May PineStraw 2014 by PineStraw Magazine

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Old Town: Own a piece of Pinehurst, NC history! Enjoy magnificent entertainmet areas which boast 2-stone floor-toceiling fireplaces, beamed ceilings, hrdwd, columns, arched doorways. Owner will consider Sell or Trade. Linda Criswell 910.783.7374

CCNC: Golf front- overlooks pond & 10th hole of Cardinal. Stunning architectural detail. Open floor plan. High ceilings, 2-Frplcs, paneled library & more. 4BR/4BA/2HBA. $1,475,000 Emily Hewson 910-315.3324

Weymouth Heighst: Stunning custom built home within walk-

Old Town: “Edgewood Cottage” - Beautifully Renovated Dutch Colonial home loaded with character and charm. Pool and Pool House. 4BR/4.5BA. $1,000,000 Eva Toney 910.638.0972

ing distance of Southern Pines & 500 acre Weymouth Woods State Park. Lagoon finished, saltwater system, pool. 5BR/5FBA/2HBA. $1,095,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

Clarendon Gardens: “Anchors Away”- circa 1920s - is situ-

ated on 3.15 secluded, professionally landscaped grounds. Home restored with attention to detail. Stone Pool & Hot Tub. 7BR/6.5BA. $1,250,000 Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Lake Front 7 Lakes West: www.103CookPoint.com - 4BR/3.5BA exceptional home & lot on Lake Auman. Magnificent lake view! Bulk-head, boat dock! Superior workmanship by Yates Hussey Construction. $975,000 Frank Sessoms 910.639.3099

Moore Luxury homes Log on to www.BHHSPRG.com FOR OUR Easy Search OR “SNAP & SEARCH” by snapping a picture of the “TAG READER” with your smartphone. 2 May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Pinehurst . . . 910.295.5504 42 Chinquapin Road Southern Pines . . . 910.692.2635 105 W. Illinois Avenue w w w .BHHSPRG. c o m

Southern Pines: Historic landmark home built around 1905. Restored in 2008 to its original Queen Anne Victorian look with painstaking attention to origianl details & photographs. It won the “House of the Year” award in ‘08. 2BR/2.5BA. $859,000 Maureen Clark 910.315.1080

CCNC: Private & Secluded! Winding drive to 4BR/3FBA/2HBA, brick home on 6.59 acres. Master ensuite is fabulous; gourmet ktchn w/Rutt cabinets, granite, warming oven. Park-like with waterfall! 3-Car Garage. $844,500 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Forest Creek: Golf front in exclusive gated community. More than 4,000sf of comfortable and elegant living space. Living & Family Rooms w/fireplace, Gourmet Kitchen with granite. Screen Porch. 3BR/3BA. $800,000 Kay Beran 910.315.3322

CCNC: Wonderful family home with 4BRs/4.5BAs, formal Pinewild: Classic Home with French Country Flair. Gourmet rooms, huge kitchen, family room with see-through fireplace, Kitchen. Two Fireplaces. Oval Screened Porch. 2 Waterfalls. 1st floor master suite, 3-car garage. Pool. A special home! Quality Construction. Fabulous Landscaping & 1.4Ac of $797,500 Privacy! $795,000 Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319 Pat Wright 910.691.3224

Pinewild: Fantastic View! A panorama of Pinewild CCs Holly

Walk to Village: Outstanding value in this 4BR/3.5BA home

Cotswold: Luxury townhome with upgrades! Www.9StantonCircle.com - 3BR/3BA with Bonus Room, all brick, single level, 60” Wolf range w/French top, granite counter tops, custom mouldings & more! $465,000 Frank Sessoms 910.639.3099

Mid South Club: Gorgeous Georgian style home in prestigious gated community. Soaring ceilings & bathed in natural light! Ideal family home or an entertainer’s dream come true! 3BR/2.5BA. $459,000 Eva Toney 910-638-0972

MidSouth Golf Club: Golf front on #11 Tee Box of a Par 3. Unique custom features throughout! High ceilings, gas frplc, transom windows. Formal & informal living areas. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths. $449,900 Debbie Darby 910.783.5193

Doral Woods: Golf Front home with modern open floor plan.

Golf Terrace: Beautifully Furnished Condo, end unit, lower

on 1/2 acre in very desireable neighborhood. Close to every Pinehurst amenity and across from the Rassi Wicker Park. Price Reduced by $10,000! $507,125 Pat Koubek 910.692.8520

High ceilings. Neutral décor throughout. Low maintenance lot & home. Carolina Room. Deck of Master & Living Room. 3BR/3BA split design. $299,000 Beverly Del Guidice 910.603.9903

Course #11, #12, #13 & Lake! Gorgeous open floor plan. Beautiful Study with curved wall of windows. 4BR/4.5BA. $774,500 Pat Wright 910.691.3224

level, view of 18th green on PCC Course #5. Spectacular recent renovation. Units are seldom on the Market. Don’t miss the opportunity! $195,000 Beverly Del Guidice 910.603.9903

www.2014pinehurstgolfrentals.com © 2014 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.

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PINEHURST

$495,000

This beautiful home is tucked away at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac overlooking Lake Pinehurst. Shining hardwood floors, stone fireplace and beautifully renovated kitchen are inviting features. The lower level has been completely redone with spacious family room, bar area, guest suite, quiet sunroom, workshop or mancave. Wonderful water views from almost every room! 3 BR / 3.5 BA Code 1149 3 Sherwood Court

PINEHURST

$559,000

PINEHURST

$849,000

$315,500

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

Located in the gated community of National Golf Club, this exquisite custom offers panoramic views of the 13th fairway. Enjoy magnificent views from the spacious living room, master bedroom, kitchen & informal dining area. The great room opens to a large covered porch and features double crown molding & over 16’ of custom built-ins surrounding the gas fireplace. The sun-filled Carolina room is open to the kitchen and features a corner fireplace & access to a private patio. 4 BR / 4.5 BA Code 1136 20 Royal County Down

ABERDEEN

$388,000

$258.000 $179,000 Southern Pines Pinehurst $199,900 Foxfire Lovely and pristine in Longleaf CC Lovely updated golf-front home Cute cottage w/nice renovations 3 BR / 2 BA 3 BR / 2 BA 4 BR / 4.5 BA www.205HunterTrail.com www.4DogwoodCourt.com www.17ChestnutLane.com

This elegant all brick home is quintessential Pinehurst perfection! Located on an oversized, beautifully landscaped lot in Old Town/Donald Ross area on one of the prettiest streets in the Village, the home has been completely renovated and shows like a dream! The home features three spacious bedrooms each with its own private bath, formal living room and dining room, cozy family room with fireplace, and a wonderful gourmet kitchen and informal dining area overlooking the very private back yard. 3 BR / 3.5 BA Code 1140 $75,000 275 Linden Road Pinehurst Pinehurst

PINEHURST

Picture perfect and like new describes this lovely home in Lamplighter Village. Built in 2008. This home has an expanded upper level that adds a bonus/family room. The laundry room was relocated to the main level of the house and expanded;it will now accommodate a side by side washer/dryer if so desired. Also upgraded the gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and much more. The oversized wood deck has a propane gas hookup and the rear of the property enjoys great privacy. Oversized two car garage. This one has it all! Immaculate! 3 BR / 3.5 BA Code 1139 140 Lamplighter Village Drive

ABERDEEN

$429,000

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

Beautiful Craftsman style home at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in historic Aberdeen! This spacious family home offers 5 big bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths as well as a large well landscaped yard with complete irrigation system and completely fenced in the rear. The owners have recently extended the deck area for greater enjoyment of backyard activities. The interior features include hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen with upgraded cabinets, granite countertops and walk-in pantry, lots of molding and great details 5 BR / 3.5 BA Code 1130 116 Bonnie Brook Court Pinehurst CCNC $449,000 $239,000

This is a gorgeous, one of a kind 5 bedroom, 4 bath home in the unique subdivision of Bonnie Brook. The home is located on an oversized lot at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and offers an absolutely beautiful full sized pool with a wrought iron gazebo and wrought iron fencing. Upscale features for the house include hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, custom designed kitchen cabinetry with oil rubbed bronze finishes on the door hardware, high end plumbing and lighting throughout! Longleaf CC 114 Bonnie Brook Court $329,000 $890,000 Code 5 BR / 4 BA 1124

Custom Built Villa Overlooking Water Custom built all brick golf-front home Brick single story w/view of 17th green Covered porch & large fenced lot Updated Immaculate Golf View Condo 2 BA Half Baths 3 BR / 2.5 BA 1 BR / 1 BA SEVEN LAKES WEST $318,000 3 BR / 2.5 BA SOUTHERN PINES $312,000 4 BR / 4 Full & 2WHISPERING PINES 3 BR /$349,900 www.16SteeplechaseWay.com www.110HearthstoneRoad.com www.8RoyalDornoch.com www.210StAndrewsCondo.com www.1340BurningTreeRoad.com

7 Lakes West $635,000 Stunning All Brick Water Front 3 BR / 4.5 BA www.135AndrewsDrive.com

$1,295,000 $189,000 Pinehurst $269,000 Pinehurst Pinehurst $475,000 Pinebluff Stunning custom home in Fairwoods on 7 Charming brick ranch home GorgeoustownhomeintheheartoftheVillage Open plan, gourmet kitchen, pool & more! 4 BR / 4 BA & 2 Half BA 3 BR / 2 BA 3 BR / 2.5 BA 3 BR / 2.5 BA Located on 7th green of Pines Course of the Whispering Pines Golf Course and custom built www.170InverraryRoad.com www.145SugarPineDrive.com www.105MastersWay.com www.6HollyHouse.com

Enjoy beautiful golf views of the second green from this open and spacious brick home in the desirable gated community of Seven Lakes West. Hardwood floors throughout main living areas, custom wood cabinetry, large walk-in pantry, gas log fireplace, stone patio, bonus room with separate HVAC unit. Don’t miss this one! 3 BR / 3 BA Code 1125 174 Banbridge Drive

SEVEN LAKES WEST

$279,000

Everyone gets a place of their own in this spacious, family friendly home in one of Southern Pines most popular neighborhoods! Great curb appeal with inviting deep front porch and mature landscaping. Huge backyard that is completely fenced will be a hit with kids and pets. See thru fireplace between the family room and Carolina room. Convenient to Ft Bragg! 4 BR / 3.5 BA Code 1131 215 W. Hedgelawn Way

PINEHURST

$279,000

by Pinehurst Homes, this lovely home won the Award of Excellence from Moore County Homebuilders in 2005. The all white brick exterior makes a stunning statement and the interior of the home offers an open floorplan with cathedral ceilings allowing lots of wonderful light throughout. 3 BR / 2 BA Code 1115 31 Windsong Place

SOUTHERN PINES

$1,100,000

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

This gorgeous custom built home by Huckabee, one of the area’s finest builders is located on Located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and sitting up high to enjoy expansive lake views, 2.81 beautifully landscaped acres justSeven off Midland Road. This premium location offers easy this lovely homeLakes in SevenSouth Lakes West has an absolutely beautiful setting! The home has Lakes South $279,500 $298,000 $895,000 Seven Lakes West Pinehurst $241,000 Pinehurst Seven $199,000 Charming one story brick home in Pinewild! The appealing open floor plan is bright and access to both the Villages of Pinehurst and Southern Pines, yet affords complete privacy! been recently renovated withfront fresh paint throughout, new carpeting and new tile. ImmacuCompletely renovated golf front home Wonderful 2-story home on cul-de-sac Gorgeous home in the Old Town Great family home w/private back yard Charming golf w/panoramic view sunny and offers an inviting Carolina room. Spacious master bedroom also opens to the The home has been recently updated and shows like a dream. The outdoor living areas are late condition! Spacious screened porch, 3 car garage and a huge lower level, complete with 3 BR to/ 3.5 4 BR / 3BA 4 BR / 3.5 BA 4 BR / 3 BA 3make BR /this 2.5a BA Carolina room. Split bedrooms. Immaculate! wonderful. Too many upscale features list! BA pool table, great place to enjoy the good life. 3 BR / 2.5 BA www.50OrangeRoad.com Code1137 17 Abbottsford Drive 4 BR / 4.5 BA Code 1104 2137 Midland Road 3 BR / 3 BA Code 1142 106 Sunrise www.11GraysonLane.com Point www.117OxfordCourt.com www.108Rector.com www.122DevonshireAvenue.com

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

www.MarthaGentry.com www.MarthaGentry.coM

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

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

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

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

May 2014

Volume 9, No . 5

FEATURES

61 For My Mother On Her Birthday Poetry by Adrienne Anderson

62 A True Wilderness on the Doorstep By Toby Raymond

Preserving the mission of open land and protected wildlife, the Walthour-Moss Foundation is a model of what shared community values can do to protect the natural world

68 Tommy

By Fred Chappell

The furthur entrepreneurial adventures of Mary Ellen, eco-visionary

73 The Real Secret Life of Bees By Gayvin Powers

As they go, so goes the planet

76 Home Again By Deborah Saloman

At Clarendon Gardens, a family home both woodsy and rustic, and even better then remembered

87 Almanac By Noah Salt

Mother’s Day, the real Mother Goose and a nursery that’s pure delight

DEPARTMENTS

15 Sweet Tea Chronicles

Jim Dodson

18 PinePitch 21 Cos and Effect

Cos Barnes

23 The Omnivorous Reader

Stephen E. Smith

27 Bookshelf 31 N.C. Writer’s Notebook 33 Hitting Home

Dale Nixon

35 The Kitchen Garden 41 Vine Wisdom

Jan Leitschuh

Robyn James

45 Notes on the Porch 47 Out of the Blue 49 Birdwatch

Sandra Redding

Bill Thompson

Deborah Salomon

Susan Campbell

51 The Sporting Life

Tom Bryant

55 Golftown Journal

Lee Pace

88 Calendar 97 SandhillSeen 107 Thoughts From the Man Shed Geoff Cutler 109 The Accidental Astrologer 111 PineNeedler

Mart Dickerson

112 SouthWords

Nan Leaptrott

Astrid Stellanova

COVER PHOTOGRAPH AND PHOTOGRAPH THIS PAGE BY JOHN GESSNER 6

May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

I live in Pinehurst, but I sleep in Venezia.

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014 W W W. d u xIA N A .CO M

PineStraw M A G A Z I N E

Jim Dodson, Editor 910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com Andie Stuart Rose, Art Director 910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com

passion

Kira Schoenfelder, Graphic Designer 910.693.2508 • kira@pinestrawmag.com

purpose

Lauren Shumaker, Graphic Designer 910.693.2469 • lauren@pinestrawmag.com

precision

Serena Brown, Associate Editor 910.693.2522, serena@pinestrawmag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Sara King, Proofreader CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS John Gessner, Laura Gingerich, Tim Sayer CONTRIBUTORS Tom Allen, Cos Barnes, Harry Blair, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Fred Chappell, Brianna Cunningham, Geoff Cutler, Al Daniels, Annette Daniels, Kimberly Daniels, Mart Dickerson, Joann Dost, Robyn James, Nan Leaptrott, Jan Leitschuh, Meridith Martens, Dale Nixon, Lee Pace, Jeanne Paine, Gayvin Powers, Toby Raymond, Sandra Redding, Debra Regula, Sally Ronalter, Noah Salt, Astrid Stellanova, Bill Thompson, Angie Tally

PS David Woronoff, Publisher ADVERTISING SALES

Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Ginny Trigg, PineStraw Sales Coordinator 910.693.2481 • ginny@thepilot.com

Comprehensive cancer care requires a holistic team approach, access to advanced treatments and complementary therapies. You’ll find it at Cape Fear Valley’s two cancer centers – one on the main campus and one on the north side of Fayetteville.

Deborah Fernsell, 910.693.2516 Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Meagan Powell, 910.693.3569 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Karen Triplett, 910.693.2510 ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

together, we can beat cancer. It takes purpose, passion and precision. We bring all that to the table. You just bring the resolve. See more at www.capefearvalley.com/cancerstories

cancer treatment and cyberknife center 8

Kathryn Galloway 910.693.2509 • kathryn@thepilot.com Mechelle Butler, Clay Culberson, Maegan Lea SUBSCRIPTIONS & CIRCULATION

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

PineStraw Magazine

145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com • www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2014. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

Invite us in. We’ll bring results.

240 Midland Road, Pinehurst Crowning the signature 5th fairway of legendary Pinehurst No.2 $1,980,000 Debra Serino Brenner • 910.315.9051

20 Shaw Road, Old Town Pinehurst “Hillcrest Cottage” Consider purchasing the adjacent lot and own the entire block! Exquisite setting, elegant home. $990,000. John McNeill • 910.638.9158

NEW PRICE 3545 Youngs Road, Southern Pines Location, location! 5 minutes from downtown! Charming 3000 SF residence, plus barn, guest cottage on 10 acres. $895,000. Inge Dahl • 910.690.3531

180 North Ridge Street, Southern Pines

Charming Weymonth 1930’s cottage 4 BR/2.5 BA. Walking distance to downtown. It’s a gem!

$525,000. Inge Dahl • 910.690.3531

110 Firetree Lane, Seven Lakes North Beautiful waterfront views and private beach. More than 3500 Fin SF, all brick, 3 car garage with Boat/RV storage. $339,000 Suzanne Colmer • 910.639.9494

15 Barrett Road East, Village of Pinehurst

Meticulous total restoration on 1.29 acre private lot. Stunning Carolina Room, high end kitchen, hardwood throughout.

$649,000. Suzanne Colmer • 910.639.9494

Debra Serino Brenner Broker/Owner, 910.315.9051

20 Muster Branch, Where’s that?

Exquisite setting, this hidden gem crowns the 6th and 4th fairways of legendary Pinehurst No.2. Call for directions.

$2,250,000. Debra Serino Brenner • 910.315.9051

46 Thunderbird Circle, Pinehurst All brick custom Golf Front home with views of Pinehurst No.1. $539,000 Victoria Adkins • 910.315.9000

115 Graham Road, Village of Pinehurst Exceptional one acre setting. Gourmet kitchen. $598,000 • Victoria Adkins • 910.315.9000

www.WRTAC.com

Suzanne Colmer Broker 910.639.9494

Wink Kinney Broker 910.690.6568

Victoria Adkins Broker 910.315.9000

Bob Brooks Broker 910.690.1575

Sally Thomas Broker 910.215.6937

John McNeill Broker 910.638.9158

Jodie Fondrie Broker 910.639.9788

Bob Carmen Broker 910.215.3764

Patti Mahood Broker 910.723.8803

Inge Dahl Broker 910.690.3531

Linda Harte Broker 910.922.1767

Alex Reed Broker 910.603.6997

Liz English Broker 910.639.1616

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

910-295-9040 • 30 Chinquapin Road, Village of Pinehurst, NC 28374

May 2014P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The first round after a great round starts here. The Ryder Cup Lounge Just off the porch of the historic Carolina Hotel, the Ryder Cup offers a generous selection of draft beers, scotch and bourbon as well as a mouth-watering menu with everything from Jumbo Lump Crabcake Sliders to Backyard Rib Stacks. So after your last putt drops, pick up a glass at the Ryder Cup.

BAGPIPER PETER MCARTHUR Thursday-Saturday, 6pm The Carolina Hotel

Li v e Mu s i c Bob Redding

Friday & Saturday Nights • Sunday Brunch

The Carolina Hotel • Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 910.235.8415 • pinehurst.com

Living here is like having a vacation that never ends.

Golf and Lake Front Living in and around Pinehurst!

Spectacular Views of the 4th and 5th Fairways of Pinehurst No. 2!

Luxury Spa Living in this home on Pinehurst No. 7

Great Views and Lots of Light in this updated Lake Pinehurst home

Take a dip after your round in this wonderful golf front home in Foxfire

Great Views and Recreation on the most Desired Lake in Seven Lakes North

Lots of Windows to enjoy the views of Thaggards Lake in Whispering Pines.

Call us to schedule and an appointment to see these or any other home in and around Pinehurst! Pinehurst Resort Realty is the preferred real estate company of Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, giving you direct resource into this world-renowned destination and Pinehurst Membership

Pinehurst resort realty Your Best Choice for Moore County

Visit Us in the Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst 1.800.772.7588 | www.PinehurstResortRealty.com | homes@PinehurstResortRealty.com

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

May 2014 P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

sweet tea chronicles

How I Got Sand in My Shoes By Jim Dodson

Before everything else, Henry Ford was supposed to have said, getting ready is the key to success.

Whether you’re building an automobile or hosting a pair of historic major golf championships, I don’t suppose the preparation ethic is a whole lot different. By the time you read this, Pinehurst will be in full U.S. Open operational mode, shutting down the course to prepare the quaint streets of the Village and surrounding towns for a quarter-million fans and media who will come calling in hopes of seeing history made in late June. We at PineStraw have been in serious operational mode, too — planning and executing a special edition of our award-winning arts and culture magazine to show off the best aspects of life here in Moore County. No one, we humbly submit, understands the art and soul of this place better. So in addition to our popular regular columnists, we’re planning a major championship offering of great stories about the Home of American Golf beginning with Pinehurst historian Lee Pace’s thoughtful account of the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 and a somewhat startling follow-up that’s never seen light of day — namely, how this beloved historic course came dangerously close to becoming a showcase for condo living. Thanks to a group of far-sighted locals who understood the importance of preserving the legacy of Donald Ross’ masterpiece, a plan permitted by then-owner Diamondhead Corporation to build condominiums on the course went all the way to a state judge before a verdict came down in favor of the local preservationists. Underscoring the historic significance of a first-ever double Open billing for the men’s and women’s Opens, we’ll have terrific features on Pinehurst legends present and past, iconic places and people that symbolize the best of Sandhills life, a gourmet list of the twenty-five familiar and surprising things you must do to make your Pinehurst sojourn complete. For me, it’s rather dizzying to think how quickly the time has passed since I showed up here nine years ago this June, fresh from my longtime working home at Golf magazine, to work a two-week stint as a roving editor for The Pilot’s award-winning Open Daily newspaper and a temporary Sunday essayist. One of the first old friends I bumped into one warm evening as I took myself for a walk on the grounds of James Boyd’s Weymouth was Brent Hackney, the veteran newspaperman I’d first met as the lowly intern at the Greensboro News & Record back in 1975. Brent, it turned out, was the founding editor of PineStraw, the dandy little newsprint arts tabloid I’d been admiring all week when I wasn’t busy chasing a story inside the grounds of No. 2. We hadn’t seen each other in more than 30 years, during which time he’d worked as press secretary to a sitting governor and later editorial page editor for The Pilot. For my part, I’d gone off first to Atlanta and then New England, where I’d long been curious about living — married and started a family and built my dream house on fifteen acres on the coast of Maine. He’d even read a couple of the five books I’d published up to then and wondered what I planned to do after the Open circus left town. I mentioned that I was scheduled to serve as Writer-in-Residence at Hollins

University in Roanoke, Virginia, Virginia’s oldest institution and one of the finest writing schools in the nation, but also had been graciously invited by David Woronoff to consider staying on and writing my Sunday essay. “There’s an old saying here that if you get sand in your shoes, you’ll always come back to the Sandhills,” Brent explained, giving me a lazy smile. “And many of us never leave.” I remember telling him I’d passed through Pinehurst and Southern Pines since I was 13 and, in fact, had long been curious about what it would be like to actually live here rather than just pass through. What Brent couldn’t have known — and I didn’t bother to reveal — was that three friends had been quietly but persistently working on me to move here from my comfortable home in Maine for well over five years. The first two were Tom Stewart and retired CBS broadcast legend John Derr, who constantly reminded me that a Who’s Who of celebrated golf writers ranging from Charlie Price to Golf World magazine’s Dick Taylor migrated from other places to find permanent homes in the Sandhills. This band of brothers included the ageless Derr and his curmudgeonly CBS colleague and commentator, the late Bob Drum. The third voice belonged to Harvie Ward, the amateur great who lived off Blue Road and was teaching some of the most promising young golfers at Forest Creek and Pine Needles Resort. Two days after being introduced to Harvie Ward outside Tom Stewart’s Old Sport Gallery during the 1999 Open won by Payne Stewart, we met for breakfast at the Pine Crest Inn to discuss a book project about his amazing golf career — a storybook rise from anonymity as a UNC golfer who upset volatile Frankie Stranahan followed by a pair of U.S. Amateur titles and a sudden fall from grace when he was sanctioned by the USGA for allegedly violating his amateur status. “I know about rebirth in the Pines,” Harvie told me that morning after we agreed to collaborate on a book we hoped to call The Last Amateur — as soon as I could finish up work on my authorized biography of Ben Hogan. “Coming back here saved my life. I call it the Pinehurst Cure. You need to come here and take it, too.” I laughed the same way I would laugh with Brent six years down the fairway, wondering if such a scenario could somehow, in fact, materialize. Every time I spoke with Harvie after that — even when his cancer came roaring back and robbed us of the opportunity to do The Last Amateur — he peppered every conversation with things like: “You need to come on back to the Sandhills, champ,” and “You can take the boy out of Carolina but not the other way around. You need to get the Pinehurst Cure.” On the first morning of the 2005 Open, with these voices churning in my head, I was the first writer through the vast media center — just in time to see my friend Hank Haney and follow Tiger Woods on an early-morning practice round. My son had recently attended Hank’s popular golf school down in Texas and was absolutely smitten with Tiger Woods. I was too, more or less, until a couple of hours later when I watched him walk straight past two women and a trio of African-American kids from West Southern Pines, politely waiting for the greatest player of the modern era by Payne Stewart’s statue as he came off the course, hoping to get his autograph on their Open visors. They waved their caps and begged for his signature but Tiger didn’t even break stride or even acknowledge their presence, just kept walking and chatting with his caddie, Steve Williams. It was, in a word, disgraceful. This was the start of my falling out of love with all things Tiger Woods. But that’s another story for another time. Suffice it to say, it was the grace notes of that first powerful week here that made me change my future plans and think of coming home for good. That

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SweeT TeA chronicleS

same evening I met Max Morrison, the town’s retired eye doctor who was equally mad for golf and gardening and just a wee bit on the grumpy side; his gracious and beautiful wife Myrtis — who cooked and sounded just like my late Southern mother; their daughter Jean; and their bossy Jack Russell, Rex. By week’s end they’d more or less adopted me as a surrogate son and I’d taken to calling Max “Grumpy” to his face. Soon, owing to our shared passions for gardens and golf, Max would start calling me “Grumpy Junior” — a moniker I relish. The day before I headed home to Maine, I walked the reservoir at dawn with my friends Tom and Ilana Stewart and told them I was thinking of staying on to write for The Pilot and serve as the famous little paper’s Writer-in-Residence. “You must have gotten sand in your shoes,” Tom joked. “I never saw it coming,” I admitted. Somehow over the next year, I made it all work, teaching and writing and traveling to speak or research my books, triangulating between my home in Maine, the Sandhills and the campus of Hollins University, putting 30,000 miles on a new Subaru Outback that very first year. One warm afternoon in May 2007, PineStraw’s founding art director Andie Rose and I met at her warm upstairs office on Bennett Street to talk about magazines. She shared her longtime experiences in high-end catalogs and home magazines and I told her some of what I’d learned from many years at several award-winning magazines. David Woronoff had just acquired PineStraw magazine for the cost of a new set of golf clubs for co-owner Neville Brand and hired Andie to stay on as the art director of the magazine. With the recent death of Brent Hackney, I jumped at his invitation to serve as editor and bring my vision of a magazine that celebrated the best of writing and fine art to the new and improved PineStraw Andie envisioned. To say the least, it’s been a most productive partnership, winning awards for our thoughtful design and outstanding essays and general writing excellence, but also expanding the vision to include a pair of fine sister arts and culture maga-

zines: Greensboro’s O.Henry and Wilmington’s Salt. Both places are near and dear to my heart, as is the Sandhills where all this began. Not long after this, my wife, Wendy, relocated to town and found a terrific job working for legendary president John Dempsey at Sandhills Community College — a job and place she’s crazy about and almost seems to have been waiting providentially for her to simply arrive. Speaking of the sweet hand of providence, one day this March something funny and entirely unexpected happened that gives some credence to the old saying about sand in your shoes. For months I’d quietly informed my staff that, as our sister magazines continued to grow and demand more of my attention, it might make more sense for my wife and me to relocate our household to Greensboro, where I grew up and still have so many friends and family and a history that goes back to the 18th century. One way or another, I fully expect to wind up in the Gate City — either vertically or simply in scattered ash form. But a delightful Southern lady I’ve known since my first week in The Pines walked into my office and changed the whole scenario. She told me about a charming little house in Pinehurst she felt had everything I could ever need, a classic cottage in the Pines with formal gardens for me to get gloriously dirty in (when I’m not playing golf) and a saltwater pool for my wife. She was right, of course. The cottage was utterly charming and scarily perfect for us — as if it were waiting there all along just off Midland Road. And the best part is, I never saw it coming. Perhaps I’ll tell you all about this new little dream house — and the bighearted woman who made it happen — after we get settled and I get the gardens a bit more in shape. Meantime, it’s almost Open season, and I’ve got a few more preparations to make. Pardon me while I go dump a little more sand out of my shoes. PS Contact editor Jim Dodson at jim@pinestrawmag.com.

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PinePitch

Funny Girl, All Jazzed Up

Award-winning singer and comedienne Colleen McHugh will be the star of the show on Saturday, May 10, 8–11 p.m., for a fundraiser concert presented by the Arts Council of Moore County (ACMC). McHugh and a handful of The Big Apple’s finest jazz musicians will be at the Carolina Hotel for the 2014 Heart ’n’ Soul of Jazz, a glitzy affair to benefit the ACMC. Tickets: $65 (include concert, meet-the-artist dessert reception and a chance to win fabulous door prizes). See website for details on special dinner and overnight jazz package at the Resort. Carolina Hotel, Pinehurst Resort, 80 Carolina Vista Drive. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.

Soul Mate Music

“Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, I gotta love one man until I die . . .” When jazz vocalist Kate McGarry sings, it sounds as if she’s speaking to her soul mate — which is, in fact, exactly what she’s doing. Kate McGarry and her guitarist husband, Keith Ganz, made music together for years before becoming acoustic duo Genevieve and Ferdinand. As a band, their work was Grammy-nominated. As a duo: ethereal. Witness the magic on Sunday, May 4, 6:46 p.m., at Poplar Knight Spot, with roots rocker Rob Nance as opening act. Tickets: $15/advance; $20. Sunday concerts at the Spot (114 Knight Street, Aberdeen) include folk/Americana singer/songwriters Pierce Pettis and Amy Speace on May 11; bluegrass maven Dale Ann Bradley on May 18; and Miss Tess and the Talkbacks on May 25. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

Rounds to Applaud

Talk of the Opens got you itching for June? There’s plenty going on this month. On Saturday, May 10, Mid Pines hosts the Keep Moore County Beautiful Marge Owings Memorial Golf Tournament, 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. shotgun starts. Format: 18-hole captain’s choice with handicap; two divisions: men and mixed. Prizes awarded to winner and runner-up in both divisions, plus closest-to-pin and most accurate drive. Entry fee: $125 (includes 18-hole round, cart, lunch, on-course beverages, snacks and gift packet). Mid Pines Golf Course, 101 Midland Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 947-3637 or cbeane@moorecountync.gov. Following week, MANNA! on the Links Golf Tournament happens Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration: $75. Lunch provided by Texas Roadhouse. Foxfire Golf Resort, 9 Foxfire Blvd., Foxfire Village. Info: (910) 295-7456 or msarnold@nc.rr.com.

A Classic Choice

Strauss and Mozart? Peanut butter and jelly. On Thursday, May 1, 8 p.m., the North Carolina Symphony will perform the works of two master composers for an unforgettable season finale. Program includes Mozart’s “Overture to Don Giovanni,” “Symphony No. 40,” plus a march, waltz and overtures from Strauss. Gather round the Pinecrest High School Band Room at 7 p.m. for a pre-concert talk with Timothy Haley of Sandhills Community College. Tickets: $24–42 (plus fees). Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, 250 Voit Gilmore Road, Southern Pines. Info: (877) 627-6724 or www.ncsymphony.org/events.

Meet the Potters

Tour the countryside of Northern Moore County on Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., when you can visit twelve of Seagrove’s finest potteries for demos, wine pairings, pulled pork sliders, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a world of surprises — ceramic and otherwise. Pottery Crawl tickets: $35; $100 (includes a commemorative pottery piece and recognition in the program). Proceeds benefit Northern Moore Family Resource Center. The Pottery Center, 233 East Avenue, Seagrove. Info: (910) 948-4324 or www.nmfrc.com.

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

First Things First

Rain or shine, the Chatham County Line will be on our side of the divide on Friday, May 2, 5–8 p.m., for the first First Friday of the season. Four words: Wear your dancing boots. The band, a powerhouse bluegrass foursome from Raleigh, will play songs from Tightrope, their sixth studio album, available later this month. Rich, resonant and oh-so-danceable — you won’t want to miss it. As for the opening act, local favorites, the Java Mules, you’ll want an encore. Free admission. Food and beverages available for purchase. Follow the banjo music to the grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, 250 Northwest Broad Street, Southern Pines. Listen: www.chathamcountyline.com. Info: www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com.

Made By hand

The Opening Reception for “Hands of Art,” the 25th Annual Student Art Exhibit at Sandhills Community College, will be held Tuesday, May 6, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Exhibit runs through July 24. Prepare to be dazzled. Hasting Gallery, Boyd Library, Sandhills Community College. Info: (910) 695-3879.

This one’s For the Kids

If the live music and lipsmacking barbecue aren’t reason enough to come out to the Village Arboretum on Saturday, May 24, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (it should be), then come out for the cause. Hopefest 2014 benefits boys and girls living at Cameron Boys Camp and Camp Duncan for girls. Family fun includes craft vendors, children’s entertainment, silent auction, and tunes by The Taylors, The Harvesters, The Anchormen, Awestruck, Rapture Road and Green Level Praise. Free admission; cash donations welcomed. The Village Arboretum in Pinehurst. Info: www.hopefestnc.org.

into the wild

Scrap the image of Seymour Krelborn and the Little Shop of Horrors (i.e. Audrey II). Carnivorous flora is nothing to fear, unless you happen to be an insect. On Sunday, May 4, slather on sunscreen and venture out to Weymouth Woods for “Plants That Bite Back,” a nature program that lets you get up-close-and-personal with plants with a few tricks up their, um, leaves. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water for a one-mile hike. In case the plants aren’t biting, you’ll want to bring bug spray. And if you prefer scales to pitcher plants and sundew, “Serpents of the Sandhills” on Sunday, May 18, will focus on native snakes found in our own backyards. Both programs start at 3 p.m. Learn about our wild, wild world. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov.

llama llama Mama

Folks familiar with Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series know that the author takes mamahood very seriously. Her children’s books, New York Times best-sellers, feature a young you-knowwhat (hint: rhymes with “mama”) who loves his you-know-who (rhymes with “llama”). Dewdney’s got one for the papas, too. On Monday, May 12, at 3:15 p.m., join the author as she reads from her latest book, Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too, which features more of her sweet, iconic illustrations. Signing line tickets are available with the purchase of Nelly Gnu or any hardcover Llama Llama book. The Country Bookshop, 140 Northwest Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www. thecountrybookshop.biz. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P May 2014

to: from: message: $:

May 2014 P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Cos and Effect

Grateful

Wave your flag and call your mother

How do you want to retire?

! t c e n Recon

By Cos Barnes

My Daughters of the American

Revolution chapter meets regularly to make cards for our veterans at Christmas and Valentine’s Day. We are especially conscientious about Memorial Day, when we visit them and have a party with cake, ice cream, hats and special music. We even hang medals on them. We do our card making at the home of member Ryn Rogers. She has spacious room and is the keeper of all the paints and decorations we use. Her wonderful husband, Otto, who died a few weeks ago, always called us “The DARskis.” This nickname endeared him to me, reminding me of being a high school senior and taking a government class. We studied Russia, and in typical teenage fashion we added “ski” to everyone’s name. It stuck and into adulthood we still addressed each other as Juneski, Annski, Billyski, Tomski. Our teacher’s name became Mr. Miltonski. We will miss you, Dr. Ottoski. I can remember my grandmother, who lost a son in World War I, going with her kin to services at the cemetery to honor those who died for our country. Of course, then it was held in November and was called Armistice Day. It’s now Veterans Day. At a recent book signing by Robert Morgan he read excerpts from his new book, The Road from Gap Creek, and told of the broken speech of his forebears and their ungrammatical word usage. I recalled some years back when people were using the word “class” to describe people’s education, wealth, intellect or social polish, and my husband said, “You know who has class? Your mother, who addresses hundreds at her church association meetings with her sixth-grade education and broken English.” And I with my lofty English major college degree never, ever corrected her. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day make me grateful. My mother was buried on Memorial Day. I learned something maybe the rest of you know. It costs more to have a grave dug on a holiday. And my third child was born on Mother’s Day. What a gift! Remember those two big observances and be grateful for what others did for you. Wave your flag and call your mother. PS

Cos Barnes is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine. She can be contacted at cosbarnes@nc.rr.com.

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Join us at the Country Bookshop Monday May 12 at 3:15 PM as we welcome

Anna Dewdney NY Times bestselling author of the LLAMA LLAMA books with her new book

NELLY GNU and HER DADDY TOO Signing line tickets available with the purchase of NELLY GNU and HER DADDY TOO (due 5/5) or any hardcover LLAMA LLAMA book.

Wednesday, May 7th 5:30pm Roland Lazenby MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LIFE

Thursday, May 8th 10 am & 5:30pm Beach Read Bash

Friday, May 9th 10:30am Hedgie Themed Storytime Saturday, May 17th 11:30am Joe Miller ADVENTURE CAROLINA

The Country Bookshop

Sunday, May 18th 2pm Ruth Moose DOING IT AT THE DIXIE DEW

Wednesday, May 21th 5pm Barbara Claypole White THE IN-BETWEEN HOUR

140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines 910.692.3211 thecountrybookshop.biz

The OMnivOrOuS reAder

Bear Trouble

A promising second novel comes up short on delivery. An Eden gone wrong

BY STEPHEN E. SMITH

novelist Guy Owen

gave his creative writing students a piece of good advice. “Bring on the bear,” he’d say — meaning that a narrative has to make it from the very beginning, no false starts, no procrastination. no excuses.

In her second novel, The Bear, Claire Cameron comes close to honoring Owen’s simple precept. She literally (I’m using the term correctly) introduces the story’s action — a bear attack on a family of campers — in her first four chapters. But there’s a hitch Owen didn’t anticipate: the novel’s first-person narrator, 5-year-old Anna, is stuffed in a Coleman cooler by her father at the outset of the attack. She only overhears a commotion, filtering events through a child’s perceptions: “There is growling and a sound like Momma is making lunch and using the top of the Coleman to cut apples with a knife. But it is not Momma because her hair is yellow and she always gives me a piece of apple first. It is louder and more like there are ten Mommas cutting up apples but there is too many and they don’t fit.” Regrettably, the terror gets lost in the telling. How do we know the narrator is describing a bear attack? Cameron reveals as much in an “Author’s note” that precedes the opening chapter, stating that her novel is based, in part, on a 1991 bear attack in a Canadian provincial park, where two adult campers were killed and partially eaten by a black bear. Although well intended, this information overwhelms our suspension of disbelief and involves us, in a critical sense, in the structuring of the novel. After all, we’ve been provided the source of the author’s

inspiration. Why shouldn’t we have a say in how the story unfolds, especially at those moments when the author’s imagination falters? Cameron has included two fictional children in the narrative (“I added the kids,” she writes at the end of the “Author’s note”), and the action grows out of Anna’s struggle to save her 2-year-old brother, Alex, and herself in an unforgiving wilderness. It’s an intriguing premise — two innocents propelled from their parents’ loving care into an Eden gone horrifyingly wrong — and the plotting possibilities seem almost limitless. An able screenwriter would have a heyday with such a scenario, and thoughtful readers are likely to anticipate suspenseful plot twists and deep thematic intent, which, unfortunately, the novel never delivers. The fundamental ﬂaw is that Anna isn’t fully realized as a character, and her grasp of language, as imagined by Cameron, isn’t sufficiently developed to convey the full possibilities of the story. Child narrators abound in our literature — who’s to fault Twain, Henry James, Faulkner, Harper Lee and Alice Walker — but Anna’s narration, albeit crammed with excellent description and endearing observations, bogs down in pointless detail, redundancy, and wordiness. Granted, a 5-year-old probably wouldn’t grasp the terrible implications of a bear attack, but a child narrator could bring to the story a fresh point of view, an opportunity for the author to exploit character development, and a necessary sense of realism, none of which occurs to any appreciable extent in The Bear. Here’s a typical passage: “But in the fish land we can’t breathe in water so there are bubbles all around and a fish put a bubble on my lips with its nose and

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May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The Omnivorous Reader

when that bubble is done another fish comes and brings a new bubble. I say thank you and I’m not sure if it’s the same fish that brought the bubble before so it is a good idea to say thank you anyway when you aren’t sure because it never hurts anyone. The fish says you are welcome and dips his fish nose at me and I think that the fish seem to want manners so saying thank you might get me more treats. Fish don’t like bubble gum.” To further confuse readers, Anna’s family history — in particular her parents’ temporary separation — is offered in a series of recurrent memories. When Anna asked her mother about her father’s absence, her mother “put her hand on her mouth and said, ‘Oh sweetie.’ I saw a little piece of sad drip from her heart up into her eyes but she didn’t show me her cry and I didn’t see it because she swallowed it back into her heart.” We learn through back-story that Anna’s grandmother is dead, that Barbie dolls are not allowed in the house, that Anna is jealous of a playmate, Jessica, who has a Barbie, that her brother loves cookies. The pacing of the narrative suffers from this constant drifting in and out of these unnecessary flashbacks. Then there’s the constant use of the scatological, intended no doubt to add a touch of verisimilitude to Anna’s descriptions. Admittedly, children are often focused on bathroom habits, but Anna’s obsession with bodily functions only serves to confuse and interrupt the unfolding of the plot. One or two mentions of “poo” would have sufficed. “I look and he is sitting with a naked bum,” Anna observes, “and there is still the pile of poo beside him and yuck. It’s like he thinks I am his momma and do poo and lunches now and I don’t like it no thanks.” Enough already. What would have improved the telling of Anna’s story? Cameron might have taken a lesson from Steinbeck’s Flight, which has long been a part of the literary canon. Steinbeck’s Pepe is older than Anna, but the third-person limited narration as seen through Pepe’s consciousness opens up his story to diverse possibilities, not the least of which is Steinbeck’s use of poetic language to reveal Pepe’s emotions and to create a sense of literary and social naturalism. It’s a brave writer who tells a story from the point of view of a 5-year-old. Placing that child in an unforgiving and unfamiliar wilderness makes the task even more daunting. Alas, Cameron never quite pulls it off, and The Bear is an interesting but unrealized effort. PS Stephen E. Smith’s most recent book of poems is A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.

Apparel CoolSweats Gentlemen’s Corner The Faded Rose

Boutiques Eye Max Optical Boutique Green Gate Olive Oils The Potpourri Old Sport & Gallery Tesoro Home Decor & Gifts

Salons & Spas Elaine’s Hairdressers Bella Spa & Nails

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

Services Village of Pinehurst Rentals & Golf

July

July 8th - 9th - Basic Watercolor - Ann Campbell - 1 - 4pm -$60 July 10th - Beginning Oil - Harry Neely - 1:30 - 3:00pm -$45 July 12th - Go w/the flow-Basic Alcohol Ink - Pam Griner 12 - 3pm -$40(Supplies Included) July 14th - Creating w/Oils - Diane Kraudelt 9:30 - 3:30pm - $77 July 16th - Find Your Own Style w/Oil Pastels - Betty Hendrix 10 - 4pm -$55 July 22nd - Soft Pastels - Jo Borthwick - 10 - 3pm -$40 July 24th - The Eyes Have It - Drawing - Linda Bruening 10 - 1pm -$30 July 28th & 9th - Oil Painting w/only 4 tubes of Paint Courtney Herndon - 9 - 3:30pm -$110

August

August 4th - Follow the Leader (Oil) - Joan Williams 10 - 3;30 pm -$75 no discount (Includes supplies) August 5th & 6th - Acrylic Still Life - Pat McMahon 1-3pm -$40 August 11th - Printmaking Made Easy - Monoprints Sandy Stratil - 10 - 4pm -$53 August 12th & 13th - Beginner Watercolor - Andrea Schmidt 10 - 3pm - $80 August 20th & 21st - Watercolor Easy and Loose - Sandy Scott 1 - 4pm - $60

Member Discounts available Check us out on line/ sign-up for classes P.O. Box 460 • 129 Exchange Street Aberdeen, NC 28315 910-944-3979 artistleague@windstream.net www.artistleague.org

WORKSHOP

Anne Abgott “Watercolor Magic” Sept 10th, 12th 9 am - 4 pm $375 member discounts available

May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

BOOkShelf

May Books A very short book exerpt for Mother’s day “Mom taught me not to look away from the worst but believe that we can all do better. She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tools in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books — electronic (even though that wasn’t for her) or printed, or audio — is the grandest entertainment and also is how you take part in the human conversation. Mom taught me that you can make a difference in the world and that books really do matter: They’re how we know what we need to do in life, and how we tell others. Mom also showed me, over the course of two years and dozens of books and hundreds of hours in hospitals, that books can be how we get closer to each other, and stay close, even in the case of a mother and son who were very close to each other to begin with, and even after one of them has died.” The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe

BY KIMBERLY DANIELS TAWS AND ANGIE TALLY Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond Between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice, by Tom Sileo and Tom Manion After the attacks of September 11, 2001, two naval Academy roommates made a solemn pledge to defend America. Four weeks after navy SEALs had killed Osama bin Laden, the President of the United States stood in Arlington national Cemetery. In his Memorial Day address, he extolled the courage and sacrifice of the two young men buried side by side in the graves before him: Travis Manion, a fallen U.S. Marine, and Brendan Looney, a fallen U.S. navy SEAL. Although they were killed three years apart, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, these two best friends and former roommates were now buried together, “brothers forever.” Award-winning journalist Tom Sileo and Travis’ father, former Marine Col. Tom Manion, tell the intimate and personal story. From Travis’ incredible heroism on the streets of Fallujah to Brendan’s anguished navy SEAL training in the wake of his friend’s death and his own heroism in the mountains of Afghanistan, Brothers Forever is a remarkable story of friendship, family and war.

Redeemer : The Life of Jimmy Carter, by Randall Balmer Evangelical Christianity and conservative politics are today seen as inseparable. But when Jimmy Carter, a Democrat and a born-again Christian, won the presidency in 1976, he owed his victory in part to American evangelicals, who responded to his open religiosity and his rejection of the moral bankruptcy of the nixon administration. Carter, running as a representative of the new South, articulated a progressive strand of American Christianity that championed liberal ideals, racial equality, and social justice — one that has almost been forgotten since. In Redeemer, acclaimed religious historian Balmer reveals how the rise and fall of Jimmy Carter’s political fortunes mirrored the transformation of American religious politics. From his beginnings as a humble peanut farmer to the galvanizing politician who rode a re-energized religious movement into the White House, Carter’s life and career mark him as the last great figure in America’s long and venerable history of progressive evangelicalism. Delicious! A Novel, by Ruth Reichl This novel carries the reader to the colorful world of downtown new York restaurateurs and artisanal purveyors, and from the lively food

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shop in Little Italy where Billie works on weekends to a hidden room in the magazine’s library where she discovers the letters of Lulu Swan, a plucky 12-year-old, who wrote to the legendary chef James Beard during World War II. Lulu’s courage in the face of loss inspires Billie to come to terms with her own issues — the panic attacks that occur every time she even thinks about cooking, the truth about the big sister she adored, and her ability to open her heart to love. The Last Kind Words Saloon, by Larry McMurtry McMurtry has done more than any other living writer to shape our literary imagination of the American West. With The Last Kind Words Saloon he returns again to the vivid and unsparing portrait of the nineteenth-century and cowboy lifestyle made so memorable in his classic Lonesome Dove. Evoking the greatest characters and legends of the Old Wild West, here McMurtry tells the story of the closing of the American frontier through the travails of two of its most immortal figures: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

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Children’s Books Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too, by Anna Dewdney Anna Dewdney, author of the wildly popular Llama Llama books, will visit The Country Bookshop to read from her new book, Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too, a sweet story of a daughter and her Daddy Gnu and all the wonderfully fun things they do together. Signing line tickets are available with the purchase Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too or with the purchase of any hardcover. Waterfire Saga Book One, Deep Blue, by Jennifer Donnelly Donnelly brings this new novel for middle grade readers inspired by a dress. A dress ultimately worn by Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, and destined to become queen of the Merpeople, a task she must take on much sooner than expected. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Serafina sets out on a journey to locate the five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas and who, together, will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence. Ages 10–14. PS

Note cards that will bring a smile to your face time after time

Andrew Thompson Company is very excited and proud to announce that Southern Pines own, Betty Silvar, has created some newly copyrighted watercolor drawings for us. These are the first of many illustrations & products to be offered from the galpalsgolf® collection. $10.50 plus shipping for 8 cards & envelopes A

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May is National Short Story Month. Read a story to celebrate. Even better, write one! BY SANDRA REDDING

May 3 (Saturday, 5 p.m.) Scuppernong Books, Greensboro: Press 53 party and book launch for In the Season of Blood and Gold, a compelling short story collection by Taylor Brown of Wilmington. These twelve skillfully crafted stories teeter between tenderness and horror. www.press53.com. May 7 (Wednesday, 7 p.m.) The Regulator Bookshop, Durham: Francine Prose, lecturer and author of twenty-six books, including Blue Angel, a national Book Award finalist, will read from her new novel, Lovers at the Chameleon Club: Paris 1932. www.regulatorbookshop.com. May 10 (all day Saturday) netwest Writers Conference at the Jackson County Library in Sylva. Presenters include Judy kurtz Goldman, Susan Snowden and Gary Carden. Former n.C. Poet Laureate kathryn Stripling Byer will conduct workshops along with nancy Simpson. Register at www.netwestwriters-west.org. May 17 (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.) The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines. Joe Miller, popular n.C. author and outdoorsman, discusses Adventure Carolinas: Your Go-To Guide for Multi-Sport Outdoor Recreation. www.thecountrybookshop.biz. June 1 (Sunday, 2 p.m.). Barnes & noble, Greensboro: Walt Wolfram and Jeffrey Reaser discuss Talkin’ Tar Heel: How Our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina, in which two Chapel Hill professors explore just about every dialect and language in the state. Take your buddyrow along for this side-splittin’ presentation.

Short stories are designed to deliver their impact in as few pages as possible. A tremendous amount is left out, and a good story writer learns to include only the most essential information. — Orson Scott Card

Anthologies packed with short stories from multiple writers can be delightful. Most of the tales in The Shoe Burnin’: Stories of Southern Soul, an anthology plus CD by twenty-one prose and song writers, will likely make you laugh more than cry. The inspiration sprouted from Joe Formichella’s memory of a gathering of writers who stood shivering in the cold. When their host gave them a box of old shoes and boots to burn, both the fire and their imaginations lit up, confirming that “Any pair of shoes has a story to tell.” The first story, Boots, by Ed Southern of Winston-Salem, probes the odd things that matter when faced with destruction. Jim Wilson, graduate of UnC-Chapel Hill, evokes pathos in a tale explaining why a father shoots a bird dog. In Shari Smith’s lyrical Flight, words and wings capture the spirit of a woman searching for what she needs. www.riversedgemedia.com

Know something, Sugar? Stories only happen to people who can tell them. — Allan Garganus Donald Davis, popular n.C. storyteller and author, recalls, “In stories, I could safely dream any dream, hope any hope, go anywhere I pleased, fight any foe, win or lose, live or die.” Besides entertaining at festivals, his published books include stories, a novel, a memoir and educational books on storytelling. May 18–24, he will be at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown (www. folkschool.org) and on June 6–8, he entertains and reveals storytelling secrets at the OcraFolk Storytelling and Music Festival in Ocracoke (www.ocrafolkfestival.org). PS Greensboro writer Sandra Redding’s novel, naomi Wise: A Cautionary Tale, is a riveting story about heartbreak and hope in the 18th century Quaker community of Deep River. Email her at sanredd@ earthlink.net.

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The Will of a Loving Mother Family treasures are important. But it’s the memories that matter most

By Dale Nixon

I call them heart-thumpers.

A wreck almost happens. You get a cramp while swimming. You have a sudden chest pain. You hear a noise in the middle of the night. The scare is so real that it takes your breath away. You get the nauseating feeling of knowing you are not invincible; the realization that you could meet your Maker. Then the scare goes away. Your breathing is restored, the nausea subsides, and you are relieved that it wasn’t time for your Maker to call you. I had one of those heart-thumpers last week, and it caused me to do some serious thinking. What if . . . what if I didn’t have a will? Would my two girls fight over my possessions after my demise? Trying to be realistic and not morbid, I decided it was time to put some things down on paper on my children’s behalf — a kind of will that requires no legal counsel. Girls, as you know, I haven’t held a full-time job in more than thirty years. I don’t have a Swiss savings account, investments or gold bricks buried in the backyard. Any cash you might inherit would have come from other sources. Others have worked for wages, because they wanted to or had to. I have worked for love, respect and something called pride. Hold them dear. I have an account for these qualities set up in both your names. I ask only that you make regular deposits and few withdrawals. I leave to you an appreciation of the early morning hours. Take this time for yourself and cherish every moment. I leave to you all of my books to be divided between you. Through your reading, visit the countries, know the heroes and heroines, and experience the lifestyles.

I leave to you the family picture album where our memories have been recorded through the years. I leave to you my diary so you will know that I, too, was young once. Try to read between the lines and know I have experienced your same indecisions and insecurities. I leave to you all of your favorite recipes — the sugar cookies we made each Christmas, the spaghetti sauce you wanted served once a week, and the pound cake we made for each birthday. I leave to you all of your favorite toys I stored so lovingly in the attic. Perhaps when you see them again you’ll know why I couldn’t part with them and they’re still up there collecting dust. I leave to you our summers together at the beach. Take care of our sand castles, rolling waves and perfect seashells. I leave to you our winters together — the lopsided snowmen, the snowball fights and the time spent sitting in front of a flickering fireplace. I leave you with the mistakes I made as a parent, hoping you know I did the best I could do. I leave to you my apologies for the mistakes. Know that I doled out the rewards and punishments with the best of intentions. I leave to you the tears and the laughter. I leave you with the gratitude for making my life special. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to watch two little girls grow up. I have no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon. I like to think this will is premature. But the heart-thumpers will be so much easier to take, now that I have taken care of my girls. PS Columnist Dale Nixon may be contacted at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.

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Cool as a Cuke As the warm weather arrives, cucumbers rule

By Jan Leitschuh

“Cucumber unaccountably cucumbering” — Paul Reps, first haiku poet

On a hot summer’s day, little beats the cool, crisp, juicy flavor of a cucumber. Right now, early May, is a good time to direct seed a few plants for your summer salads. By May, the soil — not the air, but the soil — should be above 60 degrees. If you happened to start transplants a few weeks earlier, to get a jump on the season, you can set them now as well. Cucumbers tend to resent root disturbance, so starts in biodegradable pots are helpful. As always when planting veggies, choose a site with rich soil with a nice organic matter content, a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, good sunshine and access to water. For cucumbers, you’ll need one more thing — honeybees. We’re all interested in bees and bee health these days, a vegetable gardener in particular. Bees are essential to good cucumber development. It is said cukes need at least eleven visits from honeybees in order to fully fill out their cylindrical shape. Lacking those visits, the cucumber might develop at one end and remain small at the other. The smaller end is generally bitter. If there are many underdeveloped cucumbers on your vines, needless to say, you don’t want to be spraying pesticides to further discourage the bees. Avoid agents in the garden like Sevin dust, which honeybees pick up in their natural foraging and carry back to the hive in their pollen baskets on

their legs, or in contaminated nectar. Whole hives have been poisoned this inadvertent way. Back to cukes. You’ll want to grow them vertically for the best harvest, the straightest cukes and least disease. A simple trellis or section of fence should suffice. Some folks have been known to tuck cucumbers in their foundation plantings and train them up a porch railing. If your soil is poor there, or treated with termite-control chemicals, you may prefer to use a large container. Cucumbers love sunshine, but high heat is not necessarily your friend. A stretch of temps in the mid-90s can cause your cuke plants to throw off more male flowers than fruit-producing female flowers. Intelligent site selection can work to your advantage in the home garden. Plant cukes where they will get good morning sun, then some afternoon shade in the hottest part of the summer. In the garden, taller plants like sweet corn can even be planted on the west side of your cukes as a post-midday screen. If container gardening, you can adjust to fit the situation, shifting things around. Bitterness happens when the plant becomes stressed. What stresses out a cucumber? Dry spells, for example. It’s a juicy vegetable, so it makes sense to keep them hydrated. Be consistent in your watering to lessen bitterness. Consistently high temps can also affect taste, but a little shade during the hottest part of the day can help. Bitterness also tends to concentrate in the stem ends, so trimming those away is useful. Peeling a bitter fruit can also help, as it shouldn’t penetrate past the skin. Some say deseeding an overmature cuke also helps. Or take the easy way out. Bitterness is caused by a gene, and clever breeders have figured out a way to exclude it. Purchase a non-bitter variety such as Marketmore 97 or Holland Hothouse, which can be grown outdoors. Diva is another sweet variety, and so are those cute lemon cukes, if you’re fine with the idea of cukes not being long and green. Amira is a Middle Eastern type with a particularly sweet taste. There are a number of cuke types to choose from. Tradionally, we immediately think of the 6–8 inch American market slicers or the 3–5 inch pickling cukes. Both are excellent choices for salads and smoothies, and the

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latter for, of course, pickles. But there are sweet, long and slender Asian types that grow as long as a foot or more, and the blockier Mediterranean or middle eastern types. The adventurous might try Armenian cukes, sometimes know as “snake melon.” They are really elongated melons bred to be eaten immature, so they can take the heat without getting bitter. They are spineless. The taste is wonderful — mild, completely non-bitter, slightly citrusy, with a crisp texture. They need a trellis to grow straight; without one they will curl into “snakes.” They also grow hollow quickly, so should be

sassy, optimistic and a little daring Melody Bell Miller OWNER

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picked young, less than 12 inches long, about sixty days after seeding. Another trait that can be selected for is a “burpless” quality. Burpless varieties are not bitter-free, but often have less of the bitter compounds. What makes a cucumber “burpless” is open to debate. Some scientists suggest that a burpless cucumber contains less of a burp-causing compound; some say it’s the seeds that cause people to burp, and therefore the English/Dutch long hothouse-type cucumbers are also burpless. Sometimes “burpless” is used as a marketing term for Asian varieties of cucumbers. Burpless varieties include those two categories plus varieties like Tasty Green, Sweet Success, and Big Burpless Hybrid. Although burpless varieties are bred to produce fewer bitter compounds, they still could become so if growing conditions become unfavorable. It’s almost a cliché, applying a pair of cucumber slices to tired eyes, but the practice is founded in fact. The flesh contains vitamin C and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. These compounds prevent

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water retention, which may explain why topical cukes soothe swollen eyes, burns and dermatitis. Cukes have the same pH as the skin, so they help restore the protective acid mantle. They also possess hydrating, nourishing and astringent properties. The skin of a cucumber is useful too, rich in fiber and a variety of beneficial minerals such as silica, potassium and magnesium. The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin, plus cucumber’s high water content makes it naturally hydrating. Summertime increases our appreciation of this crisp, watery, cool veggie. They don’t say “cool as a cucumber” for nothing. Who wants to cook hot meals all summer? A fresh and simple summer salad is one of sliced cucumbers, red onion and halved cherry tomatoes, tossed with Italian dressing and chilled. This will keep a good while and makes for a fast and fresh side dish or easy lunch. Another easy side dish, lunch or light supper is sliced cukes and white onion, stirred into a yogurt sauce seasoned with garlic, dill, salt and pepper. Keep chilled in the fridge until you need a jolt of coolness. If you are trying to ingest more veggies — science now says seven a day for optimum health! — this mild, inoffensive veggie can slip into a smoothie to boost the vegetable intake, or to use up a garden surplus quickly. They go especially well with lime and melon. Chilled cucumber soup might just do the trick one hot lunch. Cucumber-hummus sandwiches are another easy and cool no-cook summertime meal. One of my favorites is a Greek tzatziki sauce. It makes an easy veggie dip, or a creamy dressing for a Greek salad or gyros. With a blender or food processor, little could be simpler, and the flavor grows over the several days it keeps.

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Tzatziki Sauce

In a food processor, toss in two peeled, seeded and chopped cucumbers with 16 ounces of plain yogurt and two tablespoons of olive oil. When smooth, add in the juice of half a lemon and three garlic cloves. Some folks prefer to also include about a tablespoon of fresh chopped dill. Process till well combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cover. The flavor improves with refrigeration. PS Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and co-founder of the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative.

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like uS oN facebook 910-692-1952 1550 US Hwy 1 Southern Pines, NC (In the Old Raffaele’s Building)

VIne WISdoM

dance Party in a glass

With its unpronounceable name, and fresh tang and effervescence, Txakolina is a Basque wine to savor

By RoByN James

Yes, I call it the Xerox wine because no one

who speaks English can possibly look at a label on a bottle of txakolina and guess that phonetically it is pronounced chock-oh-LEENA.

Wait, it gets better: The grapes used to make the wines are hondarrabi zuri, a white, and hondarrabi beltza, a red. These terms are native to the Spanish/French region called Basque, where it is rumored that the devil tried to learn the Basque language for seven years and gave up. The vineyards are terraced overlooking the Bay of Biscayne. The area is humid, so the vines benefit from the ocean breezes that provide ventilation and prevent rot. Txakolina is one of the most unique wines I have ever tried; it is fresh and tangy, with a slight effervescence. It has a sense of salinity from the marine influence and a clean, citrusy character. The grapes are hand-harvested, and once delivered to the winery they are immediately chilled down to almost freezing and blanketed with nitrogen to prevent oxidation and preserve freshness. The juice is fermented with natural yeasts, and kept very cold in closed containers that trap the natural carbon dioxide, which accounts for the fizziness of the wine. The residents of Basque drink huge quantities of this wine, year round, even pairing it with red meat. This wine is consumed exclusively in Basque with only one exception: the United States. Legendary Spanish importer Jorge Ordonez imported 200 cases of txakolina in the 1980s, and hip sommeliers across the country started clamoring for more. Now, hundreds of thousands of bottles, white and rosé cross the ocean to be snapped up by savvy aficionados. U.S. sommeliers in the know love to mimic the traditional Basque method of serving txakolina by holding the bottle high above their head, and as the wine “breaks” on the glass it displays its tiny bubbles. Once such sommelier describes it as “little dance parties in a glass.” Here are a few of our favorites:

Txomin Etaniz Txakolina, Getaria, 2012, approx. $23

Pineapple and peach aromas and flavors add to bracing acidity. Crisp, clean, stony and salty. Bright and zesty, underripe apple crispness.

Zudugarai Txakolina, Getaria, 2011, approx. $21

Saline, stony edginess with a powerful crispness. Lime citrus, muted spritz, elegant and pretty.

Txomin Etaniz Txakolina Rosé, Getaria, 2012, approx. $23

Like salted watermelon juice, ocean air drifting through a raspberry bush. Great for drinking with anything salty. Refreshing cranberry tartness. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@pinehurst.net.

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noTeS FroM The PorCh

The Quest

The gift of learning to see what is right in front of you

By Bill thompsoN

every once in a while one of

those defining moments comes along and you don’t realize its significance until it’s gone.

Up until a few years ago I kept some horses in a pasture next to my house. One of those horses I have had since she was born. Mayflower (her official American Quarter Horse name is “Hills Sunflower 2528951”) and I have been together almost thirty years now. She has been a constant through job changes, births, deaths, marriages, divorce, and all the other things that have happened to me in that period of time. She is now retired to a permanent pasture, and I am retired and still working. When Mayflower was here at the house we would often go on rides through the woods that extend for some miles behind my house. It would usually be late afternoon when I got home from work. As I walked toward the barn, Mayflower would run up to me and whicker. (That’s a sound horses make that’s kind of a cross between a snort and sneeze.) I would brush her down good and she would almost go to sleep. (I respond the same way to similar activity.) The smell of saddle leather mixed with the scent of hay and the vision of slanted sun rays slipping through the walls of the old barn created a calmness, a tranquility that comes from familiarity, a contentment that comes with the sound of silence. Back then, Mayflower and I shared a friendship with a dog named Chip. Chip was a proud product of impeccable breeding, the result of loving lust between a registered Labrador retriever and a dashing hound of unknown origin. Chip, Mayflower and I would leave the confines of the barn and pasture on those afternoons on a quest to find . . . ? Adventure has no defined course or destination. The road that led through the woods was a two-rutted lane lined on both sides by a mixture of pine trees and sweet gum. Some of the seedlings clung to the edge of the little ditch as a trickle of water slipped slowly and silently past. The trees were fairly young, having taken seed after the last field had been harvested nearly thirty years ago. Pine needles covered the ground under the trees, and a sprinkling of gum balls (little prickly

orbs that fall from gum trees) created a cover that reminded me of an auburn-colored chenille bedspread. The three of us proceeded through the woods on our undetermined quest. We in no way looked like a triumvirate from a medieval story. While Mayflower was nothing like a prancing charger, she was much more elegant that Don Quixote’s Rocinante. And I was certainly no knight in shining armor. Perhaps like the Spanish nobleman, I could have been a knight clad in flannel, jeans and boots. But the quest was just as noble nonetheless. As we ambled along, Chip (the Sancho Panza of this trio) would occasionally run off by himself in search of unknown quarry. In a short time he would reappear, panting from the effort and pleased to rejoin the quest. At some point I decided to take the path less traveled and turned off the woods road and began to wind among the trees. I brushed the hanging pine boughs away as we proceeded through the older forest. Many of the trees in this part of the woods had been here for half a century or more, surviving somehow the saws and axes of the timber crews that had been so much a part of the lumber industry in this area. The limbs spread out and created a canopy that created a shadowy filigree of light as the sun began to go down. Mayflower stepped adroitly over fallen branches, occasionally snapping small twigs. In a few minutes we came out into an open area, a dormant field. The late afternoon sun lit the old field with rays of sunshine that burst through the trees. There was a large, sturdy oak tree, oddly placed among all the pines. I dismounted and went over to that tree, sat down beside it with my back against its trunk. I let Mayflower’s reins drop as she stood with her head down beside me. Chip came over and put his big head in my lap. I heard a bird skipping through the leaves. I was swept up in the peacefulness. Then I heard the sound of traffic, of trucks and cars as they passed down the four-lane highway which, as I found, was only a couple of hundred yards away. That was the defining moment when I realized that, often, we expect wonderful things to be somewhere far away. In reality, though, the wonder of it all is right where we are if we just look for it. b Bill Thompson is a speaker and author who lives in nearby Hallsboro.

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oUT oF The BLUe

My grandson, the Future Prime Minister Why he has his Nanny’s vote sewn up

By DeBoRah salomoN

Until 1997, I dreaded

May. This glorious early summer month meant severe hay fever. My nose ran like a faucet. I reeled from sneezing. My itchy red eyes swelled almost shut. Non-drowsy medications put me in a coma.

All was forgotten that May 14th, when my first grandchild was born. Mushy isn’t my style, but when my son said, “Here, Mom, you hold him,” and handed me the minutes-old baby, everything else evaporated. He was a rosebud, perfectly pink and white, a plump eight-plus-pounder with a button nose and cupid lips, no wrinkles, no splotches, only blond fuzz covering his head. Luke was absolutely the most beautiful baby ever born. Friends, already grandparents, tell me I made a fool of myself gushing over his perfection. When Luke came home from the hospital I stayed with the new parents for a week, to help out. Not only did I take the night feedings, I cooked the meals, did the laundry, tidied the house, walked the dog and sat by the crib, worshiping. Those days were more enjoyable than a week in Barbados, or carte blanche at the Paris Ritz. I spent a lot of quality grandmotherly time with Luke and his equally perfect brother Eric, who received a more subdued reception nineteen months later. For five years, they lived close by and spent weekends at our house, which I retrofitted with bunk beds, bicycles, punching bags, parkas, light-up sneakers, Batman capes, Legos, videos, feet pajamas, teddy bears, hockey sticks and Popsicles. Luke’s cognitive skills surfaced early. His mother is French, so he learned both languages simultaneously — no big deal. When he was about 3 I strung together a sentence from schoolgirl French. Luke’s eyes widened; he put his fat little hand on my arm and, with obvious deprecation, uttered, “Nanny, don’t bother.” Luke was both happy and serious, curious and competitive. Very competitive. He wanted to win so badly he’d bend (or rewrite) the rules to make it happen. He also had definite tastes: baba ghanoush instead of peanut butter on his crackers, three strips of bacon on his bagel, Formula 1 races over “Dora the Explorer.” Oz’s wicked witch scared him not. Luke posed interesting and complicated questions. “Go ask Nanny . . . she knows,” his dad instructed. What I didn’t know, I looked up — never leaving the question unanswered. Everything changed in 2004, when my son, their daddy, died. Luke, only

7, became more protective of his younger brother. His emotional maturity accelerated. Yet both boys weathered the tragedy, somehow. They are close. By fifth grade, besides hockey Luke had developed a fascination with history, geography, oceanography, anthropology, finance and government. I subscribed to National Geographic, taking him the magazines when I visit. He still devours them, then we discuss the stories, except he already knows most of what’s written — and challenges ME with questions, followed by heated debates, which he regularly wins. Now, at 17, my rosebud has grown into the kind of young man women drool over in Ralph Lauren ads. He is student body president at an academically challenging school in Montreal — the kind that requires uniforms and frequent haircuts. He has been to England, Italy (twice), Germany, France and, most recently, spring break in Spain with fellow students who bunked with families and attended school. Luke left with classroom Spanish, returned conversational. He has a weekend job at a shoe store for which he gave up snowboarding, and a girlfriend who cuts into our visiting time but that’s OK. He’s learning to drive. Most important, at 17, my firstborn grandson has mapped out a career. Luke wants to be prime minister of Canada. Seriously. This differs greatly from a 10-year-old who states he will be president or a rock star when he “grows up.” There’s nothing grandiose about Luke’s ambition. He knows where he will attend college and law school. Trilingual, outgoing, confident and good-looking, he will run for municipal office, he says, then work his way up. He is already current, and has strong opinions, on hot issues. Remember, this kid’s been bending and rewriting rules since kindergarten. I wonder what his friends say, assuming he tells them. Maybe he just tells me, because he knows I adore him enough to remember the three strips of bacon thing — and finagle our debates. Nanny does not suffer braggarts kindly. Rest assured my paean is a one-shot deal — and only because hay fever has returned, which puts a damper on May, except the happy, happy 14th. Besides, I won’t be around for Luke’s inauguration, circa 2050. So, if nobody minds, I’ll take my victory lap now. PS Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

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B I RD WA T C H

Carolina Wren

A bright cheery song from a feisty little bird

By Susan Campbell

“Chirpity, chirp-

Photograph by debra regula

ity, chirpity, chirp.” Or is it “teakettle, teakettle, teakettle, tea”? Or maybe it’s more like “cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheese”? Regardless of exactly how it sounds, this bright, cheery song belies a small and drab bird — the feisty Carolina wren. This diminutive critter is rufousy-brown with barred wings and tail. The thin, decurved bill is well-equipped to probe nooks and crannies for its favorite food: insects. Not only do they flit around in trees and vines looking for caterpillars, but they will clamber around on windows, doors and porch furniture for spiders and flies. Common throughout the Piedmont year-round, Carolina wrens, the state bird of South Carolina, are frequently overlooked — until spring, when their songs can be heard echoing from forests and fields to neighborhoods here in the Triad. And a rarity among songbirds, both males and females sing, providing double pleasure. In fact, sometimes they can be heard in duets, advertising their territory, vocalizing repeatedly, any time from dawn to dusk. At this time of year, Carolina wrens are a common sight as they seek a protected spot to construct their nests. They frequently prefer houses, sheds or something else manmade over vegetated habitat. Though it may seem foolhardy to us, barbecue grills, bags of potting soil, an old coat or hat may actually provide a perfectly suitable nesting spot. The female will carry in small leaves, pine needles, grasses, moss or even the feathers of other birds to create a large, bulky cup nest. She’ll finish it off with a partial roof to more effectively hide the eggs and young. Wrens don’t seem to mind people coming and going, a seemingly welcome trade-off for the protection humans provide from predators. Peek into one of their nests and more likely than not the female or brooding young will just stare back at you.

Sometimes nesting adults demonstrate great resiliency, or even cunning, in adapting to manmade structures. More than once, a Carolina wren female has chosen a nook on one of the trams that circle the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro as a nesting site. The nesting adults sit tight as the vehicle bumps around the property during incubation. Once the young hatch, adults who leave the nest to find food simply wait for the tram (and nest) to return to the parking area to feed their young. It should not be surprising, then, that these resourceful birds will find their way indoors during spring. If they can, they will squeeze under a door or through a cracked window in order to use the corner of a shelf in a shed or the mudroom of a house. When the fledging day arrives, the parents simply call the young from the nest and show them how to slip outside. Be prepared for the whole brood to find their way back in and crowd into the nest to roost for days, or even weeks, thereafter. Each winter I get calls about mysterious critters sleeping on high ledges of porches and carports. Described as small brown balls, these unidentified sleeping objects almost inevitably turn out to be roosting Carolina wrens. After a yawn or two, wrens tuck their heads under their wings to roost, puffing themselves up and looking decidedly unbirdlike. They may also spend the night hunkered down in a potted plant or a basket, frightening the daylights out of anyone who, next morning, comes upon them unaware. Every year around the holidays, I’ll get a call or two about an unexpected Christmas guest. Seeking the warmest spot they can find, Carolina wrens often decide to huddle up in someone’s Christmas wreath. When subsequent visitors open the front door, the wren instinctively flies toward the brightest light — inside the house, occasioning merry and sometimes frantic holiday antics as everyone shares their favorite scheme for getting the bird back outside where it belongs. So if you have never noticed these birds before, you should not have to go too far to find one — unless it finds you first! PS Susan Campbell would love to hear from you. Send wildlife sightings and photos to susan@ncaves.com or call (910) 949-3207.

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May 2014 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The SPorTIng LIFe

happy hour at Camp

New friends and old on the friendly banks of the Chokoloskee

By tom BRyaNt

The Gulf Coastal Everglades

extend from Marco Island south to Cape Sable. Chokoloskee Island is in the middle of the maze of mangrove islets, sloughs, bayous and rivers known as the Ten Thousand Islands. Other than Marco Island, Everglades City, and Chokoloskee, none of the keys or waterways is inhabited. “A View From the Chickee” — Mike Stubblefiel

Those of us who inhabit the Chokoloskee Island Park and Marina, the fish camp, as my bride Linda calls it, are a mixed group from all over the country. Some people have been here for several months, escaping the frosty winters of the North; and some of us — tourists, the long-timers call us — are just passing through. We all have something in common, though, other than enjoying the March temperatures in the 80s, and that is we’re mostly retired from day jobs that dominated our attention for years. On this particular trip, for some reason, I often couldn’t remember what day it was. No problem, though. All I was concerned with was fishing in the morning, eating out at lunchtime, and enjoying happy hour with the rest of the crowd.

The camp faces west right on Chokoloskee Bay, and the sunsets are memorable. On the walkway to the water, there’s a 20’ by 20’ covered patio called the Chickee, and every evening promptly at 5, camp residents— both long-timers and tourists — gather to talk over the day’s events, number of fish caught, departure dates, and general information such as who just arrived and what RV or boat they’re using. The people at the camp are fascinating, not so much because of who they are or what careers they had, but universally how nice and hospitable they are. The long-timers are folks who come from Arctic places up North before Old Man Winter raises his frigid head. We tourists were also taking a break from the cold but for a shorter time. Linda and I were to be at the camp for a week; then our schedule required us to head back north at a leisurely pace, since we had allowed about a month for our trip. Meeting fellow campers was one of the best parts of our adventure. Our next-door neighbor was one gentleman whom we nicknamed “High Pockets” because he looked so much like Randolph Scott, the movie star with that same nickname. When I first saw him he was kicked back under his camper awning, dozing in a portable chair. I tried to walk by softly so as not to disturb his reverie, but when I was almost past he looked up and said. “Hey, buddy. Welcome to the neighborhood. I like your rig,” referring to our little Bambi Airstream trailer. “Thanks. You look mighty comfortable lounging there and I didn’t want

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to disturb you.” “That’s OK. One thing I’ve learned in the past few years is how to fall asleep fast.” “Yeah,” I replied. “My Uncle Tom always said that was the sign of a clear conscience. How long you gonna be here?” “ I don’t know, three or four more days, I guess.” “Where you heading after that?” “I don’t know.” We both laughed at his laid-back answer, relishing the thought that at least for a little while our schedules were our own. In subsequent conversations, I found out that his hobby is stock car racing, and he had won the Canadian Grand National in 2012 and subsequently had been invited to race at Charlotte. That evening, as we were gathered at the Chickee, I found it interesting how varied the people were. They came from all over the country and had had fascinating careers and interests. First there was Montana Bill, a two-tour Vietnam Army veteran. “Yep, my biggest thrill was touring the country on a motorcycle. Went to all fortyeight states. Drove over 17,000 miles and never got on an interstate. Found out it’s a pretty big place.” Then I struck up a conversation with Sherry and Jim. Sherry is originally from west Texas and has the cutest Southwest accent in the world. Her husband, Jim, was an electronic munitions officer during the Vietnam War aboard B-52s and retired from IBM after working there thirty years. Kim and Rod were talking to Linda, and I tuned in to their conversation. “We’re going to be here or on the road for another two months, because we sold our house in Virginia and are moving into a new condominium,” Kim said. “No grass to mow.” They had retired from careers in the Foreign

Service and both enjoyed fishing from their matching kayaks. Rod joked that Kim often outfished him. I saw Miss Annie walking up the street with her big yellow Lab, Jeff. She was heading our way. An outgoing lady, she has a way of making everyone feel welcome and probably has more knowledge about Chokoloskee than anyone in the group. “Missouri Bob” cruised slowly by the Chickee in his pickup, and the long-timers shouted for him to come on. After all, it was happy hour. Bob is from Missouri and a great outdoorsman, spending a lot of his time hunting and fishing. According to Linda, he could earn a living being a stand-up comic. When I asked Bob what he did in his working life, he replied, “I was in the grocery business, working for some and even owning my own store for a while. Only took me seven years to go broke.” The final evening before we hit the road back to the Sandhills, a kind of going-away party was held at the Chickee because quite a few long-timers were also getting ready to leave. Most everybody brought good things to eat. Betty and Gary from Wisconsin kept a deep fryer going, cooking breaded cheese curds from their home state that were delicious. When I told him that next year I was gonna bring some chitlins, he replied, “Tom, thanks, but no thanks.” We will miss the many friends we made during our sojourn to Chokoloskee, but we also realize that next year’s winter winds, hopefully, will blow us all together again. PS Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

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g o L F T oW n J o U r nA L

rough Stuff

With a return to more natural Championship courses, traditional Open deep rough has given way to short grass — the Scottish way

By lee pace

Long rough is to the U.S. Open what

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOANN DOST

peach cobbler and Rae’s Creek are to the Masters, what whins and wind and gorse are to the British Open, what plunk plunk fizz fizz is to the island green 17th hole at the Players Championship. Small boys have been lost in the gnarly stuff lining the fairways at Oakmont and Baltusrol over the decades, invectives muttered and blood pressure roiled.

Ben Hogan won at Oakland Hills in 1951 with a seven-over-par total, with thick fescue rough pinching the fairways a mere nineteen yards in width in some spots. The grass was so long in spots it literally laid over, and a member found seventeen balls alongside the seventh hole. Porky Oliver lost twelve balls in a practice round at Olympic in 1955, and it took Hogan three shots to get back to the fairway after driving into the rough on the last playoff hole that year against Jack Fleck. Arduous acres of Bermuda grass exacted their pounds of flesh at the 2005 Open on Pinehurst No. 2, with USGA officials pinching the fairways to twenty-three to twenty-five yards across. Lining the short grass were blankets of rough three inches deep, the grass emboldened over the spring and early summer by 400 sprinkler heads, generous applications of fertilizer, a warm growing season and rotary mowers that left blades in upright positions, allowing balls to sink deeper. “The rough is a lot harder than it was the last time I played here,” Vijay

Singh said of the 1999 and ’05 championships. “You can get the best of lies, and you can move it 150 yards, max.” “If you hit it in the rough, you’re not going to hit it on the green,” Chris DiMarco added. “It’s as hard as I’ve seen it anywhere. There’s no controlling your spin out of there and no controlling the bounces short of the green.” Rough as a lethal hazard became part and parcel of the U.S. Open challenge — along with the twin demon of lickety-split putting surfaces — in the mid-1900s when the courses like Oakland Hills, Merion and Oakmont that had been designed during the times of hickory shafts and hard, twitchy golf balls were becoming outdated. With steel shafts and rubber-cored, balatacovered golf balls, players were driving well beyond established hazards. Rough was a form of fortification. “The rough should not be so deep as to make recovery impossible or to increase greatly the prospect of lost balls, but it should not be so thin that a wood or long iron can be played from it without difficulty,” one USGA official wrote to a host club in the early 1950s. Ironically, that official was Pinehurst’s own Richard S. Tufts, grandson of the Pinehurst founder and a key USGA officer through the late 1940s, early 1950s and the USGA president in 1956-57. Tufts was on the USGA’s Competitions Committee in the late 1940s when the USGA began asserting more influence over how individual clubs maintained and prepared their courses leading up to the Open. In 1952, Tufts and USGA Executive Director Joe Dey developed the template that has been part of every U.S. Open since — slick greens, narrow fairways, an intermediate cut of light rough off the fairways adjacent to heavy rough, and as many as four cuts on and near the greens. Now in 2014, the Open returns to Tufts’ course, and there will not be a blade of three-inch Bermuda, fescue, bluegrass or ryegrass rough in sight.

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The only long grass will be the whippets of wiregrass grown indigenously in the Sandhills of North Carolina and now an integral part of the 2010–11 restoration of No. 2 under the auspices of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. “This may be the first U.S. Open course played without long rough,” says USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “We’ve never done that before. It will certainly be a different look and feel to the golf course than what we’re used to seeing.” The same trend that vexed Tufts and Dye in 1950 was in play to even greater degrees at the turn of the 20th century. The tandem of whitehot balls and robust drivers overwhelmed classic courses in the 6,800-yard neighborhood and the only defense for them over the last three decades was for the greens committees and superintendents to grow rough — more of it, thicker, longer. Spread more fertilizer and spray more water. The result was a homogenized look that took the latitude out of a golf course and left little imagination or option in playing recovery shots. “Tournament golf has gotten to be 99.9 percent ‘pound it out of heavy rough,’” Crenshaw says. “To me, it’s very boring. I’ve gotten sick of it. There’s got to be something different from that. Yet that’s the mainstay of defenses put on courses. It’s anything but interesting. “I sense that other players feel that way also. And I think Mike Davis and the USGA recognize that. I think Mike has the idea that maybe, just maybe, you can have a U.S. Open that’s just a little bit different . . .” Different indeed with the idea of short grass being a hazard. That’s an idea embraced heartily by architect Tom Doak. “Of all the courses I have seen around the world, only a few have taken advantage of the possibilities of short grass — probably because it requires a good budget to manicure extra acres of fairways,” Doak says. “But consider the list: the Old Course at St. Andrews, Augusta National, Pinehurst No. 2, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield and Ballybunion at the front. With so many new courses lusting after this sort of status, you’d think a few would try to implement this technique.” Doak caddied at St. Andrews for a year after graduation from Cornell University and got his real education, he says, “on exciting courses which had cost nothing to build and which were affordable for all to play. Ever since, I’ve felt a responsibility to build courses which reflect the ideals of the game as the Scots still play it.” And the Scots are certainly not playing a lot of the sixty and sixty-four degree lob wedges so popular in the United States. They can run their ball along the taut surfaces of the British Isles, they play their shots under the brisk winds,

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148 E. New Hampshire Avenue Tues-Sat 11 to 6 • (910) 692-3749

NE Broad St.

E. New Hampshire Ave.

Located in Downtown Southern Pines next to Ashten’s Restaurant

g o L F T oW n J o U r nA L

and they use their imaginations to picture a ball in flight, striking ground and then running along the surface to an eventual stop. American courses with stringy rough surrounding a green allow for essentially one shot — a fierce swipe with a heavy club with lots of loft. “On a course like Pinehurst, you have more options, but at the same time, that makes a lot of people uncomfortable,” Doak says. “You don’t know which shot to play and don’t really commit one way or the other and you mess it up. So many people are just not comfortable putting from off a green or chipping the ball. They reach for the lob wedge automatically. We’ve done two courses at Bandon Dunes, and there’s nothing but short grass there. The caddies try to keep the wedge in the bag. But people keep trying that thirty-yard wedge off a tight lie and a firm fairway. They hit it halfway up the bank and the ball comes right back to them.” It was at the USGA’s annual meeting held at Pinehurst in February 2010 that incoming USGA President Jim Hyler spoke of the association’s initiative to promote more natural looking golf courses, groomed with less water and chemicals and fewer man-hours. “Our definition of playability should include the concepts of firm, fast and yes, even brown, and allow the running game to flourish,” Hyler said. “We need to understand how brown can become the new green.” Four years later, the USGA is on the cusp of staging back-to-back U.S. Opens on a Pinehurst No 2 course that will perfectly illustrate those concepts. There are some 700 fewer sprinkler heads on the course now than there were in 2005. And as many as six different mowing heights have been cut to two — one for the greens, another for everything else. “It’s a throwback to the old days and the idea of ‘maintenance up the middle,’” Davis says. “This is a major focus of our Green Section. Maintain the middle of the golf course and spend less time and money on irrigation, fertilizer and fungicides in the roughs. Go back to the way golf used to be played. You use less resources and you reduce the cost. “You just hope around the world, people will look at this golf course and say, ‘It doesn’t have to be lush and green.’ Maintenance up the middle is a great message for the game.” Listen closely this June and you might just hear golfers vilifying the short grass for the first time ever in a U.S. Open. PS

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1460 NC Hwy 5 • Pinehurst 910.295.6700 • Mon-Sat 10-5

J.A. Spivey Hair Company Located on Lower level • 295-2815

Lee Pace’s book, The Golden Age of Pinehurst — The Story of the Rebirth of No. 2, is available onsite and online at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Follow him at @LeePaceTweet. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

We don’t typically make people wait for their appointments, but sometimes they insist.

When you come to The Spa at Pinehurst for a treatment, you can enjoy a full day of relaxation. With spacious lounge areas, saunas, whirlpools, a swimming pool plus healthy snacks and smoothies, you can continue to unwind long after your appointment ends. So arrive early. Stay late. And we’ll make sure your appointment is right on time.

Receive 20% off treatments Monday-Wednesday.

Located next to The Carolina Hotel • Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 855.318.6710 • pinehurst.com

May 2014

For My Mother On Her Birthday A Poem by Your Daughter

When I turned 23 I started eating half a grapefruit every morning. My mother eats half a grapefruit every morning. The grapefruit comes in a big pink mesh bag and it is called “Not Your Mother’s Grapefruit.” When I turned 24 I joined a women’s book club; we meet monthly. My mother is in a women’s book club; they meet monthly. The book club is kind, opinionated and it is called “Not Your Mother’s Book Club.” And I want to ask the other grapefruit eaters, lady readers just what’s so bad about my mother? After all, She’s the one who taught me how to cut right through the middle of the orb, how to free the tiny fractured triangles from their calcium prisons. She’s the one who taught me how to transcend time, space, and geography, how to devour books voraciously and imagine worlds wildly.

But if I could add a bit more of (the tiny gestures of humongous love given so readily or the laugh that makes her eyes water; her “brr rabbits” on winter mornings or her turkey chili on winter nights; the dappled shade on a water-colored stream or an ability to wear large hats; toe-tapping in the kitchen while singing maybe not so in-tune or heaps of good advice offered gently) a bit more of my mother to my self with every fragment of fruit and every peel of page You best believe I would. Because grapefruit eaters, lady readers — Clearly my mother is “Not Your Mother” — Adrienne Anderson

These grapefruit eaters, lady readers they buck and shy from the idea of their mothers they twist and turn simple things into frantic departures

Adrienne Anderson, a native of Southern Pines, lives and works in Durham. She enjoys ﬂattering her mother, farmers’ markets, front porches, and poetry (not necessarily in that order). PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �May 2014

A True Wilderness on the Doorstep Preserving the mission of open land and protected wildlife, the Walthour-Moss Foundation is a model of what shared community values can do to protect the natural world By Toby R aymond • Photographs by L aura Gingerich 62

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

icture a pristine wilderness. A wilderness that boasts over 4,000 acres right down the road or outside your back door. A wilderness to be explored on horseback or on foot. A wilderness that is home to more than 700 plant and wildlife species. A wilderness that embodies the spirit of the Sandhills. A wilderness that will forever be protected. It is with reverence for such a wilderness that a far-off vision is now a reality. Pioneered by Virginia “Ginnie” and William O “Pappy” Moss, the dynamic team who “had a dream.” The Walthour-Moss Foundation, currently in its thirty-ninth year, boasts not only a vibrant natural habitat, it is considered the pre-

eminent equestrian destination stop for which Southern Pines Horse Country is celebrated. Some come to train and compete, others to join the renowned Moore County Hunt, or they come simply to enjoy the seemingly endless trails. Free to all, the Foundation attracts riders and drivers of all disciplines within the community and surrounding areas, while also proving to be a lure for out-of-towners and their horses looking to escape the worst of winter. And, as an increasing number of Northerners have taken flight to settle in warmer climates, Southern Pines has become a prime relocation spot, thanks in large part to having access to this treasure.

In conjunction with managing the labyrinth of equestrian trails, the Foundation’s mission is also to provide a safe haven for the bio-diverse ecosystems endemic to the Sandhills. With a spotlight on protecting many endangered plant and wildlife species, this too completes the dream so long ago envisioned by the Mosses.

In t he Beginning

As with many a great accomplishment, the origins can be somewhat inauspicious; however, with an abiding passion coupled with a fierce determination, a spark will inevitably ignite the flame. For Ginnie and Pappy, it was their love of horses that fueled the course of subsequent events. As a child of privilege at the turn of the century in Savannah, Georgia, Virginia Walthour grew up on horseback. As she once said, “I could ride before I could walk,” and as befitting a girl of her standing, she participated in both foxhunting and show jumping, the elite equestrian sports of the day. By the time she reached her teens, Ginnie had earned a reputation as an accomplished rider, garnering award after award at the shows she attended both near and far. Then the Depression struck a crushing blow, and almost everything was lost: Land holdings disappeared, portfolios dissolved, and the refined lifestyle to which the family was accustomed all but vanished. Particularly devastating for a dedicated young rider, all the horses but two were sold. It is said out of hardship triumph is born, and so it was for Ginnie. With a

resilience and fortitude that characterized her throughout her life, she rose to the occasion. Turning her prize show hunters into lesson horses, she and her sister went to work. They single-handedly converted a storage building into a barn, and set off door to door soliciting students for their newly formed venture: a riding school. After a slow start, their tenacity paid off, and in due time the business became profitable. Meanwhile, Pappy Moss was busy in Durham, North Carolina, working the fields of his family farm, but like Ginnie, his heart belonged to the horses. The proud owner of a powerful open-jumper, Lady Durham, he traveled to the state’s top shows, where he cleaned up time and again. And so it was that when Ginnie and her sister moved their operation to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, during one exceptionally hot summer, the two were destined to meet. Meet they did, and the rest, as they say, is history. As newlyweds in the 1930s, funds were scarce, but buoyed by their youth and enthusiasm, Ginnie and Pappy made a trip to Southern Pines, having heard about the Moore County Hounds. Captivated by the scenery, the couple also saw a world of business opportunities, as there seemed to be unlimited potential to make a go of it in such equine-friendly surroundings. An enterprising duo from the start, they no sooner made a decision to stay when they jumped into their new life; they rented a small apartment over the barn, started a livery stable, and joined the hunt. Originally formed in 1914 by James and Jackson Boyd, the hunt was the heart of the small, tightly knit community. As a township, however, Southern Pines was pretty much of a backwater settlement: just a stop on the train route from New York to Florida. With the wide-open countryside,

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

though, it was ideal for foxhunting and for an ambitious couple to get into the real estate game. Their idea was to buy large parcels and subdivide them as offerings to their equestrian friends. Any money earned from their various endeavors — riding lessons, breeding and training, together with the proceeds from the sale of the Moss family farm in Durham — was dedicated to that end. And, as it turned out, they packed a one-two punch. Pappy had a talent for acquiring choice acreage, which Ginnie would then “sell” by virtue of her quick wit and infectious, all-inclusive personality. There were high times back then between their equestrian and entrepreneurial activities. Their eventual purchase of the 92-acre, Mile-Away Farm, located on North May Street, and where they finally settled, was to become their jewel in the crown and the pinnacle of Southern Pines society. Known for their free-wheeling, fun-loving exploits, they threw legendary parties and organized events where business deals were often sealed over cocktails or on horseback. Sweeping along everyone with whom they came into contact, no one could resist the promise of a temperate year-round climate, spectacular riding country, and a great night life to boot. Whereas the original acreage was the catalyst for a dedicated equestrian community, both Ginnie and Pappy were also committed to preserving their natural surroundings. As time passed and their land holdings increased, which in the end totaled over 2,500 acres, their focus began to shift toward ensuring the integrity of the land itself.

The Making of t he Trust In 1974 The Walthour-Moss Foundation was founded, and with it the realization of the dream that had long been in the making. But it was not until 1978, after Pappy’s death, that the initial 1,739 acres was transferred

into the trust, the first of many land gifts spanning the next thirty years. Other members of the community soon followed suit, as they too recognized a need to protect against the encroaching development that was threatening to overrun the area. As the neighborhood continued to rally with additional land donations, along with generous financial support, The Foundation was eventually able to purchase properties in its own right.

Preserving t he Mission

To Preserve Open Land, To Protect and Improve Wildlife Habitat, and To Offer a Place for Equestrian Purposes Even though the Foundation’s primary mission was to provide a venue for horse people, it quickly became clear that there was a need for proactive stewardship of the land. With the building boom in full swing, the area’s natural resources were fast disappearing, along with its treasure-trove of historical landmarks dating back 100-plus years. Consequently, a conservation minded-board of directors was selected to identify the key areas in need of immediate and long-term restoration. As always, the community got on board providing both financial and hands-on assistance, enabling many of the initiatives that were adopted in the 1970s to remain in place to this day. One such program focuses on recreating a wiregrass savannah, home to the longleaf pines. With the science to support the use of fire as a tool for perpetuating a healthy ecosystem, a series of controlled burns has become the platform for its success. In this process, unwanted scrub growth is removed, creating an environment rich in nutrients, which in turn stimulates seed production that attracts insects and birds, who then do their part by providing food and distributing those seeds. As the wheel comes full circle, the pines propagate, and the accompanying flora and fauna make a comeback as well.

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Also once prevalent in the Sandhills region, the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), which typically dwells in open, mature and oldgrowth pine forests, has received federal endangered species status due to the dramatic loss of its habitat. With only about 15,500 remaining, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also stepped in to incorporate them into its Safe Harbor Program (SHP). Offering private landowners regulatory relief in exchange for protection and supervision of their locales, the SHP has been working closely with The Foundation, which offers refuge to a significant fourteen colonies. As a result of the synergistic relationship between them, there now exists a suitable environment for the perpetuation of the red-cockaded woodpeckers, along with a number of other bird species. And, their good work together continues. Having earned a nod from the SHP in 2012, a team from the Sandhills Ecological Institute was called in to cull the invasive kudzu, wisteria, Japanese stiltgrass and chinaberry, a Herculean task performed pro bono. In addition, the Foundation plays host to a number of biologists, entomologists and environmental scientists, experts and students alike who come to study the many plant and animal populations with an eye toward preservation and management. Projects ranging from cataloging the Sandhill’s native bees and insects to monitoring wild turkey nests have resulted in valuable data that has helped The Foundation map out several new conservation programs as well.

Honoring t he Past

In 2012 The Walthour-Moss Foundation was recognized by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) by being placed on the State’s National Historic Registry, and in 2013, The Walthour-Moss Foundation was listed by the United States Department of the Interior on

the National Register of Historic Places. Referred to as a significant cultural landscape, the Foundation claims a history dating back to the 1900s when a robust tar, pitch and turpentine industry dominated the region. With an abundance of longleaf pines located in close proximity to the railway station, many were pressed into service by being tapped or “bled” for their sap, a crippling and often terminal process. The season typically began in late winter. A square “box” was cut just above the base of the tree, on top of which a long, deep, V-shaped gash, measuring two feet long and six to eight inches deep, acted as a reservoir to hold the lemony liquid that was to flow in early spring. As the season progressed, a routine “chipping” or hacking would take place, which consisted of removing strips of bark to encourage production. Lasting until October of the first year, the wound would have grown to twenty-four inches high, and by the fourth and final year, six to eight feet. As a tribute to the surviving pines, over 100 have been identified and marked with yellow diamond-shaped signs. Dotting the landscape throughout The Foundation, many are visible from the network of equestrian trails, which once served to transport sap to the railroad. Yadkin Road, known as the Buffalo Trail, Old Mail Road and May Street near the North Carolina State Veterinary Equine Center are a few sites where they stand, gnarled yet regal just the same.

Impact ing the Community

As Ginnie and Pappy had envisioned, Southern Pines has become a prosperous community with equestrian activities at its core. What they did not anticipate was the positive impact that also can be felt across all sectors of commerce. Where once there was just a handful of local trades and services, there now is a wide range of businesses that have sprung up to accommodate the influx of horse people.

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Testimony to this is based on the results of a study commissioned in 2011 by the Foundation to determine the economic effects of the equine industry in Moore County. Statistical data was collected from a number of nationally recognized agencies, which was then compiled and analyzed by a Wilmington, North Carolina-based economic development firm. According to the study, Moore County can boast housing 7,920 horses at an estimated value of $48,144,000. The study further states there are approximately forty area businesses involved directly in the Sandhills’ horse industry, including farm management/services companies, equipment providers, farrier and veterinarian services, livestock services, tack shops, breeding facilities and professional stables. Although the indirect economic impact is harder to determine, it is safe to say that the area’s horse community also influences the income of a number of ancillary businesses: feed mills, hardware stores, retail stores that include equestrian tack/apparel in their inventories, builders that specialize in barns, hunt box construction, and fence installation. Then there are the services performed by individuals, a number of which are substantial. Citing contract farm and maintenance work, for instance, while others, such as full or part-time employment related to a growing number of recreational or “hobby” horse farms, also adds to the tally. All told, the report estimates the indirect economic impact at $165,765,000. In addition, the report points to some impressive figures when it states, “The Sandhills horse community helps to indirectly support approximately another fifty companies, with employment of over 180 people, and annual sales of $16.3 million.” Note: That number does not include the revenue generated by the seasonal horses, which also is likely to be a considerable sum. The study’s author also conducted more than twenty-five interviews to

gain insights from a group of specialists in the equine and tourism industries, as well as from a number of local sources. What they found was that over the last thirty years, as large land owners began selling parcels of tenplus acres to people who wanted to enjoy an equestrian lifestyle, the number of horse farms surrounding the Foundation has dramatically increased, and as such, property values have increased as well. While the landscape has changed, the intrinsic value of having access to The Foundation has remained a constant priority then and now. In fact, many equestrian developments, as well as individual horse farm owners, have specified easements written into their covenants to ensure that everyone has a right of entry. There even are properties with deeds guaranteeing access for the hunt.

In Conclusion

The Walthour-Moss Foundation invites us to take a step back to a time when the natural world was unspoiled. A time when riders, drivers and nature enthusiasts could travel over miles of uninterrupted trails. A time that captures a gracious way of living. More than anything, however, the Foundation stands as a symbol of what can be accomplished with a dream and a community to stand behind it. As we unite to ensure its continued protection, The Foundation is certain to be a sanctuary for future generations, as it was in the past and is for us now. PS Toby Raymond is a writer specializing in branding and PR to the equine world. Toby can be reached at tlraymond2@gmail.com.

Tommy

The further entreprenual adventures of Mary Ellen By FRed chaPPeLL • iLLusTRaTion By haRRy BLaiR

r. Ponder had written out a list of items on the back of a smudged envelope addressed to the Joyful Enterprise Grocery & Linoleum. The return address was Evergrow Farm, Linden Creek, N.C. 27464. Alongside the ingredients suggested by Mary Ellen for her recipe — the mashed black-eyed peas, the canned spinach, cornmeal, red wine vinegar, and yard grass — he had set down symbols: check marks, asterisks, dotted circles like eyeballs, squiggles, Q’s and indecipherables. Beside these symbols he had sometimes placed the letters “k l.” On the farther sides of some words he had looped scribbles she could not read. It was mid-afternoon. Mr. Joshi said that he had expected her to come to his grocery emporium at 11 so that they could discuss the ingredients, make further plans and wheel. “It is too soon to deal,” he declared in tones almost mournful. “Careful preparation is required before the matter of finances can be broached. A cautious start is best.” “I had to go to the dentist,” Mary Ellen said. He gave her a look of profound commiseration. “I am grieved to hear of this misfortune. I hope the situation was not life-threatening. I have consulted dentists over the years and rarely rejoiced at the prospect.” He paused to recall. “But the outcomes have generally been positive. Can you see?” He hooked a finger into his mouth and pulled down, exhibiting two gold teeth on the left side. “Did it hurt much?” she asked, hoping never again to see his face contorted in such manner. “It is difficult to remember physical discomfort to an exact degree. I seem to recall that I did not jubilate. Did you endure suffering?” “A little bit. My cousin Tommy chipped my front tooth with an umbrella.” “Did this take place during a tempest? Sometimes people become excited by unsettling weather and perform inexplicable acts.” “We were in the apartment. He wanted to play pirates with sword fighting. He pretended the umbrella was a sword. He jumped out of the closet at me.” “Ah. An accident, then.” “That’s what he told my mom.”

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“Was it not the case?” “He is a bully. Someday I will kick his butt.” “Have you considered what may ensue if you return violence for violence?” “He will tell my dad that I beat him up for no reason. He will say that I sneaked up on him from behind. He is a tattletale and he makes stuff up.” “May I look at your tooth-wound?” He leaned and gazed. “I can discern no damage. Your upper lip is a little swollen.” “Dr. Hopley said he fixed it fine and nobody would notice and the swelling would go down.” He straightened and was immediately lost in thought. “He must be a spirited young person, your cousin,” he said at last. “By how many years is he your senior?” “He is my same age but only bigger.” “Does he come often to visit?” “Aunt Penny has to talk to many divorce lawyers all day long. So she drops Tommy off. My mom says I’m supposed to entertain him. I thought she meant I was supposed to sing and dance. But she meant I had to play with him, and he doesn’t fight fair.” “I’d like to become acquainted with Tommy.” “She’s dumping him off at our place again tomorrow.” “Perhaps he would like to inspect the Joyful Sunrise. I would treat the both of you to fruit drinks.” Mary Ellen looked about. The spaces of the store seemed emptier and gloomier than ever. The lazy flight of a large black fly through aisle four underscored the lonely, shadowy atmosphere. The fluorescent glow from the freezer case in back gave the shelves a spectral aspect. “I don’t know if I can get him to come here.” “Perhaps the gratis fruit drink will be an enticement.” “Maybe. What kind of fruit is a gratis?” He considered. “The best kind. I hope you will be able to persuade him. What else might we offer?” “If Mr. Bad Cop was here, I guess Tommy would like to look at his pistol.” He considered again in a more leisurely fashion. “I can make no promise, but you may describe to him the presence of Sergeant Washington as a possibility.” “OK.” “In case the possibility eventuates, we should prepare. Things too unexpected may escape our control.” He found a small piece of chalk under the counter. “Come with me.” She followed him down aisle one to the end. There was a bare space of about five feet between the last shelf and the freezer case. To the left was the door of the men’s room. He grasped her shoulders gently and led her to stand just past the end of the aisle. Then he viewed her post from several angles, nodded, and chalked a large X on the floor at her feet. “Do you observe the door to the men’s room? That we shall designate as Stage Left. Now look to your right toward the edge of the freezer case. That will be Stage Right. The X is your mark. You must stand here and talk to Tommy and await entrances from Stage Left and then Right.” “What for?” “Events do not always fall out accidentally for the best. Sometimes we must arrange for ourselves the petty details of our larger destinies.” “I don’t know what you mean.” “You are learning stagecraft — how to find your mark as an actor, how to lead another character to place himself in correct position, how to improvise dialogue toward a dramatic point.” “I still don’t.” “I trust your ingenuity to bring Tommy to this exact spot when he visits the Emporium. You must devise a strategy.” “But I don’t —“ He led her back to the counter at the front.“Now, shall we speak about our

ingredients? I have begun to consult with Krazy Loon and he has made a few suggestions. For instance, he thinks you might substitute wheat grass for lawn grass. He conjectures that the lawn grass will contain some quantity of fescue which in its raw state in not considered acceptable fodder for humanity. That makes it unusable for the kaleburger.” “What is wheat grass? Who is Krazy Loon?” “He is, among other things, a gastronomist.” “Like the man who reads the gas meters in the apartment basement? “Is he a very tall person with strange white hair?” “No. He is fat and wheezy.” “Then reading gas meters there is not one of Krazy Loon’s various exercises. But he is talented in many ways and could read the meters if called upon.” “All right.” “A gastronomist knows about things to eat. Shall we continue?”

s Mr. Ponder had suggested, the prospect of close personal proximity to a big pistol proved persuasive, though Tommy professed to doubt her words. His countenance was often marked by signs of stubborn temperament, aggressive skepticism, ugly mischief and general discontent. When he entered the Sunrise his expression only darkened. It grew even darker when he found no trace of Sergeant Washington. Tommy was ill suited to any environment he had ever encountered. Mary Ellen thought he did not look like a regular kid but like an entity constructed of rejected parts from the Boy Manufacturing Company. His middle was round and tubby, but his arms and legs were spindly and protruded from his middle, as in the drawings small children make of their parents. But in those drawings the youngsters like to add a big yellow sun to the sky and appurtenance it with powerful rays of yellow light. Any sun in Tommy’s sky would be purple-black, she thought, and none of those M-shaped birds that children include would show themselves. “Hello?” Mary Ellen called. The reply was a silence that begged to be broken. The Emporium was shadowy as never before, though it was 11:30 in the morning. Some of the lights in back were not working. “Come down this way,” she said. Tommy followed her to her X. There they stood silent until he said, “You lied to me. I told you, if you lied to me you were going to get it good.” “You better not try anything.” “Why not?” “Because it would be an exceedingly bad idea,” said Sergeant Washington, stepping out of the door marked Men’s Room and entering from Stage Left. The most fun Mary Ellen had enjoyed in these past few days now occurred as she watched Tommy’s expression change. She was used to the size of the sergeant; Tommy had not seen him before. He stepped back from the man, edging a little closer to Mary Ellen. She moved away to let him stand alone. “I have had my eye on you,” Sergeant Washington said to Tommy. “You are showing tendencies toward future evil-doing. You have already taken quite a few steps down the primrose path to perdition and are acting with malice aforethought. Just look at your disgraceful T-shirt.” His tubbiness was emphasized by a black T-shirt with crooked white lettering: Life is Crap. Tommy glanced down at his proud message, then looked into the policeman’s face with an air of nervous defiance. “So?” he said. “You are comparing human life to an animal-byproduct fertilizer. But you know little of agriculture and even less about life. You have chosen a smartass remark as a fashion statement. This shows that you care extremely little about proper dress and nothing at all about socially acceptable manners.” “So?” “It seems that I have arrived upon the scene in the nick of time. Just now

you threatened your cousin, who is a girl, with physical violence. If I had not been here, you probably would have murdered her. But had you thought what to do with her poor, broken, slaughtered body? It is not so easy to dispose of a corpse. I have brought many a cold-blooded killer to justice because he or she had not thoroughly considered the problem.” “I wouldn’t do nothing like that.” “You threatened Mary Ellen. She has a special relationship with local law enforcement. You said you would cut her throat, disembowel her and perform disgusting acts with her detached ears.” “No I never.” “I heard you threaten her.” “I just said she was going to get it good.” Sergeant Washington thrust forward his imposing chest. “Do you see this?” “Yeah.” “Yes sir.” “Yessir.” “What is it?” “A badge.” “What does the badge signify?” “That you’re a cop.” “Very good. Perhaps I have underestimated your intelligence. Now, a law enforcement officer has to learn many things. The sociology of poverty, for example, though a dispiriting subject matter, is very helpful in gaining a broad perspective on what at first may seem but the simplest of misbehaviors — double-parking, for instance. The officer must also learn all the different methods of identification and these may involve the sciences of chemistry, physics, biochemistry and dentistry. One of the disciplines an officer must master is dialectology, in particular, the argot of the criminal subculture. In that specialized jargon, the phrase ‘going to get it good’ has a settled, well-defined meaning. It signifies that a victim will be divested of his or her liver and lights, the throat severed with a straight razor and the ears cut off, painted with green acrylic and attached to the tail of a kite to be flown at noontime over the district attorney’s office. The display of this latter mutilation is intended as a gesture of defiance to law enforcement and indeed to the very spirit of the law itself. What do you have to say? Did I not hear you threaten your cousin?” “I wouldn’t really hurt Mary Ellen bad.” Tommy’s gaze strayed. “She told me you would show me your pistol and let me hold it.” Mary Ellen’s face turned so red her freckles became invisible. “Liar liar pants on fire.” She spoke in a low, barely controlled tone. Sergeant Washington looked carefully at Mary Ellen, seeming to think deeply. Then he thumbed open the guard strap of his holster and withdrew the big, shiny pistol. “If you are going to fire the weapon, you’ll have to take off the safety.” He handed the pistol to Tommy. He reached eagerly and it fell immediately from his grasp onto the toe of his Nike basketball shoe. He yelled loudly. He hopped about on one foot for a space of time. He said a great many words that Mary Ellen was never supposed to say or even to know. “I take it that you’re no fan of heavy metal,” said Sergeant Washington. “Yow!” To this syllable Tommy appended several varied specimens of his uncouth lexicon. “I judge from your word choices that you must be a devoted partisan of animal-byproduct fertilizer,” the sergeant said. “Yet still I cannot picture you toiling in the fields with hoe or rake.” Tommy subsided into baleful silence, broken only by a furtive sniffle or two. At this point there entered from the shadow of the freezer case, Stage Right, the sergeant’s colleague, patrolman Will Hannah. His physical appearance was almost the exact opposite of Sergeant Washington. Will was, by his own admission, the Good Cop, and in plain clothes he looked the part. Tall, blond, clean-shaven, wearing a light cotton jacket and a blue tie, he presented a bland, even a mild, aspect.

“Did I hear a cry of distress?” he inquired in an offhand manner. “This young, future evildoer dropped a pistol on his foot,” the sergeant said. “What kind of pistol?” “It was my service revolver.” “Oh my.” He blinked his blue eyes three times. “That is a heavy piece. No wonder he cried out. His poor little foot may be bruised. How did he come to have the weapon?” “He took it from me?” “This unpromising youngster?” “I suffered a moment of inattention. In that brief instant, he snatched it from me and threatened my life and the life of his cousin Mary Ellen.” Patrolman Hannah looked at her as if he had just noticed her presence. “We have met before.” “Yes sir. You are Mr. Good Cop.” “Please don’t say that. It makes me seem ineffective.” He turned to Tommy. “Do you think I’m Mr. Good Cop?” Tommy pointed an angry finger at Sergeant Washington. “He told a big fat lie. I never snatched nothing. He handed me his gun.” “He handed you his weapon and you dropped it? That does not seem likely.” “It’s lying right there on the floor.” He nudged it with his toe and said ouch again. The sergeant scooped up the revolver. He spoke to patrolman Hannah. “I don’t know if you watch the police dramas on television. In those productions the plainclothes detectives wave these weapons about as if they were flyswatters. Yet some types are rather hefty.” “I once tested a long-barrel .45 caliber that weighed something like three pounds,” said Mr. Good Cop. “If your young friend had dropped that one, he might have suffered a broken bone.” The sergeant re-holstered his piece. “He’s no young friend of mine. He is not properly prepared to handle weapons and he has shown himself unworthy. And there is the matter of his mortal threat to Mary Ellen. I am undecided upon a course of action.” “Maybe you could let me kick his butt,” Mary Ellen said. He looked at Mr. Good Cop. “What do you think of that suggestion, Will?” He shook his head. “I try to adhere to the wise tenets of our colleague, Mr. Joshi. It is best not to return violence for violence.” “Then what shall we do?” “Let us confer.” The pair of them huddled, turned away from Tommy and Mary Ellen, and muttered purposefully. Tommy smirked. This was his moment. He stretched out a skinny arm and pinched his cousin on her left bicep. She knotted her fist, eager to defend herself, but then the policemen brought their attentions to bear. “We have decided,” said Mr. Good Cop, “that violence for violence is a defective strategy. Sergeant Washington will deliver to you the gist of our deliberation. I am unable to stay and help him explain because I am at this moment receiving an urgent call on my policeman’s cell phone to go do battle with some evildoers down in Dogsaddle Alley.” “I don’t hear any phone,” Tommy said. “That’s because you are not a police officer. You hear it, don’t you, Wash?” “Loud and clear.” “So I must go and join the eternal struggle for truth and justice. I will exit Stage Right and enter the shadow of the freezer case. Pay close attention to the sergeant. Farewell.” He walked away heroically, his shoulders held straight and his stomach pulled rigid. Sergeant Washington came to tower over Tommy like a factory chimney. “Pay attention,” he said. He reached into the inner pocket of his tunic and brought out a small paper folder. “Here it is: The Ten Best Ways to Stay out of Jail.” He handed it to Tommy. “Take this and study it at every opportune moment. Keep these maxims always present in mind. Take them to heart. Next

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

time I see you I will quiz you on this small tract and I will expect you to be letter perfect.” Tommy regarded the pamphlet in his hand as if it had been fished from a sewer. “What if I don’t?” “What is the final word in the title?” “You couldn’t put me in jail. I ain’t done anything.” “From the standpoint of the strict line of duty I could not. Regulations would not permit. But there is also the motive of personal pleasure. It would strike me as jolly to observe you behind bars. And your incarceration might restore the roses to Mary Ellen’s cheeks. I speak figuratively, you understand.” Tommy opened the document. He read haltingly. “If you will not hear Reason, she’ll surely rap your Knuckles. I don’t get it.” “Understanding Poor Richard requires patience and practice. Mary Ellen, would you like to explain to Tommy?” “I don’t understand either,” she said. “You are unused to the rhetorical device of personification. In time we will remedy that shortcoming. The apothegm means, ‘If you don’t use your head, your head will pay the price.’” He flicked Tommy’s forehead with his thumb. “Like that, only harder.” He rubbed. “That hurt.” “Not much. Are we now clear about the duties that have been assigned to you, Tommy? You are to study diligently The Ten Best Ways to Stay out of Jail. You are to leave off bullying Mary Ellen. You are to learn good manners and practice them. You are to memorize some poetry for the Policemen’s Poetry Preservation Project. The last part is the fun part. There will be handsome prizes for the winners of the competition.” “Competition?” said Mary Ellen. “We will keep you informed,” said Mr. Bad Cop. He patted Tommy on the head before the lad could duck away. “Mary Ellen has kept the promise she did not actually make,” he told him. “You were allowed to see and hold a large policemen’s pistol. You can boast about it to your friends.” At this suggestion, Tommy smiled. His eyes brightened. “But you must not fib. You must not say that you actually fired the weapon and wounded a criminal who was robbing a bank. Tell the truth. Honesty is the best policy, according to The Ten Best Ways.” His instantly despondent expression showed that Tommy heard and comprehended these sad strictures.

t supper that evening Mary Ellen asked her mother if Tommy was coming to visit again tomorrow. “No. Tomorrow is Saturday and divorce lawyers don’t work on Saturdays. How are you and Tommy getting along? I thought you were beginning to like him when Penny came to pick him up today.”

“OK, I guess.” “He seemed calmer than usual. Did something happen between you two?” “Not really. It’s just that he does not want to go to jail.” “Well, who does?” her father asked. “Would you like to go to jail?” “Mr. Bad Cop told me it is unlikely I will be incinerated. He gave me the Ten Best Ways to stay out. I will study them carefully, like he says.” “Incinerated?” “I think he must have said incarcerated,” Laura said. “He told me to say, ‘Hey,’ and do you ever hear from any of the Bipeds from back when. What are Bipeds?” “That would be the Burly Bipeds. I used to be in with a group of buddies who called themselves that.” Mary Ellen pushed a small, boiled, red potato around her plate with her fork. She had goaded it round the circuit six times already. She expected she could roll it four more times before her mother took the fork from her hand and speared the veggie, saying, ‘Don’t play with your food. It’s childish.’”

“I saw your T-shirt that said Burly Bipeds. It had a motorcycle on it. Were you in a biker gang?” He hesitated. “Well, yes and no.” “Not exactly,” Laura said. “You should tell your daughter the truth.” “That is the truth. Mostly.” “Your father and his friends didn’t have much money. They couldn’t afford Harleys or Tomahawks or whatever. They rode mopeds.” “Mopeds? Like little Billy Jim Haggins rides around the walkways?” She had never seen her father blush. For someone with so little practice in the reaction, he managed a strong shade of scarlet. He did not look toward Mary Ellen. “His gang was called Bipeds on Mopeds,” said Laura. “We called ourselves the Burly Bipeds.” Eric Ackerman sat up straight in his chair. He labored to look dignified. “We never backed off from a fight, not even with the Wild Boars.” “You didn’t need to back off,” Laura said. “Those guys were not going to challenge a bunch of kids on mopeds.” She twisted Mary Ellen’s fork from her fingers, tined the little potato, and advanced it toward her daughter’s mouth. “Don’t play with your food,” she said. “It’s distracting.” “And silly,” her father said.

hese late July days, with school-opening five weeks away, Mary Ellen had no friends to exchange a confidence with. Even at school she had only a few. Sometimes she and Merla would trade secrets. Merla would reveal highly embarrassing details about her family and Mary Ellen tried to match her stories one for one. Sometimes she had to invent incidents to match the degrees of embarrassment that Merla disclosed. But she would never tell Merla or anyone else alive on Planet Earth that her father used to belong to a moped gang. That secret she would carry to her grave. “He said to tell you he heard the Bipeds were planning a reunion and you were specially invited.” “The policeman said a reunion was planned?” “I’m not sure that’s such a wonderful idea,” Laura said. “Sergeant Washington, you call him? What does he look like?” Mary Ellen supplied the best description she could muster, emphasizing Mr. Bad Cop’s magnitude of bulk. She mentioned that his pistol was surprisingly heavy. Her father looked at her mother. “Washington,” he said. “Do you think that could possibly be —” “Washtub,” she said. “It is hard to picture him as a police officer. He was in a real biker gang. Slaughtered Pigs or something.” “Chopped Hogs. I hear he went into the military after he dropped out.” “That was at the suggestion of Judge Hardy. Wasn’t there something about his continual infractions of the law? The judge advised him that the Army might enlighten his attitude.” “Ole Wash loved to gun his Hog,” Eric said. “If there was a noise ordinance in effect at any hour in any neighborhood, he was heck-bent on violating it.” “You could say hell. Cousin Tommy says it all the time.” Mary Ellen gazed guilelessly at her father. “He says other words too. Sergeant Washington says Tommy’s language is not fit for polite company.” Laura sighed. “I don’t know where he picks up such bad habits. My sister is always careful.” “I wonder if this cop is the same guy as my old pal from way back,” Eric said. “I’d like to chew the fat with him. Does he usually hang out at this grocery store?” She hesitated, confused by the undesired image of her father and Mr. Bad Cop leaning against the counter of the store, arms folded, looking at each other while gnawing great gobs of pig fat, the disgusting juices dribbling onto their chests. I’m glad I’m a vegetarian, she thought. “Not always. If you ask Mr.

Ponder, he can get him to come.” “Who is Mr. Ponder? . . . Oh, never mind. I remember now. Sometimes I get confused.” “Yes,” Mary Ellen said.

fter the meal each of them wanted to watch a different TV show. Eric was devoted to professional football, including the preseason games. Mary Ellen wanted to see a nature show called Killers of the Night Jungle. Laura voted for a long-running English series in which the wealthy characters spoke a language so handsome it made the actors’ teeth glow. The servants of these well-spoken gentry chattered in a dialect Mary Ellen could make nothing of. If she closed her eyes, she might be listening to a nature show about monkeys in China. “You know,” said Eric, “I’ve been thinking. I’m not sure IQ is the best name for a pony. There is such a thing as low IQ. Maybe you should try again.” “Maybe I will,” Mary Ellen said. “’Course, it’s not the worst name in the world. I once heard of a horse called My Grandma Lost Her Tweezers in a Barroom Full of Geezers.” “Oh, Eric,” said Laura. “That’s a fib.” “They shortened it to Tweezers for the racing forms. She won by a hair. Every time.” “We will watch Haunching Downs,” Laura said. “I want to find out if the scullery maid understood the words in Farsi she overheard in the third upstairs bedroom.” Eric said, “Isn’t that the language she usually speaks?” Laura clicked on the TV, so Mary Ellen retired to her bedroom, not waiting even to see if the job of the maid was to wash and polish skulls. She tugged a box from beneath her bed and took out the Portfolio. In these latter days it had outgrown its cardboard folder and now she stuffed the materials into paper grocery bags. This was not an efficient filing system and it most particularly was not neat. Laura commented upon the messiness. “If you are going to be a businesswoman, you must keep your records neat as a pen.” Neat as a pen. Nope. That expression would never pass Language Skills scrutiny. Mary Ellen had a number of ballpoints in easy reach. They protruded like porcupine quills from a well-washed Smucker’s Orange Marmalade jar on her vanity-table desk. These pens were not neat. The one that came from a urology clinic was dented and ragged; she chewed on it while thinking. There was what used to be a nifty pen that wrote in four different colors when she thumbed down the cylinders. But she had stepped on it and now it offered only a gruesome purple. The one from the Financial Triad Partnership would sometimes write but would often balk. The one from Possum Drop Wine Cellars was too fat for her fingers. She mumbled. “It should be as neat as a doorknob.” She recalled the cool, smooth, unblemished porcelain knobs that opened the teachers’ lounge in her middle school. Mr. Joshi had given her a copy of her kaleburger ingredients with the notations he had made. He had drawn a line through the can of black-eyed peas and written in fava, which Mary Ellen rhymed with Ava. Red wine vinegar was completely obliterated with red ballpoint strokes and the term Malbec substituted. She tried to think what a Malbec might be. It sounded like something her father would take her to visit in a zoo, something not easily digestible. There was a “?” beside the word, so maybe Mr. Ponder didn’t know what it was either. Next to the “?” were the letters “k l.” Krazy Loon. There were other appearances of “k l” down the margins of the list. This personage, whom she had not seen, took on many shapes in Mary Ellen’s imagination. His name might belong to a character in an animated TV cartoon and in this guise she pictured him as thin-faced with wild and wacko

eyes and a shock of red clown hair like that of Bozo the clown. But Mr. Joshi had mentioned that he was tall and white-haired and with these attributes she envisioned him as a villainous character in a Batman movie — thin, cadaverous, towering but ungainly, with frost-white hair that fringed his forehead with spikes like icicles. These images did not well comport with his occupation as a cook. When she thought in those terms, she saw him as a skinny lad in his late teens wearing a cook’s small paper cap and a white T-shirt with his name in small letters on the shoulder and a large Sizzle Burger logo on the chest. Like the guy she had seen manning the grill when she and her dad brought home Sizzle Burgers for supper that one time. She had liked the Sizzle Burger with pimiento cheese topping. But now she was a vegetarian, and the pleasure was lost to her forever. In the lower right hand corner of the slip of paper, Mr. Joshi had marked off a square and headed it Kale on Wheels (“k l”). Below this heading was another list: curly k.; black k.; purple, golden, Funaro’s k.; Mrs. Capshaw’s k.; spinach k.; and Ornamental. She decided that these were different varieties of kale that Krazy Loon was thinking of as possibilities for the Supremely Delicious k-burger and its healthy freight of vitamin K. “Spinach k.” was canceled with a ballpoint stroke. Maybe Mr. Joshi disapproved. Some of the other kinds intrigued her. Was black kale as black as the space behind your eyeballs or only as black as ink? Was purple the color of a sunset cloud, or only mildly purple, like the bruise on her arm where Tommy had pinched her? She would especially like to gaze upon golden. She could see it in her mind’s eye gleaming like the treasure in a robber band’s desert cave. Open Sesame. The golden kale would be heaped in moldering wooden chests and guarded by a giant serpent. Ornamental. All she could picture was little, tiny, kale-lette bouquets of tinsel hanging on a Christmas tree. How could you make a burger of those? As for Funaro’s and Mrs. Capshaw’s — unthinkable. Why would a normal person allow any kind of kale to be named after them? She must discuss the questions with Mr. Ponder. She was pleased that he and his friends were helping her with the burger she had invented. They knew things she did not know and had access to opportunities and materials she could never have thought of. But the projects that had developed from her original concept were complicated. Each of them would require time and patience. Mr. Ponder cautioned her not to be “over-hasty.” How long would it take? She sighed when she pulled out a paper-clipped set of drawings she had made. The drive-in structures for the Supremely Delicious Kaleburger chain were to be in the shape of the letter K. The straight spine of the letter would contain the kitchen and drive-through window. The legs would offer parking spaces with speakers to order into. The buildings would be unique and unmistakable, especially to people flying over in helicopters. Many customers would come just to enjoy the surroundings. “An attractive ambience is necessary,” Mr. Joshi said. Mary Ellen did not understand why they would need an ambulance. That sounded like an idea only some Krazy Loon would propose. Her eyelids drooped, her head nodded. Maybe IQ is not the best name, she thought hazily. But it is not the worst. The worst, the rottenest, most horrible, ugliest, sickening name would be Tommy. If I had a pet slug, I wouldn’t name it Tommy. She rose from her labors and fell into bed and went to sleep fully clothed. PS This is the fifth in a series of stories about the headstrong Mary Ellen Ackerman by retired UNCG creative-writing professor and former North Carolina Poet Laureate Fred Chappell.

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Sect Life

The real By gayVin PoWeRs

PhoTogRaPhs By John gessneR

of Bees

n a recent warm spring afternoon, as a hive of busy honeybees dripped dollops of golden honey on his hand, Fayetteville bee hobbyist J.D. Spears displayed no concern of being stung. Watching a worker bee fly off to gather more nector from a blossoming garden of blueberries, sourwood and honeysuckle, he explains: “Every hive has a personality. If it’s a nice day, everyone is out collecting nectar. Not a thought of getting stung.” However, Spears is quick to point out that honeybees commonly display the opposite temperament on cold, rainy days. “They’re much more aggressive and short tempered. The bees will buzz, bump, thump and even sting you.” On just such a day last year, Spears was stung four times in five minutes. He calculates it’s a small price to pay considering the many gifts provided by pollintating bees. To start with there is the floral landscape that greets much of the United States each spring, providing a cornucopia of blooms and visual vibrancy after winter’s weary sights, awakening the senses. Then there is the incalculable role nature’s most efficient pollinators play in the cycle of life — fertilizing crops essential to all forms of life on this planet.

dWighT RicKaRd

Little or none of this sensual feast was be possible in the United States until the 17th Century, according to Dwight Rickard, a Medical Entomologist and past president of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA), who explains that many plants and food sources that are commonplace today were introduced to North America from Europe — including the honeybees that pollinated them. “Native Americans, back then, wouldn’t recognize the landscape today,” he adds. “Bees are pretty amazing,” Spears agrees, noting how significantly his farm changed — and quite literally grew — thanks to the work of honeybees and the natural process by which it all happens. “Thousands of bees work together to make up a hive and work as one.” During mid-summer, there may be up to 80,000 bees in a hive all working together to make honey, clean it, protect it from intruders and care for the newborn bees. Honey will not only feed the bees, it will also sustain the hive throughout the winter. At the center of this great colony of workers and guardians is the Queen Bee, who controls the hive with her pheromones, ensuring all the bees collectively work for the betterment of the hive. Bees don’t just take care of their hives, though; they’re also essential to the cycle of life on this planet — essential pollinators, you might say, of the human hive. When J.D. Spears’ wife, Kathleen, thinks about the future, she hopes to continue seeing fields of flourishing flowers and patches of clover where honeybees are “turning our entire farm into honey.” But the future, for the moment at least, is anything but predictable, the result of widespread reports of collapsed hives and radically decimated bee populations, a worrying syndrome scientists began calling Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) after millions of honeybees began mysteriously vanishing in 2006. Since that time, similar mysterious collapses have occurred across Europe as well, mirroring shortages of bees that have resulted in increased food production costs passed directly along to consumers. According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, numbers of active honey-producing hives in this country decreased by nearly half since 1980, falling from 4.5 to 2.44 million in 2008. For Spears and other Sandhills beekeepers, every bee is precious: one honeybee will produce a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime, and it will take an entire bee colony two trips around the world to create two gallons of honey. For farmers, the vegetables and field crops they pollinate are essential to the nutritional livelihood of a nation, and the honey they produce is more than just a delicious topping for sweetening tea or putting on your oatmeal. Dwight Rickard is impressed by studies that have been conducted by using manuka, medical-grade honey that is 100% pure. Not long ago a Maryland doctor

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

J.D. Spears

sent Rickard the results of a study he conducted with manuka on a 65-yearold woman with diabetes. The woman had tried, says Rickard, “antibiotics, ointments and creams on a sore the size of a half dollar. Nothing worked. The wound responded the first week using the manuka. And by the third week, the wound was completely healed.” The medical properties of honey aren’t a new revelation. Centuries-old remedies using honey include swallowing a spoonful of local honey daily to help alleviate allergies. Spread honey on a burn, our grandmothers knew, the pain will ease and the healing process will be accelerated. Not to mention, more sore throats have been soothed over the millennium using honey, lemon and hot water than cough drops.

ees are critical for our food supply,” says Rickard. “Every third bite of food we consume is directly attributed to honey bees.” But as another Sandhills spring dawns, the honeybees continue dying off and scientists and beekeepers everywhere are in a race to reverse the effects of CCD, the causes of which are still unknown. A combination of factors is suspected ranging from enviromental pollution to pesticides, predators and pathogens, mites, fungus, malnutrition and poor beekeeping practices. The winter’s large fluctuations between hot and cold is believed to have caused a large reduction in North Carolina’s honeybee populations, as bees came out of hibernation early and went in search of food that wasn’t available, causing many of them to starve, devastating hives.

At a recent Moore County meeting of the NCSBA, beekeepers reported losses of 30–75 percent of their hives due to the cold. Personally, Rickard lost six of his own eight hives, leaving him with only two. These are two reasons that the Spears were given mite- and disease-resistant bees from Texas as a housewarming gift. Fortunately, Rickard’s strongest hives survived. This year he’ll do what most people are doing to protect his surviving colonies of honeybees. He’ll split the hives and save extra honey to feed the bees in hopes they will become healthier and stronger. For Moore County, that likely means less crops will be pollinated, less honey will be available and the golden nectar will cost more at the market. As bee experts point out, helping honeybee populations should be everyone’s concern, and beekeepers are altering practices to improve the survival odds by spraying with soap at night when the bees aren’t out and avoiding seven-day pesticides that have been shown to be a major problem. Other alternatives include using chickens or lady bugs to eat garden aphids. The most effective practice is for beekeepers is to select strong queens — in essence propogating survival of the fittest. J.D. and Kathleen Spears’ farm is a microcosm of what is happening in the world. As they prepare their hives for another busy summer of work, they’re like thousands of other beekeepers who are hoping their queens are strong enough to lead their hives and produce stable offspring. For the rest of us who tend to notice a passing bee only when it’s busy gathering nectar from a blooming shrub, it’s time to wake up and taste the honey. PS Gayvin Powers is a writer and award winning filmmaker who can be reached at www.gayvinpowers.com.

Story of a house

Home Again

Big, roomy, woodsy. Just as it’s always been, only better By Deborah Salomon • Photographs by John Gessner

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

olf may be king of Pinehurst, but in the 1950s, Clarendon Gardens reigned as queen. Thirty acres of azaleas, rhododendron, camellias and the world’s largest holly collection attracted several thousand tourists on spring weekends. Alas, gone are the gardens, replaced by fine homes. One precious relic remains: Anchors Aweigh, the sprawling seven-bedroom home built on sixty acres by Adm. John B. Lloyd in 1929. Undeterred by the Great Depression, Lloyd — horseman, hunter and grandson of Chicago Tribune founder — desired a retreat for his family and guests. At nearly 6,000 square feet, the Lloyds’ third home, built of native and reclaimed materials including handmade bricks from Charleston, must have raised eyebrows design-wise: more rustic Maine than the airy Colonial Revival summer cottages dotting the village and the Georgian manses in Southern Pines. Heavy beams crossed the ceilings. Walls were unpainted tongue-andgroove wood. Eleven stone fireplaces provided atmosphere. However, by the mid-1940s, the rarely occupied house had become “pretty dreary,” says Tom Howe. Howe’s father, Francis Howe, a paper manufacturer/ distributor/golfer from upstate New York, bought the property as a family vacation venue and farm. Eventually, an avocation for horticulture led him to create Clarendon Gardens. But first, he took advantage of its size to entertain important customers. “My father would call the staff and say, ‘I’ve got ten men coming down . . . Take good care of them.’” In the spring, the Howe children brought friends from college for golf and riding. “My mother put the boys PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

Tom and Brenda Hughes

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

upstairs and the girls downstairs,” Tom Howe says. This purpose survives. Much of the house had been renovated by a third owner when Tom and Brenda Hughes took over in 1989. The metamorphosis accomplished by Tom and interior designer Brenda Lyne was both logical and spectacular. Everything — from forest greens and browns, dark woods, oversize leather sofas — indicates a hunting lodge, yet the wildlife motifs speak to the Hugheses’ love of animals. No deer heads here. Instead, Tom and Brenda entertain friends, business associates, politicians, usually golfers who value the perk even more since the addition of the pool resembling a natural pond with a flagstone border and no turquoise liner.

nteresting people create interesting living spaces. Tom and Brenda met in high school, in a pre-gentrified Asheville suburb. She was the postmaster’s daughter. He lived in an unheated “cracker box” where four brothers shared one bathroom. “Tom was the school athlete. I had a crush on him,” Brenda recalls. He went off to N.C. State, she to Meredith College, later to East Carolina University. Brenda, with great cheekbones, voice and smile, became a TV reporter in Virginia, later a documentary filmmaker. Tom served as city manager for Roanoke Rapids, where he discovered deficiencies in municipal waste management. To address this, Tom established

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

“This house screams comfort, relaxation and retreat”

May 2014P�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

American Refuse Systems, designed and patented a 90-gallon rolling garbage can, and learned to fly for business and weekends with his wife. After starting a second refuse-related company he sought to move his administrative offices somewhere with a convenient, well-equipped airport, a place for employees to stay during the week — and golf. Not just golf for himself. Golf for clients in a house with seven five-star bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, a billiard room with full-size table, a hot tub and pool. Anchors Aweigh, now called the Lloyd-Howe House, fit his needs. “Tom has the knack for finding the most marvelous homes,” Brenda says. “A chunk of this one reminds me of Marcus Welby, very 1950s.” Besides, this one was midway between their primary residence in Wilmington and Brenda’s pied-à-terre near Asheville. Location: Perfect. Décor: Help! Brenda describes herself as not the cookie-baking type. “But we wanted to do everything we could to make it comfortable.” He took over. “Most of my guests would be male. I wanted something masculine, not dainty — durable but attractive.” He handed the entire interior design assignment to Brenda Lyne. Almost every piece of furniture, painting, Persian carpet and accessory was selected to fulfill Tom’s vision.

guest must first not get lost. If ever a layout needed GPS. . . Wings fly off from a one-and-a-half story core housing the living room, dining room, kitchen, bar/ butler’s pantry (bigger than most kitchens), family seating area and small bedroom, previously the maid’s quarters. In contrast to prevailing forest tones, the kitchen is stark white, with ceramic tile counters and unusual mirror backsplash. Appliances are pre-Wolf, pre-Sub Zero — more serviceable than glamorous. Faux-painted birds and vines trail the walls. Because the house qualified for the National Register of Historic Places, few changes could be made to the exterior, although within the footprint, a family sitting room was cobbled from two spaces under an existing roof. The dining room with paned casement windows and oval table suggests Tudor solidity while in the living room upholstered pieces have Henry VIII proportions. Tom himself purchased the painting of wine and violin over the massive fireplace, which they use often. He also found the Civil War rifle in a building undergoing renovation. Otherwise, art in all forms — from a rabbit ice bucket to William Wegman-style dog-headed humans — follow animal tracks. A rough-hewn staircase leads from the living room to the master suite in what might have been an attic, now a bed-sitting room, dressing room and bath. Back on the main floor, long hallways branch off in several directions.

Smallish bedrooms line these halls, each a variation on the green/brown/wine/cream theme, several with unusual beds contrived from wood or metal. In one, shirred toile fabric matching the bedspreads covers an entire wall. Another is furnished as an office. Some have doors leading outside, so guests can slip in and out unnoticed. Two of the original bedrooms were joined to make the billiard room. Lose that table and you’ve got a dance floor. Outside, tall shrubs soften and obscure the angles. Heavy two-piece Dutch doors with strap hinges add a European touch, although with multiple doors, the main entrance is a toss-up. A black iron fence and gate enclose the entire property, making it safe for the dogs. According to Brenda, “This house screams comfort, relaxation and retreat,” the ideal backdrop for Thanksgiving gatherings attended by thirty or forty, many who stay the weekend. Tom Howe approves of what the two subsequent owners have accomplished. “It’s still pretty,” he says of the area, his childhood home and gardens. “Big, roomy, woodsy — we had a good time there.” PS

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M “ arch winds and April showers Bring forth May flowers” — Mother Goose By noah saLT

Why We Love May The simple explanation is, of course, Mom. The month of May is rewardingly free of national holidays, except for Memorial Day on May 26, that must be observed lest one feel a little less than patriotic. Instead, we simply and gratefully honor our mothers with a special day dedicated to them, an observance that began in 1908 when West Virginian Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her late mother and subsequently launched a campaign to have the day set aside for honoring mothers everywhere. By 1914 the observance was so widespread, Jarvis complained of its rampant commercialism by florists and greeting-card makers — proof, as Mother Jarvis might have reminded us, that no good deed goes unpunished. Do remember Mama on Sunday, May 11. By no means is this the extent of May’s celebrations, however. The month kicks off with traditional May Day on the 1st, based on an ancient Roman festival celebrating maternity and the rebirth of spring. Fittingly, May 1 is also Mother Goose Day, a day to appreciate the first poems many of us heard on our moms’ laps. If you still hear your mother’s voice in your head on Saturday, the 10th, don’t be so surprised. It is, after all, National Clean Up Your Room Day. Tulip Day arrives on the 13th, followed by Visit Your Relatives Day Sunday, May 18. Might we suggest you arrive with tulips? For what it’s worth, May is Be Kind To Animals Week (first week), National Bike and Asparagus Month. So eat your veggies, watch the traffic and be kind to critters everywhere. Mom is always watching.

The Bees Have It “If bees swarm and leave their hives to establish new colonies in May, they will produce good honey that year. When they do so, you are entitled by custom to follow them over anyone’s land and claim them when they come to rest; but only as you “ting-tang” as you go, by beating on some metal utensil — the sound whereof is also said to make your bees stop.” — Tusser’s Revivius 1710

The real Mother Goose The true identity of Mother Goose — personified by the archetype of a kindly countrywoman who tells rhymes and tales in verse to children — is as old and obscure, and hotly debated, as any figure in Western literary lore. Mentioned as early as poet Edmund Spenser’s Old Mother Hubbard’s Tale in the early 17th century, references and sources have abounded, including France’s Contes de Ma Mere l’Oye that included the illustrated tale of “Puss and Boots.” According to one historian of early Boston, a woman named Elizabeth who lived in Boston in the 1660s, brought her own six children to a second marriage with a man named Isaac Goose and spent her dotage reciting ditties and singing nursery rhymes to children, which a third husband who worked as a publisher on Pudding Lane, eventually wrote down and published. Most Americans probably relate to The Real Mother Goose, a collection of rhymes relating the adventures of Little Bo Peep, Peter the Pumpkin Eater, Mary Quite Contrary and company, lavishly illustrated by artist Blanche Fisher Wright, first published in 1916. According to the book’s website, the book has sold more than 3.5 million copies, making it one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. All we can say is: Well, hey diddle diddle.

Pure Delight If you’ve had the good fortune to pay a visit to nurseryman extraordinaire Tony Avent’s amazing Juniper Level Botanic Garden and adjacent Plant Delights Nursery, May is your lucky month. Unlike most private nursery operations, Plant Delights — famous across the Northern Hemisphere for its beloved and eccentric catalog of unique and rare plant offerings — opens its doors two times in each season, this year from May 2–4 and May 9–11, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 1–5 p.m. on Sundays. Avent’s botanic garden, built on ten acres claimed from a defunct tobacco farm, is simply a wonder to behold, as witty as it is inspiring, offering more than 21,000 different plants. Adjacent Plants Delight Nursery is rightly one of the most admired and innovative nurseries in the nation. If spring gets the verdure in your blood moving, get moving to this treasure of botanical wisdom and beauty right in our own backyard. Don’t miss the opportunity to subscribe to their catalog, too. The garden and nursery are located at 9241 Sauls Road in Raleigh, easily reached via U.S. Highways 1 and 70. 919-772-4794. Even more info available at www.plantdelights.com

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � May 2014

Arts entertainment c A l e n d A r

Concours D’Elegance

Pottery Crawl

2–4

Thursday, May 1

•

30. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.

NC SYMPHONY. 7 – 10 p.m. Two master composers of supreme musical achievement present Strauss and Mozart. William Henry Curry is the resident conductor. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, 250 Voit Gilmore Road, Southern Pines. Info: (877) 627-6724 or www.ncsymphony.org/events.

•

Friday, May 2

Friday, May 2 — 4

FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8:30 p.m. Chatham County Line will be performing. Admission: Free RAIN OR SHINE! It will take place inside The Sunrise Theater if it rains. Downtown Southern Pines. Info: www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com.

CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE. Three days of events are planned including a road rally Friday and the Pinehurst Fairway Drive on Saturday. The Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance, featuring more than 150 of the most historic automobiles and motorcycles from around the world, takes place on Sunday. Pinehurst Resort, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 973-6594 or www.pinehurstconcours.com.

• •

ART EXHIBIT. 6 – 8 p.m. The Arts Council of Moore County is proud to present “Light & Legacy.” This exhibit features paintings by Karen Meredith and Carol Owen. The opening reception will be May 2. The artwork will be on display from May 2 –

Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

BEACH FRIDAY. 6 – 10 p.m. Please join us for a fantastic evening of live beach music provided by the Sand Band! Cost: $10 per person at the door. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or www. cypressbendvineyards.com.

•

WINE TASTING. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Free wine tasting from Cypress Bend Vineyard at the Sandhills Farmers Market of Pinehurst. 1 Village Green Road West, Pinehurst. Info: (803) 517-5476 or www. sandhillsfarmersmarket.com.

•

Saturday, May 3

• • •

Dance/Theater

ANTIQUES FAIR. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Film

Literature/Speakers

Cameron Spring Antiques Street Fair. More than 250 dealers lined along the streets in the Historic District of Cameron. Info: (910) 2453055 or www.antiquesofcameron.com.

•

MEET THE ARTIST. 12 – 3 p.m. Come meet Phyllis Andrews. Hollyhocks Art Gallery features the work of local awards winning artists including original oils, bronze sculpture and silver jewelry. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Sunday, May 4

•

ART EXHIBIT. 3 – 5 p.m. “Open the Opens.” In celebration of the US Open and US Women’s Open Championships being held this June at Pinehurst No. 2,

• • Fun

History

•

the May art exhibit in the Exchange Street Gallery of Fine Art will feature golf-related artwork. The Exchange Street Gallery of Fine Art, 129 Exchange Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or artistleague@ windstream.org.

•

BOOK PRESENTATION. 3 p.m. The Southern Pines Library is hosting a slide presentation and talk on East and West Southern Pines, a book of historic photographs telling the story of 50 years in Southern Pines’ history. Sara Lindau, coauthor of the book, will speak. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

•

PLANTS THAT BITE BACK. 3:00 p.m. Take a closer look at the carnivorous plants that are found at Weymouth Woods. Learn the tricks these cool plants use to lure prey and survive in this nutrient poor environment. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov.

Sports

Metropolitan opera: live in HD

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May 10th: La Cenerentola - Rossini

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Available Online, at the Box Office or Over the Phone

Charity Golf

250 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28387

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Music provided by Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz. A night of fabulous acoustic jazz. Rob Nance opens the show. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Cost: $15/ $20 at door. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

Monday, May 5

•

MOORE REPUBLICAN WOMEN LUNCH. 11:30 a.m. The speaker will be Joyce Cotton, Chair, GOP 2nd District. Pinehurst Country Club, 1 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info and reservations: (910) 823-6881.

Tuesday, May 6

•

ARMATURES FOR THE GARDEN. 10 – 11:30 a.m. Matt Hollyfield, floral & event designer formerly of Aldena Frye’s and now at Shop on the Corner in Pinehurst, will conduct this program. He will demonstrate how to create trellis, garden balls and supports. Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, Ball Visitors Center, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 695-3882 or www.sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com.

•

ART EXHIBIT. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 25th Annual Student Art Exhibit Opening Reception. Hands of Art. The exhibit will run through July 23rd. Hastings Gallery, Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst.

•

SOUTHERN PINES CITIZENS ACADEMY. 6:30 p.m. The police department will hold its make-up session. Attendees will get a behind the scenes look at operations of these departments. Spaces may still be available for drop-in at this session, so please call the Southern Pines Public Library to sign up. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

Wednesday, May 7

•

LUNCH AND LEARN. 12:30 – 1 p.m. The Magic of Makeup. Special guest: Charles Powanda from Being TRUE Mineral Makeup. After the luncheon we will have makeup applications with Charles Powanda! Please call Victoria Conner for details. The Laser Institute of Pinehurst, 80 Aviemore court, Suite A, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 692-1130.

•

Mid Pines Golf Course, 101 Midland Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 947-3637 or cbeane@moorecountync.gov.

•

BIRDWALK FOR BREEDING SEASON. 8:00 a.m. This Mother’s Day weekend, join ornithologist Susan Campbell for a bird walk to highlight the hardworking moms of the bird world. This hike will focus on breeding behavior and a special effort will be made to look for bird nests. Bring binoculars, field guides if you have them, water, and bugspray. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www. ncparks.gov.

•

SATURDAY CRAFTS. Young horse lovers are invited to join in. The craft tables will be open all-day for creating horse crafts and showing love for equines! During your visit, check out the libraries large collection of horse books on display! Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

•

POTTERY CRAWL. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Enjoy an afternoon touring the countryside of northern Moore County, while visiting Seagrove’s finest potteries. Meet the potters and watch as they demonstrate different aspects of the craft. Ticket prices: $35 individual or $100 patron (includes a commemorative pottery piece and recognition in the program). Benefits the Northern Moore Family Resource Center. The Pottery Center, 233 East Avenue, Seagrove. Info: (910) 948-4324 or www.nmfrc.com.

•

HEART N’ SOUL OF JAZZ. 8 – 11 p.m. The event will star award-winning singer and comedienne, Colleen McHugh, in a show titled “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round.” This is a fundraiser held by the Arts Council of Moore County. Pinehurst Resort, 80 Carolina Vista Dr., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.

Sunday, May 11

•

MOTHER’S DAY WILDFLOWER DISPLAY. 3:00 p.m. April showers bring May flowers. So bring Mom out to celebrate her day with a walk through the woods to see what’s blooming this time of year. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. This month’s themes include To the ocean we go! and Ugh! A bug! For infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years). Join us for stories, songs, and fun, and then stay for playtime! Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

•

AUTHOR AT THE BOOKSHOP. 5:30 p.m. Roland Lazenby with Michael Jordan: The Life. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

•

Thursday, May 8

•

DAY TRIP. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. A spring day tour will take visitors to the flowering Piedmont area of North Carolina. The tour leaves from the Shaw House. The trip is sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association. Cost: $100 for members of the Moore County Historical Association, $110 for non-members. Info: (910) 692-2051.

•

FAMILY FUN NIGHT. 5:30 p.m. Animals of the Sandhills! Kids in grades K-5 and their families are invited to join a Weymouth Woods park ranger and learn about the amazing animals who share our world. The program is free and open to the public. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6928235 or www.sppl.net.

Saturday, May 10

•

MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT. 8 a.m. Mid Pines is hosting the Keep Moore County Beautiful Marge Owings Memorial Golf Tournament. The day will be filled with golf, lunch, prizes and a raffle! Cost: $125 entry fee. Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Music provided by Pierce Pettis and Amy Speace, revered singer/songwriters. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Cost: $15/ $20 at door. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

Monday, May 12 PHOTO CLUB MEETING. 7 p.m. Program: “Flash Photography” by Brian Osborne of “The Photo Classroom” from the Charlotte Area. Guests welcome. Hannah Center Theatre Center at the O’Neal School, 3300 Airport Road, Southern Pines.Info: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org

Wednesday, May 14

•

DINING IN THE FIELD. 6:30 p.m. Chef Mark Elliott and Sandhills Children’s Center are partnering to present this dining experience. Dining in the Field is a casual and rustic affair where Elliott’s chefs prepare each course. Sandy Woods Farm, located just outside the Village of Pinehurst on Linden Road. Cost: $125, advance purchase only. Info: (910) 692-3323 or www. SandhillsChildrensCenter.org.

Wednesday, May 14 — 16

• • •

PAINTING WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dan Beck will be teaching a three day workshop entitled “A Loose Approach

Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

cA l e n dA r Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

to Oil.” Artist League of the Sandhills,129 Exchange Street, Aberdeen. Info: 910-944-3979 www.artistleague.org.

Thursday, May 15

•

FUDDY MEERS. A comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Rod Harter. It tells the story of an amnesiac who awakens each morning as a blank slate on which her husband and teenage son must imprint the facts of her life. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-85201 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Friday, May 16

•

LADIES’ NIGHT OUT CHARITY. 6:30 – 10 p.m. Ladies are encouraged to wear formal or cocktail attire and come to enjoy an evening of dancing, food and socializing to support a good cause. The proceeds of the event will benefit the respite program of The Arc. Cost: $50. Pinehurst Members Club, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 692-8272 or www.thearcofmoore.org.

Saturday, May 17

•

CHEF DEMO. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Chef Sonia Middleton will demonstrate how to make a frittata. Village of Pinehurst. Info: www.sandhillsfarmersmarket.com

•

BARBECUE FUNDRAISER. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. But a barbecue plate and participate in a silent auction in this fundraising even benefiting the Moore Free Care Clinic. Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 1002 N. Sandhills Blvd., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-1319 or www.bethesdapres.net.

•

AUTHOR AT THE BOOKSHOP. 11:30 a.m. Joe Miller with Adventure Carolina: Your Go-To Guide for Multi-sport Outdoor Recreation. Miller introduces you to sixteen adventure sports in the Carolinas. The Country Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

•

MEET THE ARTIST. 12 – 3 p.m. Come meet Michele Garrett Laster. Hollyhocks Art Gallery features the work of local awards winning artists including original oils, bronze sculpture and silver jewelry. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Sunday, May 18

•

HORSE AND CARRIAGE PARADE. 10 a.m. The Village of Pinehurst comes alive during the three days of antique horse and carriage competition. There will also be a special Strawberry Festival and Farmers Market. Downtown Village of Pinehurst. Info: www.insidepinehurst.com.

•

CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT. 11:30 a.m. MANNA on the Links golf tournament. 1 p.m. shotgun start. Texas Roadhouse lunch provided. There will be prizes! Cost: $75 per player. Foxfire Golf Resort, 9 Foxfire Blvd, Foxfire Village. Info: (910) 295-7456 or msarnold@nc.rr.com.

•

AUTHOR AT THE BOOKSHOP. 2 p.m. Ruth Moose with Doing at the Dixie. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6923211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

•

LIBRARY LECTURE. 2 p.m. Moore County’s little known, tiny libraries in six towns of less than 5,000 population will be the subject of a program presented by Moore County Historical Association. Speaker will be Ron Bergquist, clinical assistant professor in the school of information and library science at UNC-Chapel Hill. First Baptist Church of Southern Pines, 200 E. New York Ave.

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

and May Street. Info: (910) 692-2051.

•

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE. 2:30 p.m. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pillow) if you want to get comfy while we watch Flint Lockwood save the world after he learns his water-to-food machine has started cross-breeding animals with food, and creating a growing army of foodimals. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

•

SERPENTS OF THE SANDHILLS. 3:00 p.m. All are welcome to come and learn some basics on snakes that are common in the park and the Sandhills area, as well as the rest of NC. There will be some live specimens to observe and discuss. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Music provided by Dale Ann Bradley, a four time IBMA vocalist of the year. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Cost: $15/ $20 at door. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

Monday, May 19

•

LUNCH & LEARN. 12 – 1 p.m. Join the Sandhills Horticultural Society for a free program entitled, “All you Want to Know About Turf Grass.” Bring your lunch and join Charles Harris of Buy Sod/Sandhills Turf for this program. Ball Visitors Center at the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: landscapegardening@sandhills.edu.

•

SANDHILLS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY MEETING. 7 p.m. Candace Williams, conservationist and former State sea turtle biologist, will speak on nesting sea turtles in North Carolina and issues impacting their long term survival. Weymouth Woods Auditorium, 1024 Ft.

•

Sports

SUMMER CAMPS ATHLETIC CAMPS u Baseball u Cheer u Football u Girl’s and Boy’s Basketball u Girl’s and Boy’s Soccer u Golf u Softball u Tennis u Volleyball ACADEMIC CAMPS u Environmental Science Camp u Forensics Sciences Camp u STEM Camp u SummerJam! Music Camp For dates, registration requirements, and more information, visit methodist.edu/community. 910.630.7000 |

facebook.com/MethodistUniversity

May 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills Ad_Pinestraw.indd 1

3/7/14 4:50 PM

Summer Camps

Summer 2014

$139

includes lunch each day

Camps Run

Monday - Thursday 8:00am-12 Noon

at Knollwood Fairways

golf camps

Each Camp Accepts 16 Campers

If this schedule doesn’t work for you, we offer private lessons!

Week 1 - June 16th-19th Week 2 - June 23rd-26th Week 3 - July 7th-10th Week 4 - July 14th-17th

For Registration Forms & More Info on Our Summer Camps, visit: knollwood-midland.com

OR GIVE US A CALL!910-692-3572

Scotland Riding Academy Summer Camps Monday June 23- 27th

Our camp days start at 9am and end at 1pm All camps are $275 (Exceptions can be made ONLY if more than one child from same family attend camp.)

All camps are for ages 5 and up. We work with all levels. Beginners are welcome and encouraged!

Campers will be grouped by age/level and rotate through different stations, the Private Lesson station, the Arts and Crafts station, The Bareback Station just to name a few. Campers can bring their own helmet or we can provide one to them. Flat/rubber sole boots (1/2 inch heel) is ideal for riding.

21560 Marston Rd., Laurel Hill NC 28351 scotlandridingacademy.com 910-462-3526 Please leave a message

JOIN US ON FACEbOOK!

Offering Full Day Offering Full Day Campfor forAges Ages6-12 6-12 Camp Group Sports, Special Activities GroupGames, Games,Crafts, Crafts,Trips, Trips, Sports, Special Activities Activities based around weekly themes. Campers will be provided

Activities based around weekly themes. Campers will be provided daily with a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Camp will be daily with a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Camp will held Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 9th be held Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June through August 22nd. Weekly fees are $60 for Aberdeen Residents 9th through August 22nd. Weekly fees are $60 for Aberdeen and $100 for non-residents with a onetime registration fee of $10 Residents and $100 for non-residents with a onetime registration for residents and $20 for non-residents. RegistrationRegistration begins April fee thof $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents. rd 4 through 23 . The May Parks23rd. and Recreation needs begins April May 4th through The ParksDepartment and Recreation Jr. Counselors ages 13-16 to assist with daily activities. Space is Department needs Jr. Counselors ages 13-16 to assist with daily limited , Space so earlyisregistration encouraged. activities. limited, so isearly registration is encouraged.

Weekly Weekly Themes Themes and and Dates Dates Week 9-13 Mind and Body Week1-1-June June 9-13 Mind and Body

Week June16-20 16-20Rocking RockingRocks Rocks Week22-June

Week - June 23-27 Week3 3-June 23-27All All American American Week 5 - July 14-18 Wacky Water Week 5– July 14-18 Wacky Water Week 7 - July 28 –Aug 1 Nature Week 7– July 28 –Aug 1 Nature Week 9 - August 11-15 Amazing Race

Week 4 - July 7-11 Blast from the Past Week4 July 7-11 Blast from the Past Week 6 - July 21-25 Amazing Animals Week6 July 21-25 Amazing Animals Week 8 - August 4– 8 Outdoor Week8 August 4– 8 Outdoor Week 10 - August 18-22 Prehistoric

Week 9– August 11-15 Amazing Race Week 10 August 18-22 Prehistoric

301 Lake Park Crossing Aberdeen NC 28315 (910)-944-7275 301 Lake Park Crossing Aberdeen NC 28315 (910)-944-7275

E S U O H E WAR E C N A R A E CL

4 Courses

2 Clubs

YOUR Membership!

CUSHIONS FOR SALE

• Seat Pads • Chair Cushions • Chaise Cushions • Bench Cushions • Wicker Cushions • Sling Chair Cushions • Toss Pillows

PLUS

• Fabric • Cushion Shells • Deep Seat Slip Covers • Re-Web Kits • Buttons • Sewing Machines

June 5th - June 15th Monday through Sunday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Arden Companies 1611 Broadway Road, Sanford, NC

Cash, Checks, & Credit Cards

The Club of the Sandhills 4 Championship Golf Courses

Unlimited Golf at All Four Courses Unlimited Complimentary PGA Golf Instruction Swimming Pool & Fitness Center Access Exceptional Meeting Space for 10 - 345 Guests

Beautiful Wedding Venues Experienced Event Planner & Culinary Team Lodgings at CCWP Golf Courses Open To The Public For Membership, Events & Accommodations 910.949.4332

(All Sales Final)

ACTive DUTY Military Discounts on All Memberships

We protect the historic Poe House. Shouldn’t we protect your house too? • Burglar Alarms • Fire Alarms • Camera Systems • Access Systems • Central Vacuum Systems • 24 Hour Local U.L. Monitoring Station

127 Hay Street • Fayetteville, NC • 28301 (910) 483-1196 www.HolmesSecurity.net

cA l e n dA r Bragg Rd, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167 or www.sandhillsnature.org.

Tuesday, May 20

•

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. 11:30 a.m. Guest speaker is Kaaren Haldeman, leader of the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, will speak at the luncheon. Table on the Green, 2205 Midland Drive, Pinehurst. Cost: $12 for lunch and program. Info: (910) 944-9611.

•

YOUNG ADULTS READERS’ PROGRAM. 5:30 p.m. Learn to Draw Manga! Join local professional cartoonist Laurel Holden for a workshop exploring Japanese cartoon art! Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

Wednesday, May 21

•

AUTHOR AT THE BOOKSHOP. 5 p.m. Barbara Claypole White with The In-Between Hour. Barbara Claypole White writes love stories about damaged people. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

Saturday, May 24

•

HOPE FEST. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A day of music and fun to benefit boys and girls living at the Cameron Boys Camp and Camp Duncan for girls. The event will include barbecue, a silent auction, craft vendors and entertainment. The Village Arboretum, 395 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.hopefestnc.org.

•

MEET THE ARTIST. 12 – 3 p.m. Come meet Linda

Griffin. Hollyhocks Art Gallery features the work of local awards winning artists including original oils, bronze sculpture and silver jewelry. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Sunday, May 25

•

OLDIES & GOODIES. 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Enjoy a classic film and a cup of tea while watching a 1932 gem where a gentleman thief and a lady pickpocket join forces to con a beautiful perfume company owner. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

•

MEMORIAL WEEKEND DISCOVERY HIKE. 3:00 p.m. In celebration of Memorial Day, we will observe any flowers, shrubs, bugs, frogs, toads, lizards, mammals and anything else we discover along the way. Weymouth Woods, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:46 p.m. Music provided by Miss Tess and the Talkbacks. Grooving modern vintage music. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Cost: $15/ $20 at door. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www. theroosterswife.org.

Tuesday, May 27 SOUTHERN PINES CITIZENS ACADEMY. 6:30 p.m. Public Works will conduct their session. Attendees will get a behind the scenes look at operations of these departments. Call the Southern Pines Public Library to sign up. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

• • Art

•

SUMMER READING. Fizz, Boom, Read! Registration opens. Head to the Library’s website, or stop in the Library for a program schedule and to sign up! All ages can join in the fun. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS Wednesday

•

FARMERS’ MARKET. 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Cannon Park, Pinehurst. Come out and meet your local farmers and artisans! Baked goods and great gift ideas: handcrafted goat’s milk soaps, kiln-fired pottery, scarves, bird houses and more! Continues through September 24th. Info: www.sandhillsfarmersmarket.com.

Friday

•

WREATH DEMONSTRATION. 2 – 3 p.m. Demonstrations of how to make different types of wreaths including burlap wreaths and grapevine wreaths. The demonstrations will continue through June. Aldena’s on South, A Four Season’s Shop, 107 South Street, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-1071 or www.aldenafryeflorist.net.

Saturday

•

Key:

Friday, May 30

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

FARMERS’ MARKET. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The • Village of Pinehurst parking lot . 1 Village Green Road

West, Pinehurst. Come out and meet your local farmers and artisans! Continues through September 27th. Info: www.sandhillsfarmersmarket.com.

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

see better. be better. wrap around view tourpro has an innovative design to ensure a perfect fit under any cap, combined with a wrap-around view so that you can focus on holing the putt. support your vision — adidas.com/eyewear

www.metrospecs.us

910.221.0191

adidas_golf_ad_a5_quer_coop.indd 1

Dustin Johnson (USA) wearing tourpro

Silhouette International Schmied AG, adidas Global Licensee, adidas, the 3-Bars logo, and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group. Silhouette International Schmied AG, adidas Global Licensee. Le nom adidas, le logo 3-Barres et la marque aux 3 Bandes sont des marques deposées par le Groupe adidas. pic ©: Hansi Heckmair

FABULOUS FINDS IN FAYETTEVILLE

Performance Eyewear by Adidas, Smith Optics, Nike & Greg Norman as well as luxury eywear & sunglasses by 31.08.12 15:41 Silhouette ~ Tom Ford ~ Ferragamo Porsche Design ~ Valentino Calvin Klein ~ Dior ~ Gucci John Varvatos and others

201 South McPherson Church Road / McPherson Square Suite 105 in Fayetteville PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2014

Imagine PASSION, CREATIVITY, EXPERTISE

ca l e n da r

Art Galleries ABOUT ART GALLERY inside The Market Place Midland Bistro Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. The gallery features local artists. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 215-596. ART NUTZ AND RAVEN POTTERY, 125 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Come see the potter at work. Features art, pottery from local potters, handmade jewelry, glass and more. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (910) 695-1555, www.ravenpottery.com. Artist GAlleRy OF SOUTHERN PINES, 167 E. New Hampshire Avenue., Southern Pines. Features art and fine crafts from more than 60 North Carolina artists. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 692-6077. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon – 3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979.

• Handwrought Fine Jewelry • Repairs • Restoration • Buying Fine Estate Jewelry Tuesday-Friday 11-5 Saturday 11-4 110 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 910-695-HARK (4275)

TRANSIT DAMAGE FREIGHT

Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Road, Pinehurst. Showcases works by nationally recognized artists such as Louis St. Lewis, Lula Smith, Shawn Morin, Rachel Clearfield, Judy Cox and Jason Craighead. Meetthe-artist opportunities available. Monday-Friday (closed Wednesday), 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m and special appointments. (910) 295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com. The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Avenue., Southern Pines. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and every third weekend of the month from 2 – 4 p.m. (910) 692-4356, www.mooreart.org. The Downtown Gallery inside Cup of Flow, 115 NE Broad St., Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910) 693-1999. Exchange Street Gallery, Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange Street in historic Aberdeen. “It’s Southern, Ya’ll,” works of Pat McMahon and Betty DiBartolomeo. September 2-28. Regular hours noon to 3:00, Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979. The Gallery at Seven Lakes at the St. Mary Magdalene building, 1145 Seven Lakes Drive. Just nine miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211, this gallery is dedicated to local artists. Wednesday-Thursday 1 – 4 p.m. Hastings Gallery in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

VAUGHAN-BASSETT FURNITURE MADE IN AMERICA

NEW AND TRANSIT DAMAGED FURNITURE AND NEW BEDDING AT PRICES YOU CAN AFFORD SINCE 1966

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, 21 Chinquapin Road, Pinehurst. Features local artist Jude Winkley’s original oil paintings. Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (910) 255-0100, www.ladybedfords.com.

346 Grant Road | Vass, NC Just off US 1 North (Next to Carolina Storage)

The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen. Specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Monday, Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (910) 295-2055.

ITEMS PICTURED IN STOCK OR AVAILABLE BY SPECIAL ORDER

910-245-4977 | Monday-Saturday 10:00am - 5:30pm www.transitdamagefreight.webs.com

HOLLYHOCKS ART GALLERY, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Features artwork by local award winning artists, Phyllis Andrews, Diane Kraudelt, Linda Griffin, Carol Rotter, Jessie MacKay, jeweler Michele Garrett Laster and artist/owner, Jane Casnellie. MondaySaturday 10:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (910) 255-0665, www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE, 15 Azalea Road, Pinehurst. All merchandise at the Exchange is handmade by consignors who live in the community. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

May 2014 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

cA l e n dA r Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch served 11.30 a.m – 2 p.m. (910) 295-4677.

tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen. (910) 944-1319.

SEAGROVE CANDLE COMPANY, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Showcases art of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., (910) 695-0029.

BRYANT HOUSE AND MCLENDON CABIN. Tours by appointment. (910) 692-2051 or (910) 673-0908.

SKY ART GALLERY, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen. Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (910) 944-9440, www.skyartgallery.com. STUDIO 590 by the pond in Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst. This historic log cabin is the working studio and gallery of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. (910) 639-9404. WHITE HILL GALLERY, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910) 947-6100.

Nature Centers SANDHILLS HORTICULTURAL GARDENS (32 acres of gardens). The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handicapped-accessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910) 695-3882. WEYMOUTH WOODS SANDHILLS NATURE PRESERVE (898 acres). 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167. VILLAGE ARBORETUM. 35 acres of land adjoining the Village Hall on Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900.

Historical Sites

Mother, May I?

May Pineneedler Answers

CARTHAGE HISTORICAL MUSEUM. Sundays, 2 – 5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (910) 947-2331. HOUSE IN THE HORSESHOE. Open year-round. Hours vary. 288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of Carthage), Sanford. (910) 947-2051. MALCOLM BLUE FARM AND MUSEUM. 1 – 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Group tours can be arranged by appointment. (910) 944-7558 or (910) 603-2739. NORTH CAROLINA LITERARY HALL OF FAME. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Avenue., Southern Pines. (910) 692-6261.

from page 111

Solution:

I N L A W

N I E C E

S I O W S O Q U E E N

U N D E R

SHAW HOUSE. Open 1 – 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. (910) 692-2051. TUFTS ARCHIVES. 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Saturday. (910) 295-3642. UNION STATION. Open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Located in downtown Aberdeen. (910) 944-5902. SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE LOG CABIN. Open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (910) 295-4677. PS To add an event, email us at pinestraw@thepilot.com by the first of the month prior to the event. Or go to www. thepilot.com and add the event to our online calendar.

C S L P O I N E D E D E E R G N N U P E A A R R C U T O H U R R N

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A C R E S

S T E L A

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BETHESDA CHURCH AND CEMETERY. Guided

O U R D O G WO O D S w i l l G R E E T YO U F I R S T, F O L L O W E D by your NEW NEIGHBORS.

PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED.

Satisfaction Guaranteed.

With 50 years of excellence behind us and the addition of a new housing option in our future, our charming neighborhood offers new friends, a carefree lifestyle, more opportunities to do the things you love, and peace of mind for you and your family. Come join us for a presentation to learn more. May 6th OR 22nd from 4 to 6. Includes cocktail with residents after the presentation. Reservations are required. Please call (910) 692-0449 today to RSVP.

A Community for Active Lifelong Living A Continuing Care Retirement Community

500 East Rhode Island Ave. | Southern Pines, NC www.penickvillage.org | (910) 692-0300

3 Pharmacists to serve you Fast, Courteous Service Phone refills 24 hours a day Drive thru pharmacy OUR EXPERIENCED PHARMACISTS Sheena Wimberly, Rph Mark Smith, Rph • Sri Gottipati, Rph

Citywide Delivery Senior discounts on OTC Products

Look no further. We’ve got what it takes to be your NEW pharmacy Home.

Town Center Pharmacy

610 S. Bennett St., Southern Pines • 910-692-7158 • tcp-rx.com Monday-Friday 8am-6pm • Saturday 9am-3pm

10am

MAY 17th

4pm

ARTS & CRAFTS • SILENT AUCTION Celebrity Donations

BAKE SALE • PLANT SALE BBQ PLATES

Buy it by the plate or pound! Plates include beans, slaw, bread and dessert starting at 10am for take out or eat there.

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE MOORE FREE CLINIC.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church

1002 N. Sandhills Blvd. Aberdeen, NC • 910-944-1319

Meaningful, Personal & Unique Gifts for Mother’s Day and the Graduates

111 West Main Street • Aberdeen Tuesday - Saturday 10 to 5 • 910-944-1181 www.one11main.com 96

May 2014 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i iPineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen

Lisa & Megan Huff, Meghan & Debbie Davis

Connie Harrison, Diane Moore

Clothes for Prose Pinehurst Fair Barn Thursday, March 13, 2014

Photographs by Al and Annette Daniels Cornelia Ring, Kelly Ward, Lindsey Kendera, Tammy Leach Pam Dannelley, Carolyn Wilkins

Noelle McIntyre, Paige Adkins

Valerie Campbell, Jeanette Sabo, Dena Kennedy, Claudia Bravo

Nicole Dunstan, Alexa Cox, Melody Miller

Treasures

are always

PoPPing uP

at our

esTaTe LiquidaTion

saLes P Au l B l A k e

& A s s o c i At e s

EstatE Liquidation & tag saLE sErvicEs Proudly serving buyers and sellers in Moore and surrounding counties with pride for over 30 years.

Licensed & Bonded.

Refer to The Pilot Newspaper for current sale dates & locations or go to ThePilot.com

Paul Blake 910.315.7044 Chuck Helbling 910.315.4501 PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i May 2014

Carolina Center for Pain

is pleased to be the first in Central Carolina to offer an exciting new treatment for tendon and joint problems – REGENERATIVE THERAPY. This therapy uses your own body’s stem cells and platelet rich plasma to heal inflammation and repair damaged tissue. This treatment is very effective for tennis elbow, bicipital tendonitis, plantar fascitis and major joint pain from arthritis, torn cartilage, rotator cuff tear, or other pathology.

John Wind

Pamper Your

Mom & Grad

The same platelet rich plasma,

obtained from your own blood, can be used to heal wrinkled skin. It has been called the “Vampire Facial” because of the red tint of the plasma. The Carolina Center for Pain is pleased to offer this treatment for facial cosmesis, in addition to botox and dermal fillers. lollia

Carolina Center for Pain 293 Olmsted Boulevard, Ste. 4 Pinehurst, NC 28374 910-295-3200 910-295-3222 (Fax)

150 NW Broad Street | Southern Pines | 910-692-9322

Mid-State Furniture of Carthage

403 Monroe Street | Downtown Carthage | 910-947-3739 98

Robyn James, Cindy Pagnotta

SandhillSeen

Barbara & Dr. Lee Sedwick

Stoneybrook Steeplechase Saturday, April 5, 2014 Photographs by Jeanne Paine

David & Cathy Carter, Kendyl & Eric Janis

Alec Delagarza, John Leach

Mike Hardin, Bill Jordan, Tim Edwards

Eric & Tammy Miller, Leland McLaughlin, James & Carl Jarrett

Lisa Cameron, Charlie & Terry Cook

Our family is here to look after yours

We Treat with Expertise Care: Eczema/Atopic Dermatitis • Eosinophilic Esophagitis Food, Insect and Drug Allergy Mastocytosis • Non & Allergic Rhinitis

Interested in Advertising?

Procedures Include:

Drug Desensitization • Food/Drug Challenges Skin Testing • Immunotherapy/Allergy Shots Skin Biopsies for Rashes/Hives • Patch Testing Contact one of our board certified specialists today!

Diane M. Laber, M.D. • Carla J. Luna, M.D.

(910) 295-6661 Call 910.692.7271

325 Page Road, Bldg. 3 • Pinehurst

www.allergypartners.com/pinehurst PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i May 2014

416 S. Elm Street High Point, NC 27260 336.887.1315 M/C, Visa, AMEX, Cash Accepted Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm 100

May 2014 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen

Sharon & Brandon Harrell, Diane Stewart

Black History Then and Now The Pinehurst Fair Barn Sunday, February 23, 2014 Al and Annette Daniels

Blanchie Carter, Christopher Owen Smith, Dot Brower, Nate Carter

Bonnie Roberson, Debra Smith-Judd

Madison, Tanija, & Chyanne Dunn

Atajanae Shaw, Donna Drum-Thomas, Damyeshia Harrison

M.L. Fisher, Milton Dowdy, Amaryllis Williams, Carrie Johnson

Willie McRae, Judge Jim Webb, Pam Armﬁeld, Paul McRae, Oneal Russ

Ready for bikini season? It’s time to schedule your Brazilian with our wax expert,Tracey.

Check out our specials on Facebook!

155 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines

www.retrostudiobar.com PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i May 2014

101

THE FREEDOM TO DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT. AND NOTHING YOU DON’T.

Guess What’s 50?

“Jeopardy”

TV Game Show

So is the Given Memorial Library.

Schedule your personal visit today!

910.688.3093

Given Memorial Library/Tufts Archives Senior Living | Memory Care 101 Brucewood Rd | Southern Pines elmcroft.com

Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:00pm, Saturday 9:30-12:30pm 150 Cherokee Road Pinehurst, NC

(910) 295-6022 GML or (910) 295-3642 TA www.givenmemoriallibrary.org

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- 910.255.0000

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May 2014 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i iPineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen

Tracey Maples, Charlotte Williams

Gena, Fulton & Xan Smith

5th Year Celebration and End of Year Award Ceremony Thursday, March 27 2014 Photographs by London Gessner

Robert Barker, Tom Van Camp, Matt Schaw, Craig Baggett, Scott Baggett, Billy Gray

Lisa & Charles Smith

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i May 2014

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Welcome to Southern Comfort and Sophistication. Welcome to Southern Prime.

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reservations suggested

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o G u r y m s u F FARMS et

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Visit our showroom to find the best in Designer and Unique Home Accessories.

Stedman House Interiors 1216 1/2 Ft Bragg Road • Fayetteville, NC 28305 910.672.0400 • www.StedmanHouseInteriors.com

SandhillSeen

Rob Maddrey, Pat Browning

John & Nancy Bouldry, Larry Weltin

Prelude to the Opens Saturday, March 22, 2014

Photographs by Al and Annette Daniels Pam & Dave Hampton, Ernie & Marilyn Ferrell

Joe Stevenson, Abigail Dowd

Sue King, Teri Skoog, Tom Stultz

Rebecca Beard, Paula & Nicolette Kaptu

Dale & Julie Andress, Anita & Lawrence Clapp Lynn Fonseca, Stephanie Taylor, Vivian Jacobson

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The ChoiCe for Needle ArTs

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910-295-3727

850 linden road, Pinehurst, NC Tuesday-saturday 10:00am-4:00pm moorethanneedlepoint.com

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May 2014 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

ThoUghTS FroM The MAn Shed

Stopped in Time a long Time Ago By GeoFF CUtler

he’s looking at an

old picture. Behind the boys, the road goes over a speed bump, up the hill and out of the photograph. You can’t see past the bend in the road, but big houses down long driveways sit stately behind towering beech and chestnut trees whose autumn leaves fall into the swimming pools and tennis courts of old . . . the very old families who live there. There are few if any mailboxes. The daily post, bottles of milk and freshly laundered diapers are brought directly to the backdoors. So if you wanted to know who lives in such grand and handsome homes, you could ask those deliverymen, and they might just tell you. One can almost hear the postman: “Do you see that house through there? Well . . . that’s where young Roosevelt met his Miss Lee.” The boys in the photograph know none of this. It is spring, and she has taken them for a walk. They’ve stopped for a picture and stand in the entrance, just behind the stone wall that guards this elegantly aged and quiet neighborhood made brilliant by spring ﬂowers of lilac, dogwood and crabapple. The boys have had their afternoon naps, by the look of them, their hair all a-jumble and wearing those cherubic grins just high of their Best & Co. sweaters. There is little more to say. The story has nowhere in particular to go. To him, it is as still as the image of the boys, who stand holding hands on a road in spring. There is just the photograph. Nothing more. But then, a peculiar thing happens. As he stares at the picture, taken some half-century ago, memory begins to serve. It doesn’t come in waves

or ﬂood; it comes in pops of bright light. And soon, there are enough of these light strikes that he remembers with pleasant surprise where the boys have been and where they are going. And while that doesn’t make for an epic or unusual tale — in fact it’s rather pedestrian if truth has anything to say about it, at least now — a story can unfold. While the boys were having their afternoon naps, she wrote a letter. Likely to family, perhaps a lover. Regardless, the letter will ﬂy to England, where she lives and plans to return one day. Those smiles the boys wear in the photograph plummet to frowns, and tears would instantly plum would form in their eyes if they were to learn of such a thing, that she would not always be there to care for them. But leaving that aside as well, she wants to catch the last day’s mail, and so she wakes the boys for an outing. They will walk into the village and post the letter. She takes a boy in each arm and lifts them both at once. One will pull the mailbox door open, and the other will dispatch the letter. The boys marvel at the elegant cursive on the pale blue overseas envelope with the striped piping in red, and darker blue. The letter is dropped by one, and the other lets go the handle. The door slams with a screech. As a reward for their help with this errand, you might think that she would take them for an ice cream or candy. But she does not. She takes them just around the corner to the trolley station, where the three of them sit under the covered passenger bench to watch the cars come and go. The boys love this more than just about anything, especially when the trolleys are coupled two and three together. And when she thinks they’ve seen enough for one day, she says to them that it is time to leave. That soon their parents will come home and that they’ll want to see their littlest ones properly scrubbed and knickered. The boys don’t live in the neighborhood behind the stone wall. They live just a few blocks down another road. But for some reason, she decides to pause there. To pause in the entrance of the place where young Roosevelt would find his bride. She reaches for her camera, squats for an even plane, says, “Smile!” and takes their picture. PS Geoff Cutler is the taller of the two boys in the picture. The other is his younger brother, Gregory. Geoff suspects that there must have been some kind of stroller or baby carriage, not shown in the picture, which helped convey the boys on at least part of their walk. Geoff can be reached at geoffcutler@embarqmail.com.

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Real Estate in the Sandhills

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May 2014 i�� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

T h e A c c i d e n ta l A st r o l o g e r

By Astrid Stellanova

Maybe you like the month of May. Maybe May makes you want to holler “MAY DAY,” like I do whenever I see my loopy cousin Mae Ella Mason and her bunch of ill-mannered young ’uns drive up in her banged-up Suburban. You’ll probably love this month if you happen to like sunshine, daisies and duckies. Tell you the truth: Too much pretty hurts my eyes. Taurus (April 20–May 20) The first week of May is intense, Honey, cause with Mercury in your sign you are feeling full of yourself. Twist and shout, and work it on out, like you are Chuck Berry’s long-lost love child. After the 7th, finances come into play and all I’m saying is tuck the plastic away. You’re good with money but curb the impulse ’cause you won’t want something small. You’ll buy big — say, a shiny new Harley. If you can’t stop yourself, do not use credit. And if you cannot pay cash, Honey, wear chaps and don’t get a rash, or you’ll pay for that Harley twice. Trust me: You will look good on the back of a Hog and you were born to wear pleather. Gemini (May 21–June 20) Almost all month you are affected by a transit in your eleventh house. You’re not your old self — you’re better than that. It’s like you have the mind of Walt Disney and the bank account of Bill Gates. Things are creative, you got your twin mojo working, the whole package. Get on down tonight, Sugar, because this month you will be tiger fast in getting what you want and nobody can stop you. Somebody’s going to have to hold Big Mama and Big Papa back. Cancer (June 21–July 22) This is a good month for your career. If you’ve got one, it takes off. If you’re looking for one, you find it. You may have an itty-bitty skeleton in your closet that needs to get taken care off — clean up that old mess, Sugar. You know what I mean. The full moon on the 14th is a strong signal to pay attention. Take care of business; read your mail, and don’t sit around like an unaddressed envelope. Then, take the trip that you get offered. Leo (July 23–August 22) It’s a short distance between the states of cocky and confident. Some of your friends and associates are measuring, and notice you have a foot in both states. Privately, you believe you’re ready to let loose on America’s Got Talent. Uh, not yet. You like a risk, but Honey, wait till the 28th. There will be a new moon in Gemini, and that moon brings nothing but good times. In the meantime, you do get on someone’s last nerve. Make up; say you’re sorry. It’s worth the trouble. Virgo (August 23 –September 22) Just wear your big boy or big girl pants. It’s that easy, peasy. I see you closing a chapter in your life and moving on if you take a little chance. It’s a heavy door to close, but it’s time. If you do this, there’s a new opportunity that can swing wide open on the other side. Mars is in a beneficial position this month, and it means go for that job, or promotion. Don’t hang back like a blue-haired granny plowing along in the passing lane. Libra (September 23–October 22) Breathe through your nose just like you’re about to have a baby. You are about to give birth to something new in your own self, Child. It may feel a little like pushing a piano through a manhole with one finger, but if you do this right, a whole new dimension opens up. Mars is in your sign on the 19th. When this is all over, a new side of you is going to surface and you will experience more fun than two rednecks at a Motel 6 with a bag of quarters and a Magic Fingers vibrating bed.

Scorpio (October 23–November 21) If that loudmouth Millionaire Matchmaker ever met you, she’d know to zip it up. There’s a lot of possibility for romance in your stars this month, and anything could happen. But you will definitely either get married, or get more involved if you already are, Sugar. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you might even elope and surprise your own self. Your psychic experiences are gonna be unusual this month too. Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) This month Sagittarius is simply irresistible, and you’ll be living in a David Bowie daydream. You’ll be appealing to everybody — men, women, even mean children. Charm is not just something hanging on your bracelet, and you will have it to spare. Romance is center stage in your life, and you won’t have to seek it; it will find you. Throw a little of that excess passion into work, and don’t let the month end before you do. Capricorn (December 22–January 19) Don’t let anybody put the cap on you, Capricorn. Be leery of Debbie and Dan Downer. Some people bring a beam of light as they go down life’s path, and some only when they go away. There will be a good bit of envy aimed your way, because anything you need to shed — excess baggage, old boyfriends, bad debt — looks easy for you now. You’re going to attract nearly everything but men and money this month, so use the good sense your mama gave you. Aquarius (January 20–February 18) OK, let the sun shine in on you, just like the hippies said it would. Let go and let your good karma work. You’re naturally complicated, and your life can easily become a goat rodeo if you over-think everything, Sugar. Mercury transits your sign most of this month, and so the homefront is going to be whatever you want. It’s a good time to tackle a home project, or buy a house. It’s also a good time to buy into a new relationship. It’s just a good time to be you all month long. Pisces (February 19–March 20) You go on a fishing expedition, so to speak, and come back home with a mess of crappies and bunch of good stories to tell. To quote a friend’s daddy, them fish are gonna be jumping up your pant’s leg — and all you got to do is bait the hook. It’s that kinda star time. On the 14th, there’s a full moon in Taurus, which is worth noting. On the 19th, any hiccups that caused trouble will end. Aries (March 21–April 19) Still love Mother Nature despite what She did to you? Well, this month you actually find a good reason for the good will you usually feel toward yourself. (Read: easy for Aries to be conceited. Just saying.) Honestly, about the time when you seem spectacularly self-centered, you manage to do something spectacularly generous. This is one of those times, and your generosity may even surprise you. 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.

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Extr aordinary Choice, Exceptional Lifestyle. A new season brings new opportunities to choose a retirement lifestyle that exceeds your expectations. Well•Spring residents enjoy exceptional retirement living with the most diverse mix of social activities and healthcare plans in the area. Here you can maintain an independent lifestyle while enjoying new friendships and opportunities for enrichment. At Well•Spring, we strive to be your first choice for retirement living. Contact us today to learn more about our awardwinning community. www.well-spring.org (336) 545-5468 • (800) 547-5387 4100 Well Spring Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410

CARF/CCAC ACCREDITED SINCE 2003

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May 2014 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills WSP-030-Pinestraw ad - April r1.indd 1

3/6/14 5:01 PM

May Pineneedler

Mother, May I?

Mother, may I?

40 44 48 53

54 60

51 55

37 42

27 29

10 16

7 15

By MArt diCKerson

63 67

68 71

64 Tokyo, formerly 31 Write one’s name ACROSS Holy Mother ACROSS 47 65 Old Mother 34 Urchin 1 Business abbr. ___ and every one spaceship 48 68 Alien’s 36 Large fl at-bottomed 4 Stitch boat Business abbr. Southeast by east, initauction 1 69 Suffi x for 50 7 Residue from 40 Possess Sandhills trees 70 Eating tool 4 Stitch 52 Prey Scrap of cloth 10 7CarResidue fuel from Sandhills41trees Headed Mother 55 Weather 71 42 Golfer’s goal59 Unabridged, 1310Zilch, 72 “No Carnada fuel like Reply a movie Necessary” 43 Broth 1413“Little Zilch,House nada on the Leather worker's tool 60 ___” 73 NC State color 45 Annoying, like a bug “Little House 63 Machinery handle 1614Halloween mo. on the ___” bite 74 Heavy freight barge Halloween 64 Tokyo, formerly 47 Holy Mother 1716MGM’s Lion mo. 75 Is MGM's Lion Old Mother 65one 48 ___ and every 1817Not outfield Not outfield Alien's spaceship 50 Southeast by68east, 1918Unrefi ned metal DOWN init Unrefinedasmetal 69 Suffix for1auction 2019Blemished, a teen Spouse’s Mother Blemished, as a teen 52 Prey 70 Eating tool 2220Men’s neckwear 2 Sibling’s daughter 55 Weather Mother Men'sstand neckwear 71 Headed 3 Genetic identical 2322Artist’s 59 Unabridged,72like"No a Reply Necessary" 2523Worked garden Artist'sthe stand 4 Web spinner movie 2725Saintly Mother Worked the garden NC State5color 73 Sea eagle 60 Leather worker’s tool 2827Canal Saintly Mother Heavy freight barge 74 6 Blow gently 63 Machinery handle 3028Identical Canal 75 Is 30 Identical 31 Write one's name 34 Urchin 36 Large flat-bottomed boat 40 Possess Fill in the grid so Scrap of cloth 41 every row, every 42 Golfer's column andgoal every Broth 43 3x3 box contain 45 Annoying, the numberslike 1-9.a bug bite

Sudoku:

1 6 9 5 2

Leaf maker 7 7Leaf maker 8 8Feel poorly Feel poorly 9 9Cash in ainrebate, ie ie Cash a rebate, 10 Nursery Rhyme 10 Nursery Rhyme Mother Mother 11 Land measurements 11 Land measurements 12 Inscribed stone 12 Inscribed stone 15 Three 15 Three 21 Adam's garden 21 Adam’s garden Greek god of war 24 Greek 24 god of war Excavate 26 26 Excavate Summerskin skincolor color 27 Summer 27 Planet Mother 29 29 Planet Mother Letsout outa heavy a heavy breath 30Lets 30 Distress call 31 breath 31 callhalf of Jima The other 32Distress 32 The other half of African antelope 33 Jima 35 McDonald's "Big __" 33 African antelope 37 Accountant abv. 35 McDonald’s “Big Paddle 38 __” Sarcastic abv. 39 Accountant 37 South American country 44 Paddle 38 39 Sarcastic 45 Frosty 44 American Hankering 46 South country 47 Dole out 45 Frosty 49 Round Table King 46 Hankering 51 Plainly, not fancy 47 Dole out 52 Elizabeth 11 Mother 49 Round Table King 53 Not over 51 Plainly, not fancy Oak fruit 54 Elizabeth 52 11 Mother Screamer's throat dangler 56 53 Not over Allude to something 57 54 Oak fruit Wear away 58 Screamer’s 56 throat Upon restful furniture 60 dangler 57 to something West by north 61 Allude 58 Wear away 62 Eye hair 60 restful Shoshonean 66Upon furniture 67 River (Spanish) 61 West by north 62 Eye hair 66 Shoshonean 67 River (Spanish)

1650 Valley View Road • Southern Pines, NC Adjacent to Hyland Golf Course on US 1

910-692-0855

www.WindridgeGardens.com

Spring Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM and Sun 1PM-5PM

Between Pinehurst & Raleigh, N.C. Home on 17+ Acres - Sanford, N.C. 3,000 sq ft BRICK HOME / 2,000 sq ft Garage/Workshop

5 3 8 4 18Spouse's Mother

DOWN

2 3 4 5 6

Sibling's daughter Genetic identical Web spinner Sea eagle Blow gently

2 4 8 8 7

9 3 1 4 3 5 6 4

Puzzle answers on page 95

Mart Dickerson lives in Southern Pines and would welcome any suggestions from her fellow puzzle masters. She can be reached at gdickerson@nc.rr.com.

Private Setting/Horses Allowed/Abundant Wildlife/Land for Family Custom 3,000 sq ft BRICK HOME, great for entertaining w/ spacious 1st floor Master Suite & Private Bath, WIC. 3 BR w/3 rec/bonus rooms, 2 gas log fireplaces. Hardwood, Tile, Brick floors. Extensive Brick porches/patios, Double garage. CAR COLLECTOR’S DREAM w/4yr old 2,000 sqft Garage/Workshop w/ office, 1/2 bath, 2 bay doors, (220 power/50 amp), exhaust fan/ work sink. 16x28 Gardening/Craft Cottage w/sink. 20 min to Pinehurst, 35-40 min Raleigh/Cary/Fayetteville/Greensboro $495,000 IN SANFORD, NC

info/pictures email: billmcdonald@cresnc.com Bill McDonald, 919-774-4774, Broker/Owner Carolina Real Estate Sanford - cresnc.com

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SoUThWordS

The epergne ritual

By nAn leAPtrott

cobalt blue, crystal

fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it, see April jonquils sway in the breeze, glimpse the beauty of May lilies crowned on little girls’ heads, breathe in the aroma of June gardenias. I believe the ritual of arranging fresh ﬂowers is as ageless as a good story, especially when arranged in a treasured cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne.

Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it; see the sun bounce iridescent sparkles across the cherrywood floor. I’m 11. It’s a time when summer is as drowsy as the humming of the bees; startling as the explosion of a July firecracker. I run, play, and do almost anything that suits my fancy. I catch up with the mish-mash neighborhood kids. We choose our very own rope-vine branch. The bet is on who can swing the farthest across the creek and land on the reindeer moss below. The winner is treated to a doublesided cherry Popsicle from Mr. Holbrook’s Sweet ’N Treat Shop down the street. Yum, my Popsicle sure licked good. A late afternoon shower dances on the grass. I walk home to gather flowers from the garden to arrange them in the cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne. I believe the ritual of arranging fresh flowers births continuity in the soul. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it. I’m 14. Life changes drastically. My temperature rages to 106°. I drift between life and death for two weeks until the fever breaks. I discover spinal meningitis is not my friend. I am as thin as an undernourished beanstalk, as pale as sheets that covered me. This foe robs me of my waist-length curls, strips away my eyebrows and eyelashes. My spirit plummets. Mother comes, brings the cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne and an armful of flowers. Arrange them, my dear. This will make you feel better. I believe there is something healing about the simple ritual of arranging fresh flowers. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it. Listen. Can you hear the music? It’s my wedding day. I glide down the aisle on my father’s arm in a gown of magnolia cream silk. Two months later, I sit in a

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hospital room clasping my husband’s hand. It isn’t good. Richard, you have cancer; you have six months to live. Mother comes. She brings the cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne and an armful of flowers. My dear, arrange them as you pray. I believe even in deep sorrow the ritual of arranging fresh flowers helps mend a crushed spirit. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it. I dice cooked, red potatoes, chop celery, green onions, boiled eggs, and sweet pickles; mix it altogether with just the right amount of Duke’s mayonnaise and a dollop of yellow mustard. Mother cuts kernels off the Silver Queen corn, scrapes the cobs clean. I hurry to arrange flowers in the cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne before our company arrives to celebrate with us Richard’s last cancer treatment. I believe the ritual of arranging fresh flowers as we rejoice in the miracle of healing is like a cherished memoir. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it. Babies are born. Babies grow up, leave home, marry; have babies of their own. The cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne now graces the center of my table. We come together to celebrate the joys, mourn the losses, welcome newcomers, and all the in-between times, too. I believe the ritual of arranging fresh flowers around family encourages unity. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape, I touch it, hold it; hear the unmistakable scream of glass crashing. I see the look on his face; radiation treatments from decades past linger. Fingers curl, become numb. It’s OK, sweetheart. It’s just glass. I can still hug you, and the epergne rituals are memories for me to treasure. I believe the ritual of a life lived courageously is the most beautiful bouquet of all. Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, teardrop in shape; I touch it, hold it; pick up the shattered glass to toss except for a tiny slice. The sparkle from this single piece of glass makes it clear what a distinctive privilege it is to be a part of such a fragrant practice. I believe there is permanence in the ritual of arranging fresh flowers in a cobalt blue, crystal fragile epergne. PS Nan Leaptrott is a communication coach, author, motivational speaker and can be reached at nleap@pinehurst.net.

ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDITH MARTENS

Cobalt blue, crystal fragile, the story of my life

Purveyor, Buyer & APPrAiser of fine And estAte Jewellery 229 NE Broad StrEEt • SouthErN PiNES, NC • (910) 692-0551 • In-House RepaIRs Mother and daughter Leann and Whitney Parker Look ForWard to WeLcoMing you to WhitLauter.