
can’t make do,” says manager Dawn Bowden of Sandhills Feed Supply of Southern Pines. “So they are trying to do a little of their own.” Backyard produce is nothing new. During World War I, when a severe food crisis emerged in Europe, American citizens were asked to help by growing and preserving some of their own produce. The National War Garden Commission was organized to encourage Americans to contribute to the war effort by planting, fertilizing, harvesting and storing their own fruits and vegetables — that way, more food could be exported to our hungry allies. No longer confined to rural fields, a kitchen garden habit took root in towns across America. Victory gardens resurfaced again in World War II. With commercial crops sent to the military overseas, and the 1942 introduction of food rationing, Americans were once more urged to grow their own fruits and vegetables. My parents never lost the habit of those war years, and passed their love and knowledge of kitchen gardening along to me. Naturally, I applaud the recent enthusiasm to stick a tomato or three in the ground. While there is no government campaign for Americans to utilize idle land to grow produce for themselves, an increased interest in food gardening has emerged again, just as it did in the tough economic times between 2008 and 2009. Locally, the kitchen garden trend is booming. PineStraw 43
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THE KITCHEN GARDEN
“Our veggie plant sales have increased dramatically, and seeds have sold more than ever this year,” says Megan Gulley of Gulley’s Garden Center in Southern Pines. Popular sales include “lots of tomatoes, of course, but also peppers,” she says. “Cucumbers are flying out. Cantaloupe and watermelon are popular, especially for the kids.” Plant and seed sales at Aberdeen Supply Garden Center have also been “through the roof,” says manager Brian Smith. “We cannot keep everything that everybody wants in stock,” he says. “We’re just selling our stuff so fast.” The garden story is the same everywhere. “Sales have, I’d say, doubled,” says Bowden. “We’re already at what we’d sell for the year, and its only April.” The local response doesn’t seem to be some homesteading survivalist urge so much as simply “time on their hands at home,” says Gulley — and pursuing that craving for the taste of fresh produce. Sure, people may have been a little spooked by empty supermarket shelves early on, but taste and time seem to be leading this resurgence. “We’ve been thinking about this for some time,” says gardener Kuhn, “but never got around to it. You can’t beat the taste of a vineripened, homegrown tomato, period. “ That gift of time led to their garden. “We were comfortably and happily ensconced here,” says Kuhn. “COVID came along and gave us the added incentive and time to do it.” And, with lots of family togetherness, parents and grandparents are looking for projects to share. “We are seeing people bringing their kids in,” says Gulley. “Parents who want to show kids how to grow their own food.” Bowden agrees: “We’ve seen a lot of grandparents who are keeping grandchildren, so they are buying seeds to show the kids this is where food comes from, so they learn it doesn’t just show up in the grocery store magically. Most noticeable is the uptick in newbies. “We are seeing a lot of first-time vegetable growers,” says Gulley. “People approach us and say, ‘I have no idea how to grow a tomato.’ And they are doing it right, too, using good soil and mushroom compost, and starting small, maybe a 4 x 12 area, so as not The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
to get overwhelmed.” Aberdeen Supply’s Smith agrees: “We’ve had a number of people who say it’s their first time planting a garden.” Bowden, of Sandhills Feed Supply, says that “with people who have never planted in their life, we try to guide them through it. We have a lot of people just trying out a tomato or a cucumber. And they are planting flowers too, because they want something cheerful to go along with it.” Smith likes the raised bed kits because they are simple and manageable. “I think it’s the easiest to start with,” he says. “It’s neat, and contained.” While he’s not a first-timer, Gabe Nickle of Southern Pines hasn’t grown produce in a long while. He chose to set up a raised bed in the backyard. “I haven’t had a vegetable garden for years. Since I had time around the house, I set one up.” In his 6 x 8-foot raised bed, he first limed the acidic ground beneath, then filled the frame with mushroom compost. In went four tomatoes, two zucchinis, a cucumber, a jalapeño, eggplant and some beans: “I’m looking forward to a Mr. Stripey tomato in a few months,” he says. For those without a garden, a few large 5-gallon pots, carefully watered and fertilized, could house tomatoes. Cucumbers or even cantaloupe could trail around deck railings. A sunny window box could hold a pungent and antioxidant-rich mix of herbs such as thyme, basil, sage and oregano, or even host a crop of green beans. Come fall, crops can be switched to collards, onions, arugula, carrots, chard, bok choy, cabbage and lettuces, and to planting garlic, spinach and strawberries like Chandler and Sweet Charlie for harvest the following spring. But for now, the simple pleasures of working in the summer garden may be enough. “It’s a fun pastime for me,” says Nickle. Kuhn is thinking of issuing a tomato challenge to his friends and family. “We expect our Virus Victory garden to bring us much joy through summer,” he says. PS Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and co-founder of Sandhills Farm to Table. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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162 NW Broad Street • Downtown Southern Pines • 910.246.2002
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The next 100 years depends on the next 100 days.
#BeOurBridge For 100 years, Weymouth Center has been the home of culture, writing, arts, music and conservation in the Sandhills. We need to raise $100,000 in the next 100 days. That’s why we’ve created a
Make your secure contribution via credit card, debit card, or PayPal, through our website: Please donate online at: weymouthcenter.org. Click on “BRIDGE Donations.” Or you may send a personal check to Weymouth Center: P.O. Box 939, Southern Pines, NC 28388 Contributions, in any amount, will help. As we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your contributions may be tax-deductible. Thank you!
BRIDGE BUILDER SOCIETY
to help usFor through this unprecedented time. By becoming of this crucial effort, 100 years, Weymouth Center has been thepart home of culture, writing, you are becoming a bridge between our past and our future.
arts, music and conservation in the Sandhills.
oostdays. : $25 - $249 need to The following levels of We donations willraise help$100,000 us continuein thethe nextB100 R aise : $250 - $499 things we have done for the past 100 years: i nspiRe: $500 - $2,499 That’s why we’ve created a Boost the arts, Raise cultural awareness, DReam: $2,500 - $4,999 Bridge Builder Society bigger, Galvanize intellect, Inspire the creative spirit, Dream Galvanize: $5,000 - $9,999 tothe help us through this unprecedented time.: $10,000 + and Elevate community. elevate
By AVE becoming part/ SOUTHERN of this crucial 555 E. CONNECTICUT / P.O. BOX 939 PINES, NCeffort, 28388 /you (910)are 692-6261 / WWW.WEYMOUTHCENTER.ORG becoming a bridge between our past and our future.
The following levels of donations will help us continue the things we have done for the past 100 years: Boost the arts, Raise cultural awareness, Inspire the creative spirit, Dream bigger, Galvanize intellect, and Elevate the community.
Make your secure contribution via credit card, debit card, or PayPal, through our website: Please donate online at: weymouthcenter.org. Click on “BRIDGE Donations.” Or you may detach this panel and return with your personal check to Weymouth Center: P.O. Box 939, Southern Pines, NC 28388 Contributions, in any amount, will help. As we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your contributions may be tax-deductible. Thank you!
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PineStraw
B oost : $25 - $249 R aise: $250 - $499 I nspire: $500 - $2,499 Dream: $2,500 - $4,999 G alvanize: $5,000 - $9,999 E levate: $10,000 +
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
CROSSROADS
Five Easy Pieces The legacy of a humble man
By Julie O. Petrini
My father was a salesman. Of the sample
case, cold-call, hail-thee-fellow sort. He drove around the Midwest in a hulking sedan, peddling disposable restaurant supplies: toilet paper, four-ply napkins, plastic cups and cutlery. Humble as such an occupation might sound, he treated it as a calling. An ordained conversationalist, he could talk to anyone about anything. He made gatherings parties, strangers friends, and every restaurant or bar a potential customer. Of all his skills, his ability to win people over, in an instant or over years, was the one I most admired.
He was a kid from Boston, a mediocre student but a dervish of nervy energy, who headed West with his bride to make their way outside the shadow of their large Irish families. With caterpillar eyebrows that seemed to turn blacker as his wiry hair turned whiter, a linebacker build and Jackie Gleason grace, he wore patterned sports coats in bright colors. His smile was a light switch. He was a good talker, no doubt about it, but an even better listener. He’d find a clue about what a person might care about — a logo on a cap, a crest on a ring, a sticker on a notebook, a twang in a vowel — and even the most reticent would soon be telling him a story they hadn’t known they wanted to tell or laughing at something they hadn’t realized was funny. On the weekdays, he devoted himself to customers, small and large. He lunched, at least once a week, at a diner in a little Wisconsin town several miles out of the way of anything else. It wasn’t a big account, certainly not lucrative enough to justify that investment of time, but it was always worthwhile, he said, to honor an early customer and learn another thing or two about his business. Once a month, he’d trek to St. Louis to call on Anheuser-Busch, the king of breweries. Forty-one afternoons he waited on a stiff plastic chair outside the purchasing department for a chance to pitch his products, not getting past the outer office. On the forty-second visit, he overheard shouts of panic over a rival supplier’s failure to deliver an order for 2 million beer cups for the upcoming festival season. “I can do it,” he called in through the sliding window over the receptionist’s desk. He did, and never had to wait in reception again. On the weekends, he served the neighborhood. He’d start a Pied Piper project in the yard, gathering every kid in the neighborhood, to make a game out of mowing or cleaning the garage or shoveling snow.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Then he’d lead a bike ride across town for ice cream or a toboggan run down the cliffside trail in the park, harnessing himself to the sled to pull the little kids back up the hill. Or he’d conjure coaching clinics, dumping a wheelbarrow of footballs, baseballs, basketballs and soccer balls to teach throwing, batting, shooting, kicking. Then we’d go on treasure hunts, rooting out Snickers bars and quarters that he’d buried earlier. He was a force. Forces diminish, of course, and not long ago, I sat vigil with him as he succumbed to Parkinson’s. As happens in those dark hours of reflection, I thought of his gifts to me and my siblings. My brothers shared his extroverted ease; I did not and regretted he hadn’t been able to teach it to me. There were other lessons that did take, lessons guiding me in a life different from his. Lessons worth sharing. Learn how to learn. I wanted to major in English at college but worried about how that would provide. My dad told me to study what interested me, that what l learned wasn't what mattered. Things change so fast that most of what’s learned today won’t be relevant in five years anyway. Learn how to learn so you can always keep up. And the English romantic poets have held up pretty well. You only need one good job offer (or school acceptance, or love interest or . . . ). Racking up choices isn't the point; embracing the right one is. Finish the job. I was so nervous that the struggling company I was working for would tank and leave me jobless that I was on the brink of taking another job, even though I loved the one I had. He made me rethink quitting and it turned out to be the best decision of my career. Sticking with the sinking ship helped me develop grit and earn lifelong allegiance from many who have since helped me. Work your hardest the first six months and the last six months of any job. The first is obvious but the second not so much. People will remember you for leaving things in good shape, earning your keep until the end and respecting their mission even as you move on to a different one. Have funner. Don't just have fun, have funner. He had more funner than anyone I've ever known and so did most of the people around him. He laughed a lot — with glee at good jokes, with humility at himself, with irony at the craziness, and with joy at the chance to do it all again the next day. Thanks, Dad. PS Julie O. Petrini is a lawyer, writer and avid arts consumer. She splits her time between Southern Pines, North Carolina and Wellesley, Massachusetts. She can be reached at jpetrini@petrinilaw.com. PineStraw
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
OUT OF THE BLUE
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? And do you know what it’s worth?
By Deborah Salomon
Back in the early ’70s, ABBA sang
this catchy tune:
Money, money, money Must be funny In the rich man’s world That, as I recall, was when a dollar was “worth a dollar.” When kids saved pennies in piggy banks. When a birthday card from Granny might contain “folding money.” I never recall seeing a $100 bill until I graduated from high school, in 1956, and received one from family friends, whose children I had babysat, free, since ninth grade. My parents wouldn’t allow me to accept payment. Grrrr. These days a $100 bill won’t fill a grocery cart. Not that many people pay with cash. Because money has not only been devalued, but the physical specimens have all but disappeared. I don’t have any statistics on payment methods other than anecdotal. Don’t need any. Just observe at the grocery store or Walmart. Ever try to buy gas with cash? What a hassle. The psychology behind this is to encourage spending money you don’t have, since doling it out on the spot isn’t required. Then the card company charges usurious interest on unpaid balances. I have never paid interest on my two credit cards. The debit card is self-regulating. But I miss seeing money, touching it, counting it out. Like Coke, it’s the real thing. But, also like Coke, the real thing is changing. I visit my grandsons in Canada often. Their money is a whole different ball game. Years ago, one- and two-dollar bills were eliminated in favor of coins, called loonies and toonies after the bird emblazoned thereon. The success: mixed. The coins — bigger and heavier than a quarter — weigh down purses and pockets. The mentality: a coin isn’t worth that much, therefore thrown around, especially for tips. Pennies were also phased out. Canadian folding money (different colors per amount) doesn’t fold as easily, since it’s made of a polymer that feels slippery-weird but lasts longer.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Even that evokes a pang. Remember the silky texture of a worn-out dollar bill, resembling the thin, crinkled skin on an old person’s hand? Likewise, the newness of a freshly minted $20 bill, so crisp it might be counterfeit? Remember counting out pennies, enclosing them in paper sleeves, which the bank exchanged for dollar bills? Now a machine at the supermarket does the counting. About stimulus funds. Mine will be direct-deposited and used to pay bills, online. I will never see or touch it, which is par for the course, since I use a debit card for everyday expenses and a credit card for bigger stuff. This absence has affected phrases like “found money.” How can I forget checking the zipper compartment in a purse headed for Goodwill only to find a bank envelope containing ten $10s? I have no idea the circumstances, or how I could misplace such a sum. But I did. One December I found a card in a parking lot with a $50 bill enclosed, probably a Christmas bonus. I felt terrible, called the police, who told me that without a name or anything to identify the owner, nothing could be done. Advertising would only bring a slew of nuisance, perhaps dangerous calls. “Keep it,” they told me. Sorry, I got so wound up in the missing money mystery that I forgot to reference what triggered it. A million dollars used to be the ultimate before millionaires became a dime a dozen. Now, every newscast speaks of billions, even trillions. I learned to respect a $100 bill but have no idea how much a billion of anything is. For perspective, Earth-to-sun is 93 million miles; to Mars, 119 million; to Jupiter, 463 million. Still haven’t watched the TV show titled “Billions.” The point — if there be one — is that money has not only lost its value, but its presence. Same for records, books, photographs. Yet there’s hope. Think what a Roman coin is worth to collectors. A papyrus scroll from ancient Egypt. Photos taken during the Civil War. Millions have been made from nickel comic books. Even Mantovani long-plays are, once again, spinning on turntables. I like ABBA better. PS Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com. PineStraw
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B I R D WA T C H
King of the Forest
Listen for the unmistakable call of the pileated woodpecker
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 all 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-leeated being more common. Pileated, by the way, refers to the bird’s bright-red crest from the Latin pileatus meaning “capped.” However you say it, such a sizable bird is bound to make a loud noise whether foraging or calling. Indeed pileateds do get your attention. You’re most likely, however, to 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 a dead or dying tree in late The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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 cycle. Pileateds, of course, tend to thrive 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 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 underway 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 clear-cutting 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. Send wildlife sightings and photos to susan@ncaves.com.
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SPORTING LIFE
The Truth Is Out There And so, I guess, is the wild turkey
By Tom Bryant
Ben Franklin once said the American eagle is “a bird of bad moral character, does not get his living honestly, steals food from a fish hawk and is too lazy to fish for himself.”
He described the American turkey as “a much more respectable bird, a true original native of America, a bird of courage.” Old Ben was pitching the turkey as the nation’s national bird instead of the eagle, a bird with which he must have had an earlier conflict. I don’t know about eagles, since they were in seriously short supply during my years enjoying the great outdoors. But I have had some contact with the wild turkey, at some distance. Not planned by me, all the turkeys’ doing. I grew up hunting the piney woods of eastern North Carolina, and the swamps and river bottoms of the low country of South Carolina. In my youngster years, when I went hunting, I wasn’t a specialist. If it was in season, it could end up in my hunting vest. I was partial to squirrels, doves, quail and ducks, but turkeys? They were as scarce as, at that time in my school learning, an “A” in algebra. I heard rumors that they were still around but in short supply. My granddaddy had a turkey tail feather mount hanging in his study in the old plantation house in South Carolina. He often would reminisce about the times when low country swamp turkeys were plentiful enough to fill many a hunter’s Thanksgiving table. “No more today,” he said. “They’ve gone the way of the ivory bill woodpecker.” As I grew older and became a little more sophisticated in my efforts afield, I leaned more and more toward hunting waterfowl, mainly ducks and geese. Any sportsman can tell you that it’s very easy to go overboard on paraphernalia, especially if you’re a true connoisseur The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
of the sport. And I was. I wanted it all: decoys, shotguns, camouflage clothing, waders, boats. It took me years, but if the gear pertained to duck hunting, I wished for it and usually got it. I was truly at home with the noble art of duck hunting, and I realized that to be practical, the sport was all that I had time for, or the necessary funds. At the end of January the season for duck hunting is over. It’s too cold for fishing, and summer camping seems to be an interminably long time away. What was I to do in the fields? Bird-watch? Not for me, even though I hear it is a wonderful way to pass the time. Then I read an article in Sports Afield about turkey hunting, and in the vernacular of salesmen everywhere, I was hooked. I thought, how difficult can it be? I’m familiar with the woods where I can hunt. I have a box call that should work. I think I’ll try out the sport in the morning. My first effort would have made the Marx Brothers proud. I was up and at ’em early, as prescribed in the article. Dressed from head to toe in camouflage, I drove out to the farm and found what looked to me like a great place to ambush an unsuspecting gobbler. I propped my dove stool next to an ancient pine, did a few yelps on my box call and waited for some action. There was a small pond a few yards away that probably helped the mosquito population, which soon discovered they had some fresh meat. They were doing everything, including, I’m sure, making a plan to haul me away and lodge me in the fork of an old cypress to eat later. It was miserable. I quickly learned lesson number one about turkey hunting: Bring mosquito repellent. The morning passed slowly with me sweating, scratching and slapping at hungry bugs. It seemed that the mosquitoes had sent out an invitation for deer flies to join the fun. Enough food for all. Mama didn’t raise a fool, so before long I figured there was more to this turkey hunting than being eaten up by insects. I gave one more yelp on my call, decided to wait just a few more minutes, then headed PineStraw
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
MAKE M ITA K E I T YOUR YO OWNU R O W
SPORTING LIFE
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
IT out to breakfast, which seemed to be the only redeeming factor left in entire morning. OtheW N
I stepped out of the pine thicket onto a little sand road that led to the Bronco. The road wasn’t much more than a firebreak, and 40 yards away, in the middle of the small lane, stood a giant gobbler. Naturally, I had my shotgun slung over my shoulder. The big bird was like an apparition. I don’t know which of us was more surprised. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared. I stood there with my mouth open looking at where the gobbler had been, now long gone. I walked CUSTOMIZE YOUR COLLECTION AND UNLOCK REBATES UP TO to where he had stood, muttering to myself. That really couldn’t have been a turkey, but his tracks confirmed he wasn’t a mirage. It’s been years since I stared down that turkey on that little sand CUSTOMIZEC YOUR U COLLECTION S T O M I Z E YO U R AND UNLOCK REBATES AND UP TOU N L O C K R E B AT E S road, and I have been hunting numerous times since. I’ve seen turkeys, heard them gobble, and have followed their tracks to where they VIA PREPAID CARD BY MAIL WHEN YOU PURCHASE SELECT dusted. A turkey will roll around in the sand to get rid of mites, and KITCHENAID BR AND APPLIANCES I’ve picked up numerous turkey feathers from those dust baths. But as January 1– July 11, 2020 far as putting a wild turkey on the Thanksgiving table? No luck so far. VIA PREPAID CARD V IBY A MAIL P R E PA I D C A R D B Y M CUSTOMIZE YOUR COLLECTION WHEN YOU PURCHASE WH SELEC EN T YO U P U R C H A S E S One morning at my Rotary Club breakfast, I was lamenting my bad ANDKITCHENAID UNLOCK REBATES UPC TOH E N A I D B R A N D A P P BRK AND IT APPLIANCES luck in the turkey hunting department to several friends. I had heard Januar y 1– July J 11,a 2020 n u a r y 1 – J u l y 11, 2 0 2 0 that Rich Warters, an individual with quite a reputation afield (he *See sales associate for rebate form with complete details. Only valid at participating KitchenAid brand E Y even Oowns Uthe R CChampion OLL ETrialing CT IDogs), O was N retailers. Rebate in the form of a KitchenAid brand Visa prepaid card by mail. National of Field Bird R E B AT E S U P T O proficient in the turkey hunting sport, having bagged several in upstate 910.944.8887 | www.keesappliance.com New York. Rich, who is also a loyal Rotarian, listened to my turkey VIA PREPAID CARD BY MAIL 104 East Main Street | Downtown Aberdeen APPLIANCE CENTER complaints and volunteered to show me a few tricks of the trade. WHEN YOU PURCHASE SELECT KITCHENAID BR AND APPLIANCES Now, it’s not often that a good old Southern boy will take advice Januar y 1– July 11, 2020 from a Yankee, but my back was against the wall, and heck, I had alA R D most BY MA IL converted Rich to my slow way of talking, although his up-North RCH A SE SEL EC T accent does come back when he’s agitated. R AND APPLIANCES We saw turkeys. They came up behind us, in front of us, and one 11, 2 0 2 0 morning sneaked up to us on the side of our blind. But we had no luck. *See sales associate for rebate form with complete details. Only valid at participating KitchenAid brand retailers. Rebate in the form of a KitchenAid brand Visa prepaid card by mail. Unfortunately for me, Rich moved to Connecticut a year or so ago, and I’m on my own in the turkey hunting department again. We stay in touch, and he still offers invaluable advice, which I gladly take. Last year I didn’t even hunt, and this year I’ve been out a couple of m with complete details. Only valid at par ticipating KitchenAid brand KitchenAid brand Visa card by mail. Additional terms and conditions apply. times. I’ve heard them gobble andprepaid have seen a couple at a distance, but ed. probably if you get right down to it, I’m not that anxious to kill one. I still remember the morning Rich and I were coming out of a swamp bottom after seeing a turkey just out of range. The turkey also saw me and was gone in a flash. It was a beautiful early spring sunrise. Dogwoods were in full bloom, and birds were singing and chirping as if they were auditioning for a Walt Disney movie. We stood at our vehicles finishing off leftover coffee and making plans for the next day when a ruby-throated hummingbird flew right between us, hovered for a second, as if he was checking us out, then buzzed away. We were awestruck, neither saying anything, and then laughing at the wonder of it all. When I remember that morning, that beautiful day afield with a good friend, I realize that’s one of the reasons I make excuses to hunt turkeys. PS
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Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L
Trolley Line The push and pull of golf
By Lee Pace
They are known as push carts,
pull carts, caddie carts and trolleys. They are revered in some locales (e.g., the United Kingdom) and sniffed upon at others (many high-brow American clubs). They began as simple devices made of lawn mower tires mounted on a steel chassis and have evolved into high-tech gadgets powered by batteries and in some models with hands-free remote control.
But these gizmos that allow a golfer to walk the course but not have to carry his bag or employ a caddie are a key part of the walking landscape. “At many clubs, players choose the carts because they are annoyed by the kid who smirks when a shot is missed,” noted a 1941 issue of Golfdom magazine. “Caddies are scarce. Caddies are small. Caddies are arrogant,” noted another article. Advertisements in Golfdom prove that these carts were available in the late-1930s and into the World War II years, when labor for caddies was restricted. One of the early models was dubbed the Kaddie Kart. Another early cart was conceived by Bruce Williamson in Portland, Oregon, in 1945, and evolved into the company that manufactured the Bag Boy Cart, which is still in existence though under a different owner. “First a player will timidly try one and may feel a little self-conscious rolling the little cart along the fairways, but then he finds himself fresher and feeling better after his exercise,” a 1947 Golfdom article noted. “His shoulder does not ache and his scorecard shows better results.” Sunningdale Golf Club outside London is a bucket list course for me, and a couple of years ago I noticed a Tweet from noted golf photographer David Cannon that showed Ernie Els and three golfers posing
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
under a big tree outside the Sunningdale clubhouse. What caught my eye was the background — easily two dozen trolleys with bags on them idling between the building and the golf course. That’s the United Kingdom for you. They hate “buggies,” as they call motorized carts. But they love “trolleys.” “I don’t accept this stigma that a push cart is beneath a private club, because you go to Scotland and Ireland and Australia and all the top clubs have them,” says architect Gil Hanse. “You can take a trolley at probably every course on the British Open rota, but you can’t at many of our top clubs in the States,” says former USGA Executive Director David Fay. “Something doesn’t add up.” Trolleys are generally lumped into two categories: push carts have three wheels and pull carts have two. They are allowed today at toprung golf destinations like Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes, Cabot Links and Streamsong, though policies vary on whether you can bring your own or use/rent one provided by the club. Through the 1970s and ‘80s, as batteries and gas overtook the human gait as the preferred means of traversing a course, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club remained true to its traditional roots by offering a “Walking Club” to members who gathered in the afternoons to walk and carry their bags on No. 2. Fay used the program as a template for a similar program the USGA instituted in the 1990s to encourage walking across the nation. Thankfully, the walking tradition has been healthy at most courses in the Sandhills. Pinehurst maintains a thriving caddie program, and certainly a popular bucket list item for many golfers is to play No. 2 with a caddie. Members have been allowed for quite a while to walk any course at any time, and the resort in 2017 green-lighted hotel guests the option to walk and carry as well. Now push carts are available on all courses, including No. 2 and the recently redesigned No. 4. “We felt like walking is an important tradition in golf and something we should support,” says Director of Golf Ben Bridgers. “The trend has really changed the last few years. We’re seeing a lot of people grabbing their bag, throwing it over their shoulder or taking a pull cart. It’s pretty awesome. I played No. 4 recently, and that day you saw people carrying, taking a pull cart and taking caddies. Not many people PineStraw
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walked No. 4 before the restoration. It’s going back in time; it has more of an old-time Pinehurst feel.” Trolleys have become more prevalent in junior golf and college golf since 2008, when the American Junior Golf Association announced it would allow them in its competitions. Research by noted golf training entities such as the Titleist Performance Institute has revealed concerns about the constant grinding on the back and shoulders of golfers who carry their bags. “Carrying your clubs not only places a huge amount of compressive force on your spine, but also causes lactic acid buildup in the surrounding muscles, causing fatigue and injuries,” says Dr. Josh Nelson, a sports chiropractor and TPI consultant. Stanford University men’s golf team proved that push carts were here to stay on the collegiate golf level in the 2014 NCAA Championships when four of five Cardinal golfers used them. Stanford’s Cameron Wilson won that year’s individual title pushing a trolley. At the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in 2018, I met Thomas Reiter, who formed a company called Big Max Golf in 1994 at first to service golfers in Germany and Austria and then expanding across Europe. Reiter named the company after his first-born son, Max, and started with a twowheel pull cart. But he soon noted the stress that the pulling motion placed on the arm and shoulder. “We were the first to weld a third wheel onto the two-wheel cart and turn it around,” Reiter says. “It was a simple change, but one that nobody had ever done before. It was less stressful on the arm, and it was easier to direct with the cart in front of you. We’d created the first three-wheel folding push cart.” I tested the company’s flagship cart, the IP Blade, on several rounds in July 2019 and came away impressed with the engineering and the benefits of pushing a cart. The IP Blade fits compactly in the trunk of a car, folding to roughly 3-feet long by 2-feet wide by 3-inches deep. You take it from the car, and the three wheels fold out and the center console pops up. You adjust one lever to lock the console and you’re ready to go. The cart holds golf bags of any size with attachments high and low to keep the bag secure. There The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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Grand Opening
V
illaggio RISTORANTE & BAR
Italian Fine Dining
June 6 Glassware & The Cocktails
That Go In Them Online
Born amid the storied walls of The Magnolia Inn, Villaggio Ristorante promises an exquisite old-world experience second to none.
June 13 Martinis Online
June 25 David Feherty Live Off Tour Owens Auditorium
We look forward to hosting you. —RON & JULIE MILTON
We are excited to host more events for online ticket sales as the calendar begins to fill up again. Go to www.ticketmesandhills.com to see which tickets are available for events that were postponed earlier this year. There is also a wide range of virtual events to choose from.
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RECENTLY RENOVATED
65 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst
CALL 910-420-2485 TO RESERVE
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Unfortunately, we aren’t open for box office sales, yet, but if you have any questions please contact us:
910.693.2516 info@ticketmesandhills.com
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L
is an attachment for an umbrella and places to hold scorecards, tees, a GPS device and water bottle. The cart pushes smoothly and can go almost anywhere you want to walk, though certainly not through traps or across greens. After 18 holes, my lower back wasn’t as sore nor my right shoulder stressed. The company has been the leading trolley manufacturer for two decades now in Europe, where Reiter estimates 95 percent of golfers walk, and is gaining traction in the United States after opening a facility in Tacoma, Washington, in 2014. “We are trying to get golfers to realize that carrying your golf bag is bad for your body and your game,” Reiter says. “You don’t see Tour players carrying their bags around, do you? By pushing a cart, you have time to contemplate your next shot, and you have more energy left over the closing holes. If you want a long, good golf career, you need to take good care of your body.” The trolley has become more relevant in the golf world today in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged life in general and the golf universe in specific over the spring of 2020. Many of the courses that remained open restricted use of motorized carts, acknowledging that “social distancing” is more easily practiced by golfers walking a fairway. Forest Creek Golf Club, for example, remained open but required golfers to walk, and many members embraced the use of a push cart, which had previously not been allowed at the 36-hole facility 3 miles northwest of the village of Pinehurst. Coming out of the quarantine, the club is now allowing permanent use of push carts. And Big Max Golf saw a remarkable 800 percent jump in year-over-year unit sales of its Fold Flat push carts in March in states where golf was allowed during the pandemic. “One of the things I hope comes out of this is that more people will enjoy the walking game,” says Pinehurst President Tom Pashley. “I think that can be a nice outcome — more people walking the golf course.” PS Chapel Hill-based writer Lee Pace has written a book about the joys of walking some of the top courses in the Carolinas; the book is due out in 2021 from UNC Press. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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C O M E S E E U S I N T H E H I S T O R I C S T E A M P L A N T.
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300 Magnolia Road • Village of Pinehurst, Nor th Carolina • (9 10) 235-8218 • PinehurstBrewing.com PineStraw The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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We Trade Eggs and Olives Salads arrive. We wince. I do not like olives, black or green, and you know it. Sliced hardboiled eggs seem to make you gag. So we trade them. . . . Citronella and burlap both seize my breath. You resuscitate me with lilac and silks. Me the morning person and you wasting midnight oil. You buried within books, me searching for rhetoric. Fault lines in our wiring, timelines synchronized tonight. Common ground tilled, reseeded in one another’s gasp. — Sam Barbee
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Historic Camp Mackall The secret in the Sandhills By Bob Curtin Photographs from the Moore County Historical Association
t’s possible to jump on your Harley or crawl into your Subaru and drive from Southern Pines to Laurinburg on U.S. 15-501 as if you’re heading to Myrtle Beach for a game of skee ball and some Calabash seafood and never know you’ve just passed one of the U.S. Army’s more secretive military training installations. Camp Mackall, built almost overnight during World War II to train paratroopers and glider units to invade France, is today a primary training facility for elite Special Forces, the Green Berets. What’s secretive isn’t so much that they train, it’s how they train, turning seasoned, professional soldiers into highly skilled, well-conditioned and formidable Special Forces soldiers. The modern Camp Mackall encompasses about 8,000 acres of land, composed of eight major training sites, and every Special Forces soldier who earned the right to wear the Green Beret has left his sweat and blood in those forests and fields. During World War II Camp Mackall trained and tested divisionsize airborne forces in combat operations. In 1943 it was home to three newly formed units of the 11th, 13th and 17th Airborne divisions. The 82nd and 101st remained garrisoned on Fort Bragg but trained at Mackall. Today, our Green Berets are often referred to as the proverbial “tip of the spear” and operate in the dark of night and well behind enemy lines to perform almost superhero-like missions. During WWII, our newly formed airborne paratroopers would have been considered card-carrying members of the tip of the spear club. Originally named Hoffman Air Borne Camp, on Feb. 8, 1943, the installation was renamed in honor of Pvt. John Thomas (Tommy) Mackall. During the Allied invasion of North Africa, in the airborne maneuver named Operation Torch, Mackall was mortally wounded during an attack on his aircraft as it landed. Seven paratroopers died at the scene and several more were wounded, including Mackall. He was evacuated to a British hospital, where he died of his wounds on
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Nov. 12, 1942. Mackall was listed as the first American airborne fatality of WWII. Training the five airborne divisions in the newly formed United States Army Airborne Command was going to require space, and lots of it, for both parachute and glider operations. The United States Department of War began planning construction of Camp Mackall as early as 1942. The land south of Southern Pines was ideal because the federal government already owned a large parcel of it. Construction plans called for an installation that could house and train up to 35,000 soldiers. By comparison the entire population of Moore County in 1940 was slightly over 30,000. In just over three months, more than 62,000 acres of game land and leased farmland were transformed into a bustling military city. The camp included 65 miles of paved roads and several hundred miles of hard-packed trails capable of moving both civilian and military vehicles to the 1,750 buildings within the garrison’s north and south cantonment centers. The camp garrison provided housing for camp cadre, airborne trainees, as well as the paratroopers assigned to the airborne divisions. There were barracks, unit headquarter buildings, three libraries, six beer gardens, 10 barracks-style chapels, entertainment, fitness and sports facilities, and a triangular-shaped airfield with three 5,000-foot runways. Built with wood and tarpaper, the buildings were hot in the summer and cold in the winter. In the worst of the heat, the soldiers propped opened the doors at both ends of their barracks, either praying for the mildest of breezes or requisitioning (legally or by any means necessary) large floor fans. The biting cold of the winter months was more dangerous. The buildings were equipped with potbellied, coal-burning stoves, and soldiers had to take special precautions — even attend courses and post a 24/7 guard force — to avoid burning down the wood and tarpaper boxes. Besides the tarpaper-covered barracks that dotted the landscape, The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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there were some larger and more permanent buildings — movie theaters, churches and headquarters — constructed with brick and mortar. Five theaters showed the latest Hollywood movies. There were 10 wood and tarpaper chapels and two large brick churches, manned by 28 chaplains of many denominations. According to Tom MacCallum and Lowell Stevens, authors of Camp Mackall North Carolina: Its Origin and Time in the Sandhills, “The communities of Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Pinehurst, Rockingham, and Hamlet embraced the paratroopers’ faith based needs.” The residents of the Sandhills often saw large gliders overhead being towed two at a time by C-47s. Local farmers had gliders that were off course land in the fields around their farms. Using more conventional means, the paratroopers and families who lived on
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Camp Mackall often visited the towns of Hamlet, Southern Pines, Pinehurst and Aberdeen, and the townspeople opened their hearts and homes to them. The Moore County towns had established USO centers for soldiers to come and enjoy dances, musicals, plays and a variety of other touring shows. While many local entertainment centers provided activities of morale and fellowship, there were some locations that provided recreation of another sort altogether. For example, in Richmond County, victory girls (or victory belles) were young ladies who followed the paratroopers in and around camp, especially close to payday. These ladies provided comfort and fellowship for a small fee. It was noted by MacCallum and Stevens that at a house in Richmond County, “three women dated 31 soldiers at $5 a date.” The Southern Pines USO was located in what is now the Southern Pines Civic Club. The town of Pinehurst was the first to partner with the USO and established an exclusive USO for AfricanAmerican paratroopers, soldiers and their guests. The integration of the African-American troops into the segregated South did not occur without its challenges. Movie theaters, dining halls, recreation centers, dance halls and living facilities on and off Camp Mackall were segregated. According to MacCallum, “The only facilities not segregated were the Army Post Exchange (PX) and the Officer’s Club.” After a period of time, African-American paratroopers received access to all services and clubs to include their own non-commissioned officers club. Black and white officers shared the same officers club; however, the enlisted men and non-commissioned officers had their own establishments. The need for the African-American USOs subsequently required the Pinehurst location to move to a larger facility in Southern Pines. The parachute divisions had a profound impact on the Sandhills social scene and none more so than the historic Negro Paratroop Company, nicknamed the Triple Nickel. The Triple Nickel was the first of its kind. In early 1944, the 555th Parachute Infantry Company was stationed at Camp Mackall with 11 officers and 165 enlisted men. On Nov. 4, 1944, the number of paratroopers swelled to more than 400 black paratroopers and was designated the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Bradley Biggs, author of The Triple Nickels, Americas First All Black Paratroop Unit, wrote that “the men with families often found Southern Pines more open and welcoming for housing compared to other surrounding towns.” The Triple Nickel was not the only airborne unit of fame to walk and train in Mackall’s fields and forests. In 1992, Stephen Ambrose wrote the book Band of Brothers, detailing the distinguished history of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In early 1943, Easy Company, as they were commonly known, conducted intense airborne and infantry training at Camp Mackall in final preparation for combat operations in the European theater. Ambrose’s book, which later gained notoriety as the HBO miniseries of the same name, followed Easy Company from stateside training in Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and Camp Mackall to the parachute assault on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, and their march across Nazi-occupied Europe till the war’s end in 1945. Before any single paratrooper or airborne unit deployed to the European or Pacific theaters, they were required to pass a series of training exercises to ensure combat readiness. At the Department of War, the training maneuvers were designed to determine the operaThe Art & Soul of the Sandhills
tional feasibility of successfully deploying large airborne divisions. The literal fate of the American airborne divisions lay in the maneuvers conducted at Camp Mackall and across the Sandhills region. The most famous maneuver was conducted by the 11th Airborne Division, code named the “Knollwood Maneuver.” The Knollwood Airport, now Moore County Airport, was the target and the place where the airborne division proved its preparedness and worth as a viable force to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander. On Dec. 6, 1943, the skies above the Sandhills were filled with a massive parachute and glider assault force launched from four airfields to seize the airport. This air armada was a precursor to the planning, maneuver, execution and logistical preparedness that American troops would execute over France a little more than a year later. It lasted six days and, to ensure realism, consisted of 200 C-47 troop and cargo transports that departed from four local airfields, traveled east to the Atlantic Ocean and 200-plus miles back to Knollwood Airport. The C-47 Skytrain, nicknamed the Gooney Bird, delivered 10,282 men by parachute, glider and air landings. During the maneuver, there were more than 880 landings to fly in supplies and reinforcements. The success of the Knollwood Maneuver convinced Eisenhower of the viability of employing airborne forces in division-sized units. Compared to modern day airborne operations, the safety measures were often regarded as high risk. One soldier recording the Knollwood Maneuver reported, “These glider pilots seem to be a pretty rugged crew as it is the usual thing for them to step out of a wrecked glider, brush off the splinters, and climb into another glider and try again.” Despite the incredibly rugged nature of these paratroopers and glider pilots, the Knollwood Maneuver cost four paratroopers their lives, and another 49 soldiers were wounded. The men were treated at Camp Mackall’s 1,200-bed hospital. (Despite the hospital’s focus on injuries sustained during airborne operations, it also took care of family needs such as the delivery of 116 babies in its maternity ward.) The Army medical staff was augmented by the American Red Cross and the all-volunteer Gray Ladies Corps. The Gray Ladies hailed from across Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties. These amazing women were assigned work days by the Red Cross and would help dress wounds, change bandages, talk to patients, play games, read to the men, and generally do whatever was needed to comfort the wounded paratroopers. MacCallum and Stevens, in their book, provide heartwarming testimonies of the lifelong friendships between the women of the Gray Ladies Corps and the paratroopers. Camp Mackall was also one of many military installations in the United States that housed enemy prisoners of war. There are estimates that the POW count reached as high as 400,000 across America. Including Camp Mackall, there were 18 POW camps in North Carolina The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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alone. Places in the South were selected for their relative isolation from large populations, ease of security, and the warm climate. As many as 300 POWs performed manual labor tasks and agricultural work off the installation in Aberdeen, Pinehurst and West End. MacCallum says, “The peach farmers were required to pay the government 22.5 cents per hour as a contracted labor force.” As the war came to an end in 1945, the POW camp at Mackall was closed, and the remaining prisoners were transferred to other locations. Camp Mackall began to atrophy. The airborne training center moved back to Fort Bragg, and the unit colors of the 11th, 13th and the 17th Airborne divisions were officially encased. But Camp Mackall didn’t experience the same fate as many other WWII Army training camps. Today’s Special Forces training pipeline begins at Mackall with its initial Special Forces Assessment and Selection course. SFAS is a three-week, physically and mentally demanding course where soldiers from across the U.S. Army begin the 18-24 month training program. Every Special Forces soldier who earns the right to wear the Green Beret has passed SFAS and received advanced training at Camp Mackall. Currently Mackall encompasses about 8,000 acres, and within the camp’s boundary, each Special Forces candidate will be provided advanced training in the practical application of speaking different foreign languages, customs and cultures of foreign lands, hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, land navigation, demolitions, and advanced medical training. These specially selected candidates will undergo intense psychological scrutiny in the Special Forces Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape course (SERE). Living off the land, candidates assembled in small groups are hunted down by seasoned Special Forces operatives across The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Camp Mackall and the Sandhills. The SERE course is regarded as one of the best courses offered by the U.S. military. Twenty-one counties, including Moore, Scotland and Richmond, play a vital role in the training of every Special Forces soldier. Hundreds of civilian volunteers, police officers and sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, first responders and soldiers from Fort Bragg come together to form the notional country of Pineland. Each candidate must successfully navigate the Robin Sage’s unconventional warfare exercise and assist in the liberation of Pineland. Once successful, each Special Forces soldier has earned the right to wear the Green Beret and be considered one of the world’s premier special operations soldiers. Robin Sage is a high-risk venture that prepares each candidate for service in the U.S. Army as an elite member of a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA). Unfortunately, this challenge is not without risk. Sadly, in 2002, Camp Mackall and the Special Forces community suffered a fatal training tragedy between two candidates, a civilian role-player, and a Moore County sheriff’s deputy. One candidate was killed and another was severely wounded. Safeguards to prevent this from happening again have been put into place between the military, law enforcement and our communities. Access to Camp Mackall is restricted and primarily closed to the public. It’s monitored and patrolled by security forces and often working dogs in training. The ongoing relationship between Mackall and the Sandhills continues to remind us of a time when the two communities came together in the spirit of cooperation to strengthen the morale and effectiveness of America’s elite fighting forces. The trust and mutual respect between the camp and Sandhills citizens has never been more obvious. The Sandhills remains home to Camp Mackall, and together they produce a world-class training environment for elite soldiers — just as originally designed. PS Retired Lt. Col. Robert P. Curtin is an infantry officer who served multiple tours in the Special Operations Forces. He earned his B.A. in history from Hofstra University and his M.A. in military history from Norwich University. He currently is a social studies teacher and the head wrestling coach at Pinecrest High School. PineStraw
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Hooked
A fly-fishing son of Pinehurst reels in mountain adventures
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ape Lookout, that southern tip of North Carolina’s barrier islands, reachable only by boat — remote, rugged, and most appealing of all, unspoiled. A couple of hours past midnight. The beach deserted. The only sounds that of surf breaking on sand. The only light the faint glow the stars provide. Kneeling in the surf, a man and a boy, father and son. The boy, beaming, unhooking a 46-inch red fish, spreading his arms, lifting it triumphantly. The man beaming just as broadly. A trophy catch taken on rod and reel in the surf of the Outer Banks early on a morning when less determined men are home in bed. The man laughs, shakes his head appreciatively. “You’re good at this. If all else fails, you’ve got this to fall back on.” Patrick Sessoms laughs, too. Though he loves it, has loved it since he first threaded bait on a hook as a grade-schooler and went trying for panfish in the little ponds around Pinehurst, fishing isn’t what he has in mind for a career. He’s 17, just finishing his senior year at Pinecrest High School. There is a universe of dreams to pick from.
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That boy who had a talent to fall back on if all else failed hasn’t fallen back on it. He’s grabbed it. And is in the process of creating one of the most successful fly-fishing guide services in the southern Appalachians. Fly-fishing? The mountains of the southern Appalachians? A guide service — one of the most professionally challenging, physically demanding, hands-down competitive enterprises on the list of ways a man might make a living? Alone? Inexperienced? That’s what a bright, well-educated, ambitious young man at the start of a career that could take him anywhere might choose to do? Go fishing? Aw, come on. It’s about an hour before daylight. Patrick’s driving. We’re on a twisting two-lane road winding through the northern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains on our way from Boone, where Patrick lives now, to the South Holston. I’ve been told the South Holston is one of the finest tailwater trout fisheries east of the Mississippi. Big browns, enormous browns, lots of rainbow. I’m a recent transplant from California. I’m familiar with The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAM DEAN
By Ron R hody
tailwaters. The world’s best are in the West. There is a special quality to the dark of a mountain road in the hours before daylight — the blackest of black because all light of any kind has bled away, and all the warmth, and all that’s left is the cold. We’ve seen no lights at all since clearing Boone, but we’re snug inside Patrick’s truck, and the drift boat trailing behind is riding smoothly, and the coffee in my Yeti mug is hot, and we’re getting acquainted, finding out about each other. That’s one of the most important elements of this form of fishing, the connect. We met only a short time ago in the parking lot at Patrick’s fly shop in Boone, where I piled out of my car in the morning dark and into his truck for the run to the river. A hello, a handshake, a let’s go. He has the build of a linebacker and a reassuring smile. We have over an hour’s drive to the South Holston and want to be on the water by first light. We’ll be spending the rest of the day in a drift boat. Two strangers. If the connect is good the day will be a fine one, regardless of how good the fishing is. If it isn’t, well . . . but this is going to be fine. He’s one of that rare breed of instantly likeable people — warm and amiable. Patrick Sessoms is from Pinehurst. The village sits on the bed of one of the ancient lakes formed thousands of years ago from Ice Age glacier melt. With a population of a little over 16,000, it is the largest in Moore County, and Moore County is the most affluent in the area, which is called, thanks to the glaciers’ leavings, the Sandhills. America’s premiere golf resort, the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, home of the world-famous Pinehurst No. 2, is there. It’s rural, pastoral, uncrowded — a comfortably peaceful landscape of rolling meadows, stands of longleaf pines and sawgrass, the sort of place where the enchantments of the natural world can get in your blood. The Sessoms have been in Moore County since the 1800s, carpenters and builders mostly. There are Sessoms homes and structures all over the county. Patrick’s father, Clay, built my home in Pinehurst. Patrick is fourth generation. As a boy he roamed the woods, fished the little ponds and streams, learned the bird calls and when the redbuds would bloom. Became addicted to the outdoors. Don’t misapply the word. There are good addictions. Episcopal Day School, Pinecrest High, National Honor Society, student government, cross-county runner, a winning member of the Sandhills Cycling Club regional competitive team, Eagle Scout. Underscore Eagle Scout. Cue serendipity. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest achievement in the 2.4-million member Boy Scouts of America program. Candidates have to progress through five stages of development and earn 21 merit badges (proof of knowledge and competence in a wide range of life skills) to win it. Less than 4 percent do. Patrick needed only one more. And chose the one just recently added to the program. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Fly-fishing. This was an entirely new experience for a flat-country boy. Though he had been fishing since grade school, the implement was either a long cane pole sporting a length of monofilament and a bobber and barbed hook with live bait attached, or a spinning rod that could present either live bait or an artificial lure. Both worked in their place and for their targets. But, as Patrick was to learn, neither had the elegance, or demanded the skills, or generated the adrenalin rush that fly-fishing does. He was, forgive the pun, hooked. Not firmly at first. He was only 13 and in the Sandhills, and his options were limited to bass in Lake Pinehurst or panfish in the area’s farm ponds and streams. The hook doesn’t really get set until he finds himself in Boone . . . his second try at college. He had thought he would follow the familiar family path into building and construction and had enrolled as a construction engineering student at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. It didn’t take. He didn’t like living in the city. He missed the outdoors. He found he was more interested in environmental matters than in building things, transferred to Appalachian State University in Boone, enrolled in its sustainable development program, the oldest program of its type in the country. It is focused on ensuring that the planet’s ability to provide the natural resources our societies need to survive and prosper are sustained.
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That took. As did Boone. A vibrant community with the main campus of Appalachian State at its center, Boone was small enough to be livable, had enough action to be cool without being annoying, and was smack in the heart of a Mecca for outdoors recreation — North Carolina’s high country, a seven county stretch of mountains and streams along the border with Tennessee. There was a year-round smorgasbord of delights on offer there: hunting, skiing, hiking, mountain-biking, camping, kayaking, birdwatching, zip-lining, or just the simple pleasure of sitting and admiring sunsets soothed by bird song and the whisper of water in mountain streams . . . and some of the best trout fishing in the Southeast. The only thing that did take at N.C. State was Meredith . . . Meredith Duyck, of Asheville. By the time he made it to Boone, Patrick had mastered the fly rod. He could make the graceful cast, drop the fly gently on the spot of water he’d chosen so as not to startle his quarry, manage a drag-free draft to ensure his lure was moving at the same rate of speed as the current so that it would be seen as something natural, not suspect. Watch for the strike. Set the hook. Savor the fight. Patrick began guiding while still a student at Appalachian State. He worked on weekends and off-hours from school for one of the local guide services. Found he was good at it. Found he had the personality and patience and the mastery of the skill. He had learned the waters and knew the holds where fish could be found. He could put his clients on fish and bring them home happy — even if they didn’t land anything, though that seldom happened. He enjoyed it. They enjoyed it. He began to wonder. For some, fly-fishing is the apex of the sport-fishing skill. Its canon stretches back to 16th century England, where the art got its start among the English upper class. For years it was a relatively exclusive niche sport. There were ardent participants, but not too many, until Robert Redford put a fly rod in the hand of the young Brad Pitt on one of the most beautiful streams in the country and turned Norman McLean’s classic semi-autobiographical novel into the 1992 Academy Award movie A River Runs Through It. Remarkably, the film struck a chord in the psyche of large swatches of the American population. It seemed to awaken a latent longing for the peace and beauty of the out-of-doors. All at once, fly-fishing was popular, or at the very least, fashionable. What better way to experience the great outdoors than with the graceful motion of a fly line uncurling over running water in the solitude of a mountain stream, and images of yourself, Brad Pitt-like, thigh-deep in a swift current with a big rainbow on the line? Field & Stream magazine estimates there are roughly 10 million flyrodders in this country now, and their number is growing. According to the Outdoor Foundation’s latest report, the growth rate in 2017 was 17 percent. At least 5 million are rated as avid enthusiasts. Committed golfers will recognize the type. They fish as often as they can. Mastering the perfect cast is as technical and demanding as mastering the perfect golf swing. No one does either, but the desire is constant. The competition for their business is intense. There are eight guide services in the Boone area alone.
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So he’s finishing up at Appalachian State on the backside of the punishing recession of ’08-‘09. The economy is still staggering. Jobs are scarce. His graduating buddies are scrambling in a job market with few opportunities and little demand for their degrees. What few jobs are being found aren’t using their skills or paying decent wages. He finds that he’s making more money than many of them. Guiding. Doing what he likes to do. Doing what he’s good at. So, with graduation day in sight, in the teeth of that blooming gale, he decides to play the hand he’s holding. He launches Due South Outfitters. In Boone. By himself. He’s 21. He has no experience as a businessman. A full-fledged guide service is a business. It needs funding, equipment, operating capital. Patrick has little more than a drift boat, a truck, a fly rod and some flies. It needs bookkeeping and marketing. What does he know about that? Where does he find the time? If he’s not on the water, he’s not making money. As word of mouth spreads among his regulars that he’s gone pro, his trip log starts to grow. His universe of clients expands. And keeps expanding. Satisfied clients are the best advertising. In that first year after graduation he logs over 300 days on the water, scouting and guiding. He lives in his room, works out of his truck, pumps all he earns back into the business. Frugality becomes a mantra, sleep an ambition. Fourteen-hour days are normal — eight hours on the water, three hours of preparation on either side getting there and getting back, setting the boat up and cleaning it up after, re-rigging rods and refreshing flies. Not only are the hours long, the work is hard . . . physically hard. His loaded drift boat weighs 1,500 pounds. The anglers sit at the bow and stern and the guide in the middle with the oars. Not all that much effort is required to keep the boat moving in sync with the current, but when running rapids, or if there is a snag to be loosened, or a hold to be rowed back to against the current for another try at the rainbow that should have taken the fly but didn’t, the strength and skill required are considerable. Try that all day. Soon, the demand is larger than one man can handle, and he begins to recruit. But he has a different paradigm in mind than the conventional guide service. He wants young men like himself — bright, upbeat, likeable — who he can teach and train in the manners and techniques he thinks makes the consummate guide and who share his commitment to, and respect for, the natural environment . . . a team of enthusiastic young pros who can meet the expectations of accomplished anglers on a quest for trophy fish, or give first-timers a day they’ll remember and want more of. There are 14 of them now. They are handpicked and personally trained by Patrick. All are accomplished fly-fishermen. They have the personality and the dependability that are the hallmark of top-flight guides and may be the best-educated team in the country. All are students or recent graduates of Appalachian State. They range in age from 17 to 26. Most are business majors or outdoor recreation majors. A few are in the construction management stream. There is one MBA. The team specializes in float trips on the South Holston and The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
the Watauga. These are side-by-side tailwaters that are productive year-round and boast fish counts of 4,000 to 6,000 per mile of stream. Only a mountain ridgeline separates the two. In the spring and early fall, wade trips on the high country’s backwoods streams for native Appalachian brook trout and small-mouth bass become popular. Whether drift boat or wading, Patrick and his team are enthusiastic teachers. They have first-timers laying casts that take fish after an hour or so of instruction at the start of a trip. Youngsters as young as 8 are increasingly showing up with a dad or an uncle on family outings. Women, too. The simple elegance of the cast and the tranquility of the settings seem to appeal to them. The client base is broad and growing, ranging over most of the Southeast and edging northward. Much of this is due to the attraction of the high country as a tourist destination, but the adroit use of social media to raise awareness of Due South’s presence and services plays a major role. Regular Facebook postings highlight catches and report on trips and results. YouTube videos offer advice on techniques and equipment. The website (duesouthoutfitters.com) has up-to- date information on stream conditions and information on how to book trips. There is even a podcast. These are millennials. They understand how to use the tool. Patrick is expanding into retail now, adding a fly shop to the guide service. The shop is one of the best-stocked in the high country, certainly the best-stocked in Boone. Top-of-the-line stuff in hand to be inspected, tried out, decided on — not just pictures in a catalog. Rods, reels, waders, flies — the universe of gear and gadgets fly-fishermen need, want, or just can’t resist. A businessman’s instincts? Even so, Patrick is still on the water himself regularly, guiding six to The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
seven days a week, making sure he knows how the waters are fishing and where the action is. But this businessman thing, he’s taking to it. Oh, about Meredith, Meredith Duyck, of Asheville. She and Patrick met that freshman year at N.C. State. When he left for Boone, she stayed in Raleigh to finish the degree in business management and marketing she was working on. But the attraction didn’t fade. It was a long-distance romance. He took her fishing. She was smitten. He proposed on the Watauga on a favorite stretch just below the dam. They have a daughter now, Ruth, not quite 2, and Meredith, young mother and homemaker, is fly shop manager and Due South’s principal logistician. She is an ardent conservationist, past president of the local Trout Unlimited chapter, a mentor to women flyrodders, and shapes casts as graceful as the leader of the team. Due South Outfitters is eight years old now. Patrick is 29. The business is thriving — put on hold during the recent COVID-19 lockdown, but back in action. The rivers are running strong and fresh, fish are feeding and growing, and the solace of a day in the arms of nature on a mountain stream has never been more healing. Fly-fishing? The mountains of the southern Appalachians? A guide service? Damn right! PS Ron Rhody came to Pinehurst after a career as a journalist and corporate public relations executive. He's writing novels now. His latest is due out in the early spring of 2021. PineStraw
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Subterranean Homesick Blues Discovering the basement treasures of Southern Pines By Bill Case • Photographs by John Gessner
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round 1952, my mom found a tiny, tarnished silver coin in a dark, recessed area of our home’s basement floor. The ancient “half-dime” bore the date 1846. It was hard to fathom how the 106-year-old piece had made it to our basement. Perhaps the coin dropped out of a worker’s pocket when the basement foundation was poured — a remote possibility, since few coins of that vintage would have been in circulation when our Hudson, Ohio, house was constructed in the 1920s. The half-dime puzzle was one our family never solved. My mother gave me the mysterious half-dime after I began collecting coins as a pre-teen in 1960 but, over time, my interest in numismatics fell away, and I lost track of the coin. Perhaps it has been rediscovered by another mother in some other dark basement, launching a whole new family puzzle. Thoughts of the half-dime returned when a Southern Pines restaurant server told me about her own belowground discovery at the Belvedere Hotel. She said the basement of the structure contained an iron-barred cell rumored to have once been a town jail facility. What other treasures might lurk in underground Southern Pines? Catacombs? The Phantom of the Opera’s dungeon? Or maybe just Al Capone’s vault? With thoughts of Geraldo Rivera dancing in my head, I started my prospecting by following up on the server’s jail cell tip. According to a
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spokesman for the police department, there was no record of any jail having ever been located at the Belvedere Hotel. Undeterred, and with time on my hands until the afternoon four-ball, I contacted Melissa McPeake, a member of the family that owns the Belvedere building and several other area hotels. When asked about the supposed jail, Melissa responded, “Well, I’ve never heard that before. But there is an iron-bar door that provides an entry point to a room in the basement, and we’ve always wondered about it. Maybe it was a jail door. You’re welcome to check it out.” Ah-ha. When Melissa and I descended the very steep basement steps (approximately the width of an iPhone 6), we came upon an iron-barred arched door in a remote area of the basement. The door looked like something out of an English castle dungeon in the Middle Ages. The only thing missing was Errol Flynn. But the absence of any actual jail cells cast considerable doubt on whether the forbidding door had ever served a role in incarcerating prisoners. It seemed unlikely that the space had ever been a black site interrogation room used by Andy Taylor and Barney Fife. Perhaps the iron bars guarded the hotel’s wine cellar, or served as a barrier protecting mail for the U.S. post office that had occupied a portion of the building long ago. But, no jail. Tips regarding the whereabouts of buried treasure often lead to less than satisfying ends. But once on the hunt, you gotta keep looking. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I was contemplating my next The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
move when I spotted two men doing rehab work on the roof overhang of the old Carolina Theatre (most recently an antique store). I shouted up to inquire whether there was anything of note left in the venerable theatre’s basement. One of the workers, Bob Greenleaf, shook his head, but offered a helpful observation. “I’ve been in just about every basement in the downtown,” he said. “Right across the street in the Citizens Bank and Trust building, there’s a vault in the basement that wasn’t removed when they closed the bank.” Agile for a person with so much basement spelunking experience, Bob hopped off the roof to point the way. In short order, I was across the tracks and inside the Pinehurst Resort store, appropriately called “The Vault.” On the first floor of the store is a 22-inch-thick concrete walled vaulted area that has been incorporated into the store’s sales area. But I was more interested in the basement. As Carl Reiner says in Ocean’s Eleven, “The house safe is for brandy and grandmother’s pearls.” Store sales clerk Heather Shaffer confided that employees consider the belowground vault to be spooky. Ah-ha. “I’ll go down there and the vault door is closed,” she said. “Next time, it’s open even though no one has been downstairs since me.” Heather permitted me to take a look-see. This time, the formidable vault door was open. It appeared that the room it guarded could have been used to store safe deposit boxes. It seems these mammoth doors rarely get removed from a structure even after a change of occupants renders them superfluous. Such indestructible behemoths may outlast everything else in our civilization, like multi-ton cockroaches or Woody Allen’s Volkswagen in Sleeper. Or Woody Allen. Undaunted, my next stop was The Country Bookshop, housed in the McBrayer Building. The store’s manager, Kimberly Daniels Taws, was unable to access the building’s basement, but she put me in touch with the man who could, Hans Antonsson, the building’s owner. Hans advised that there was an old treasure stored in the basement: a discarded cash register of indeterminate age left over from bygone days when the building housed either Pope’s department store, or, prior to the 1960s, Lee’s. Iron bars, a bank vault and a cash register are all well and good, but I was hoping to discover treasures of a more unique nature. It was rumored that the basement wall of the Denker Dry Goods dress shop at 150 N.W. Broad contained a mural painted by Glen Rounds, the Southern Pines artist of national renown. The prospect of finding a The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
“forgotten” work by the legendary Rounds was exhilarating. Born in 1906 inside a sod house in the Badlands of South Dakota, Glen Rounds grew up on Western ranches. As an adult, he took various turns as a mule skinner, cowpoke and carnival medicine man. He developed a talent for drawing minimalist sketches of animals and depictions of humorous experiences from his cowboy life. Combining his artistic skill with innate storytelling ability, Rounds became a pre-eminent writer and illustrator of award-winning children’s books — 103 in all over a six-decade career. Recurring figures in his comical yarns included Paul Bunyan; Whitey, the pint-sized cowboy; Mr. Yowder, the sign painter; Beaver; and the “Blind Colt.” After his military hitch was over in 1937, Rounds moved to Southern Pines and resided there until his death at age 96 in 2002. The town’s most illustrious man of the arts also ranked as one of its greatest characters. On his daily Broad Street treks, the peripatetic raconteur would buttonhole unsuspecting pedestrians and regale them with mesmerizing, albeit long-winded, fables. The bearded Rounds also delighted in sharing bits of his prolific artwork with friends and strangers, a trait described by writer Stephen E. Smith as follows: “Without warning . . . minimalist sketches of high-stepping hounds, plump wayward women, and skinny wranglers would appear in mailboxes or stuffed in door jambs. Many of them were signed: ‘The Little Fiery Gizzard Creek Land, Cattle & Hymn Book Co.’”
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It was with high anticipation that I introduced myself to Denker’s owner, Kara Denker Hodges. I was gratified that Kara was able to corroborate the fact that the store’s basement wall did, indeed, contain a mural painting believed to be the work of Glen Rounds. “One problem,” she noted, “is that we have no electricity running in that area of the basement. It’s completely dark, so you’ll need a flashlight to see it.” After haplessly fiddling with the flashlight feature on my iPhone, the more tech-savvy Hodges took pity on me and activated her own. Picking our way through cave-like darkness, Kara’s flashlight revealed a 25-foot-long mural of a train with its chugging locomotive and boxcars displayed in bright primary colors. The quirky, madcap choo-choo seemed the perfect artwork for a toy store. The mural certainly had the look of an illustration by “the last of the great ‘ring-tailed roarers’” but I had to be sure. Even archaeologists uncovering ancient hieroglyphics in the great pyramids of Egypt performed outside research. I needed to do the same. Extensive review of The Pilot’s archives from 70 years ago, together with interviews of individuals who could recall that time, helped me piece together the train mural’s story. The structure housing Denker’s
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was once called the Hayes Building. Prior to June 1948, Claud L. Hayes and his wife, Deila, operated side-by-side retail establishments there. Deila, like Kara Hodges now, ran a dress shop while Claud was the proprietor of the Hayes Book Store. Indiana native Claud had sold books in the community since his arrival in 1895. The establishment was typically laden to the rafters with magazines, books and newspapers. The Pilot described the store as being filled with “cheerful clutter.” It was just the sort of place that appealed to Rounds, who, comfortably ensconced in the shop’s friendly confines, dispensed to all comers his “special brand of philosophical banter defying classification.” The newspaper advised its readers, “You haven’t started the day off right until you’ve exchanged greetings with Glen at Hayes over the morning papers.” Claud Hayes died in 1948, and Col. Wallace Simpson acquired the bookstore from Hayes’ estate in June of that year. Simpson envisioned a new concept for the basement section of the store, focusing on children’s books and toys. The colonel set about making the necessary renovations. A November 12, 1948 article in The Pilot revealed that an artistic work, painted by the store’s most omnipresThe Art & Soul of the Sandhills
ent visitor, would be transforming the children’s section into something special. “A privileged few who have seen the mural painted by Glen Rounds in Hayes’ new basement say that it is his masterpiece,” effused the newspaper. “Even if he had never written all those books and illustrated them . . . they say this one great work alone would make him immortal.” While Rounds’ fanciful choo-choo hardly ranks with DaVinci’s The Last Supper, it stands as a fine example of his work and apparently jump-started a fervent desire on his part to paint far larger murals, including a dream of adorning an 800-foot space with, The Pilot suggested, “a serpent left over from his carnival posting days.” Discovery of Rounds’ train painting spurred me to look for more hidden artwork. After getting wind of my search, local Realtor Chris Smithson put me on a promising path. He had heard that the unfrequented basement area under the west side of Ashten’s restaurant also contained unusual decorative work on its walls. Owner Ashley Van Camp confirmed the report. “Oh, it’s unusual, all right. It’s of a foxhunt scene, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever laid eyes on,” she said. I joined Ashley and her husband, Charlie Coulter, behind Ashten’s and we negotiated the exceedingly narrow steps to the basement of the 118-year-old structure. Did all the early builders of Southern Pines have Lilliputian-sized feet? The area at the bottom of the stairs is not much more than 100 square feet but, just as Van Camp advertised, the mural displayed over three of its walls was anything but ordinary. In this depiction of a “running of the hounds,” the would-be quarry turns the tables on his pursuers. A grinning Mr. Fox, certain he faces no danger, speeds away atop a tricycle. Behind him, horses and riders topple like tenpins. An actual hole in the wall draws the attention of several hounds as a potential escape hatch for the fox. The overall effect is hilarious. The piece, terrifically illustrated in brown, black, and red tones, is an impressive and painstaking work of art. I asked Ashley the standard reporter questions: “Who did it? When did the artist do it? Why was it done?” She pointed to a signature on one wall of the mural with the name “Mayo,” dated 1940. The name rang no bell with any of us. As to the circumstances that led to the painting, Ashley said that the basement is thought to have housed a small speakeasy during Prohibition, making the hounds of ’40 something of an homage to the dry days. Ashley had long contemplated rehabilitating this forgotten area and incorporating it into the restaurant. The idea of installing a small, intimate bar and reprising the basement’s speakeasy legacy appealed to the owner. The work would require the eradication of a nest of dangling wires, restoration of faded portions of the mural, and the removal of three panels separating various portions of the paintings. The project was something of a pipe dream until COVID-19 hit and the resulting statewide restrictions changed everything for restaurant owners and their The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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employees. Ashten’s chef, Matt Hannon, suddenly had time on his hands. Van Camp asked him to get started on the rehab. Suspecting that additional “Mayo” artwork might be hidden beneath the panels, Ashley had video equipment poised to record the unveiling. Voila! More comical illustrations appeared, all in excellent condition — inebriated hounds careening down a staircase; happy canines dancing and hoisting their glasses in toasts; and a hound prancing atop a whiskey keg with the words “Boomps a daisy” inscribed below. Mayo’s zany mural will eventually be on display for Ashten’s diners, perhaps in the “Boomps a daisy” room. All that remained was to chase down and confirm the identity of the artist. Through her equestrian connections, Ashley learned that one Newton Mayo painted a portrait of the late Pappy Moss, benefactor of the Walthour-Moss Foundation and former master of the Moore County Hounds. Today, that painting hangs at the Full Cry horse farm of Mike and Irene Russell. According to a 2003 obituary in Virginia’s Richmond Times-Dispatch, Newton T. Mayo, who passed away at the age of 92, was “a retired horseman who earned a national reputation for his pastel portraits of Thoroughbreds and canines.” He raced Thoroughbreds up and down the East Coast The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
and visited the Sandhills on several occasions. In its March 8, 1940 edition, The Pilot reported that Mrs. Newton T. Mayo won the fifth race of a steeplechase — approximately 1 mile on the flat — aboard Ever Ready. While the middle of Mayo’s working life was devoted to training and racing horses, he was known for his artwork both as a young man (he would have been 29 when he painted the murals in Ashten’s basement) and when he returned to it in his later years. His commissions included equine paintings for President Ronald Reagan and a portrait of Barbara Bush’s springer spaniel. Displaying something of the same playful nature as his Ashten’s paintings, Mayo is quoted as saying that he preferred drawing pictures of animals “because they are less critical and ask for no flattery at all.” And so, one thing leads to another. A half-dime to a haunted vault to Glen Rounds’ immortal choo-choo to a speakeasy fox and over-served hounds. Treasure, it seems, is in the flashlight of the beholder. PS Pinehurst resident Bill Case is PineStraw’s history man. He can be reached at Bill.Case@thompsonhine.com. PineStraw
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Do Your Homework Going nowhere and getting it done By Deborah Salomon Photographs by John Gessner
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all it quarantine, call it shelter in place, even house arrest. Call it going stir-crazy, looking at the same four walls, weeks on end. Wait a minute — those walls need painting. Those floors could use a once-over. And how about creating something wild in the kitchen? See how these residents turned home confinement into home improvement.
Jaime Hoffman
If beauty is only skin deep, the house Jaime and Erik Hoffman purchased in Weymouth desperately needed a dermatologist. Could anything be uglier than cedar shakes painted dark brown, with yellow trim? “Dingy and dated” was Jaime’s assessment. They decided on a radical transformation to white, with blue trim on the paned and bowed windows. Problem was, quotes came in upward of $11,000. Let’s give it a try, they decided, although neither had ever painted exteriors. This might be just the thing to while away the quarantine, especially since the weather was sunny and warm. First came two coats of primer, then two coats of paint applied to the rough shakes with a sprayer — another new experience. But that many window panes and frames would drive even Pete the Painter to drink. With the help of Google and YouTube, Jaime learned that windows could be covered with Frog tape. Even so, she had to open the upstairs windows from the inside and stick her head out to reach the trim. The job took a week, with Jaime and Erik surviving as friends. Only casualty, their dog, who sat in the paint, necessitating a butt shave. “Now, our house is bright and happy, like a (Nantucket) cottage,” Jaime beams. Bright, happy and the talk of the neighborhood. “The best part was that neighbors stopped by and we talked from afar. That way, we got to meet people.”
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Erik, Harper & Jaime Hoffman
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Heather Boksa, Ryder Boksa & Susan Clark
Susan Clark
Recognizing and implementing trends were part of Susan Clark’s job, when she staged houses in Arizona. Makes sense she would apply this to her own home, recently purchased near Lake Pinehurst, with multiple paneled doors, all white. “Boring . . . ” Clark tried painting them grey. Not quite. “Black seemed like a trend,” part of the popular nouvelle farmhouse style. So she painted the (previously green) front door and all interior doors black. Green floorboards on the porch — equally passé — now sleek black, too. “Everything in the house is in transition,” Clark admits, which is therapy for quarantined DIYers. Otherwise, Clark would be helping out at the uber-trendy Pine Scones Café in Southern Pines. Clark didn’t stop at the doors. “I love the beach. We hope to retire there.” Until the time comes, this granny thirsting for salt water created a coastal bathroom more complicated than hanging a starfish
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over the shower. She liked a shiplap effect: boards, either left natural or painted white, mounted horizontally on the wall. Why go to the trouble and expense when she could draw horizontal lines with a Sharpie? Turned out the marker was less than permanent. Dampness made the lines run like weepy mascara. A contractor-grade marker wasn’t much better. She achieved an acceptable result by painting over the lines with two shades of white, which resemble horizontal boards. Add some industrial shelving, touches of ocean blue, rope glued around a mirror and she can practically hear the gulls strafing the trash can. Outside, Clark and her grandson planted veggies and watermelon in raised beds. “These projects made the quarantine more bearable,” she concludes. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Luke, Monica, Tucker, Blair & Andrew Ruszkiewicz Monica Ruszkiewicz
True, Monica Ruszkiewicz and her husband applied only cosmetic upgrades — no plumbing tasks — to the bathrooms. But their house in the Center South neighborhood of Southern Pines has four. They have three young children, which meant trading off a toddler for a paint brush. Since Ruszkiewicz was working from home as well as homeschooling, most upgrading was done evenings and weekends. Identifying skills was important, early on. “He’s good with the muscle, I do the finishing work,” Ruszkiewicz says. Not that either has much experience. “We’d never done more than paint walls and install faucets.” Their three full baths and one powder room needed tougher love. This included spray-painting and relocating light fixtures, sanding/refinishing existing vanities, replacing countertops and covering tile and grout with a magical Rust-Oleum “paint” that seals and freshens. Also creating board-and-batten, shiplap, chair rail, beadboard effects on some walls, papering others — no mean feat for beginners. They decided to use the same palette in all four bathrooms, for continuity. Makes buying towels easier, too. The project took about eight weeks to complete. Even before the stay-home order, this military couple had declared 2020 the Year of the Bathrooms. Now, with nowhere to go, “We hunkered down and got it done,” Ruszkiewicz says. Lesson learned: “People are more skilled than they think. Just roll up your sleeves and get started.” The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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J.C., Scarlett, Joanna & Nate Wells
Joanna Wells
Call her Jo the Ripper. The Whispering Pines house this military family found — with a big fenced yard for their two breeder Labs, another dog and two children — was OK except for grungy carpet on some floors, engineered hardwood on others. When they found out their stay would be several years they decided to replace the lot. Joanna Wells opted to rip out the old. Some had been glued down so securely that removal left gaping holes in the subfloor. These had to be patched and sanded. Ghastly, back-breaking work. “You owe me big-time,” she told her husband.
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They took on the kitchen, dining room, living room and master bedroom while the Labs watched, puzzled, from the deck — for good reason. Penny is expecting puppies soon. Hardwood was too expensive, so they chose vinyl lock-in plank in a walnut brown — a stunning backdrop to their leather upholstery and patterned rug. “It really looks cool in here now.” Wells, who teaches at Sandhills Classical Christian School, was on furlough, since “you can’t do pre-school (from home).” Otherwise, the job might still be waiting. Encouraged by the results, the couple plans to add a shower to the guest bathroom this summer. Before that, Penny and the pups need a whelping box. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Denise Baker
Denise Baker
Everything Denise Baker touches turns to art. For years, she taught and inspired students at Sandhills Community College. Now retired — but not “retiring” — she viewed the spectacular weather during the quarantine as a reprieve from Mother Nature. “In 42 years I’ve never seen such a beautiful spring,” she says. So, while others were “going bonkers,” Baker, with helpers, got to work on her ranch house/studio in Whispering Pines, since “all this craziness kept me from focusing on art.” First, she replaced an ugly, cracked cement walkway with a stone mosaic of her design, more in keeping with the gracious front porch. Then, she added a simple deck accessed by French doors onto the side, where she placed deep royal blue all-weather wicker chairs and patterned rug. Baker had a bookshelf installed over interior French doors leading to a screened porch, and also recovered the cushions. Other door-topping shelves hold pottery. All this, plus some clean-outs, in just a month. “My goal for the rest of the quarantine is to get the backyard in shape,” Baker says. That will happen after a short reprieve on Pawley’s Island, the perfect antidote to cabin fever, even when the cabin is as creative as Baker’s. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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Lindsey, Oakes, Bill, Bode & Sloane Lindquist
Lindsey Lindquist
That noise you hear is Picasso applauding from his grave. Lindsey Lindquist is an abstract artist with three kids under 6 and assorted livestock in their Weymouth/Southern Pines backyard. Children that age put sticky hands everywhere, including walls. Instead of following them around with a bottle of Fantastik, Lindquist decided to paint a mural on the half wall between the kitchen and the little ones’ craft corner. The mural not only disguises fingerprints but showcases Mommy’s business — the most recent installation being the children’s glassed-off playroom at remodeled Pinehurst Toyota. Lindquist calls creating the mural a “stress reliever” during the long days when, if not homebound, the kids would attend Moore Montessori Community School. Otherwise, call it bloomin’ gorgeous, if abstract is your cuppa green tea. Amazingly, she completed the mural in one afternoon, using paint left over from other projects. The kids “helped” paint reachable parts. “I wanted to make a happy, creative spot,” she says. Also provided, a low craft table found at Habitat. Lindquist, a Pinecrest graduate, studied painting at Arizona State University. Her ambition: illustrate children’s books. Elsewhere in the house she has channeled Fauvist Henri Matisse. “My husband is super-tolerant of how the house is decorated,” Lindquist admits. Could Jackson Pollock be a mere splatter away?
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Trish & Reece Baldwin Trish Baldwin
Hey, it worked for Tom Sawyer. “When we moved in there was a garden bench that had been left rotting under a tree,” Trish Baldwin says of their Pinehurst home. To save or not to save? Baldwin was busy with more important tasks. “Besides, I don’t like sanding.” Her 11-year-old daughter, Reece, seemed interested once the novelty of no school wore off. “I showed her how to use the sander,” Mom says. Then they rustled up some blue paint to match the front door. Painting slats is a tedious job — but the pre-teen has a variety of skills. She already sews, cooks from online recipes (cinnamon buns for Mother’s Day) and put together a craft table from hundreds of (Reese’s) pieces. After sanding, the bench required two coats of paint. A sprayer would have been easier but Trish insisted on using materials at hand. The result? Something the uppity Plow & Hearth catalog would unload for $300. Plus shipping. Some assembly required.
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Kelly Carty & Mark Saurer Kelly Carty
These raised beds are raising eyebrows. Surely, with wood-framed wire fence and gate they are the pride of a master landscaper. Not exactly. Kelly Carty and her husband, Mark Saurer, are both civil engineers and, more importantly, enthusiastic researchers and planners. For their first home, in Whispering Pines, everything had to be spot-on. “We found the best materials, how to position beds for the right amount of sunlight,” Carty says. “I’m the planner, he’s the executor.” His execution took only three days, in March. Carty grew up on a farm, later traveled with the military, putting that all behind her for a recent degree in public policy from Duke. No technical detail was overlooked. They concocted a proper soil mixture before burying the first seed, which was nourished by homemade compost. When the seedlings appeared, they were covered by a special fabric. Their first harvest — arugula, Swiss chard, parsley, dill, cukes — is in and will be followed by summer and fall plantings. “We selected this project because we love to cook, we love fresh vegetables, and nothing beats harvesting them from your own backyard,” she says. The deer may be stumped but a few aggressive rabbits agree. PS
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By Ash Alder
une is the ink that flows from the poet’s pen — sweet as gardenia and ephemeral as a dream; the fountain of everlasting passion. If ever you have read the love letters from John Keats to Fanny Brawne, the girl next door who was to Keats “so fair a form” he yearned for finer language, then you can understand. “I want a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair,” Keats wrote his dearest girl one long-ago summer morning. And then, the famous line: “I almost wish we were butterflies and lived but three summer days — three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” Imagine landing love-drunk in the thick of glorious June: The ecstasy of a world bursting forth with fragrant blossoms. The sweet nectar of each inhalation. The utter intoxication of existence. June is a medley of aliveness — brighter than bright, fairer than fair, and butterflies in all directions. Be still in the June garden, where love letters between hummingbird and trumpet creeper flow like honey, and you will learn the language of the heart. June is the poet and the muse. Keats and Fanny. Butterfly and bloom. Suppose you lived but three June days as rose, coneflower, poppy or phlox. What you might receive as the giver of such resplendence . . . the true delight of life.
Pick (and Fry) You Some
Something about edible flowers feels both deliciously wild and, well, just plain fancy. And since that bumper crop of zucchini comes with a holy explosion of yellow flowers, it seems fried squash blossoms are what’s for dinner — or at least the first course. If you’re a squash blossom newbie, here’s one thing to keep in mind: There are he-blossoms and she-blossoms. The male blossoms, which grow on long stalks, don’t produce fruit; they pollinate. Female blossoms grow closer to the center of the plant; you’ll spot them by their bulbous stems (they’re sitting on fruit). Leave them to grow. Pick the male blossoms but leave enough so that the harvest may continue. Another tip with the blossoms: Pick ’em the day you want to fry ’em. Check the petals for bugs and bees before removing the stamen or — if you picked a she-blossom — pistils. Wash, dry, and sauté or fry. Or if you want to take your summer dish to the next level, Google stuffed squash blossom recipes and see what happens next.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The Victory Garden
Among the positive effects of stay-at-home orders, at least in this neck of the woods, is that more people are growing their own food. Raised beds built from scrap wood and old pallets in late March are now turning out sweet peppers and pea pods, zucchini and summer squash, green beans, cukes, melons, eggplant, you-name-it. Haven’t started your own kitchen garden? It’s not too late. This month, sow bush, pole and lima beans; plant cukes, corn, okra, eggplant, peppers, basil and — your sandwiches and neighbors will thank you — tomatoes. Start Brussels sprouts and collards for midJuly transplant, and don’t forget flowers to call in the pollinators. When your bumper crops arrive — you’ll know when you can’t pick ’em fast enough — find ways to share and save the summer harvest.
Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly. — Pablo Neruda Blueberries
Blueberry juice is not blue — it’s purple. I recall making this casual discovery on a summer day in my youth when, not sure why, I smooshed a plump one into the page of one of my journals. But that isn’t the only magical quality contained within this wonder berry. They are slam-packed with antioxidant health benefits, for starters. One handful contains 10 percent of your daily-recommended vitamin C, and did you know that a single bush can produce up to 6,000 blueberries a year? That’s 153 heaping handfuls. Among the many health benefits associated with eating blueberries (lower blood pressure, reduced risk of cancer, increased insulin response, reversal in age-related memory loss), they’re also known to brighten your skin. I’m not surprised that Native American indigenous peoples called these scrumptious berries “star fruits.” Father’s Day lands on Sunday, June 21 — the day after official summer. Consider planting a bush in Pop’s honor. Container; moist soil; full sun. Two or more bushes are better than one. PS PineStraw
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910-944-3979
Arts & Culture
Gallery • Studios • Classes
ART TO APPRECIATE Artists League of the Sandhills Closing Reception/ Open House Sunday, June 28 12:00-5:00 This exhibit includes the works of all members of the Artists League of the Sandhills and is the only exhibit at the League that is judged by a professional art authority. Winners for the best in each category, as well as best overall, will be chosen on Sunday, June 7, by our judge. Award ribbons will be displayed with the paintings, and the gallery will open to the public beginning Monday, June 8, and run through Tuesday, June 30. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, noon to 3:00. We will carefully disinfect all surfaces frequently throughout each day and will maintain social distancing guidelines while inside the gallery, classrooms, and studios. Please stop in to view the art, see which paintings won awards, and vote for your favorite painting for the “People’s Choice” Award. Due to COVID-19, our reception will be held at the end of the show.
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday 12-3pm Please check our website for updates on dates for Spring and Summer classes and workshops. CLASSES - DATES TBD Intermediate Acrylics - Beth Ybarra Oil Painting from Photos - Harry Neely Inspiration Design and Joyful Abstract Art - Joy Hellman Introduction to Oils for Beginners - Linda Bruening Next-Step-Oils for Beginners - Linda Bruening Watercolor on Rice Paper - Pat McMahon Simple Perspective in Drawing - Laureen Kirk InkFinity - Advanced Alcohol Ink - Pam Griner WORKSHOPS: Basics of Impressionistic Painting - Oil Connie Winters - Date TBD Impressionist Figure Painting Seth Haverkamp, Oil or Acrylic - September 1, 2, 3 Between Realism and Abstraction Chris Groves, Oil or Acrylic - September 28, 29, 30 Watercolor Loose and Fast Ryan Fox, October 5, 6, 7
129 Exchange Street in Aberdeen, NC www.artistleague.org • artistleague@windstream.net
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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Arts Entertainment C A L E N DA R As our communities deal with the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus, please be aware that the dates and times of events are fluid. Although conscientious effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, all events are subject to change and errors can occur! Please call to verify times, costs, status and location before planning or attending. JOY OF ART STUDIO. Celebrate Your Creative Self begins June 15 with Art in the Park for all ages. Join in for creative fun. Classes are held at Joy of Art Studio, 139 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite B, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 528-7283 or www. joyof-art.com or Facebook link www.facebook. com/Joyscreativespace/ for a complete list of events this month.
Saturday, June 6 COCKTAIL CLASS. 4 - 5 p.m. Join Make & Muddle for a virtual cocktail class as they teach about glassware and cocktails that go in them. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmesandhills.com.
Saturday, June 13 EQUESTRIAN EVENT. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. WHES Schooling Day. Competitors can school any and all phases. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074. HORSE TRIALS. WHES Horse Trials CT, D. Horse Trials: Green as Grass, Maiden, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Modified. Combined Tests: Green as Grass, Maiden, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Modified through Advanced. Dressage Test of Choice. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074. COCKTAIL CLASS. 4 - 5 p.m. Join Make & Muddle for a virtual cocktail class as they talk about all things martini. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmesandhills.com.
Monday, June 15 SUMMER CAMP. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join the Sunrise Theater Summer Camp No. 1, “E-I-E-I-Oops,” a singing, dancing and acting camp for rising first- through third-graders. Enrollment limited to 15. All meetings will be outdoors. The camp goes through Saturday, June 20. Performances, open to the public, are June 19 at 5:30 p.m. and June 20 at 11 a.m. on the First Bank Stage. Sponsored by Sandhills Pediatrics, This Little Piggy Boutique, and Rugg Rats Drop Off Daycare. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.
Wednesday, June 17 MUSIC FESTIVAL. The New Music Festival of the Pines is a project from Third Stream Duo (3S2). It offers access to cutting-edge instruction and The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Saturday, July 11 CONCERT. 7:30 - 10 p.m. The Contender will kick off the BPAC Troubadour Series. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: www. ticketmesandhills.com.
performance and invites you to “Create New Music Together!” Info: (910) 692-6261 or www.3s2.org.
Thursday, June 18 CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. 6:30 p.m. Speaker Dr. Richard Quest, former dean and vice president of several colleges in New York state, will have a presentation on “I Held Lincoln: A Union Sailor’s Journey Home.” Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Open to the public. Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania and Ashe St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 246-0452 or mafarina@aol.com.
Saturday, June 20 PAINTED PONIES. 1 - 4 p.m. Join us to bid on one-of-a-kind painted horse sculptures and possibly take one home. Info: http://carolinahorsepark. com/events/87-community-events/348-paintedponies-auction.
Thursday, June 25 FILM. 10 a.m. Great Composers: In Search of Mozart. Tickets are $15. Sponsored by Sandhills Community College. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.
Saturday, June 27 EQUESTRIAN EVENT. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Dressage at the Park I. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074 or http://carolinahorsepark.com/ events/89-dressage/315-dressage-at-the-park-i.
Sunday, June 28 EQUESTRIAN EVENT. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Dressage at the Park II. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: (910) 875-2074 or http://carolinahorsepark.com/ events/89-dressage/316-dressage-at-the-park-ii.
UPCOMING EVENTS Tuesday, July 7 FILM. 7 - 8:45 p.m. Enjoy an engaging film on artist Frida Kahlo. Cameo Art House Theatre, 225 Hay St., Fayetteville. Info: www.cameoarthouse.com/art-on-screen. Tickets: www.ticketmesandhills.com.
WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays MASTER GARDENER HELP LINE. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. If you have a garden problem, a garden pest, a question, or if you want help deciding on plant choices, call the Moore County Agriculture Cooperative Extension Office. Knowledgeable master gardener volunteers will research the answers for you. The help line is available Monday through Friday and goes through October 31. Walk-in consultations are available during the same hours at the Agricultural Center, 707 Pinehurst Ave., Carthage. Info: (910) 947-3188.
Wednesdays FARMERS MARKET. 3 - 6 p.m. The Farmers Market in Pinehurst is back with a great variety of farmers and produce, including strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, grass-fed beef, goat cheese, flowers and more. Village Green, Pinehurst.
Thursdays FARM TO TABLE. Join Sandhills Farm to Table Co-op by ordering a subscription of local produce to support our local farmers. Info: (910) 722-1623 or www.sandhillsfarm2table.com.
Saturdays FARMERS MARKET. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Farmers Market in Pinehurst is back with a great variety of farmers and produce including strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, grass-fed beef, goat cheese, flowers and more. Village Green, Pinehurst. COFFEE AND CONVERSATION. 9 - 10:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older can come out to watch their favorite morning shows or discuss different topics. Bring your own coffee or $1 to share ours. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376. INDOOR WALKING. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Improve balance, blood pressure and maintain healthy bones with one of the best methods of exercise. Classes are held at the same time Monday through Friday. Ages 55 and up. Cost for six months: $15/resident; $30/non-resident. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 210 Memorial Park Ct., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376. PS PineStraw
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Discover rockingham
SandhillSeen
Alice Bloom
Show Us Your Garden!
A compilation of photos submitted to a contest The Pilot hosted in May. Visit thepilot.com/contest for similar community galleries! Charles Clark
Tiffany Evans
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Wendy Bowen
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
June PineNeedler Court Ju-Ju
Puzzle answers on page 94 Mart Dickerson lives in Southern Pines and welcomes suggestions from her fellow puzzle masters. She can be reached at gdickerson@nc.rr.com.
The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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4 DOWN 7 9 6 7 61 Audio discs
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Solution:
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C R E P D E P O S P A R T P A L J U R Y O R E E R A S P B A R O O R E O S T A N O I L M S T S T Y
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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
T H E A C C I D E N TA L A S T R O L O G E R
The Accidental Astrologer
Ground Control to Major Tom: Control Yourselves! June’s stars encourage restraint By Astrid Stellanova Gemini (May 21–June 20) Sugar, you really oughta seal those lips. You cannot stop yourself, and impulse control is the thing you need most. Try a glue stick instead of ChapStick. Itching to take a frying pan to your lover’s noggin? Pop some bubble wrap instead. Cancer (June 21–July 22) Aunt Tipsy and Uncle Toasted have not exactly modeled good behavior for you. Bonkers, Baby. So now that you’re all grown up, you are finding your own way. You are wiser and stronger than you know. Leo (July 23–August 22) Just ’cause you’re a jungle cat, don’t mean you need to act like a house cat in the litter box. Right about now, you have dropped something stinky right in the midst of a situation that needs some air. Restrain from adding one more thing to a volatile mix, Pretty Kitty. Virgo (August 23–September 22) What was it, Honey? A sugar rush to the brain? Did you two have a magical connection over Cinnabons? Sugar and cinnamon are sheer bliss together, but not much more than a passing fancy that will melt away. Libra (September 23–October 22) It ain’t all that deep, Sweet Pea. Truly, all who wander are not lost. Some are just looking for the restroom. It is not a month for you to play traffic cop and be a master of the universe. It’s a month for you to just master yourself. Scorpio (October 23–November 21) Sugar, don’t be so judgy. Grandpa Hornblower used to say that even the good Lord had a great fish story. Someone close tells a lot of tall tales, but let it slide. They just want you to believe they’re worthy. Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) Cornbread ain’t square unless it’s store-bought, and best made in The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
a seasoned cast-iron skillet. You’re as country as hominy grits but nobody knows because you polished all the rough corners and are seasoned just right. Capricorn (December 22–January 19) Let’s pretend you go to McDonald’s for the carrot sticks. That you like dressing up for church. And that you love being a grown-up. Stop pretending. Time to kick a can, twirl a hula hoop, be a kid, and get down and dirty. Aquarius (January 20–February 18) Slim chance, fat chance, pick the difference, Sugar. It don’t matter. Do the thing that is true, and stop the BS. If the virus taught us anything, it taught us that time is too precious to deceive ourselves. Risk something. Pisces (February 19–March 20) You’ve made yourself humorless with rule-keeping. Lighten up! A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands. Honey, cut yourself some slack because the one who needs to control themselves ain’t affected when you don’t. Aries (March 21–April 19) If you could make everyone happy in life, you’d be a wine box. But what you are is not exactly an endless fountain of joy juice. Baby Doll, sometimes you get so intractable that you lose yourself in the argument. Taurus (April 20–May 20) That thing that someone did really scrambled your eggs, didn’t it? They messed in your business and you don’t know if you can forget it. Sugar Booger, let it go. You have a much bigger surprise coming. 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
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SOUTHWORDS
Lost in Translation And an accidental kidnapping
Speaking languages other
than English has always been a dream of mine. It’s also always been a strong point of failure. I’ve tried. I’d love to put a language other than “Pig Latin” on my LinkedIn profile. I’m curious and love to travel. I’d also love to join the ranks of those people at parties who brag about being fluent in seven actual languages or at least one good dead one like Coptic (not something sarcastic like “Sailor Talk,” “Toddler” or “Dog Whisperer”).
In high school I took French, dreaming of the day I would visit Paris and chicly order a croissant with the perfect accent: “Un qua-san, see-voo-play.” I envisioned myself at a café table looking mysterious, without spilling any crumbs on my haute couture, looking like Brigitte Bardot. I’d elegantly smoke a cigarette with a fashionable long black opera holder. When I eventually made it to Paris I almost sent my high school teacher a postcard that said, “Thanks for nothing.” I couldn’t even order water. I tried. I couldn’t get the accent right or the article in front of it. Desperate, I even tried saying “agua,” remembering an old episode of Sesame Street when I saw a man crawling through a desert repeating that word over and over. After standing at a café counter/desert for what seemed like an eternity, without a result, the woman waiting on me finally asked me, in English, if I wanted a bottle of sparkling or plain. Le sigh. I moved to Italy in my 20s. I took some college-level Italian courses so I could communicate effectively with my counterparts in country for a job I’d accepted. I went to the same gas station every week, for four years, confidently asking for a pen to sign my NATO gas rations. One day a friend pointed out I wasn’t asking for a pen. I had been asking for an appendage. L’oops! I had to find another gas station after that horrific blunder. Before my first business trip to Guatemala I tried to learn some basic phrases. Thankfully, I already knew how to ask for agua. My husband, Mason, had taken Spanish in high school and was much more successful with his knowledge of that language than mine of French (or Italian, for that matter). He’d also been to Central America on several occasions. We even had a fluent Spanish speaker on our team going with us; we should have been linguistically set. Two days into our trip we found ourselves hopelessly lost trying to find a meeting point with colleagues. We stopped and asked a woman
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on the street for directions. Our interpreter couldn’t understand her; Mason was saying a few words in Spanish that sounded convincing. They even included some interpretive dance moves to help emphasize our urgency. I sat in the van with the rest of our crew, useless and confused. Finally, after much deliberation regarding the fact that we needed to get to point A, someone said, “Get her in the van!” The woman somehow understood that and jumped in. I frantically checked my purse for candy. To me, that made sense. We had just kidnapped someone — in a van! Aren’t you supposed to give them free candy? We didn’t have an airbrushed wizard and unicorn on the side panel. I didn’t want her experience diminished. She sat in the back with me, smiling and pointing, speaking words I didn’t understand at all. The totality of my Spanish equaled “water, bathroom, please, and thank you.” It didn’t include, “Sorry for kidnapping you. We come in peace. Have a lollipop.” She was very good at designating turns and other various recommendations that we all assumed meant “straight” or “bear right.” After several miles and many more turns I began to suspect we might have been kidnapped. I started nervously eating my own hard candy, chewing loudly to drown out the sound of my inner monologue going over numerous urban legends. One of our team members was on her GPS app. “Is this right? I think we’re going the wrong way.” My wild imagination was overrun by the very real fact that all of this anxiety caused my deodorant to quit working in a warm van full of people. It was only a matter of time until I made that automobile smell like a bus in Bangladesh in July. Dios mio! Finally we stopped at a mini-mall parking lot. The woman opened the van door, hopped out, and with a grateful and friendly, “Gracias!” held up her candy and waved goodbye. Silence shrouded the vehicle. Mason understood what happened. We dropped her off at the grocery store closest to her house, gave her candy, and saved her a bus fare. With a collective sigh of relief that we hadn’t caused an international incident, we looked at each other, looked at the grocery store, and went in. I needed deodorant. PS Beth MacDonald is a Southern Pines suburban misadventurer that likes to make words up. She loves to travel with her family, read everything she can, and shop locally for her socks. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDITH MARTENS
By Beth MacDonald
“Gratitude is an art of painting adversity into a lovely picture” -Kak Sri
Buyer, Purveyor & Appraiser of Fine and Estate Jewellery 229 NE Broad Street • Southern Pines, NC • (910) 692-0551 Mother and Daughter Leann and Whitney Parker Look Forward to Welcoming You to WhitLauter. @whitlauter_jewelers
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