May PineStraw 2011 by PineStraw Magazine

May 2011 Volume 6, No. 5 Departments

7 10 16 19 23 29 31 33 35 39 41 43 45 49 53 104 114 123 125 127 128

Sweet Tea Chronicles Jim Dodson PinePitch Cos and Effect Cos Barnes The Omnivorous Reader Stephen E. Smith Bookshelf The Evolving Species Deborah Salomon Hitting Home Dale Nixon Vine Wisdom Robyn James The Kitchen Garden Jan Leitschuh Spirits Frank Daniels III Letters from the Sandhills Tom Allen Birdwatch Susan Campbell Pleasures of Life Sandy Corr The Sporting Life Tom Bryant Golftown Journal Lee Pace Calendar SandhillSeen Thoughts from the Man Shed Geoff Cutler The Accidental Astrologer Astrid Stellanova PineNeedler Mart Dickerson SouthWords Pat Taylor

Features

58 The Future of Golf

61 Short and Sweet

Barney Adams

70 Affordable Golf

Richard Mandell

73 Rebirth of a Legend

74 Dame Glenna

76 Music to our Ears

Ashley Wahl

78 The Golden Girls

Laura L. Gingerich

83 Story of a House

99 The Garden Path

Jim Dodson

To grow again, golf needs to learn from its golden past. A pioneer of the game believes it’s high time we made golf a realistic length — and grow the game again. Value and accessibility will assure a bright tomorrow. Lee Pace

How the restoration of No. 2 may inspire a new golden age of design. Joyce Reehling

Forget the “Female Bobby Jones” business. Our writer says Glenna Vare was a gal for today. A visionary plan to create a world-class performing arts center in the Home of American Golf. When women turn fifty, wisdom ripens.

Deborah Salomon

Elegant Inchalene is reborn as a designer show house. Ruth Stolting

It’s bee season at the Stolting farm. Oh, sweet.

Cover photograph and other views of early Pinehurst provided by the Tufts Archives

May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor

910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director 910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com

Kathryn Galloway, Graphic Designer Ashley Wahl, Editorial Assistant Editorial

Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Noah Salt, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Sara King, Proofreader Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Photographers

Glenn Dickerson Tim Sayer Hannah Sharpe

Contributors

Barney Adams, Tom Allen, Eric Alpenfels, Cos Barnes, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Sandy Corr, Geoff Cutler, Frank Daniels III, Mart Dickerson, Robyn James, Pamela Powers January, Jan Leitschuh, Melinda Kemp Lyerly, Richard Mandell, Dale Nixon, Lee Pace, Jeanne Paine, Joyce Reehling, Vickie Rounds, Lisa Sauder, Astrid Stellanova, Ruth Stolting, Angie Tally, Pat Taylor

David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising Sales

Ginny Kelly, 910.693.2481 • ginnykelly@thepilot.com Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Marty Hefner, 910.693.2508 Peggy Marsh, 910.693.2516 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Karen Triplett, 910.693.2510 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Pat Taylor, Advertising Director 910.693.2505 • pat@thepilot.com Advertising Graphic Design advertise@thepilot.com

Kathryn Galloway, B.J. Hill Mechelle Wood, Scott Yancey, Kristen Clark Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488 • dstark@thepilot.com PineStraw Magazine 910.693.2467 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com • www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2011. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

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sweet tea chronicles

Solo Golf Thoughts on the coming golf renaissance By Jim Dodson

On a recent gorgeous spring

evening at Mid Pines Golf Club, I played a quick ninehole match against my longtime foe and boyhood hero, Arnie Palmer.

Another Masters title was on the line, of course, and once again I barely eked out the win — though admittedly I needed a clutch chip and long putt in the faltering twilight to get the job done. Arnie was perfectly decent about the whole thing, I must say. It’s not the easiest thing for a king to be beaten by a total commoner. Maybe he’s just used to it by now. Last summer over at the Elks Club it was Jack Nicklaus I took down to earn my umpteenth United States Open Championship trophy. Greg Norman and Lee Trevino have also been victimized by my brilliant last-minute heroics in the dusk. Ray Floyd always gets that stormy-browed look on his face at the very mention of my name. As far as major championships titles go, it’s never bothered me much that I haven’t won the PGA Championship yet. In my mind, where these matches are played, that’s really not such a big deal. Besides, I have countless British Open wins and Claret Jugs to comfort me in my dotage. Believe it or not, I once nailed a 90-foot putt from the “Valley of Sin” at St. Andrews to knock the wind straight out of the great Henry Cotton. Another time at Lytham, I took four-time winner Tom Watson to the final hole before subduing him with a gutsy up and down from the bunker, living proof that golf is the greatest mental game on earth. In case you haven’t deduced as much by now, I love to play solo golf — have, in fact, since I was a lonesome 13-year-old cut-slicing my Al Geiberger fairway woods around my dad’s favorite golf course in Greensboro. In my mind, I was always heroically battling some current or distant star of the game for National Open or Masters glory. Sometimes I let the greatest names of the game have their due, but more often than not I won the day. None of my friends took an early shine to the game, you see, so most of my early navigations of a golf course happened by myself — not counting Arnie, Jack, Sam, Tom and all the rest. A little like Mowgli in the jungle, I grew accustomed to being on my own in the cultivated wilds of golf, learning the game from the ground up, so to speak, by watching and copying others, making up shots, emulating my heroes and experimenting on my own. Though the game of golf is arguably the most social sport of all, playing the game solo — hitching the bag over one’s shoulder and giving chase to Old Man Par, hiking along with an invisible legend of the game as a phantom opponent — remains, for me, one of life’s supreme pleasures, especially if it comes at the

end of the day when the angled light of nature reveals the landscape in its sweet perfection. Golf seemed so simple and blissfully uncomplicated back then — so unfussy, endlessly interesting, not even terribly expensive. I owned hand-medown Spalding clubs, the aforementioned Geiberger woods, and an old Sam Snead Blue Ridge Wilson sand wedge. We belonged to a popular golf club called Green Valley, but there were all kinds of kid-friendly public courses scattered around my hometown. A kid like me could spend an entire day playing the game for less than ten bucks, not counting the hotdog all-the-way and a Coke between nines. Golf was fun, cheap, and I rarely ever had to buy a golf ball in those days — found most of my stash in the creeks that scored the Green Valley course late in the day. An unblemished Titleist balata ball was tantamount to finding a nugget of pure gold. By the time May arrived, I was usually playing well into the spring darkness, lost in the game, nostrils full of the sweet smell of wild spring onions and honeysuckle in bloom, loving every minute of it. As I was going solo last weekend at Mid Pines, I couldn’t help but think how much I miss those faraway times when the game seemed to be a much simpler affair of the heart, not yet overrun by cart paths and GPS guidance systems and equipment designed by aerospace engineers. Just three years out from the next U.S. Open at Pinehurst — building upon the legacy created by a pair of fabuous men’s open championships in 1999 and 2005, and a trio of unforgettable Women’s Opens at Mrs. Bell’s Pine Needles — this naturally got me thinking about golf’s current problems, stalled growth and an industry that’s been on the ropes for several years running. Pulling out the small notebook I always carry in my golf bag — solo golf is a great time for making to-do lists or just jotting down idle thoughts — I began making a highly personal list of things I believe would help stimulate a golf renaissance and bring back the glory days, especially. 1. Ban all electronic devices on the golf course, including mobile phones and — most of all — GPS systems and laser yardage readers. A small post or bush discreetly marking 150 yards from a green is perfectly sufficient and encourages a player to study the surrounding environment, enhancing creativity and imagination in shotmaking. 2. While we’re at it, restore the walking game and caddies to golf. Electric carts have their place, but they were introduced by a man who didn’t even play golf but saw them as a way to generate extra income from folks who otherwise might not play. Caddie programs not only provide a wonderful human element to a round, but historically introduced millions of blue-collar kids to the game, some of whom went on to become the leading stars of golf. Good caddies make good citizens. 3. Let golf courses go wild. Golf is a walk through nature, so forget trying to groom a course to look like the lawn of Buckingham Palace. The wilder the terrain, the more fun it is to play. Turn off the spigot — water only greens and tees and let nature rule the fairways.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

sweet tea chronicles

4. Excluding major championships, make every professional golf tournament free of charge. Let’s be honest. The PGA Tour quit relying on fan support and gate receipts years ago, opting for the millions provided by corporate sponsors — ‚ so why not make tournaments wide-open affairs and true family-friendly, low-cost events? Give away plenty of free stuff, too — golf balls and shirts with the tournament logo. The bleachers might begin to fill up again with fans. 5. Every private club — especially the most famous ones — should have a Monday visitation policy that encourages play by unaccompanied guests and non-members. Imagine what a shot in the arm it would be if golfers of all stripes could gain access to the nation’s most revered layouts. Most clubs in Britain have such an enlightened policy and find it does wonders for their bottom lines — and reputations. 6. Convince Augusta National to hold an annual lottery for a day of golf that would afford 200 lucky golf fans from all over the world the privilege of playing America’s most beloved and famous course. They would pay only $10 per entry. If two million fans applied — probably the minimum that would do so — the lords of Augusta would generate $20 million annually that could go directly to fund golf programs for kids around the country. Think of the great ripple effect this would have throughout the game. 7. Shorten the game. Introduce the 12-hole golf course and 9-hole tournaments. Life is busy enough these days, and time is precious. Folks who find a five-hour round of golf unthinkable might happily join in if a round and tournament took half as long to play. 8. Change the rules to encourage continuous play and allow players to putt with the flag still in the cup. The time spent waiting for slow players to line up putts and others to play could be cut by at least half, shortening a typical round by at least an hour. 9. Widen the hole by at least two inches. Not only would this speed up play but probably produce more birdies and pars, making the experience a lot more fun for the ordinary golfer. Golf Digest recently conducted a field test of this idea at Pine Needles Golf Club and reached the same conclusion. 10. Create an annual American Golf Festival in Pinehurst — a year-ending shindig that brings together fans and stars of the PGA Tour past and present, equipment manufacturers, musicians, celebrities, collectors and PGA teachers. This fan-friendly tribute to the game — spread over the Village and leading clubs here in the Sandhills — would permit thousands of fans the opportunity to get to know the world’s top players on a casual basis, generating a world of goodwill for the game. As much as I love playing solo golf — and always will — it would be great to see more people on the fabulous golf courses of the Sandhills, and the rest of America, too. PS

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ORWV GHQ KRPH U D * Sď?Łď?¨ď?Ľď?¤ď?ľď?Źď?Ľ Yď?Żď?ľď?˛ Pď?˛ď?Šď?śď?Ąď?´ď?Ľ Tď?Żď?ľď?˛VTď?Żď?¤ď?Ąď?š W DUW DW KMX VKWRP H LW GZ FNDJHV DQG ODQ S D IURP Located just 5 miles from Pinehurst, Legacy Lakes offers an incredible collection of resort amenities, including:

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Barley Pop Bonanza

The Moore County Chamber of Commerce will host their second annual Festival of Beers on Saturday, May 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. Sample from an extensive selection of fine beers paired with munchies and live music, and a home brew demonstration to boot. Tickets: $20 (advance); $25 (at door). Event to be held at the Southern Pines Elks Lodge. Tickets and information: (910) 692-3926.

Bucolic Splendor

On the evening of May 19, dine alfresco beneath the longleaf pines at the third annual Dining in the Field to benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center. Cost: $125. Includes traditional low country (four-course) supper prepared by the chefs of Elliott’s on Linden, live entertainment, cocktails and valet service on the Sandy Woods Farm. Space limited to the first 100 guests. Tickets and information: Elliott’s, (910) 2953663 or Sandhills Children’s Center, (910) 692-3323.

Swing Fling

Think you’ve got what it takes to qualify for the renowned U.S. Open? The local qualifier, to be held on the Magnolia Course at Pinewild Counry Club on May 16, could bring you one step closer. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Information: (910) 673-1000 or visit www.carolinasgolf.org

Local yokels, rejoice! Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill will return to the Village Arboretum in Pinehurst on May 7 for an encore performance to benefit the local chapter of The First Tee. Concert scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.; gates open at 5 p.m. General admission: $28; reserved seating: $75-$125. Tickets and information: www.vincegillpinehurst.com.

“Wear Your Buckle Shoes…” Lights, colorful masks, action! Prepare to be dazzled by dancers, singers and a taste of New Orleans jazz at the Moore OnStage production of “Masquerade” on May 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and May 28 at 2 p.m. at Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School. Tickets and information: (910) 692-7118.

May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gill Seeker

Let Bygones Be Boasted

The Cameron Antiques Fair features more than 300 dealers displaying antiques and collectibles in their village shops. Don’t miss the show(case) along the streets of historic Cameron on Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Information: (910) 245-7001 or www.antiquesofcameron.com

Buggy-Woogie

Carthage’s Tyson & Jones Buggy Factory manufactured the “Cadillac” of horsedrawn carriages from 1850-1925. On May 7, celebrate the rich history of Moore County’s oldest town at the 23rd annual Buggy Fest at Courthouse Square, downtown Carthage. Festival features buggy display, car show, continuous entertainment, crafts, antiques and great food from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by the Buggy Festival Idol contest at 4:30 p.m. Bring the kids. Information: (910) 947-2331 or email kpohara@nc.rr.com.

First Things First

The 2011 First Friday season kicks off on May 6 with The David Mayfield Parade — a bluegrass sensation that even the Avett Brothers have taken note of. Live music and family friendly entertainment from 5 – 8 p.m. in the grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. Free admission. Information: www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com

Dog Days

Warm weather — and Weymouth Woods— beckon. Leash the dog, walk the sandy paths, and enjoy the pleasant sights and sounds of the 900-acre Sandhills Nature Preserve. Your four-legged furry friend sure will. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167.

Requiem For a Dream

The NC Symphony presents Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto on the evening of May 19, featuring Mary Boon (flutist) and Anita BurroughsPrice (harpist). Program includes Beethoven, Mozart and Schumann. Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines, 8 p.m. Information: (877) 627-6724 or www.ncsymphony.org

Road Trip

From May 27 - 29, Moore OnStage will present “On the Road to Fame,” a dynamic exposé of song and dance chronicling a rhythmic journey — ’70s music through contemporary tunes. Destination: Fame! Featuring celebrated songs from Broadway and films. On Friday and Saturday the show starts at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School. Tickets: $22/adults; $15/ students. Reservations and information: (910) 692-7118.

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

May Days

April showers bring May concerts to Poplar Knight Spot. Bluegrass, soul band, jazzy-folk — a musical flavor to satisfy everyone’s taste. May 8 at 6:45 p.m. The Gibson Brothers are bluegrass titans, featuring beautiful brotherly harmonies and stellar instrumental chops. May 15 at 6:45 p.m. HOBEX is an inconic Chapel Hill soul band; singer/songwriter Alex da Costa will open. May 22 at 6:45 p.m. Rebecca Pronsky and Sally Spring (two talented folk singers) will each perform from — and release — their newest albums. May 27 at 8:30 p.m. Matuto is sure to make a stunning cross-cultural statement. May 28 at 8:30 p.m. Multiple Grammy winner Alison Brown and her quartet deliver jazzy bluegrass fusion. May 29 at 6:45 p.m. Stella Lively makes her debut at the Spot, opening for the Chris Scruggs Band.

Under Them Skies of Blue The Sandhills Community College Jazz Band’s Summer 2011 Concert Series kicks off outdoors on May 9 at 6:30 p.m. on the lawn of SCC. In the event of rain, concert moves to Owens Auditorium. Free and open to the public. Information: (910) 695-3829.

Perfect Seasoning

Carnegie Hall? Here? Sure sounds like it. Vivaldi meets Piazzolla at The Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Eight Seasons” season finale performance on May 28, 2 p.m., at Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College. Tickets: $25; senior/military: $20. Information: (910) 687-4746 or www. CarolinaPhil.org

Location: Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Tickets and information: www.theroosterswife.org

May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Fryes and Shakers

The Frye Foundation — created by South Carolina Track and Field Coach Curtis Frye — is hosting its first annual Celebrity Golf Classic on May 22 – 23 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines to raise money for research on diabetes and mental illness. Steve Spurrier, Gamecocks head football coach, Travelle Wharton, All Pro Lineman and NFL Hall of Famer Sterling Sharpe are among the many celebrities joining Coach Frye. A dinner and pairings party will be held on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the JFR Barn in Southern Pines; cost: $150. Golf Classic begins Monday at 8 a.m., featuring 36 foursomes (each with a celebrity golfer). General admission: $10. Register by May 10. Information and registration: www.thefryefoundation.org

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Information: (910) 695-3879.

Anchored in the Wilmington harbor, the USS North Carolina Battleship — it’s massive historic presence and regular tours attract visitors by the droves — is a North Carolina icon. On May 15 at 2 p.m. the Moore County Historical Association is sponsoring a presentation by Cindy Ramsey at the First Baptist Church of Southern Pines featuring sea stories from enlisted men aboard the USS NC Battleship during WWII. Free event. Information: (910) 692-2051.

Simon Says…

On May 1 from 4 to 6 p.m., the Artists League of the Sandhills Exchange Street Gallery will host an opening reception for “On Our Own,” an emerging artists exhibit featuring the works of several new artists, many of whom were participants of the Follow the Leader art classes offered by the Artists League last year. Exhibit runs through May 31.

The Sandhills Community College (SCC) Annual Student Art Exhibit Opening Reception will be held at the Hastings Gallery on Wednesday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Exhibit runs through July 31. While on campus, be sure to “Stop and Yield for Art.” Signs in the Sandhills gardens have been artfully framed by SCC art students, and will remain so through the end of the “Art in the Garden” exhibit, which runs through May 27.

Tales From the Deep Blue Sea

On May 3 and 10 (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), hone your own artistic skills with Irene Dobson’s Plein Aire Painting class; cost: $85. Kevin Beck May will lead a workshop from May 16 to 18 called “Painting the Landscape Using Photographic References” from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost: $325 (nonmembers). Joan Williams will instruct a Follow the Leader art class on May 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; cost: $70. Location: 129 Exchange Street in the old Aberdeen Rockfish Railroad storage terminal. Information: (910) 944-3979.

There’s a drought tolerant, deer resistant, humming bird and butterfly attracting garden waiting for adoption just down Highway #1 in Aberdeen. It’s owned and tended by friendly local folks, who have been gardening in the sand for 6 decades, and who love nothing better than finding good homes for their plants. So come choose a garden and learn how to grow it and become the envy of all who haven’t found us yet. Your hard earned dollars will stay in the neighborhood, and you may take home some wonderful new friends. You’ll also find all the accoutrements to prepare a proper bed and provide nourishment for your new adoptees, along with all the advice you might need to make your new friends healthy and happy. Come by and take the tour, you’re sure to find something you haven’t seen before.

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She was a feminist without know-

ing it, a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s libber before there was such a thing.

She was a career woman from necessity rather than choice. She never had time to â&#x20AC;&#x153;findâ&#x20AC;? herself, but she never felt the need to look. A divorcee when divorce was the exception to the rule, she went her way without resentment, self-pity or collapse. Although she spent her life in the competitive world of business, she retained her femininity and never lost the grassroots upbringing that was hers. A modern woman of the old school, she passed on a lasting faith through example as well as word while she hemmed dresses, crocheted afghans, baked cakes and arranged flowers for the table. Her education was limited, her grammar imperfect; still, she addressed hundreds without a qualm. And she made time for the nurturing of offspring, the building of a home, and the instilling of manners, character and education. She was tough without being shrill, sympathetic without being sappy. Her son-in-law said it best: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class.â&#x20AC;? Happy Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. PS

design. build. life.

Cos Barnes, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thrilled to say, lives and writes in Southern Pines. She is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine.

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

The oMNivoRoUS ReADeR

foreign Affairs

Against the shadow of Mccarthyism, love blooms in Paris

By sTephen e. smiTh

When i read the

title of Jennet Conant’s latest book, A Covert Affair: The Adventures of Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS,, the perfect attention grabber for this review popped into my head. It goes: “Excuse me, waiter, but there’s a bug in my vichyssoise.”

“I’m sorry, Madame, but I don’t see a bug.” “Not a bug bug. A listening device.” Unfortunately, my clever lead turns out to be as disingenuous as Conant’s title. Her latest book is not solely about Julia and Paul Child and their adventures in the Office of Strategic Services, the much ballyhooed organization formed during World War II to coordinate American espionage activities. Paul and Julia McWilliams Child did in fact work for the OSS, and Paul had a long and distinguished career in the United States Foreign Service, but alas, more than half of Conant’s beautifully written and thoroughly researched study of OSS activities in the Far East is the story of Jane Foster, an associate of the Childs, than it is about the author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her urbane State Department hubby. The story opens in Germany in 1955 when Paul Child receives a telegram from Washington: “REPORT SOONEST FOR CONSULTATION.” Julia is convinced that Paul is about to receive a promotion, but the message has a more ominous intent: Paul is caught up in a “security investigation” occasioned by the McCarthy witch hunts and “the consequent adverse criticism of his [McCarthy’s] methods.” If you were a government employee of considerable influence, America could be a scary place during the early to mid-50s. Paul Child, a frustrated artist and ersatz bohemian, had received fitness reports that called into question his temperament for his State Department job. He was reported to be both moody and eccentric and was said to suffer from a “definite inferiority complex.” He was also grilled about his politics and sexuality, and, more

directly, his association with Jane Foster, a former OSS employee who’d been a longtime friend of the Childs. If the focus on Jane Foster in a book ostensibly about the Childs is a trifle disconcerting, Foster’s story is more so. She was one of many young and spirited employees hired by the OSS during the war. Attractive and energetic, she had a knack for “instant intimacy” that endeared her to others, and she was usually the center of attention at any gathering. When Paul first met Jane, he characterized Jane as “a wild and messy girl, always in trouble, and always irresponsible,” which is an accurate enough description. But she thrived on intrigue and worked hard to undermine America’s enemies. Since she spoke fluent Malay and had lived in Batavia, she was an invaluable OSS employee and was sent to Java, where she schemed to demoralize the Japanese occupiers. At war’s end she was instrumental in freeing and nursing former internees and in maintaining a semblance of order in areas formerly occupied by the Japanese. Transferred to Vietnam, she was quick to grasp the political and military situation: “The Vietminh were nationalists first and foremost, though they were buttressed by Communist support. Both profess to be pro-American but were really just virulently anti-French, and were hoping the United States would help them gain their independence… ‘Boycotts and guerilla operations against the French could easily continue for years to come,’” she wrote, not foreseeing the military role America would assume after the fall of Dien Bien Phu. The policy-makers in Washington would have done well if they had listened to Foster’s warnings, which might have prevented our involvement in Vietnam and its attendant despair. She was quick to recognize that the “big shots” in Washington were motivated by economic interests. With the French, Dutch and British removed from their former spheres of influence, the United States could take over those markets. Having extensively set the scene for Paul and Julia’s relationship, Conant sprinkles her text with bits and pieces of their evolving affair, which was anything but love at first sight. When Paul arrived in Ceylon at the end of the war, he considered Julia “a grown-up little girl.” “I feel very sorry for her,”

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

The oMNivoRoUS ReADeR

he wrote to his twin brother Charles, “because while I see clearly what the cure is, I do not see clearly who will apply it.” For her part, Julia pursued Paul with singular determination, even when it seemed her obvious crush on him would go unrequited. She learned to love art and exotic cuisine — the source of her interest in French cooking — and eventually their relationship deepened into love and they married. While Julia and Paul were living in Paris in the early fifties, they became reacquainted with Jane Foster and her husband and the couples often dined together. Their conversations centered on gossip and old stories; Jane’s lighthearted interested in Communism was rarely discussed. But the McCarthy hearings were under way in the States, and the Great Commie scare reached all the way to the American embassy in Paris.

But the Mccarthy hearings were under way in the States, and the great commie scare reached all the way to the American embassy in Paris . Careers were ruined, books were burned, artists were blacklisted. Roy Cohn and David Schine descended on the embassy staff and hurled “insolence, unproven charges, and threats….” Paul was ordered to compile a list of United States Information Service books so that they could be reviewed “and either removed, refiled, or destroyed.” And he was eventually ordered back to Washington to be investigated. Paul and Julia’s romance has been the subject of more comprehensive studies, including Noel Fitch’s Appetite for Life and Julia’s Bon Appetit: My Life in France with Paul. A Covert Affair will appeal to readers who have an interest in the history of the OSS and McCarthyism and its attendant misery. More importantly, it’s a timely reminder of the dangers of demagoguery and sorrow occasioned by lost opportunities. PS Stephen Smith’s most recent book of poetry, A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths, is available at The Country Bookshop. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.

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Page 1

Bookshelf

New Releases For May By Ashley Wahl and Angie Tally for The Country Bookshop FICTION-HARDCOVER CALEB’S CROSSING by Geraldine Brooks. In the tiny settlement of Great Harbor, the daughter of a Puritan minister and the son of a Wampanoag chieftain forge a speculative friendship that draws each into the other’s foreign world. THE STORY OF BEAUTIFUL GIRL by Rachel Simon. Locked away and left to languish in an abandoned institution, an unlikely couple escapes, seeks refuge with a retired schoolteacher, and raises a child. Simon’s characters prove that extraordinary love conquers insurmountable odds. DOC by Mary Doria Russell. In Dodge City, Kansas, 1878, part-time policeman Wyatt Earp discovers the burned body a mixed-blood boy named Johnnie Sanders, whose shocking death becomes a deeply personal matter for the man who found him. FICTION PAPERBACK THE BEACH TREES by Karen White. Julie Holt meets a struggling artist who reminds her of the younger sister she lost when she was 12 years old. Their friendship sparks Julie’s long and painful process of healing. THE LONG SONG by Andrea Levy. The author of Small Island returns with the imaginative story of Miss July, the child of a field slave who lives with her mother on a sugar plantation in Jamaica until an English widow intervenes.

RUSSIAN WINTER by Daphne Kalotay. Memories, both heart-wrenching and glorious, come flooding back for Nina Revskaya, a former Bolshoi ballerina, when she decides to put her elaborate jewelry collection up for auction. GIRL IN TRANSLATION by Jean Kwok. Kimberly Chang, a Chinese immigrant living with her mother in Brooklyn, is forced to choose between two cultures while struggling to define herself in the constant translation between two worlds. THE HOTTEST DISHES OF THE TARTAR CUISINE by Alina Bronsky. Bitter to the core, Rosa Achmetowna attempts to abort her teenage daughter’s baby through various homemade remedies, but nonetheless the child is born. Surprisingly, Rosa is instantly taken by the willful child. NON-FICTION-HARDCOVER ON CHINA by Henry Kissinger. A historical perspective on Chinese foreign affairs, Kissinger draws upon four decades of intimate acquaintance with China and its leaders to reflect on how the country’s past relations have shaped its fate. RAILWAY MAPS OF THE WORLD by Mark Ovenden. An exquisite collection of historical and contemporary railway maps, posters and proposals spanning two centuries and every corner of the globe.

Bookshelf

PIRATE HUNTER OF THE CARIBBEAN: The Adventurous Life of Captain Woodes Rogers by David Cordingly. A seafaring legend, Woodes Rogers was appointed governor of the Bahamas in 1713 to help defend the Caribbean against a plundering slew of felons, including Blackbeard himself.

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WHAT?: Are These The 20 Most Important Questions In Human History — Or Is This A Game Of 20 Questions? by Mark Kurlansky. From the award-winning author of Cod and Salt, a playful yet deeply thought-provoking book that draws upon philosophy, religion, literature, politics and civilization while considering life’s most timeless queries. THE NEW SOUTHERN GARDEN COOKBOOK: Enjoying the Best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers’ Markets, Roadside Stands, and CSA Farm Boxes by Sheri Castle. A compendium of healthful homemade dishes inspired by the diverse host of seasonal fruits and vegetables that flourish in the South. NON-FICTION-PAPERBACK SEEDS: One Man’s Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees That Inspired Famous American Writers from Faulkner to Kerouac, Welty to Wharton by Richard Horan. On his quest to link trees with America’s literary greats, Horan discovers the nature of inspiration, and invites the reader along for the journey. WHAT I KNOW NOW ABOUT SUCCESS: Letters from Extraordinary Women to Their Younger Selves by Ellyn Spragins. A compilation of inspiring letters written by remarkable women — from Barbara Walters to Kate Spade — on overcoming life’s obstacles to achieve greatness. ESCAPE FROM DAVAO: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War

Bookshelf

by John D. Lukacs. In his first book, Lukacs brings one of the greatest Pacific war stories to life through extensive research and his gripping attention to detail. EAT TO DEFEAT MENOPAUSE by Karen Giblin and Mache Seibel. A cookbook designed to help alleviate hot flashes, night sweats and other similarly glorious symptoms of menopause — with a healthy dose of humor on the side. Children’s and Young Adult Summer Reading Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by Jacky Davis and David Soman. With Lulu, AKA, Ladybug Girl, every day is an adventure and today Bumblebee Boy, Dragonfly Girl and Butterfly Girl are visiting for the Bug Squad’s first official playdate. Ladybug Girl has many exciting things planned, from rock painting to a special cupcake make-a-wish activity, but when the other members of the Bug Squad have their own ideas about the afternoon’s plans Ladybug Girl learns a gentle lesson about bossiness. With creative play and positive friendship behaviors encouraged, the Ladybug Girl Series is perfect for ages 3-7. Say Hello To Zorro by Carter Goodrich. No one could be more content than Mr. Bud. With a perfect schedule of naptime, belly-scratch time, snack time and meet and greet bark time, no dog’s life could be more perfect... until Zorro moves in, the sanctity of the perfect schedule is threatened, and Mr. Bud must decide how this intruder will fit into his perfect world. Fabulous illustrations accompany this cute story of compromise and friendship. Ages 3-7 Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Prinz Award winner and National Book Award finalist, this fast paced futuristic adventure is sure to grab the attention of “Hunger Games” fans. In the Gulf Coast region of the former United States, grounded tankers, once powerful symbols of wealth and PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

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Bookshelf

power, are now treasures to be plundered by Nailer, a teenage “ship breaker” who scavenges the vessels for copper wire needed to make a quota with a demanding cruel boss and a terrifying father. But when Nailer stumbles upon a clipper ship stranded by a city killer storm, he thinks he has finally found the lucky break that will set him free of his obligations. However, what he finds inside forces him to reconsider his life, his choices and his ability to go against everything he has ever known. Award winning sci-fi for ages 14 and up. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. Along with her father, a famous restaurant consultant, McLean has moved four times in the two years since her parents’ bitter public divorce, each time inventing a new persona to fit her new town. Now, for the first time, McLean has a desire to stay and decide who she really is. This first new title in two years from the fabulously popular Sarah Dessen is sure to have readers lined up when it goes on sale May 10th! Fun summer reading for ages 14 and up. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. When Cullen Whittier’s gifted, insightful, eternally kind brother disappears the same month a supposedly extinct woodpecker appears in his hometown of Lily, Arkansas, Cullen quietly, angrily, but calmly begins to work through this difficult, but sometimes amusing, time in his strange hometown. Fans of John Irving and Pat Conroy are sure to enjoy this fabulous new coming-of-age story from a promising new author. Exciting news Eragon fans: The Inheritance, the fourth and final book in the bestselling Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, will be published November 8, 2011. Come into The Country Bookshop and reserve your copy today at a 20 percent discount. Watch the Country Bookshop’s website and email blasts for updates. PS PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

t h e e v o l v i n g sp e c i e s

Freeze Frame

Give me double Popsicles and ice cold shoes on a hot day. For that, I need my freezer

By Deborah Salomon

Of all the silly

landmarks along the road I have traveled — the road that shifted recently from familiar, well-marked interstate to uphill pot-holed asphalt — I miss my freezer the most.

Freezers, actually, because I have owned many: upright, chest, free-standing and conjoined. I needed them to cook. That’s what I do. I cooked for my parents, my husband, his parents and siblings, our children and grandchildren plus lots of friends, neighbors, guests, co-workers and stray cats. My cold cupboard was never bare. It was never even half-full. At the zenith of my feed-the-world days, I owned a side-by-side in the kitchen abetted by a secondhand fridge in the garage and a chest freezer in the basement. Whole watermelons, kegs of beer, gallons of water, dozens of eggs and 20-pound turkeys chilled there. Of course I didn’t need that much cold storage. Nobody but a frat house mother (or the nineteen and counting Duggar family) does. I needed the security. Everybody knew Deb could whip up a meal on short notice. I always had a sour cream chocolate layer cake, cookie dough, brownies in the freezer. My big boxes also provided a false sense of frugality. I stocked up on sale-priced everything, then paid the electricity to keep it cold. But I’m worth it. Four years ago my life, therefore my refrigerator census, changed dramatically. My children were long gone, but now I had no husband, no house, no parents, no in-laws, no co-workers. My sushi-loving grandchildren lived far away. I was in a new town with few friends. My apartment offered a MiniCooper when I was accustomed to an Escalade. With a sidecar. No problem. I only cook for myself, occasionally others, but I sure don’t need a frost-free linebacker. Funny thing was my refrigerator with its tiny freezer filled up quickly. I couldn’t resist the basket

of peaches, the gallon of ice cream, the pack of chicken breasts — strange for a vegetarian, but somebody might want chicken salad. My son Danny said I made the world’s best chicken salad. I still do. I still belong to Costco, too, where potstickers and ciabatta rolls come in big bags, where briskets are wider than snowboards. Sometimes, to stay sane, I just have to make a cheesecake, which I give away slice by slice. Therefore, my tiny freezer posed a danger. Beware, seeker of an ice cube. Stuff comes tumbling out. See that bruise on my foot inflicted by a frozensolid six-pound capon? Summer approaches. I need room for sorbet, blueberries, lemonade, zucchini bread. Habits of a lifetime die hard, or not at all. I couldn’t fight it any longer. I had to buy a freezer. The purchase took exactly fifteen minutes. I found my baby on Lowe’s website: a sweet little 5-cubic foot top-loader. As for the $159 — some women spend that on a handbag. Or a day spa. Lots buy 75 lattes per year. I buy none. The delivery man shrugged when I led him to the spare bedroom since I have no garage, no basement, no magazine kitchen. I signed the bill with a flourish, plugged the freezer in, heard the hum, felt the chill … and smiled. Maybe money can’t buy happiness but it sure can buy a freezer, which makes me very happy. Oh, the possibilities, the pea soup, the jumbo shrimp and the marinara. Now I can have Popsicles — double ones, enough for me and the kids next door. I can put a pair of summer shoes in that sturdy white chest. Don’t tell me you’ve never thrilled to cold shoes on a 98-degree day. When life changes, people cling to the weirdest things. Normalcy, as I know it, is gone forever. Never again will I set fourteen places for Thanksgiving dinner. My grandsons have outgrown their bunk beds. My cats are snoozing on a celestial cloud. But I am here. I am well. I still love to cook — and I will find people to feed. For that, I need a freezer. PS

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Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw Magazine.

hiTTing hoMe

Breath-holding experiences eighteen years and counting

By DaLe niXon

i was thinking

the other day about all the students who will graduate from high school next month and the graduation exercises that will be held all over the county to commemorate these special moments.

Articles will be written, pictures will be taken, and pats on the back will go to the many students who have “made it.” But how many of you parents have taken the time or had the time to think about what you’ve been doing for the past eighteen years? Well, I’ve been thinking for you. It’s easy for me to do because I’m not involved in graduation, and my emotions are not all tangled up in graduation exercises. Because I’ve been granted breathing space and have had some time to think for you, I’ve come up with a profound statement: Parents of graduating seniors, whether you know it or not, for eighteen years you’ve been holding your breath. Do you remember when your seniors were born? Do you remember frantically tearing at the babies’ blankets until you could count fingers and toes? You held your breath until they were accounted for. As the babies grew and developed, you continued to hold your breath. Would you get a full night’s sleep? Would they cry when you took them to a restaurant? Would they spit up all over your new suit or dress? Then these little people developed some personality. They began to talk. You held your breath. What would they say, who would they say it to, and when would they say it? No one ever knew. Did your babies walk at eight months or at one year? It makes no difference because when they began to walk, again you held your breath. Would they fall? Would they bump their heads on the corner of the coffee table? Would they attempt the stairs when you weren’t around?

Too soon, it seems, they started school. You held your breath. Would they measure up to the other students? Would they interact with the other children? Would they get teachers who understood them or the ones who really cared? Then came the extracurriculars: the football, the basketball, cheerleading, band and dance recitals. You held your breath every time they walked out on the field, handled a ball, marched, cheered or skipped across a stage. School elections. A big math test. A poem to recite. A tryout for a part in the school play. You held your breath at each opportunity for success or failure. Let’s talk about when they turned sixteen and got their driver’s license. Admit it, you held your breath every time they pulled out of the driveway, fearing the worst and hoping for the best. And let’s not forget the doctors’ offices and the way it felt when you sent them back to a cubicle to have a bone set, to get a shot, to have a tooth filled or braces put on. I know you, and I know you held your breath. There’s no breath holding like senior-year breath holding, though. You held your breath as they slipped class rings on their fingers, as you turned the pages in their annuals to note their accomplishments, as you gave your permission for an unchaperoned beach trip. You held your breath to see if they would be accepted at the college of their choice. You held your breath praying they wouldn’t drink, take drugs or get in trouble. I know that as your children walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, your heart will swell with pride, and your eyes will fill with tears. I also know what else you’ll be doing. You’ll be holding your breath. PS Columnist Dale Nixon resides in Concord but enjoys a slice of heaven (disguised as a condominium) in the village of Pinehurst. You may contact her by e-mail at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.

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Vine Wisdom

The Muse of Moscato

This light and fruity wine is attracting loads of attention — and younger fans

By Robyn James

This country is in the

throes of Moscato Mania, and that’s OK with me. Moscato is the hot new grape now, and it is providing entrée into the wine world for hoards of young people. I am so happy to see them abandoning their unhealthy, chemical, sugary daiquiris and margaritas for the lovely, naturally fruity Moscato.

Moscato is grown in nearly every wine bearing country in the world and has many different names. It can be called Muscat, Moscatel, Muscat Canelli and Moscodero. Do not confuse Moscato with the bone dry Muscadet from France’s Loire Valley or our Southern U.S. Muscadine grape. None of these are related or have any similar characteristics. Moscato’s true origin is in the town of Asti inside the Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte) region of Italy. Here, charming Moscato is like the fairy godmother of Piedmont, growing beside the tough, dark brooding Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Strange bedfellows. Back in the day, Asti Spumante was a popular drink, so what is the difference between Asti Spumante and Moscato D’Asti? Asti Spumante refers to a fully sparkling wine with straightforward sweet and fruity flavors, which is best enjoyed on its own or as a dessert selection. Moscato D’Asti, on the other hand, is one of the world’s great wine styles. It is a low alcohol, semi-sparkling (Italian: frizzante, meaning slightly fizzy) wine with about half the carbonation of a typical sparkling wine, and is released very soon after the vintage to preserve its uniquely fresh character. It is extremely aromatic with a famously complex perfume, and generally has a mild level of sweetness, which is counterbalanced by vibrant acidity. Moscato D’Asti makes an exceptional dessert wine but is also versatile enough to have as an aperitif. Served alone, it is one of the most refreshing wines in the world, and one would be hard pressed to find something better for a hot summer day. Traditionally, Moscato d’Asti was a wine that was made by the winemakers for themselves. It does have an interesting history. The growerwinemakers would simply toss the sweet grapes into large open-topped wooden vats, and the grapes would start to ferment. Since the grapes were left on the vine for a long time, by the time they were harvested and thrown into the vats, the outside temperature was starting to drop in this high altitude region. The cold weather would stop the yeast fermentation in its tracks. When the temperatures warmed up in the springtime, the wine would have trapped carbon dioxide bubbles in it. The winemakers

realized that they had a tasty product and bottled the wine. The problem was the trapped CO2 could cause the bottles to explode under pressure. And you can bet this did little for the morale of the cellar workers who had to take extra precautions when working near the bottles. The winemakers realized that these bottles reacted violently to movement. By filtering the wines so there was no plant matter left, they discovered they could make a safer product. Often the best filter turned out to be the socks of the winemaker, so to speak. Nowadays, Moscato d’Astis are filtered quite heavily by mechanical devices. The resulting wines are clean and pure expressions of the Moscato grape. They are fuller and less crisp than their Asti siblings. They tend to be sweeter but perhaps with more complexity and interest. Certainly, the nose on these wines can be enticing. Typically, people describe their aromas as peaches and apricots. They finish with a refreshing combination of acidity and bubbles that seem to wake up one’s palate. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have analyzed pots from King Midas’ burial mound and determined that Moscato grapes were a key component of the alcoholic beverage served at his funeral feast. Here are some popular selections: VOLPI MOSCATO, PIEMONTE, approx. $11 A really good Moscato, with lots of fresh apricot and peach. Medium-bodied, lightly sweet, with a light froth and a fresh finish. Drink now. SARACCO MOSCATO D’ASTI, PIEMONTE, approx. $18 Fresh and frothy, with sliced apple and lemon aromas. Offers sweet fruit flavors, with a fresh, creamy finish. MAKULU MOSCATO, SOUTH AFRICA, approx. $8 Makulu Moscato is a tongue tingling treat that is seductively sweet with big aromas of peaches, pears and apricots. The light effervescence wakes up your taste buds and leads into a crisp flavorful finish. DEAKIN MOSCATO, AUSTRALIA, approx. $9 Grassy and slightly pungent, showing the distinct aromas of Muscat, but the delicate texture — it’s lightly sparkling — and sweet flavors win out on the palate, balanced by a fresh, citrussy finish. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@pinehurst.net.

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

May 2011

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The kitchen garden

Breakfast on The Hoof It’s strawberry time in the Sandhills

By Jan Leitschuh

Is there a better time to be

alive than May? For us, May is made all the sweeter by our annual strawberry harvest before breakfast.

It is a hunter-gathering ritual in our house to go out into the soft May morning air with a mug of coffee and a bowl to relieve the strawberry beds of their red treasure before the birds do. Breakfast “on the hoof,” as it were. Ounce for ounce, more vitamin C than citrus. Antioxidants before eight a.m. The fragrance of ripe fruit perfumes the air as we pick — one tender berry for the bowl, two for the tongue. Bees buzz other blossoms in the area; birds trill their territory. Mornings don’t get much sweeter than this. “Doubtless God could have made a better berry,” goes an old saying, “but doubtless God never did.” The red fruits are universally beloved. Nor are they that hard for a kitchen gardener to grow. It’s surprising how little I know about growing strawberries, and yet we seem to fill the freezer every year with these sweetest of bites. In fall, I just buy some plugs of “Chandler” or “Sweet Charlie” from friendly local farmers, or online from a good nursery, plant the crowns in well-drained, rich soil — not too deep and not too shallow — and off they go. That should speak volumes. Though there are tricky moments, strawberries are not that difficult a crop to grow overall in the home garden if one is willing to take some losses to birds and ill-timed frost. Growing for farm production and you-pick businesses, that’s another animal altogether. Those folks can be up at 3 a.m. on frosty March nights, irrigating feverishly all night and into the morning to save their crop. Not that you even need to grow your own. Those you-pick businesses, farmers markets, farm stands and co-op boxes are overflowing with early May strawberry abundance from the March vigilance of Sandhills farmers. Like our kitchen garden berries, these farm-grown sweet bites also began as plugs grown in a disease-free manner. They were planted in the cool of fall, and took root over winter. Commercial growers use black plastic to reduce splashing, disease and weeding, but the home grower can simply use chopped leaves after planting. The earliest delicate white blossoms began to appear at an impossible time — early March, far too rough-and-tumble an environment for the fragile beauty of a thin petal. Yet Nature is wise, and never fires off all her bullets at once. The frosttender flowers may appear during frost-prone times, but the plant won’t unfurl

them all at the same time. Some blossoms will unfold to sunny days full of pollinating bees. Still, the month of March is a watchful one for strawberry lovers hoping to maximize yield. Home gardeners run out and cover their strawberry patches with blankets, burlap or sheets on frostprone evenings; the farmers pull on row covers or, counter-intuitively, turn on overhead sprinklers to prevent the cell-busting frost crystals from forming. And then, all of a sudden in midApril, the first berries appear. The early efforts can be twisted or oddly-shaped if the bees didn’t get out in the cold weather. But, have faith! As the season heats up, the berries begin to come large and thick and fast, often peaking right before Mother’s Day, especially if temperatures are high. The best time to pick is early morning, every day or two. Berries picked right after a rain tend to be mushy and don’t keep well, so try to harvest before a rain. You’ll find yourself sharing with the local birds, although some determined home gardeners put bridal netting or cheesecloth over their treasures. Pick the ripest red ones — that’s your reward for growing them, or visiting a you-pick. Here’s one of those rare “tastes of a place.” Out-of-state shipped berries have to be picked earlier, before peak ripeness. While they eventually turn red, they’ll never develop the sugars, taste and juiciness of a home-grown or locally picked berry. Here in the Sandhills, we are blessed. Local producers plant what they call a “one-day berry,” fruit grown for taste rather than its tough skin and ability to be processed and transported across country. That means you’ll want to eat them quickly, or freeze them that day for winter smoothies and cobblers. A simple way to freeze strawberries is to rinse, pick out the stems and place on a cookie sheet; later that day, roll the berry “marbles” into a plastic zip-lock bag and freeze. Another trick is to stash spring’s frozen berries for processing into jams later in the year, say, fall, when the extra heat in the house is a welcome thing. There are plenty of YouTube videos and online guides on how to make jam, and if made later in the season, a multi-berry jam including blueberries, blackberries and the wildly healthful muscadines can be a delicious, antioxidant-packed treat. We like to use the pink boxes of no-sugar-needed pectin — you can buy them at the supermarket — so we can sweeten our jams

May 2011

The kitchen garden

with Stevia, which has no calories and won’t upset blood sugar (or add calories). The strawberry plant is a perennial fruit that lends itself to small spaces. Pots, barrels, baskets, pyramid planters or strawberry jars can give you juicy nuggets that are, to some eyes, as beautiful as annual flowers. Such a strategy may also give you a fighting chance if deer roam your neighborhood. The young plants also need weeding or weeds will shade them out. The varieties I mentioned are called “Junebearing,” even though they peak in May. Another type, called “day neutral,” produces some berries all summer, it is said. A third type, “ever-bearing,” produce three flushes of fruit throughout a season. I have no experience with those latter two. But experiment if the spirit moves. It’s best to avoid planting where tomatoes, eggplant and/or peppers have been grown in the last three years, due to potential disease issues. Strawberries can also be planted as a groundcover, or used to hold down a bank for a few years. I say “few years” because it’s best to rotate your strawberry beds every few years to avoid a pest and disease buildup in the soil. Destroy any obviously infected plants — put them in a bag and toss in the trash. Other than using for jams and fresh eating, you know what to do. You don’t need me to suggest strawberry shortcake and homemade ice cream, strawberry pies, strawberry-rhubarb compotes and buckles, cream-filled strawberries, strawberry ices, strawberries with liqueurs, even strawberry wine. So, I will leave you with a surefire party-pleaser — private, or otherwise — the combo of strawberries and chocolate.

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CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES A good bunch of firm, dry strawberries, unblemished A pound or two of good semi-sweet chocolate Try not to eat all the berries before dipping. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces and melt over a double boiler, stirring constantly. Try not to eat all the chocolate before melting. (Or, microwave until melted.) Holding the stem end of whatever berries survived the preparations, dip a good half of the berry into the melted chocolate, drain, and lay on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Sample a few dripping ones. Lick fingers. Chill briefly. Serve immediately to someone who can appreciate the balance of your good taste and restraint. After all, it is the lusty month of May. 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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S p i r i ts

Bitter Sweet

A sophisticated taste well worth acquiring

By Frank Daniels III

Offering a Negroni to your

guests is an excellent test of friendship. Some guests will immediately offer a quick nod, a slight smile and a quiet thanks to your extremely sophisticated palate and cocktail knowledge, while others will take a sip, gag and accuse you of trying to make them sick. For the latter, pour them a glass of wine (cheap, of course) and reserve their Negroni as your second one.

The Negroni, a variation of the Americano that was so regularly ordered by Count Camillo Negroni at the Casoni Bar in Florence that the cocktail was named for him, is a refreshingly different cocktail that challenges your taste buds. There are few cocktails that have as distinctive an impact as the Americano and the Negroni. The essential flavoring of the Negroni is an Italian bitters, Campari. Campariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinctive red color, originally derived from carmine, a bright red dye from the shells of cochineal insects, and intense bitter flavor has made it an extremely popular aperitif and mixer since the 1840s when Turin barkeep Gaspare Campari infused neutral spirits with more than sixty herbs, spices, barks, fruit peels and other botanicals. Campari was a master marketer and developed popular cocktails to promote his aperitif. Campari soda is still bottled and sold today in Italy as a refreshing spritz, and his Americano became one of the most popular drinks in Italy. During Prohibition, Campari was one of the few spirits legally available, so the Americano and a Campari and soda became very popular as well. Campari is a taste explosion and cocktails built with it are distinctive and memorable. But what makes these cocktails extraordinary are the balances achieved by mixing equal proportions. Few cocktails call for an equal balance, and these classics remind us of the simple creativity exhibited by early bar masters. Both of our featured cocktails call for Italian (sweet) vermouth, which is experiencing a revival of sorts. To maximize the flavor of your Negroni or Americano, look for some of the now available traditional vermouths like Dolin or Carpano Antica. The Americano is the lighter, and perhaps more refreshing of the two. The Negroni, with equal amounts of gin, Campari and vermouth, is a great example of proportion balance. Both cocktails are delightful and very refreshing on a warm spring evening. Enjoy. PS

Negroni 1 oz. Plymouth Gin 1 oz. Campari 1 oz. sweet (Italian) vermouth Orange slice In a cocktail shaker with ice pour the gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with orange slice. Americano 1 1/2 o.z Campari 1 1/2 oz. sweet (Italian) vermouth 3-5 oz. club soda Lemon slice Stir the Campari and sweet vermouth in a mixing pitcher with sufficient ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with club soda and gently stir to mix. Garnish with lemon slice.

Frank Daniels is an editor and writer living Nashville, Tenn. His cocktail

book, Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Little Black Bar Book, Wakestone Press, is available at The Country Bookshop. fdanielsiii@mac.com. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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l e tt e r f r o m t h e sa n d h i l l s

Remembering Bettie

A toppled gravestone and a great-grandson’s appreciation

By Tom Allen

My grandmother,

Mary, was three years old when her father died. A logger from Surry County, Virginia, Joseph Barnes was hit by a falling tree and succumbed to his injuries three days later. Four years after he died, Mary’s mother, my great-grandmother Bettie, loaded a wagon, and with the help of her brother, moved with her seven children to the Sandhills of North Carolina to be near her family.

My grandmother, the youngest of those children, was in her early twenties when her mother died of stomach cancer in the spring of 1916, yet by the time she died, Bettie had raised seven children, saw that they all finished school, and was present at each of their weddings, quite an accomplishment, but especially impressive for a single mother of that era. At least once a year I journey to the cemetery where Bettie is buried. Joseph rests beside her. As my father tells it, Ida Ruth, a feisty tightwad of a first-cousin and one of Bettie’s granddaughters, didn’t think her grandmother could rest in peace if Joseph was slumbering in another state, so to the family’s disbelief, years after Bettie died, Ida Ruth paid for Joseph’s remains to be moved and buried alongside his beloved wife. Strangely, Betty died before Ida Ruth was born; she, like me and my father, know of Bettie only from family stories. Bettie and Joseph’s marker isn’t hard to find. Its dark marble streaks stand out among the rows of pale gray granite and rests just beneath a long, low branch of the cemetery’s only deodar cedar. When I visited the grave in the spring of 2010, I found the stone had toppled off its foundation, perhaps the result of some teenagers’ Halloween mischief, or maybe the young fellow who mowed the graveyard had accidently swiped it with his lawn tractor. The stone was intact, not chipped or cracked, but it was resting in a muddy layer of earth, surrounded on one side by a sinister-looking bed of fire ants. When I called my dad, he wasn’t aware of the gravestone’s condition, but at eighty-eight, he had no interest in helping lift it off the ground. Honestly, the weight was more than two people could handle.

“Someone’ll take care of it,” he said with every expectation someone would. But if Ida Ruth couldn’t rest knowing her grandparents were buried hundreds of miles apart, I couldn’t sleep knowing the stone that marked their final resting place had been taken over by a swarm of devilish ants. I decided I’d take care of it. The next day, the name of a business not far from the cemetery that sold memorial markers and gravestones popped up on a Google search. I called to ask if they did repairs. “We sure do,” a tough sounding voice on the other end said. And he knew right where the cemetery was. He’d see to it the next day. The price was reasonable. I asked him to send me the bill, gave him my address and phone number, and never heard from him again. Six months later, the fire ants were gone, but the stone hadn’t been moved. In February of this year, I visited the cemetery again. To my surprise, the stone had been put back in place. It had also been cleaned. Now everyone could clearly read their names, the dates of their birth and death, and the inscription, “They died as they lived, trusting in God.” A quick call to my dad revealed his surprise as well, but, he added, “I told you someone’d take care of it.” And someone had. In the only picture I ever saw of my great-grandmother Bettie, she’s stern-faced and stoic, a busy mother whose expression seemed to say, “Take the picture. I’ve got work to do.” But she’d probably join me in thanking a tightwad granddaughter for ensuring that in death she and Joseph were side by side, and I’m sure she’d give a nod of gratitude to that good soul who made sure her gravestone no longer sat in a bed of fire ants. I thank that person as well. And this month, I especially thank the men and women of the 3rd US Infantry, who each year place flags before the gravestones of every person buried in Arlington National Cemetery. I’m grateful for Scout troops who do the same at the graves of those who served their country as well as VFW members who travel to backwoods burial grounds and weep for those who never held their firstborn or just never got over the hell of war. I’m grateful to all those who lay wreaths, all those who take the time to read names aloud, all those who salute their fallen comrades, and for all those, who alone or in the company of others, take the time to pause and simply remember. PS Tom Allen is minister of education at First Baptist Church, Southern Pines, and a frequent contributor to PineStraw.

May 2011

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Eastern Meadowlark

This great songbird has a fancy for local horse farms

By Susan Campbell

Larks? Here in the Sandhills? Yes

indeed! But few folks are likely to notice them. Even during the summer, when their melodious songs can be heard on even the warmest days and their yellow plumage is at its brightest, these birds tend to blend in with the large fields that they inhabit.

Meadowlarks are not small birds, but they do have secretive habits that allow for survival in open areas. They are only found breeding in agricultural areas with plenty of large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, as well as warmseason grasses that produce a good crop of seeds by mid-summer. The Eastern meadowlark is a jay-sized bird with long legs that spends the majority of the time on the ground searching for prey. The head, back and tail are streaked and blend in perfectly with the vegetation. Its chest, however, is yellow with a black â&#x20AC;&#x153;v-shapedâ&#x20AC;? collar. Males actually display a somewhat brighter breast at prospective females and will even jump into the air as they puff out their chests in their attempts to impress potential mates. Where the habitat is good, males will defend territories containing more than one female. Polygyny is not uncommon for meadowlarks. This is more frequently the case for Western meadowlarks, found in the Great Plains and beyond. Actually, Eastern and Western meadowlarks are almost indistinguishable where they overlap in the Midwest and southern Plains. Their voice is really the only clue. Westerns are far more musical, having a song that is a rich warble. Not surprisingly, in the western part of the range, Easterns do sometimes learn the wrong song or even hybridize with their Western cousins. Here you can find meadowlarks on larger horse farms as well as at the Moore County Airport. Males will be singing from elevated perches such as fence posts from dawn until sunset. They typically

throw their heads back and emit a series of loud, clear whistles. In winter, you will more commonly hear their rattling call as a dozen or more individuals make their way through plowed fields in search of leftover corn, soybeans or slow-moving insects. Unfortunately, because they require very large openings, they are reluctant to come to bird feeders, even in the coldest weather. Females build a cup-shaped nest in a thick clump of grass in order to hide and protect their young from both aerial and ground predators. And in our area, the season is long enough for two broods to be produced. However, the fact that they typically use large hay fields makes them very vulnerable to losing eggs and nestlings to mowing. Also the increase in ground predators, such as raccoons, foxes and stray cats, has caused significant population declines here in the eastern United States. Of course, there are other grassland species that have been affected as well. Grasshopper sparrows have become even more scarce â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but that story will have to wait until next month. PS Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by e-mail at susan@ncaves.com, by phone at (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327.

May 2011

p l e as u r e s o f l i f e

The Gift Horse

Betty was the thoroughbred nobody wanted — now my four-legged soul mate

By Sandy Corr

I am usually a

Photograph By Laura Gingerich

sensible sort. I’m a mom, hold down a full-time job, watch my diet, and always wear my seat belt. So when a friend called asking if I was interested in adopting a recently unemployed racehorse, I said, “No,” and repeated it three times, just to be sure she got it.

We horse-people are tenacious and sometimes single-minded. She ignored me and went on, “She’s a beautiful five-year-old chestnut thoroughbred mare.” I have been riding for longer than I care to admit, and there are two characteristics I find especially unappealing in a horse — red hair and girl genes. It was easy to say no. Particularly when I already had three horses, exactly two more than I wanted or needed. My friend begged, pleaded and finally threatened bodily harm if I didn’t at least come take a look. This horse had been kept all winter by a local racing stable that had taken her in as a charity case. The mare’s previous owners were unhappy with her lack of racing ability and her future was dim. Heidi repeated for the fifteenth time, “She really needs a home, she’s gorgeous, she’d make a lovely show horse. No injuries — she just won’t run. And she can’t stay where she is now.” I wasn’t persuaded. I had no free time, no spare money, and horses need scads of both. In the first mistake of many, I didn’t hang up. In the interest of friendship, but mostly to get her off my back, I agreed to take a look. I drove over to the farm, got out of the car, saw this wild-eyed thing in the field and proclaimed loudly, “Hey look, she’s still a mare, and still a chestnut. I. Am. Not. Interested.” Then this red horse with the girl genes trotted — well, floated, and I

swear I saw wings across the field, and it was all over for me. I managed to yell, “Let me just run back home for my trailer” as I sprinted for the truck and spewed gravel backing out of the driveway. Back at home, my sensible side kicked back in (with a not-so-gentle nudge from my husband) and I had second thoughts. I was not in any position to take on the extra care and expense of yet another horse. I still had two horses for sale that weren’t moving. I had a full-time job. I had a family to raise. But spring was in the air, and my friend and I struck a deal. I’d take the mare, nicknamed “Betty,” home for two weeks, and if she didn’t work out, I’d bring her back. I returned at dawn with the trailer to collect the big red racehorse. As we walked out to the paddock, her current owner sang her praises and said she was a lovely girl. There were just a few things I might want to keep in mind. “She doesn’t really like to be in the stall, she’s a little claustrophobic; she hates to be brushed, very sensitive skin. She doesn’t get along with other horses, so you might want to keep her in her own field. Also, she hates to be alone… “ …almost forgot, she must have kicked through the fence last night and really scraped her hind leg up, it’ll be fine in a month or so … I doubt she’ll let you near it, she kicks pretty bad, so watch yourself with the wound care.” And then, perhaps in response to the look on my face, or my furtive sidling toward the door, she added, “She loves to have her forehead rubbed, and my gosh, have you seen her trot?!” My second (third?) mistake, I took her home anyway. She loaded nicely into the rig, but then danced and screamed all the way down the road. We arrived at the local farm where I kept my other horses and introduced her around. Betty was a little nervous. The phrase “basket case” comes to mind;

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either that or she was playing a game with herself to see how long she could keep as many feet in the air at a time as possible. I’m used to thoroughbreds; sometimes they’re “sensitive,” so we worked through it and she settled into her own little paddock next to the big paddock with my other three, and managed to choke down some hay between panic-stricken head-swivels and screaming for help. She stayed in her little paddock for a few days, and when the time seemed right we introduced her into the big paddock. Joy and freedom! She ran and reared and bucked, squealed at the other horses and ran right into the big rubber water-trough, managing to open up a three inch wound on her front leg. Two down, two to go. Eventually, Betty settled down and made friends with her new pasturemates and after a week or so stopped giving them the evil eye, butt-positioning, tail-swishing treatment in preparation for letting them have both barrels. They quickly learned to give her a very wide berth. All was well in our little horse kingdom. Her legs were beginning to heal so I gave her another week to settle in, and then got up the nerve to actually ride her. If she was going to be a showhorse, it would be necessary to be able to walk, trot and canter in a civilized manner, and it wasn’t going to happen by magic. To my delight she was better trained than most, and was lovely to ride. I began to relax and congratulate myself on my good fortune. At that very moment another horse way down at the other end of field in which we were riding spooked and got loose. He galloped straight toward Betty and me. Visions of ambulances and traction ran through my head. I said a short prayer and mentally reviewed my life insurance policy. Betty, however, was unfazed. Apparently, her racing genes were so poorly developed that it never even occurred to her to join in the fun. Betty now had a home for life. My free horse was working out just fine. Within the year,

I ended up selling my other three horses and we moved here to the Sandhills of North Carolina. Before we left, I had to get a new saddle to fit Betty’s peculiar mile-high withers. We paid a shipper a boatload of money to get Betty from New Jersey to North Carolina. Weekly lessons with Linda Hoover, my phenomenal new trainer here, added up. Diagnosis and treatment for Betty’s ulcers (yes, that’s right, ulcers) cost a small fortune. Her monthly maintenance medication, in addition to the board at the new farm, keep the checks flying out of the checkbook. Her racing career left her with minor joint problems resulting in yet more diagnostic vetting and injections of joint medication along with regular visits from the chiropractor. Pedicures and new shoes every six weeks. And of course the yearly appointments for immunizations and dentistry. Let’s also add in the occasional deep tissue/fascia body work she gets from Greg Wilder, our local wonder-worker masseur. Yes, my free horse ensures that the paycheck associated with my full-time job is overspent fully and promptly each month. You might think this story is leading to something along the lines of, “There is no free lunch,” or “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” But you’re wrong. Betty is my all-time favorite horse. She has changed my opinion of mares and chestnuts forever. As long as I can afford it, she’ll be pampered, and we’ll challenge each other to improve. She is my four-legged soul-mate. As my friend Debbie says, “We can pay the therapist or the horse bills, and the horse is a lot more fun.” My horse keeps me broke, but she also keeps me grounded — although sometimes that is literal. So, no such thing as a free lunch? Who’s got time for lunch, I’m heading over to the barn. PS Sandy Corr last wrote about her “accidental pony” in the November 2010 issue of PineStraw.

May 2011

T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e

Straight Shooter

Our man from the field discovers the joys of sporting clays — and the fellowship that accompanies the shoot

By Tom Bryant “Nobody expects to play golf well without proper coaching and regular practise. Yet, although swing is as important to game/gun shooting as it is in golf, and although there are other notable similarities in the two sports such as, for example, the prime necessity of keeping your eye on the object you are aiming to hit, most men who get an occasional day with a gun are disappointed with themselves because they fail to put up a good performance. The secret of straight shooting, like playing scratch golf, is constant practise, a steady temperament and a knowledge of the game.” — Excerpt from Game Shooting by Robert Churchill

Like most young boys who grew

up in rural areas of the South in the forties and early fifties, I came by guns and shooting early. My first rifle, a Remington 22, was a gift from my grandfather when I was ten years old. The little rifle and I wreaked havoc on the squirrel population in the Low Country of South Carolina. When I was twelve, my father gave me my first shotgun, a J.C. Higgins 12-bore pump. That shotgun and I, along with a black curly coated retriever named Smut, roamed every pine tree hill and cat-tailed creek bottom between Aberdeen and Addor. So you might say that I developed my own style of shooting when I was a youngster. The skills came naturally but were constrained by a lack of money for shotgun shells. My family wasn’t poor, by any means, but we youngsters learned early how to be frugal. As a result, when I was in the field hunting, my ratio of game harvested to ammunition spent was pretty good. Later in life, I was introduced to the fine sport of skeet shooting. I was an avid bird hunter in my early thirties, and shooting clay targets was nowhere in my sporting vernacular. I considered the endeavor to be made for city folks who couldn’t get out in the woods and didn’t know how to hunt. It only took me a couple rounds of skeet to see how wrong I was.

I had just joined the Alamance Wildlife Club, and during my introductions and tour of the facility, I met several members who invited me to a round of skeet. Now Flurry shoot at the .410 club at that time, I was a complete novice, never having shot clay targets except for getting together with a couple of hunting friends who had a hand-held thrower. That experience, I thought, was just a little better than tossing cans in the air. The club had skeet and trap courses as well as a rifle range. I watched the guys shoot a couple of rounds and thought it really didn’t look that hard, and I decided to join them. I had several boxes of number eight dove loads in the back of the Bronco along with my Remington 870 duck gun, so I got in on the next round. I remember that first experience well. I broke 20 out of 25 targets. The second round, however, is the one I’d like to forget. While standing around the shed that bordered the skeet and trap ranges after our first shoot, one of the gunners in the party asked what choke I had on my old duck gun. When I told him I was shooting modified, you would have thought I had insulted his mother. “No wonder you didn’t do any better than you did,” he said. “You really need to be shooting an improved cylinder choke.” It was downhill from there. It turns out that the expert shooters gave me enough advice over the next ten minutes to fill a couple of books — stuff about leading the target, shooting stance, holding the gun, position of the head. On and on it went. On my second round, I was completely bewildered and broke only five targets. I went home a dejected man. Fortunately, dove season had just started, and the next week found me back in the field doing what I knew how to do. With just a few shots, I was again in my old form, downing a limit of birds with less than a box of shells. My confidence in gun handling returned, but I was still bewildered by my lack of skeet shooting ability. Then a hunting buddy gave me Robert Churchill’s book, Game Shooting, where Churchill introduces his method of instinctive wingshooting for game and sporting clays. It turned out that I was doing everything right in the field and nothing at all right on the skeet range. My major problem was lack of concentration. I was more concerned with what my peers might think of my shooting than with using the skills that I naturally had developed over the years. By trying to incorporate new information and advice that I didn’t need, I automatically defeated myself before I got started. Mental attitude in shooting sports is no different than any other hand-eye coordinated endeavor. The person who thinks he can, usually succeeds. Churchill used the analogy of Wild Bill Hickok, who had a remarkable reputation as a marksman.

May 2011

T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e

Although he was considered a bad shot, the secret to his success was that he could shoot successfully while being shot at. Years drifted by and I never really got into sporting clays that much, although a time or two, I was able to break 25 targets out of 25. I think subconsciously I was still thinking about wasting all that ammunition without bringing home any game. Then one evening I got a call from a good friend, Bennett Rose, who invited me to join him and his brothers on a sporting clays shoot at his hunting club, the 410 Dove Club. Bennett and his lovely bride, Andie, invited Linda and me to dinner the evening before the big shoot to meet his brothers and plan our strategy for the main contest the next day, a flurry shoot. The

Although [Wild Bill Hickok] was considered a bad shot, the secret to his success was that he could shoot successfully while being shot at. evening was a classic. Bennett grilled duck breast that he had marinated in his special marinade, and Andie prepared side dishes for a superb dinner outdone only by the company. We met Bennett’s brothers, Jack and Porter, along with Porter’s bride, Ann. Like a lot of Southern boys, as the guys joked later standing around the grill outside, we all married up. A flurry shoot, as I found out the next day, is a ton of fun. Teams of four shooters are on the line with 25 shells apiece. Only two shells can be loaded at a time. On each side is a skeet thrower that can throw multiple targets. The object of the contest is to break as many of the one hundred targets as you can in two minutes. The 410 Gun Club put together an outstanding event, and I almost pulled my weight shooting with first class shotgunners, Bennett, Jack and Porter. All of us enjoyed a pig picking for lunch, and I went home that evening resolving to do more sporting clays shooting. It’s a lot of fun when bird hunting is out of season, and it can’t do any harm in keeping your gun eye ready for fall and early dove hunting. PS Tom Bryant is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

May 2011

G o l f t ow n J o u r na l

The MacKenzie Walker No bells, no whistles, just a perfect metaphor for returning the timeless pleasure of the game

Lee Pace’s simple leather bag. By Lee Pace Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and then more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art. — Frederic Chopin

It’s been fifteen years or so since

this leather golf bag has graced the wonderful out-ofdoors, gotten a whiff of a bracing spring breeze, and leaned against a weathered fence post beside the first tee of a golf course. But the bag with its buttery surface, feels right slung across my shoulder as I troop down the first fairway at Mid Pines one March twilight. This MacKenzie Walker made its debut on my 35th birthday in June 1992, and the venue was Pinehurst No. 2. I had seen it in a popular catalog of the day, maybe J. Peterman Co. or some such. PGA Tour player Peter Jacobsen conceived the bag and began manufacturing them in his hometown of Portland in 1985. I carried it for several years, but then my head swiveled toward something younger and, I thought, prettier — one of the fancy bags with stands, double-straps and a slot for a water bottle. The leather bag was banished to a succession of attics and garages. Thankfully, I had the good sense not to throw it away. This winter I got to thinking about simplicity and minimalism, about culling the clutter from my life. This bag is an ideal metaphor for the concept: two pouches for balls, tees, an extra glove, an apple, a tube of sun-

screen and a windbreaker if you need it. Not a bell or whistle in sight. The leather was a little dingy and moldy in spots, but probably nothing a good cleaning and buffing couldn’t master. I went online, powered up Google and entered MacKenzie Walker. It led me to the company headquarters in Portland, Ore. I rang the owner, one Todd Rohrer, and we had a nice conversation about the history of the bag and the joy of walking. Rohrer said he first saw the bag in 1997, when he was managing the golf course that hosted Jacobsen’s annual Fred Meyer Challenge, a two-man team competition Jacobsen held for his friends on the PGA Tour every August. “I was standing on the practice tee, had lost my keys and was rummaging through all the pockets in the bag I had at the time, the latest and greatest stand bag,” Rohrer said. “Peter walked by with this beautiful black leather Sunday walker slung over his shoulder, and I was smitten. I said, ‘I have to have one of those.’” Rohrer asked Jacobsen about the bag and learned its history, that Jacobsen conceived the leather walker a dozen years earlier but had since sold the company. He referred Rohrer to the current owner. They connected, talked over several months and, Rohrer says, “The next thing you know, he’s handing me the keys.” I boxed up my bag and shipped it to Portland so Rohrer’s craftsmen could give it a refurbishing. In the meantime, I got to thinking more about the concept that less is more in the context of golf. Plain white tees work as well an aerodynamically designed plastic tee, and a penny to mark your ball is all you need — not some souvenir chip from a casino or exotic coin from the netherworld. The fewer swing thoughts I have, the lower my scores — good turn, good extension, hit it! And unless you’re a crack golfer playing for a million bucks, who really needs anything more than a red-white-yellow flag system for measuring pin placements on a green?

May 2011

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working on technique on the practice tee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trying to be better golfers; we were stuck on the quest to hit golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitive six-iron,â&#x20AC;? Coyne muses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d taken bocce out of golf, and it was a shame. My half-empty bag had forced me to rediscover the fun of trying to skip home a seven-iron from 120, watching my ball hop and hurry over knobs and wrinkles, hopefully expiring a few paces from the pin. And those shots gave me a mindsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eye to attempt a shot Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never practiced â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a choke-down, cut, up-in-my-stance three-wood. It was a shot I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know I had, not until it landed.â&#x20AC;? I listened to Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw each time they visited Pinehurst in the process of restoring No. 2 back to its mid-20th century glory days. They talked of the joys of the ground game, of planning for a ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action after it landed like they do in the old country. They looked at the simplicity of the courseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new cosmetics: two cuts of grass, one for greens and a slightly longer one for everything else. The essence was an ode to the uncluttered: You maintain the original 40ish-yard fairways that Donald Ross left in 1935 and leave everything else to Mother Nature. I watched a PGA Tour event from Florida and wretched at all the green, having an appreciation for a golfing palette of hazel, tan, toast, caramel, sienna, ivory and all the iterations of the brown family. By the time my bag returned in late February â&#x20AC;&#x201D; resplendent with a new strap, bottom and underpinnings and even a handsome leather headcover â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I had resolved to renew my vows to

g o l f T oW n J o u r nA l

tradition, purity and simplicity. I’ve walked and carried my bag whenever possible my whole golf life, though I’ll ride when my host’s preference or club rules take precedence. I decreed to be even more militant than ever, to the extent of avoiding games if a cart is required. I would carry 10 clubs only, dropping some four pounds from my shoulder and forcing me to learn to play more shots and rely less on point A-to-B golf. “Part of the fun of carrying 10 clubs is figuring out which 10 suit the course,” says Rob Sweetnam, Pinehurst’s chief equipment guru. “I suggest you have an inventory of 16 or 17 clubs and match the set to the course. If you’re playing the blue tees, you’ll need three woods. If you’re playing Pinehurst No. 1, you want your scoring clubs — the 8, 9, pitching wedge. There might be a par-three, so you know you need a certain iron. “I think you can learn some interesting things playing 10 clubs. Say you hit your 8-iron 150 yards and you don’t have it in the bag that day. So you say, ‘I’ll hit a smooth seven.’ You hit it pure and say, ‘Maybe I should learn to hit all shots like that.’” I relished the process of picking 10 clubs for my bag, clearing the gee-gaws from my high-tech bag and slinging the MacKenzie across my shoulder. It felt light as a dozen feathers and I picked up a whiff of that deep and musky leather fragrance. I called Rohrer to thank him for the nice job his folks did with my bag. “These bags speak to a simpler time,” he said. “You don’t always need what is the ‘latest and greatest.’ So many of these things sold in the business the last 20 years don’t really improve the game. Just look at Pinehurst No. 2. What have they done? Put fancier grasses on it and made it greener? Absolutely not. They’ve gone back in time.” I took the bag out for nine holes at Mid Pines late one afternoon and then carried it for 18 early the next week on my first round on the new iteration of No. 2. The fit was sublime: A throwback accouterment on Donald Ross golf courses that hearken to the mores and tastes of a long ago period, a simpler time. The only thing that didn’t work was the bright green driver headcover with a Masters logo I’d transposed from my earlier bag. Don Padgett II, the Pinehurst president and COO who’d shepherded the Coore & Crenshaw project on No. 2, quickly fixed that after our round by finding a pair of leather headcovers in the Pinehurst shop — Old English Green with argyle swatches and the iconic Putter Boy logo. Poetic, indeed. I’ll report back in a year or so on my simpleton’s life with the old leather bag. Meanwhile, I’ll pay no mind when someone touts a new bag with a custom slot for a Blackberry or one of those silly rangefinders. PS Lee Pace, author of “Pinehurst Stories,” is an award-winning sportswriter and a longtime resident of Chapel Hill. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

May 2011 Reflections of Your Light I cannot think of my childhood without thinking of you, carefully dipping weighted wicks in hot paraffin, patience plied...layer upon layer, candle and girl-child burgeoning with each immersion into this old-time craft. I cannot think of you without feeling the guidance of your gentle hand, the sweet breath of your whispered words of elucidation in my ear, keeping me safe from perils of fire, simmering pots and darkened paths. I cannot think of these things without remembering the truths composed within, told in the soft melody of your voice, years gone and long missed... lessons about life, liberation, and love, and how the flame of a single votive can be seen for miles on the blackest of nights, even across ages... and now, I cannot envision your granddaughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glow without seeing you, brightly, in that light and reflecting upon illuminations passed, from girl-child grown to girl-child growing, on the art of dispelling the darkness by creating your own candles to hold before the world. - Melinda Kemp Lyerly

The Future of Golf

How the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 — and values of the past — may herald a second Golden Age of Golf By Jim Dodson

ust over a decade ago, the game of golf was so vibrant in America experts warned that a new course needed to open every day just to keep pace with popular demand for the game. The golf industry was, in a word, booming, enjoying record good times across the board. Flush with corporate sponsorship and the projected effects of Tigermania, a phenomenon that turned venerable tournaments into little more than billboards for banks and commercial firms eager to cash in on golf’s bounty, the PGA Tour was opening elite Tournament Players Clubs and enjoying strong TV ratings, banking on a future of unlimited prosperity. Construction of both daily-fee and resort golf courses reached an all-time high about that time; most private clubs boasted lengthy waiting lists, and golf-related real estate fueled an unprecedented boom in luxury housing and goods and services. At the annual PGA Merchandise Show, one show director memorably boasted that the show offered “seven miles of aisles devoted to golf,” requiring five different convention halls to contain everything new under the sun. Driven by aerospace engineering and Madison Avenue muscle, equipment manufacturers broke the barrier on the $300 driver and envisioned no end to the consumer’s hunger for “bigger, better and longer — whatever it costs.” “We are living in a second Golden Age of Golf,” the late Ely Callaway once remarked to this writer, as we tooled through a desert landscape being transformed almost overnight into a valley of lush green fairways, scores of high-end real estate developments featuring multiple “designer” layouts. “Look at all of this,” Callaway declared. “This is what golf in paradise will look like.” But funny, something happened on the way to Golf Paradise. The center could not hold. The bubble burst. The boom went bust. As prices went up, the public’s passion curiously went down. “If you think about it, golf is a small game, the most personal game there is,” my good friend and occasional golf partner Jaime Diaz remarked to me not long ago. “For a while there in the 1990s and early 2000s, everything got too big. It probably couldn’t last.” Indeed it couldn’t. The first blow came with the national tragedy of 9/11, devastating the hospitality industry at large, altering the way companies traveled and entertained their customers. For years in its aftermath, mirroring a major mood shift in societal priorities, tighter budgets, and a fear of negative public reaction, companies simply cut golf outings and anything related to the game out of their operating budgets. On top of this came a pair of expensive and demoralizing foreign wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — making golf seem a tad irrelevant in the face of families paying the ultimate sacrifice and a nation plunging deeper into debt with each passing year. Perhaps the final blow was the Great Recession, triggered by the mother of all Wall Street scandals and a cascade of collapsing home values and foreclosures that’s still reverberating through the economy. “If you wake up to find your fairway dream home’s worth half its appraised value,” one demoralized resident of Hilton Head recently told me, “a day at the golf club doesn’t have quite the same allure.” What a difference a decade makes. Over the past few years, ironically, roughly one golf course a day closed down, while hundreds of luxury projects either got shelved or plowed under and sold for middle-income house lots. Several high-

profile resorts declared bankruptcy, and most private clubs saw their waiting lists vanish. “The conversation in our membership committee used to center around which candidates were the most promising,” the head of a famous private club in suburban Boston told me not long ago. “These days, it’s how many applicants do we hope to have at all this year?” In our own neck of the woods, the recent purchase of The Pit by Pinehurst Resort and the elite Dormie Club’s decision to allow public play for the foreseeable future both reflect the current climate of the game’s new financial realities. Not surprisingly, with golf TV ratings on a general downward trajectory and empty bleachers at PGA Tour events more common than ever, the National Golf Foundation reported some time ago that the game’s growth line had officially leveled off, and in some categories actually begun to decline — meaning that as many people who took up the game eventually abandoned it. Hoping to determine the factors behind this decline, the NGF found three dominant reasons why golf has flat-lined. “The common complaint these days is that golf is too expensive, too time-consuming, and simply too hard to play,” says one industry expert. “You find a solution to these problems, and the game may begin growing again. Its future may rely on what we learned in the past.”

or all the doom and gloom of recent years, we at PineStraw happen to believe the “small” game of golf is poised for a resurgence in the days ahead — maybe even a renaissance of sorts. Golf , after all, is a 400-year-old sport that’s been through plenty of good times and bad, surviving world wars and economic maelstroms of every sort, enduring periods of boom and bust — always there to provide recreation and good fellowship to its loyal adherents, connecting generations of families, club champions and contented Sunday hackers alike. Examine its history and you’ll see that golf always seems to find a way to come back a little stronger at the grassroots level, following periods of struggle. Across the nation this spring, there’s no shortage of encouraging signs that such a golf renaissance may already be under way. Two years ago, Myrtle Beach was making headlines for all the high-end daily fee golf courses being bulldozed. This spring, Grand Strand golf appears to be making something of a comeback based on reasonable greens fees more in line with the average golfer’s wallet. Several areas, meanwhile, including here in the Sandhills, report surging enrollments in expanded First Tee programs, and both the USGA and the American Society of Golf Course Architects recently unveiled ambitious programs to preserve the environment (“Brown is the new green” goes the new catch-phrase) by returning the game to a more natural and realistic state of play. The benefits include lower costs and an improved environment. Maybe most of all, the splendid restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 by design purists Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore — a bold stroke uniformly hailed by players and critics alike — may inspire others to look to the values of the past and help create a new Golden Age of Golf in America. What better place to commence this renaissance, we submit, than here in the Carolina Sandhills, the “Home of American Golf”? Herewith, in the spirit of that rebirth, we offer a selection of bold-thinking optimists who know the game well and happen to believe golf’s best days are still ahead of us. PS

Is Golf Too Hard?

On the contrary, fewer swing thoughts can make the game fun — and even easier to play By Eric Alpenfels

eople are drawn to golf for a variety of reasons. But in the end, the desire to continue playing is the result of the individual finding enjoyment in the game. In my opinion, enjoyment equals seeing results on the course. I remember a student who came to our program with the intent of learning the game so she could spend time with family and friends. Her goal was simple: “I need to hit the ball in the air, so I can keep up.” By most accounts, this would be considered a pretty good accomplishment for a beginner. In Debbie’s case, we gave her a decent grip and helped her develop a square clubface in her swing. This combination allowed her to hit the majority of shots encountered on the course in the air more or less in the direction of the target, which gave her satisfaction and enjoyment. For a new golfer, this is a pretty good start to the process of becoming an addicted golfer. Now … before anyone with a library of golf books gets too worked up, yes, I know and agree that good posture and alignment are considered keys to successful golf. But the trouble with “swing thought overload” is that worrying about too many things (no matter how important they are) makes it difficult to get anything done. In short, in my experience, a better start to learning the game is through a minimal number of swing thoughts. In Debbie’s case, after her second day of golf, she came in quite excited about her on-course performance. “I hit 22 riders today in nine holes — my best day yet.” “What’s a rider?” I asked. Her response: “That’s where I hit it far enough in the air to be able to ride in the cart to the next shot.” Her follow-up question: “Now that the ball is going in the air, how do I make it go straighter and farther?” A golfer is born. PS Eric Alpenfels, a “Top 100” instructor, has been with the Pinehurst Golf Academy since 1985.

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Short and Sweet How Tour Length golf courses could create a renaissance in the game

By Barney Adams

et’s start with a basic question: Does golf need a renaissance? To accurately answer that question I looked up the word. While “rebirth” is given as a synonym for the broader meaning of “renaissance,” the word itself means a cultural change from history, rebirth going forward. That said, when I access data from The National Golf Foundation and the U.S. Census, it strikes me that golf, as played regularly by millions of amateurs, needs a renaissance badly. Numbers can be pretty boring, so here’s the macro analysis. We have approximately the same number of golfers playing today as we did in 1990. Since then over 3,800 courses have been built in the U.S., and our population has increased over 25 percent. Moreover, the demographics of our population’s increase in age and income fit the profile of potential golfers. But something has happened over the last 20 years that has resulted in fewer people taking up and enjoying the game. The common explanation given — echoed on the Internet — is that golf has become too time-demanding, too expensive, and too frustrating. I agree with the first opinion on time but quibble a bit on the argument that golf is too expensive. Paying money to be aggravated and frustrated is surely no fun at all. But what if a simple change in perception could make the game enjoyable and rewarding? The expense argument might weaken considerably. Taking those specific complaints to heart, what follows is my proposal for both speeding up play and making the game more fun — at no greater cost to the golfer or the industry. The solution to so many problems is something I call “Tour Length.” Permit me to explain. I’m not writing this as a theoretical exercise — but more as a prescription for getting the game of golf back on track and on an upward growth path again. This is about changing the game of amateur golf, taking on its dominant culture, and using the best traditions of the game and simple common sense to mute the negative reaction of certain players who would find the idea of playing a shorter length golf course objectionable. To say this is a formidable task is almost funny. My approach is to produce hard data, draw the conclusions, and try to get support at all levels from players to the organizations that influence the game. Once you understand what I’m about to tell you, it should be perfectly obvious that the time for “Tour Length” golf courses has arrived. Sometimes you have to experience something in a different environment to get a clear understanding. For transparency, I ’m a 71-year-old, 9-handicap guy who has played the game for over 50 years. I also work in the equipment side of the golf industry and possess a deep love for the game. Some months ago, I was invited to play with guys I’d never played with before, on a course I’d never seen. The group was easily in my age bracket and most had higher handicaps. The course we were going to play wasn’t terribly long from the back tees, just shy of 6,700 yards. Since my regular course was longer, and the usual partners more accomplished, my ego was on full throttle. I was prepared to star; I’d show these guys what I had once been, a player (at least my memory convinced me thus).

At the end of the round (an uninspiring 83), I reflected that this was an acceptable score for someone of my handicap. But did I really have fun or was I merely managing my frustration? Did the time go by quickly and with pleasure, or was it a struggle? As I contemplated these and other questions, the entire round began to take on a different perspective. I wondered, in short, about the course’s length and whether it realistically suited my game, to say nothing of the fellas I was playing with. Their scores — and frustrations — were predictably much higher than mine. Well, little wonder about that. There were at least four holes where most of the group could not reach the green in regulation. In my case, I needed to use hybrid clubs and the occasional fairway wood into greens designed to receive shorter irons. The playing conditions were excellent, and in honest reflection, the results were well within my norm considering that on average I play yardages from 6,600 to 6,900. I have to pause here because, among my playing peers, to virtually every male to whom I relate this story (amateurs of all ages) the mere suggestion of a 6,700 yard course being “too long” is treated with scorn and derision. The basic response is something along the lines of, “Well, maybe it’s too long for you, old timer, but

not me. I like to see the whole course!” In the past, I shared their feelings on the subject. But this round had shown me something important. I had to be missing something. Maybe my golf balls had gone bad, maybe there

Maybe my golf balls had gone bad, maybe there was more wind than I realized, or maybe I really was just getting older and shorter off the tee. was more wind than I realized, or maybe I really was just getting older and shorter off the tee. After a check-up with my doctor, who looked me over and pronounced me ridiculously fit, I reverted to an old habit: analyzing numbers.

For comparison purposes, I started with the distance Tour players hit their average tee shots. Officially it’s 287, though a 300-yard drive is quite commonplace and the big hitters easily exceed that number. Next I went on the Internet and found several articles on the distance average male amateurs hit their tee shots. They ranged from 205 to 230 yards, and to be clear, this does not include the college players or scratch amateurs. I’m talking about the overwhelming majority who play the game: you, me, us. Let’s use the maximum average distance of 230 yards. Even then, the difference between my best drive and a Tour professional’s is 70 yards. On irons, they average twenty yards farther than we do, and I’m giving us the benefit of a very big doubt. The distance between us and them is narrower on our strong lofted wedges, but when they launch a 5-iron 220 yards over a pond, well, it’s apparent they play a very different kind of game. So using these numbers, let’s say I lose 70 yards on the drive and 20 yards on irons for a total of 90 yards. Take a par 72 course with 10 par-4 holes and the difference is 900 yards. Add in the same formula for the par -3 and par--5 holes and the total easily reaches 1,400 yards between us and them. (Let me emphasize, easily.) EUREKA! The reason why my little 6,700 yard course was playing so

long is because it was comparable to a Tour professional playing an 8,100 yard course. And there you have it, something a Tour professional with their great skills would never consider doing. If you stop and think about the “why” it’s grist for the mill of the analyst. We do not now, nor will we ever, hit the ball as solidly as a Tour player or achieve the distance and shotmaking skills they do; yet we in effect spot them in the area where they have the greatest advantage, length. It’s like scrimmaging against an NBA player except that our basket is twelve feet high, or batting against a major league pitcher and letting him throw fast balls from forty feet. Why would you want to play a golf course that is comparatively much harder than the one a Tour player plays? To further test my theory I got a young Tour aspirant to play with me one Friday late, when the front nine was empty. All he had to do was accept my leveling of the playing field and tee off 90 yards behind me. I played the “men’s” tees at roughly 6,800 yards. After a few holes I asked him if he would enjoy playing that exaggerated distance on a regular basis. The look I got was accompanied by, “Are you kidding me?” The truth is, the vast majority of golfers should be playing golf courses that range from 6,000 to 6,400 yards — what I call “Tour Length.” The same data analysis produces yardages of 4,000 to 4,600 for women, which prompts a discussion. What is it that makes the male ego respond so negatively at such a notion? As in, “I’m not playing those front tees.” I’ve tested the theory with several of my golfing friends and can come to only one conclusion; We’re allowing our egos to overrule our common sense. Making the game more fun, rewarding and realistic is not about moving to the “front tees.” It’s really about making the idea of Tour Length understandable and accepted. How would it work? Let’s say your course has a neat little par-4 of 345 yards, a couple of par-3s 160 or less, and moving to the front tees ruins what are very nice designs. Leave those holes as is. This is a critical point because moving to the very front tees would turn them into weak, uninteresting golf holes. How about a par-4 at 445 yards and a par-5 at 440? Crazy stuff you say? Not necessarily. The par 4 has a fairly wide slightly downhill second shot to a large green. Your 230-yard drive leaves 215, and given your Sunday best, you can get to it (or at least close enough to have a chance at par). There’s no restriction against having a long hard hole, just like the Tour. The 440-yard par-5, with the same 230-yard tee shot, leaves 200, carry 210, to the flag. This hole has water in front, trouble on all sides, a classic risk/reward situation. Now 200 all carry, over water, for our group … well, the challenge

is very interesting! OK, 98% of the time we should lay up but again, the ego responds: Only 200 yards, why? It’s a tight target, surrounded by trouble. The shot that works is high, landing softly, and the person hitting it isn’t concerned about the distance; he’s thinking about the correct trajectory. And for the record, I’m not against three shot par-5 holes. Hitting three solid shots consecutively into a long (for us) par-5 is great stuff, especially if the first two are woods and the third a 7- or 8-iron. This is where the PGA of America comes in. I’m encouraging (badgering, actually) them to

Given the dramatic benefits from faster play and players having more fun, I cannot envision any organization that promotes golf not embracing the concept and making necessary changes.

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make Tour Length their mission. Using their considerable expertise to set courses up with a set of Tour Length tees and during the process educate members, explaining the reasoning and the benefits, we could open a broad new avenue of enjoyment to the game — thus encouraging growth again. I’d love to see every amateur get behind this idea. Golf magazines and Internet sites are flush with articles on how to get core golfers playing more and new people into the game. Tour Length would give us faster rounds and more fun (if you consider the occasional birdie putt more fun). Once started, Tour Length will spark other great ideas. One club pro recently suggested a season-long Tour Length event at his club to get his members accustomed to playing the new tees. How about PGA section recognition of the best Tour Length layouts — e.g., featuring them in the PGA magazine? I mentioned women’s Tour Length at 4,2004,400 yards. I used the same formula comparing average women golfers with LPGA Tour players. This has more ramifications than you might think. For years I’ve read that the influx of women golfers will increase rounds played. Hasn’t

happened, net zero to minus. The National Golf Foundation calls it “churning” — meaning the same number that start playing is equaled by the ones that quit. Maybe, just maybe, putting them on Tour Length courses will allow them to enjoy golf, play faster and stick with the game. Since I’m the advocate of Tour Length, I have tried to come up with reasons why it might be a bad idea, find significant flaws. One is handicapping. It could affect the way the USGA or other systems handicap courses. Given the dramatic benefits from faster play and players having more fun, I cannot envision any organization that promotes golf not embracing the concept and making necessary changes. One of my friends made me stop and think. A Scotsman, he brought up two significant issues, one factual, one philosophical. The first is that here in the U.S. we overwater our courses. He said we have a fixation on lovely green fairways, which translates to soft and minimum roll. The second is our obsession with par. He said if we took the European attitude and just made numbers, the frustration issue would be mitigated. I agree on the first thought; it’s a basis for another story. I am a great fan of firmer, faster courses; and healthy fairways, light green to a little brown, are fine with me. If the result is increased driving distance from my suggested Tour Length layout with less maintenance cost, that’s wonderful. As to ignoring par and just making numbers, I said he missed my point. Just give me the same relative distances as the greatest players and we can play any system that works. I don’t advocate turning the 6,700 or the 7,000 yard tees into flower boxes. The strong amateur players need their challenges. One of my favorite stories involves a guy from the Northeast who spent winters in Florida. Once a year in February he flew back, went outside, experienced the cold and took the next flight back. My gang and I can treat the 6,700 yard tees with equal reverence. Some golf writers have written about playing shorter tees and the response has been essentially nil. This isn’t about shorter tees, it’s about a Tour Length Layout. I realize I’m repeating myself here, but I’ve explained this many times on a one-on-one basis. The universal reaction starts negative, but when I go through the logic, and ask “why not, what is wrong with the analysis?” the negative reactions turn positive. I sincerely hope the PGA of America, aided by all the concerned bodies, use their considerable influence to install Tour Length as a renaissance in golf. We need it. PS Barney Adams is the founder and chairman of Adams Golf, the innovative designer who helped awaken golf club technology with the introduction of the “Tight Lies” lines of fairway woods in the 1990s. He resides in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Jackie.

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Affordable Golf

In a time of limited resources, reasonable green fees and common sense may bring the fun — and profits — back to the game By R ichard Mandell

et’s face it; the origins of Sandhills golf came from a need to re-focus a poorly thought-out resort business plan. James Tufts did introduce the game to Moore County, but only after he realized that tuberculosis and resort living didn’t mix. Nonetheless, Pinehurst is now considered the Home of American Golf and continues to set the standards of the game today with the throwback restoration of Pinehurst No. 2. Intentionally returning to a different period in American golf, No. 2 brings back nostalgia for many North Carolinians who remember the days when the game was a simpler affair. They remember when it was a sport, a pastime, a fun endeavor. Somewhere along the line it crossed over from a game into a multi-billion-dollar industry that has put many great layouts out of reach for many a wallet or pocketbook. Back in the first week of November, while No. 2’s transformation was knee-deep in bulldozers and gallon jugs of wiregrass plants, seventy-five people committed to returning golf to its roots were huddled together at the Elks Lodge on the grounds of Southern Pines Golf Club. The goal was to shed light on how golf has slowly priced itself out of many people’s lives. The very first Symposium on Affordable Golf included industry people side by side with regular golfers, identifying issues and coming up with a few solutions as well. 70

May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & of the Sandhills Photograph BySoul L aura Gingerich

When I first brought up the idea of a day-long event to discuss affordable golf, the first reaction was, “How are you possibly going to solve that problem in a day?” Of course, that is a bit impossible and frankly wasn’t our goal. How can any group of people, no matter how large or well-intended, tackle an issue that has such wide-ranging causes and effects? No, my goal was to simply start unraveling the tangled web of a game that everyone agrees costs too much. So what did we learn that day? We discovered that “affordable” is a very subjective term. What is affordable for Donald Trump is not affordable to me, and what may work for me probably doesn’t work for a high school kid. We also learned that there are many things that can be done to reduce expenses whether you are running Pinehurst Resort or any of the other forty golf courses in the Sandhills. By the way, the crowd was composed of more non-natives than locals. Concerned citizens came from as far away as East Lothian, Scotland and British Columbia, Canada. Representatives from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, USGA and the Audubon Society participated. In addition to golfers, superintendents who have hosted USGA events were there alongside superintendents from mom and pop shops across the country as well as golf pros, general managers, rangers, self-professed tree huggers, college professors and golf architects. We also defined the difference between affordable and profitable. No one in the room wanted to create a situation that lowered costs so much that a business wasn’t likely to be profitable. An additional challenge to the affordable equation is how to still be profitable. The answer lies more in reducing expenses than dropping prices. What was quickly revealed was how the perception of golf from both the golfers and the industry clearly discourages the affordability of the game. Many golfers think they should act like the professional golfer when in reality, they aren’t that good. As soon as this group of dreamers accepts reality, then maybe they can accept conditions for the rest of us. The bottom line is that the best professionals are

identified by performing in the toughest conditions. The rest of us should just be having fun. Most can’t handle the conditions found at the highest level. The costs to maintain courses in such a fashion are a major contributor to high green fees. We also identified various threats to the game and its affordability such as a cultural shift in society in recent decades. Gone are the days when the man of the house would leave the family behind and go to the club both weekend mornings. Teenagers are less likely to caddie in lieu of other pursuits these days. In today’s world, both the man and woman may very well be sharing income obligations as well as child-rearing duties. Among other threats was the continued focus on aesthetics in golf course design over creating fun, playable, and strategic golf courses. We did come up with a few solutions. Some were pretty business 101 such as eliminating the frills and extravagances and keeping labor down as well. Others were equally logical such as building on the right piece of property and for the right climate. Yet the most radical solutions require a different attitude toward how we all play the game and operate the business. In a nutshell, we all need to re-evaluate expectations and accept blemishes. Operators may need to minimize perfect conditions, and then focus less on profit and more on growing the game. At the end of the day, no one wanted to leave. We had all come together from different locales and perspectives but with a singular goal: to return the game of golf to an earlier time, one which being one with nature and your friends was more important than anything else. One where playing the game was truly a character builder and a bit of a mysterious walk in the park. Our efforts that November Monday were just the beginning. The goal wasn’t to attack anyone in the business, or rant or rave. Our goal was simply to talk. Leaving, we all committed to taking the message to others purely on an individual basis. Each one of us can make a difference as long as we are willing to walk the walk and make some sacrifices for the greater good. See you this November 7 at the Second Symposium on Affordable Golf. If you would like to read my white paper on the first Symposium, please visit www.symposiumonaffordablegolf.com. PS

Rebirth of a Legend

Why the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2 will serve as a model for the rebirth of course design By Lee Pace

en Crenshaw is walking along the fifth fairway of Pinehurst No. 2 one morning as he surveys the work he and design partner Bill Coore have been implementing since early 2010, essentially the reinstallment of the wide corridors, native hardpan roughs and disheveled bunker edges that defined Donald Ross’s creation in the first half of the 20th century. He turns his attention from the golf course and nods toward an elegant home sitting fifty yards away. “The classic lines, the detail on old homes like that are something to behold,” Crenshaw says. “They last for generations. That beautiful old architecture adds so much character to our surroundings. The artisans who built that house are basically gone. It’s the same with these golf courses. They should be preserved, for future architects and people who build golf courses to study. The way they were built, the attention to detail is amazing. The new stuff? Well, it’s not my thing.” The golf architects of the early 20th century — the “Golden Age of Golf Design,” as some call it — worked with crude and limited implements, thus restricting their ability to move mountains of earth. So their focus was on strategy and on making mental dexterity as much a part of the game as physical skills. Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, Alister MacKenzie, Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, William Flynn, George Crump, Hugh Wilson and Perry Maxwell were the leaders of this neophyte profession. The restoration of No. 2, which encompassed just over a year from late February 2010 through March 2011, was predicated on many features common from 75 years ago, before machines and chemicals changed the way courses were built and maintained and the national taste for the Augusta National “green is great” template elevated the golf market’s grooming requirements. Among the tenets you’ll find on Ross’s No. 2, which first opened in 1907 and was competed in terms of routing in 1935, are these: • Wide fairways. Ross and superintendent Frank Maples installed the first irrigation system on No. 2 in 1933. The pipe was laid down the middle of each fairway and water was thrown roughly 70 feet on either side. That ground was maintained as fairway, and everything

Lee Pace, Toby Cobb and Bill Coore .

Pinehurst No. 2, Hole 13

else was the natural hardpan sand that had defined the region for eons. That breathing room off the tee allowed golfers the opportunity to aim tee shots to one side or the other in order to have the best angle to approach the green and the hole location that day. • No rough. The 2014 U.S. Open will be the first since the 1950s, when the USGA established its template for Open course setups, that the national championship has been played with little or no long grass. No. 2 is now maintained with two lengths of grass — the greens at one very tight measure and the fairways and everything else only slightly longer. Instead of hacking out of thick Bermuda rough, golfers will now have to play a myriad of shots off hardpan, amid pine needles and cones, and off a variety of textures, firm in some places, soft in others. • Unkempt bunkers. Modern bunker maintenance calls for smooth lines on the edges, uniform grass blankets on the faces and neatly coiffed bunker bases. “They’re so perfect, they look like they’ve been painted on the course,” Coore says. No more. The edges of the bunkers are rough and haphazard. There are tufts of wire grass on the faces and in some of the bunkers themselves. Some of the borders blend seamlessly into the surrounding hardpan sand. The odd wisp of pine straw or organic material in the sand is fine, all the more to resemble Ross’s native Scotland and the condition in which he left the course when he died in 1948. • Firm and fast. This element will take the most time to evolve as the course maintenance staff works to remove the thatch that has built up over years in the fairways and tends to make them play soft. Toward that end, Pinehurst used an organic dye process in February to give the course some of the green color that visitors from the Northeast desire in lieu of the overseed-with-rye process commonly used in winter. Overseeding breeds more thatch — it’s the antithesis of grooming a taut playing surface. • A myriad of colors of visual stimulation. The appearance of No. 2 had evolved into monochrome green with neat circles of white bunkers. Now it’s anything but. The emerald fairways give way to the natural colors of the bunkers (filled with a darker hue of sand) and the sandy roughs. “What I see is the attractiveness of a different palette of color,” Coore says. “Before, you had just one shade of green everywhere. Now you have everything from all shades of green and brown to all the stuff in between. That, in and of itself, is an attractive picture.” PS

Dame Glenna T By JoycE rEEhling photogrAphs from thE tufts ArchiVEs

he course is green, the weather is grand, and striding to the tee is a woman of great strength, determination and above all, skill. Dame Glenna Vare takes aim down the course and executes one of the most powerful and beautiful swings ever seen, nailing her drive a whopping two hundred yards. Even though I don’t play golf, it has been my pleasure to come to know the legendary Mrs. Vare, after being asked to “portray” Glenna last December for PineStraw’s Holly and Ivy Dinner at the Holly Inn. Always eager to get into my character, I dug around to find the facts of her life hoping to come to know her better. Facts are one thing, of course, but a life like Glenna’s is not always revealed by simple facts. Even so, purely on the face of it, her’s are mighty impressive: She won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship six times between 1922 and 1935, served as captain-player of the Curtis Cup squad in 1934 and ’36, and reprised her role as Curtis Cup captain in 1948 and ’50. In 1965, she received the prestigious Bob Jones Award from the USGA. The press of her day often referred to her as the “Female Bobby Jones.” Aptly, the LPGA’s annual Vare trophy — designating the player with the year’s lowest stroke average — is named for her. Impressive as they are, these facts didn’t tell me the whole story. I read some of Jim Dodson’s writing about his friendship and conversations with her, and looked at pictures and small snippets about her life, and slowly a fascinating woman became clear to me. Am I right in how I see her? I will never know, of course, but I am going to share some of what I have learned from this famous lady of golf’s first Golden Age, and pose some ideas I think she might be asking us at a moment when golf is hoping to revive its vitality in this country. Golf is not easy. No big news to anyone who plays golf, but Glenna had the sort of discipline that makes a champion. She worked hard and was coached well early on, lessons she took to heart and never let go. Nor did she seem to let the work get in the way of the fun of golf, the joy of the swing and the hunger for competition. Life needs to be lived outside of the sport. Which is why, it seems to me, she would advocate for a healthy amateur network with less emphasis on money and sponsors and more on sportsmanship and pursuit of a goal and a dream that you can take into the rest of your life. Have a life. She married once, raised a family and still played better than any of her contemporaries. Glenna also was a great trap shooter, played bridge and cooked. She wrote for magazines and was an advocate for women in athletics. I can imagine Glenna Vare up in Washington, shaking a finger at politicians who cannot seem to find a place for women’s sports or see the value in having not only sports but arts in the schools. She was an all-around kind of gal and no-nonsense. The kind of gal you would call, with love, a dame. You could count on Richard Tufts her to get it done, whatever it might be. The “Female Bobby Jones.” Let’s maybe give that a rest. Why not be able to praise one of the great, great golfers of all time without the use of linking — heck, defining — her success by a man? “I played my game my way and worked hard to do it. No one ever stepped on the course on my behalf, and love him though I might, Bobby can have his place and I can have mine,” I hear her saying in my head. Go to the end of your life doing the things you love, and joy will always be at your side. In 1984, at the age of 81, a square-faced gal, with determination gleaming in her intelligent blue eyes, steps up to the first tee at the Point Judith Country Club in Rhode Island and outdrives every gal in the field. Dame Glenna found joy in the game, right to the very end. She managed a life of competition without ever being mean- spirited; she set goals and sometimes came up short (losing twice to the great Joyce Wethered at the British Women’s Amateur), yet managed to keep her edge all the while being a fine human being. My only wish here in the Golf Capital of America is that I saw more traces of this grand lady in presentday Pinehurst and Southern Pines (where, among other things, a young Glenna once sold real estate for Pine Needles resort), in golf articles and the vintage photographs that hang at clubs across the Sandhills. Perhaps she has been forgotten by some. But I can think of more than one modern star who could profit from her ability to play brilliantly and live so fully and decently. Amateurs and pros alike could do far worse than emulate her. Though I’ll probably never step on a putting green, I’m so glad I got to play Dame Glenna — and to know her. Peggy Kirk Bell stands on her shoulders along with Babe Zaharias and Patty Berg. Glenna Vare died in 1989 and leaves a legend that fills the air we breathe today. The LPGA would do well to remember her and Bell and the rest of them for the hard, hard work they have done to make golf for women possible, though lagging behind the men for reasons I still do not understand. Glenna Vare: If you don’t know her you should. She was one in a million and stands on her own in any company you could choose. PS

“Glenna was the first woman to attack the hole rather than just play the green.”

She was an allaround kind of gal and no-nonsense . The kind of gal you would call, with love, a dame. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

Music To Our Ears

How a world-class performing arts center could help foster a new Golden Age of Pinehurst

By Ashley Wahl

agnolias bloom in the heart of Pinehurst — their perfume lingers in the warm air, mingles with the scent of pine in the Village Arboretum, and the sound of sweet music. The year is 2020. On a wooden park bench, a boy sits playing Bach on the cello, lost in a garden of sweet creation. Nearby, a flutist makes birdsong beneath a hardwood canopy, and students sit and talk music theory on a grassy knoll. Can you picture it? Maestro David Michael Wolff certainly can. The gifted and visionary conductor and artistic director of the Carolina Philharmonic pictures a 2,200-seat performing arts center near the Arboretum as the centerpiece of a new paradigm of music education that could enhance a revival of golf, boost the local economy, and broaden a cultural renaissance in the Sandhills. Should Wolff’s musical visions materialize, Olde Towne Pinehurst could become as nationally known for its musical prodigies as its junior golf stars. While the concept seems ambitious, key movers and shakers appear to be latching on in droves. On a recent spring morning, an unofficial performing arts committee assembled at a prominent architectural firm to discuss the future of the Village. After Wolff outlined his vision of a multi-use performing arts center, including the concept of using music education to reverse the decline of the classical arts in this country, two vanguard advocates — Pat Corso and Alan Stagaard — explained the steps that must be taken to bring such a bold vision to life, sharing their thoughts on why particularly during economic hardship, such an ambitious concept could do wonders for Pinehurst and the surrounding communities. Pat Corso served as CEO of Pinehurst Resort for nearly two decades, during which the historic landmark emerged from a gripping recession and re-established itself as one of the foremost golf destinations in the world. “There are certain things you can do that are in concert with who you are,” Corso says, referring to a community that regards preservation as one of its core values. “And very few ideas can make it through the sieve that allows preservation and progress,” he

says. “A performing arts center is one of them.” For skeptics, Corso offers reassurance. “We aren’t trying to scare anybody by trying to create this tsunami of growth here. We’re trying to sustain ourselves. That sustenance can come through this vision.” Corso met Wolff through the choir at Sacred Heart Church. When he learned of Wolff’s broader musical vision for the “Home of Golf,” he was instantly interested in hearing more. “A talent like David’s doesn’t come along that often,” Corso adds. “To have the privilege of being in a chorus with him as leader is truly incredible. That’s why so many of us are interested in the vision he puts forth about a performing arts center and the positive ripple effect it could have throughout the community. He brings world-class creditials to bear to the idea.” An internationally acclaimed concert pianist and conductor, Wolff could easily call Carnegie Hall his second home. In 2009, he and wife, singer Young Mee Jun, selected Pinehurst as their primary home — an ideal place to raise a family and make an impact on reviving the classical arts. “It’s like looking at a map of the trees dwindling in Brazil,” muses Wolff. “Symphony orchestras are dying.” Logic backs his passion. “Taxpayers fund what they know and what they believe in. If they haven’t experienced the arts, of course, they won’t want to give their hard-earned dollars to support the cause. “Arts education will disappear almost completely from public schools within the next 20 years,” he adds. “There’s nothing that’s changing the paradigm.” Not yet, anyway. “If we put the emphasis back on education, which is where it needs to be, we have the potential of changing the direction of the arts, not only here but across the nation and world-wide,” says Wolff. “We have an invested interest in making Moore County a shining example of what is possible.” Making Pinehurst the next Tanglewood would undoubtedly encourage a new generation of concertgoers. But Wolff and others insist there are many other benefits, and few if any downsides. “A performing arts center is not going to compete with any of the local businesses,” he explains. “In fact, it could anchor the community.” “It could be New Core,” Pinehurst Mayor Virgina Fallon recently told Wolff, referring to the Council’s Master Plan to enhance the existing Village by utilizing a 35-acre tract of land nestled in the heart of Pinehurst — near the Village Arboretum — to its utmost potential.

From an architect’s perspective, Alan Stagaard’s wheels are busy turning. “The possibilities are just remarkable and wonderful,” says Stagaard. “It’s not just about the performing arts center, it’s about considering how the Village will expand. A project of this nature could seriously help restore some economic vitality here.” He pitches visions of sustainable buildings, regionalism, and ways to invite intergenerational harmony through the performing arts. Of course, Stagaard admits, “There’s an awful lot that has to happen between then and today.” But baby steps are being made. The Carolina Philharmonic and Conservatory International are two endeavors launched by Wolff that are gaining exponential support within the community. As a result, nearly 100 interested citizens have already volunteered their time and efforts toward this large vision of Pinehurst. “Conservatory International is an attempt to create one unified umbrella of education under which all the performing arts may be linked,” says Wolff, who is currently seeking partnerships with private schools, charter schools and the Moore County public school system, directing youth choral and symphony programs to serve as afterschool electives, and connecting students with the state’s top instructors for private lessons. “An entity that already exists needs a home,” Stagaard says. “For the Village to be comfortable with pursuing all of this, we have to present a pretty good case. In a graphic sense, we need to create something that people can look at. Their brains will fill in the blanks.” In the coming weeks, Stagaard says, several local designers — including Stagaard and his business partner Tessy Chao, as well Robert Hayter and the Hayter Firm and a handful of other gifted architects and visionaries — plan to meet in The Music Room in the Holly Inn for a collaborative design charrette. Still, the rudiments are clear. Summer music festivals, afterschool music programs and a spacious concert venue will offer a new dynamic not only to Pinehurst, but to the wider region as well. “It will become an outlet for the community,” says Wolff, envisioning a facility that regional dance, theater and performing arts communities can share. Comedy and fine arts will have their niches, too. “There are a million causes, and they’re all worthwhile,” says Wolff. “You could try to save land or save orchestras. But the only people who are going to try to save orchestras are the people who have been in the orchestra.” PS

Making Pinehurst the next Tanglewood would undoubtedly encourage a new generation of concertgoers.

As the weather heats up, it’s natural to seek out foods that are light and refreshing rather than those that are stodgy and stick to your ribs. This can spell trouble for those who sell pub fare for a living. Luckily for us (and for you!), The Sly Fox is a gastropub! This means that our chefs are compelled to create seasonally appropriate dishes resplendent with beautiful local produce, freshly caught fish, and lean cuts of meat that will highlight meals rather than dominate them. So long winter, hello heat. We’re ready!

The Golden Girls A Conversation with Wise Women Written and Photographed by L aura L. Gingerich

Something is happening as I approach 50. It feels dangerous. It also feels . . . good.

I keep thinking back to a time when I was on the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan. I was on my way to document a situation at an orphanage in Jalalabad. Suddenly, the tempo and tone in the front seat changed. I didn’t speak Arabic, but I knew my Pakistani guard, heavily armed with a 9-mm submachine gun, and my driver were tense. They pointed to a black truck with black flags on the ridgeline of the Hindu Kush mountain range. The black truck was unmistakably Taliban. You know it’s going to be a bad day when your machine gun- laden escort is shaking and bringing back memories of the third grade boy about to get beat up on the school playground. Maybe my thoughts go back to that day because there are no crossroads on that ancient, unforgiving pass, and it’s almost impossible to turn around. Such is life as we navigate our way from the womb to the tomb, whether we are sharing the road with the Taliban, an ornery teenager, a colicky babe or a boss with baggage. The choices are the same … we can either hide or keep moving. Hiding is temporary, whether one likes it or not, and tends to get lonely. Pausing is not a bad idea, which we did on the pass, but moving forward is ultimately the only way to get out of life’s pickles. Fast-forward a few years and 10,000 miles, and I’m in the comfort of my home folding laundry while watching Natalie Cole (Nat King Cole’s daughter) on the Oprah Show. She was getting ready to turn fifty. My eyes narrowed and my mood soured as I sat there, knee high in unmatched socks, listening to Ms. Cole talk about loving herself. Gag. She was planning her own 50th birthday party and was describing the celebration ad nauseam. How obnoxious, I thought. I couldn’t take it, clearly unable to relate, so I turned it off. I would rather fold these socks in peace, thank you very much. Lo and behold, as time passed, something began to happen to me as I approached the big five-0. I first noticed it while shopping for Christmas presents. Every time I went out to get presents for others I would come home with a gift or two for myself. And get this: There was no guilt, only pleasure. I began an “L” list of my favorite things. The time came, in my 49th year, to recover wonderful old chairs that I picked up at garage sales and thrift shops during the past twentyfive years. I fell madly in love with upholstery — oh, the glorious unhurried moments of bliss surrounded by bolts of woven tapestries, printed silks and luscious linens. I also began a serious search for the perfect éclair just like my Uncle Fritz, a German baker in Brooklyn, used to make. I haven’t found it yet, but I’m enjoying the search immensely. Don’t even get me started on the first sign of spring emerging from the ground and the dreams I have about my 50th birthday party (to which I invited Natalie Cole).

What was going on here? Is it simply that “I’m coming of age,” and what does that mean anyway? Is this the birth of wisdom, the seed of self-actualization or a selfish craze? Am I losing it … or “getting” it? Should I call my doctor or continue to seek out great European bakers? Life is hard. I’ve been broke and broken, made mistakes, come face-to-face with hardships that took me to my knees, gasping for breath and wishing for death. I’ve prided myself on the fact that I could brush the dust off my shoulders so darn well and say, I’m-fine-just-fine-reallyno-need-for-concern-oxygen-or-cpr-just-fine — when I wasn’t fine at all. I feel like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, shedding fifty years of skin and screaming “Bring it!” I decided to go out on a limb. I gathered a few random women, all on the cusp of fifty and beyond, to find out what they were experiencing. I didn’t know any of them very well. Surely there would be some fruit from this effort; or the branch would break, in which case — as a new friend reminded me — I could just eat the fruit on the ground. I was a bit nervous before our initial meeting at the Wine Cellar in Southern Pines, but my concerns were immediately cast aside as I sat with seven female cohorts aging gracefully, learning, reaching, stretching, losing it, gaining it, reading it, loving it ... The following is a bit of our conversation, which I hope will continue for a long time.

I arrive early and find Wendy Dodson sampling a glass of wine. I can tell she loves wine as much as I love custard in an éclair. We have never met in person before but I feel like I know her; and we quickly learn that we grew up eating the same pizza, sunning on the same beach within five miles of each other on the north shore of Long Island. Wendy’s nephew and my niece have gone to school together since kindergarten. Our sisters know each other — we’re practically related. Wendy is a fabulous combination of humorous, organized, playful, wise and brilliant. She’s the assistant to Sandhills Community College President Dr. John Dempsey. She’s married to a wonderful guy whom you probably know — plus she’s beautiful! I want to hate her. But I learn that’s impossible. LG: What is wisdom to you? WD: The ability to separate emotion from reality, to see the big picture and not take things personally. Question your own motives on an ongoing basis. and be able to assess yourself and others and the situation you are in honestly. LG: Whom do you consider wise? WD: My mom, my boss and my girlfriends. LG: What did you learn from the darkest time in your life?

From left: Laura Gingerich, Wendy Dodson, Beth St. John, Jan Leitschuh, Barbara Baer, Adele Chestnut (sitting) Brooke Cutler (back) and Trish Harris PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

WD: To always see the humor of your situation and that true best friends can be your salvation. LG: What do you know for sure? WD: I know my husband, my boys and my parents love me. LG: What’s not so good?

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Fax 910-295-1549 P.O. Box 3090, Pinehurst, NC 28374

WD: Wearing eyeglasses, saggy knees and wrinkles, though I’m getting used to them.

Adele Chestnut, licensed professional counselor, Reiki practitioner and quilting goddess, makes me a firm believer that people do have energy. Call me “Zen,” and Adele’s got it going on! She exudes something wonderful/powerful and taught me in this process that self-love is the greatest gift you can give to the ones you love. When I see Adele, I start singing “I’m every women” by Chaka Khan because that’s what she is. Eat your heart out, Natalie Cole. “Love, my family, yoga, meditation and a heart of gratitude are as essential to me as breathing.” AC on aging: Experiencing 40s with menopause and empty-nest feelings parallels the end stage of the caterpillar. However, reaching 50 transformed me. I emerged as an amazing butterfly ... soaring, gliding, limitless, believing that all things are possible. I am the bliss of the universe! LG: What’s your favorite read? AC: The Game of Life and How to Play It, written in 1925 by Florence Scovel Shinn. Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over ... she was transformed into a butterfly. What a miracle! The butterfly is without form, without limit, beyond time, beyond space. — Adele Chestnut

Brooke Lilley Cutler is as sweet as her name suggests. She’s as warm as a fire in a cozy cabin. She’s easy to be with and has a laugh you want to be close to. What you see is what you get, and I love that about Brooke. LG: What do you love? BC: I love the autistic children I teach at the Sandhills Children’s Center. I love animals. I love walking around the block again and again and again with my neighborhood friends. I’m jealous of my two children, who go to the College of Charleston, and I like to laugh and hang out with my funny husband.

Knowing Jan Leitschuh is a gift. She’s the chick you want to know and what’s good is she’ll want to know you, too. She is Southern Pines’ queen of organic gardening and lover of mountains and long trails, co-founder of the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative, PineStraw columnist, and award-win-

ning author of The Ordinary Adventurer. LG: What age do you feel? JL: Different parts of me feel different ages. LG: What advice would you give yourself at age 20? JL: Well, the old line about “wear your sunscreen” certainly rings true! Seriously, every time I’ve given advice I’ve regretted it later. Maybe I wish I’d known at a younger age that much of what goes on in the world isn’t personal — it has more to do with another person’s internal workings. LG: How do you feel about dreams, hopes and wishes? JL: A true passion is such a blessing. It can dictate the course of a grand and juicy life — if one lets it do the steering. LG: What did you learn from the “darkest” time in your life? JL: That I can survive and even, in time, thrive. That loss and heartbreak breed compassion. It seems like humility is the true posture of learning. Like the saying goes, “Cracks are where the light comes in.” LG: What do you love about yourself? What are your weaknesses? JL: I love the peculiar sort of curiosity that has led me around by the nose for a lifetime. It’s good to reinvent oneself every decade or so. Life will do that anyway. Might as well go with the flow. As for weaknesses, don’t ever look in my car, or in the closets! LG: What’s good about middle age or aging? JL: Less drama. On a good day. Understanding there’s less time ahead, so more focus on the important things. And I have those “senior discounts,” firmly in my sights!

To be in the presence of Barbara Baer is to be in the presence of pure optimism. She’s a great mother to two lovely gals and is married to Ken — which makes them the real “Barbie and Ken.” She is also part of the remarkable team at Sandhills Community College in the student services department. Barbara is a gold mine of joy. If my cup is full, Barbara’s pool is overflowing. Joy radiates from her pores. Life, for any of us women, is never “all good all the time.” Following a very serious car accident, Barb reached a crisis point in her life. I asked her what that time was like. BB: I was at a point where I knew that I needed to get out of my comfort zone, and I was extremely hesitant about making a change. I felt fearful and almost paralyzed by the thought of stepping out of the box. I finally realized that anything I did was better than doing nothing. I learned I could do anything. I was the one standing in my own way.

Beth St. John seems serious until you spend four minutes getting to know her. She’s a walking jewel who works hard and gets the job done with grace, class and a very peaceful quality. LG: Tell me about a difficult time in your life. BSJ: Four people (two couples) rented a boat the day after Thanksgiving, leaving from Little Pine Key (Fla.) taking turkey sandwiches, chips, soft drinks and champagne, just for three hours in the afternoon. Sky turned black quickly, men were stubborn and wanted their money’s worth, so we carried on going out to sea. When we wanted to return to land, we discovered an error with the compass. Instead of heading inland, we were heading farther out to sea when we ran out of gas. We were stranded for six days and finally rescued by Mariel Cubans who were checking their lobster trap (we had managed to float over to a lobster trap and rope up). LG: What did you come away with? BSJ: I would say you should never give up hope — I prayed and had faith that a higher power (in my case God) would take care of me.

Trish Harris is “a mother, outdoor adventurer,SCC professor and keeper of the travel plans.” LG: What are your thoughts? TH: Women rock.

I’ve been around and I’ve come to learn that we live in a grand country that places medium value, at best, on the fruit aging women and men bear — the jewels being experience, wisdom, strength and understanding. These seven [brave] women are all of us; they are “every woman” from here to Jalalabad. Here’s to the precious gift of life — may the conversation continue. Thank you, Mrs. Donald F. Cutler and the entire Cutler family, for allowing us to use the “Broadhearth” for the timeless space, the canvas on which we sat. Thank you to Ashley Seibold of the Pinehurst Laser Institute for makeup and to Connor Franks for photography assistance. Kudos to Morgan Miller and Monkee’s of Southern Pines for clothing and accessories. Laura L. Gingerich is a homemaker and freelance photographer documenting relief, mission and disaster assistance worldwide. She teaches the very popular “Getting to Know Your Digital Camera” at Sandhills Community College. lgingerich@embarqmail.com PS

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Pamela Powers January

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www.pamelapowersjanuary.com • 910.692.0505 PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

Inchalene, an example of Tudor English cottage architecture, suited the family and entertaining purposes of James Boydâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, Eleanor Boyd.

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Boyd matriarchal residence reborn to benefit Weymouth By Deborah Salomon • Photographs By Glenn Dickerson

hat goes around, comes around. Inchalene, the Tudor home built for James Boyd’s mother, was once granny central, with children and guests horseback riding, playing games, enjoying each other and their surroundings. Such grand houses — like the lifestyles they supported — have become relics. Now this dowager beauty on Connecticut Avenue breathes again, restored beyond its original glory as a Designers’ Showhouse to benefit Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities. Then, after a two-week run, the gilded coach becomes a pumpkin, and the Boyds retreat to scrapbook pages. Early in the 20th century wealthy families built compounds: two, sometimes three generations maintained vacation or full-time residences in prime locations. The Kennedys chose Hyannisport. The Boyds — riders rather than sailors — preferred Southern Pines. James and brother Jackson Boyd settled into existing houses. Aunt Helen Boyd Dull resided at nearby Loblolly. Finally, their widowed mother, Eleanor Gilmore Herr Boyd, arrived from Pennsylvania. Her residence, designed by Alfred Yeomans with additional landscapes by Frederick Law Olmsted, was built adjoining Weymouth about 1923. The house became Inchalene, Celtic for “cottage at the edge of the woods.” Eleanor Boyd and entourage arrived for extended stays in a private railroad car, preceded by motorcars filled with servants, supplies and silver. Once settled, she lived the genteel country life, entertained, frolicked with her grandchildren and kept tabs on her sons. “From what I know she liked the outdoors and simple landscaping that blended into nature,” says historian Ray Owen. James and Katharine Boyd’s salon attracted socialites and literati. Few specifics on Eleanor’s participation survive — family records were destroyed in a fire — but photographs document her annual Easter party on the grounds. The Boyds died. Weymouth and what is now Campbell House (Jackson’s residence) became arts centers. Inchalene declined. Robert Fessler, builder and historic homes renovator in Palm Beach, Fla., and his sister Olivia Bongers

“I see the couple having a glass of wine here while the wife writes notes and the husband reads the paper.” — Betty Kohn

had a similar family-compound plan. In 2005 Fessler purchased Inchalene, adjoining Bongers’ home and stables for rescued horses. “It was really the community that attracted me — also a good place to invest money,” Fessler says. He intended to gut and update the house, with taste and character. Bongers supervised the renovation and additions, which include a conservatory made in Europe, so well-integrated that it appears to be part of the original footprint. “Inchalene has soul,” Bongers discovered, after spending time there.

he plan was for their elderly mother to move nearby. Then Mother died, and an unfortunate construction-related incident aborted Inchalene’s rebirth. The English cottage-style Tudor with pine paneling, casement windows, priceless Delft-tiled fireplaces, new systems and kitchen fit for a castle again stood empty — a fundraising venue waiting to happen. The time was right. Weymouth’s capital campaign begged infusion. The last area showhouse had been mounted in 1989 at Dunn Craig Manor, across from Inchalene. Artist and Weymouth Heights resident Mary Schwab was walking her dog when the idea struck. “God just hit me over the head,” Schwab says. “I asked friends to help.

PineStraw : The Betty Art &Kohn Soulimagined of the Sandhills . . . . .as . .an . . elegant . . . . . .sitting . . . . .room, . . . . watched . . . . . . .over . . .by . . a . duchess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011 Interior designer the garden .room

A fresh, vibrant boudoir: Designer Linda Knight Curr of Greensboro (pictured right) chose mauve and moss for the gardener she imagines slept here. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

shed table 88Potting May 2011 . . . . transitions . . . . . . . . to . .decorative . . . . . . . .desk . . . in . . the . . .Inchalene . . . . . . . master . . . . . .suite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Nobody turned me down.” The era was “… a heady time, a fast lifestyle,” continues Schwab, co-chair of the event with Jackie Garris and Sarah Twilla. Coincidentally, Savannah interior designer/preservationist Alice Henrick identifies “a strong new fascination with the twenties.”

owever, showhouses are complicated undertakings, requiring a dozen interior designers working together to create individuality within a unity. Time frame: about a year. Schwab and committee accomplished the task in six months. “I don’t know where the energy came from. We were just crazed,” she says. Bongers and Fessler were approached. They agreed, with one caveat: Alterations (like wallpaper and paint) must be approved, or removed. Designers and suppliers who participate in showhouses invest considerable time and money, hoping to attract clients. Most furnishings are for sale with a portion donated to Weymouth. After poring over websites, a committee chaired by Libby Moodie and Adair Beutel awarded 14 designers practicing in North Carolina and beyond a room each to interpret the era through wall and floor coverings, palettes, furniture, art, window treatments and lighting fixtures. By bringing designers from outside Moore County (and advertising the event widely) the committee hopes to raise awareness, perhaps attract day-trippers. Alice Henrick, chosen for her historic flair, decided a main-floor room of unknown purpose should be an estate office since its location and separate entrance suggested a place where stable hands and horse dealers could conduct business. Hendrick chose to juxtapose antique Chippendale chairs with a wolf rug and a glass desk characteristic of the emerging Art Deco movement. Inchalene’s living room, by Corine Longanbach of Pinehurst, with contemporary sofas, an oversized rough-hewn wood coffee table and blue Chinese porcelains, could be lifted from a Youngs Road hunt box. Longanbach commissioned an equestrian painting from Susan Newell in an offbeat style. One lamp will be made from a riding boot; bronze dogs and horses fill built-in shelves; and simple linen drapes filter light. Loganbach labels the effect “casual elegance.” Adjacent to the living room, a tiny garden room with windows on

three sides, designed by Betty Kohn of Charlotte, hints Tudor with framed prints, circa 1812, of Henry VIII and his court. A portrait of a duchess hangs, surprisingly, from the window frame. She can be seen through the living room and down the long hall into the kitchen. Kohn is striving for “dressy but comfortable.” “I see the couple having a glass of wine here while the wife writes notes and the husband reads the paper.” Stewart Woodard, of Raleigh (who worked on the Dunn Craig Manor showhouse), imagined the dining room around a sideboard, massive table and high-backed leather chairs already in the house. The round table dictated a square rug. Stewart chose a finely hooked, custom-made carpet in jewel tones to blend with original Venetian plaster walls done in fern green for a “comfortable masculine look.”

pstairs, the master suite, by Linda Knight Carr of Greensboro, rates gasps. “I tried to create a person who lives here, a gardener, perhaps,” Carr says. “That lets me circle my thoughts around her, to keep my own ego out of it.” Carr has continued the wisteria mauve of Delft fireplace tiles onto fabrics with breathtaking results in the ultra-feminine boudoir and bath. An English potting-shed bench with crusty, oyster-white finish stands under a window. Carr placed a slipper sofa at the end of the ornate Italian bed (her own, on loan) and an upholstered screen in violet and moss in the multi-area bathroom. The “boys’ room” by Chapman Williams sports a barn motif suitable for toddler-to-teens. Mary Schwab created a children’s mural for an anteroom. Throughout, vistas framed by paned windows crisscrossed with vine tendrils resemble bucolic paintings in motion. The result, like a blended family, marries multiple strengths under a single roof: Some pieces are old, others, new. Most are borrowed, with plenty of blue accents. Inchalene — queen for a fortnight — has been transformed into a setting perhaps too rich, too beautiful for habitation but oh-so-gorgeous to gawk at. And, organizers point out, the two-week run allows time and space for visitors to wander slowly, ask questions, absorb details. “For sure, these rooms will let you know you’re not in Kansas anymore,” Adair Beutel concludes, with a wicked grin. PS

The result, like a blended family, marries multiple strengths under a single roof: Some pieces are old, others, new. Most are borrowed, with plenty of blue accents. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

Stewart Woodard chose a finely hooked, custom-made carpet in jewel tones to blend with original Venetian plaster walls done in fern green for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;comfortable masculine look.â&#x20AC;? 90

Fine dining at Inchalene. Left: A clubby atmosphere, softened by exquisite chandelier, by Stewart Woodard of Raleigh.

Trompe lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeil paintings by Southern Pines artist Charles Goforth hang against pine paneling in the entrance hall, which extends to the kitchen, and into the living room. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

Inchalene in the 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Inchalene Designers include: Library/Den by Ben Everett and Ross Spain of Acquisitions, Ltd., Raleigh & Charlotte Dining Room/Butler Pantry by Stewart Woodard of Stewart Woodard Galleries, Raleigh Kitchen by Anne Holmes and Pam Hill of Village Design Group, Southern Pines

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Conservatory/Breakfast and Outdoor Conservatory Patio by Jeremy Bowen, Karen Brisson, Crystal Blue of SNOBS, Southern Pines Mud/Laundry Room by Cathy Maready and Susan Reece of Elephant Ears, Southern Pines Entry and Powder Room by Mary A. Gozzi of The Corral, Southern Pines Susie Leader of Leader Design Group, Pinehurst Living Room by Corine de Libran Longanbach of Corine de Libran Longanbach Interior Design, Pinehurst Garden Room by Betty Kohn, Marlboro Interiors, Charlotte Estate Office by Alice E. Henrick, Provenance Interiors, Savannah, Ga. Hallway Trompe L’oeil by Charles Goforth, Southern Pines Sitting Nook and Upstairs Hallway by Anita Holland of Anita Holland Interiors, Charlotte Master Suite/Bath/Dressing Room by Linda Knight Carr of Knight Carr Interiors, Greensboro Girls’ Room by Lane Palley Blank, Palley and Southard Designs, Durham Boys Room by Chapman Williams of Williamson and Chamblee Interiors, Raleigh

Photograph by Laura Gingerich

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Weymouth Designer Showhouse at Inchalene 765 East Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines • May 7-21, 2011 Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday

Admission: $25, includes one house tour and unlimited access to boutique and events (except preview party). Plentiful free parking. Inchalene is not wheelchair accessible. Information: www.weymouthshowhouse.org or (910) 295-0120 The Weymouth Designer Showhouse at Inchalene is so much more than a pretty house. The event includes a boutique (in the stables) featuring antiques, collectibles and unusual décor objects. In addition, special programs will span the two-week event. Programs begin at 1 p.m. at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities adjoining Inchalene on Connecticut Avenue unless otherwise noted:

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May 6: Preview party, 6-8 p.m., Inchalene grounds. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets $125. May 7: Book signing by authors Jeffrey Deaver and John Gilstrap. May 8: Book signing and remarks by Jim Dodson, author and PineStraw magazine editor. May 9: Jewelry designer Michael Fiskin speaks on pearls. May 10: 9 a.m. Interior design Q&A led by Brenda Lyne. Village Design Group answers questions at 1 p.m. May 11: Jeffrey Mims Academy of Classical Design Studio Tour in downtown Southern Pines. Registration required. May 12: 9 a.m. Presentation of table settings by 111 Main; 1 p.m. antique rug appraisals by Phillip Mendendian. May 13: Steve Bouser discusses his book “Death of a Pinehurst Princess.” May 14: Artist in the Garden at the Showhouse. Artists from Artists League of the Sandhills working outdoors. May 15: Images in the Garden at the Showhouse: Workshop by Laura Gingerich on best use of digital cameras around house and garden. May 16: Artist in the Garden: Artists from About Art Gallery working in Inchalene gardens. May 17: Nancy Blount presents a program on Antique Children’s Samplers. May 18: Jeffrey Mims tour; see May 11. May 19: Davyd Foard Hood, natural cultural landscape lecturer speaks on history of Weymouth Estate landscaping: 2-5 p.m. May 20: Carol Dowd of Botanicals speaks on orchids and demonstrates flower arranging.

Photograph by Laura Gingerich

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The Bee Garden Having the right honey plants can make a world of difference to a struggling population of honeybees. By ruth stolting • photogrAphs By hAnnAh shArpE

anaging a tree farm and apiary seems a long way from retiring and managing a gentleman’s horse farm, but that’s what happened to us — despite the fact that I had more trepidation about getting stung by bees than by getting bucked off a horse. My husband Bob, not a rider, was more interested in raising Vizslas, and a special piece of land beckoned to us. Before we knew it, we had gotten a farm number, and were enrolled in the Forest Stewardship Program. Our neighbors, Len and Joyce Tufts, charter members in the Forest Stewardship Program, encouraged us to become beekeepers. They were sure we would find them fascinating creatures, and assured us that we would enjoy the camaraderie at the Moore County Beekeepers Association, which in 1999 was a select group of about 25 people. They brought us volumes to read about the art of beekeeping and how it had changed over the years, about honey plants, about the social hierarchy of honeybees (one book was even written from the perspective of the honeybee in its hive). And as we learned to live and breathe forestry and honeybees, we realized that our perspective on life and what mattered was changing, and that retirement was actually becoming a career change. Just as honeybees have fascinated mankind for centuries, we succumbed as well. Our new apiary with one beehive turned into three beehives by the end of our first year. We were following in the footsteps of the first apiarists: the Egyptians. Previously, ancient civilizations hunted for honey. The Egyptians learned to float their apiaries up and down the Nile River, delivering honeybees to honey plants just as modern-day beekeepers do by truck or barge to pollinate plants and collect nectar. Over the years, both honey and beeswax came to be considered so valuable that they were used as money to pay taxes or tithe the church. The Roman Catholic Church, in fact, from the tenth until the sixteenth century, was the largest consumer of beeswax in the world. Beeswax candles were considered appropriate for Christian worship since the worker bees which produced the beeswax (sterile females) were considered “virgin bees.” In order to boost the production of beeswax, monasteries cultivated apiculture, and developed special bee gardens. Bee gardens help attract pollinators — honeybees, native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds — as well as a variety of other birds. Planning a bee garden is like painting a canvas. For the best honeybee visitation, plants should be grown in bold groups or patches. Many good honey plants are highly decorative, and some are suitable for cut flowers. Honeybees, just like us, are attracted to plants by their sizes, shapes, colors and perfumes. They need the nectar and pollen to feed themselves and their brood. While they gather their food, the plants

benefit by being pollinated. Honeybees react particularly to the colors of violet, blue, blue-green, yellow and orange, as well as ultraviolet light. The plants oblige them by having markings on their petals — vivid stripes, veins, or spots — that signal to insects how to approach and where to land, much like an airplane being guided onto an airport runway.

bee garden should be in sunlight, not shaded, as flowers in the sun will be visited by bees more frequently. Bees are affected by sugar concentration, which varies during the day. They may ignore a plant in the morning because of a low concentration of sugar, and visit it in the afternoon when the wind, sun and rising temperature have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled the sugar percentage. Keep in mind, also, that nectar secretion is affected by temperature, humidity, type of soil and the plant itself. Cool nights followed by hot days encourage free nectar flow, and plenty of spring rain is also necessary for a good summer nectar flow. In a drought, plants will cease their nectar flow immediately, going into survival mode. Then, honeybees, always pleasant while they are working a good nectar source, sometimes get irritable — as we might also — when they cannot provide food for their family. In this regard, an irrigation system can help mitigate these factors. Note that a shallow source of water is also important. Honeybees need to maintain their hives at a steady 94 degrees so that larva can develop. When the temperature outside rises, some worker bees will collect drops of water, place them throughout the inside of the hive, and fan their wings to air- condition their hive. Birdbaths work well for this purpose, and birds are not bothered by the bees. In terms of plants that attract honeybees, it is important to understand honeybees and their food cycle. Honeybees start collecting pollen and nectar from early blooming bulbs such as crocuses, daffodils, etc. But the blossoms of the red maple mark the real beginning of the year’s nectar flow. Nectar or honey mixed with pollen, known as bee bread, is fed to young brood (larva); new nectar and pollen also stimulate the queen to rear more brood for the new honey season. Bee colonies desperately need these food stores in the spring. And while they may have an overabundance of food in the summer (this is when we beekeepers rob the hives to harvest honey), they must stock up on food supplies in the fall so they can overwinter. Honeybees do not fly unless the weather is warmer than 55 degrees, but even when it is warm enough for them to forage, there may be little or nothing for them to work from late fall to early spring. Therefore,

planting various bulbs, and having trees such as dogwood, holly, tulip poplar and tupelo gives them a healthy start for the spring. The term honey plants has been used to identify those species of plants which bees work. Two books on honey plants still used today were written in the 1920s — American Honey Plants by Frank Chapman Pellett in 1920 and published by Dadant, and Honey Plants of North America by John H. Lovell in 1926 and published by A.I.Root Company. Both of these publishers could be considered the aristocracy of the beekeeping industry.

One thing I find wonderful about a bee garden is that it doesn’t have to be manicured! In fact, a velvet lawn with cultivated showy plants is less desirable than one that is more relaxed and might even have a few weeds! These books have been difficult to come by, as I found out a few years ago when I bought American Honey Plants through a rare-book store at a hefty price. However, both have been reprinted and are now available. Written by naturalists who studied and contemplated honeybees, they go into depth on plants that attract bees, the amounts of pollen and nectar that they produce, and the desirability of the plants — both from the standpoint of the benefit to the honeybees and the quality of honey produced for the beekeeper. Technology has a place, but so does nature — and these books are gems! How many people would describe flowers like Frank Pellett did? No matter what your ultimate plan, your “canvas” will be vibrant and will entice colorful wildlife. After Bob and I began giving talks on honeybees through the Master Gardener Volunteer Program, we prepared a brief handout on “Bee Gardens and Honey Plants” that includes common honey plants in the Sandhills area and lists plants in several categories: “Annuals, Perennials, Herbs, Vegetables, Bulbs, Shrubs, Trees and Fruit Trees.” One thing I find wonderful about a bee garden is that it doesn’t have to be manicured! In fact, a velvet

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lawn with cultivated showy plants is less desirable than one that is more relaxed and might even have a few weeds! Rather, leave some rough edges with native plants. Consider the humble dandelion. One of the first sources of nectar in the spring, it is usually used in early brood rearing and is considered one of the most important spring stimulants for this purpose. It’s also very important for pollen. Young shoots serve as tasty greens in salads. While you might not want to “cultivate” dandelions, our lawn has some intermingled with centipede grass, and our honeybees have been happy working them. We sometimes wait to mow until some of the blooms have finished. Now that you realize that I don’t go after “weeds” with a vengeance, keep in mind that a weed is really a native plant. Wildflowers, or native flowers, can be so attractive that I’ve used them in bouquets. Native plants offer insects and other wildlife in the food chain rich nourishment and necessary habitat in which they can make their homes, unlike exotic or hybridized plants that more times than not offer little in food value. You’re probably not surprised that we avoid using pesticides or anything else dubbed “chemical.” For several years, researchers have known that one reason for the heavy annual honeybee losses (30 percent to 40 percent) is their exposure to a toxic cocktail of chemicals as they forage three miles from their hives for food. In France, a 2009 report has shown that honeybees in Paris, where pesticides were restricted, had only a 3 percent to 5 percent mortality rate, whereas those in the countryside where pesticides were permitted had a 30 percent to 40 percent mortality rate. Our honeybees may be the canary in the coal mine. Have fun with your bee garden! Mine includes plants for numerous purposes: edible flowers; vegetables; those that attract pollinators such as honeybees, hummingbirds, butterflies and their caterpillars; those that attract good insects and birds; and those that repel insects. How does this work? Zinnias attract bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and good bugs; chives are edible, including the flowers, attract bees and butterflies and repel pests; basil is edible, attracts bees, good bugs, and repels pests; parsley is edible, attracts good bugs and butterfly caterpillars. You get the idea. Not only does it make for an interesting garden throughout the season, but pests are also taken care of solely by the balance of nature — a plus for both our honeybees and ourselves. And how good is it that my plants can do more jobs at once than I can? If you are inspired to have a hive or two, contact Moore County Beekeepers Association for more information at 910-947-3188. Ruth Stolting is a Moore County Master Gardener Volunteer and may be reached at rstolting@wildblue.net. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

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Bee Gardens And Honey Plants By ruth stolting

Many good honey plants are highly decorative, and some are suitable for cut flowers in the house. Two important points: The garden should be in sunlight, not shaded, and the plants should be grown in bold groups or patches for the best honeybee visitation.

Annuals

There are numerous nectar and pollen plants, though some are useful solely for pollen. Most need sunshine. Flowering can often be extended by succession sowing. It may also be extended for hardy plants by autumn sowing with early flowering resulting in the spring.

Candytuft (Iberis spp.) The annual, not perennial, type is most favored by bees. Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) Always popular with bees. The pollen often gets mixed in the stomach with the honey because the pollen grains are minute and the flower tube is so narrow. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.) Used for pollen, as nectar is out of reach. Leaves and flowers are edible, and tasty in salads. Sunﬂower (Helianthus annuus) Sometimes provides considerable nectar. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) Used primarily for pollen. Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)

Perennials

These plants are favorites since they need little attention once established. Allium (Allium spp.) This family includes leeks and chives. All are worked for nectar and pollen. Aster (Aster spp.) Dozens of species are visited by bees. The honey varies from white to amber, and the flavor from mild to strong, depending upon region and species. It’s usually mixed with other fall flowers, including goldenrod. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. Begonia (Begonia spp.) Visited for pollen. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) Blooms from June to October. Blazing Star Liatris (Liatris spp.) Used solely for pollen. Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) Attracts honeybees. Campanula (Campanula spp.) Visited for nectar and pollen. Catnip, Catmint (Nepeta spp.) Bees enjoy visiting this mint even when clover is in bloom. Only minute amounts of nectar are offered, but the flower remains in bloom long and attracts bees continuously. The honey is dark and strong. Clematis (Clematis spp.) Only some yield nectar, but all produce an abundance of pollen. The popular Jackmanii hybrid is only one of the showy forms that is without nectar. Clover (Trifolium repens) Varies from water-white to light amber color honey with a mild, delicate flavor. White clover or White Dutch Clover enjoys high temperatures with ample rainfall, and is one of the finest honey plants in the U.S. Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.) Both the annual and perennial forms receive attention from honeybees for pollen and nectar.

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Fuchsia (Fuschia spp.) Rich in nectar, providing a light colored honey. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) This is the source of a fall surplus of yellow honey that is often mixed with aster, ironweed and other fall flowers. Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) May be visited for pollen. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) The buds may be used for propolis. Yields nectar, though abundant pollen is the real attraction. Hyssop, anise (Agastache foeniculum) Blooming from early summer until October, one of the most attractive plants to honeybees. Joe-pye-weed, Queen of the Meadow (Eupatorium maculatum) A perennial 3’ to 8’ tall, provides an amber honey, and is usually mixed with other fall flowers. Lavender (Lavendula spp.) Flowery and sweet, this honey has a distinctive lavender scent. Thrives in a sunny exposure and a poor acid soil, and is a source of pleasure to honeybees. Lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.) An important legume, it’s widely planted for wildlife as a food source. Many species are visited by bees for nectar. Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium and P. pilosum) The bloom in mid-summer is used enthusiastically by bees. Poppy (Papaver spp.) Plant in the fall for best results. Yields only pollen. Rue (Ruta graveolens) Attractive to bees for nectar. Violet (Viola spp.) Visited for nectar. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) A vine popular for nectar and pollen by bees.

Herbs

Many herbs of value for nectar are members of the mint family (Labiatae) and are aromatic. Basil (Ocimum spp.) Visited by bees, particularly the tender variety of African Blue Basil. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Offers a rich dark amber honey with a mild suggestion of licorice flavor. Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) Attracts bees. Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) Attracts bees and butterflies. Marjoram (Marjorana hortensis) Provides a mild white honey with a pinkish tinge. Mint (Mentha spp.) Provides a minty, amber honey in late summer. Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) Offers a water-white honey with a fine flavor. Sage (Salvia spp.) Is a source of light, good-flavored honey. The tender Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) is attractive to bees and hummingbirds when it blooms in early fall. Savory: Both summer and winter savory work well for nectar. Thyme (thymus spp.) Provides an amber honey with a strong minty flavor and odor. Numerous varieties are worked enthusiastically by bees.

Vegetables

Some vegetables are normally harvested before the flowering stage, e.g., radishes, turnips, chives, etc. Nevertheless, others flower during the normal life span of the garden. Asparagus: Yields a mild, light-colored honey. Valuable for nectar and pollen.

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Cucumber: It’s entirely dependent on insects for transferring pollen from the male to female flowers. Not an important source of nectar. Dandelion: One of the first sources of nectar in the spring, it is usually used in early brood rearing and is considered one of the most important spring stimulants for this purpose. It’s also very important for pollen. Young shoots serve as tasty greens in salads. Gourd: Useful for nectar and pollen. Melon: Useful for nectar and pollen. Pumpkin: Useful for nectar and pollen. Soybean: The honey is light amber with a medium body and a distinctive pleasant flavor. Squash: The nectar is secreted liberally, and pollen is gathered. Strawberry: Although both wild and cultivated plants are partially selffertile, honeybee pollination improves the quality and size of the fruit. Worked mainly for pollen. Tomato: Visited for pollen.

Bulbs

Many are easily naturalized, and they supply fresh pollen and a little nectar after the long winter.

Crocus (Crocus spp.) Very early spring flowers furnishing bees with pollen when few other sources of pollen are available. Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) Each individual flower is capable of yielding a large amount of nectar. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) Useful for pollen, but not for nectar as the flower tube is too long. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.) Very attractive to bees early in the year. Yield pollen and nectar, nectar being secreted in the sepal glands of the ovary. Hyacinth (Hyacinth orientalis) In flower early, it is visited for nectar and pollen. The nectar is secreted in three large drops from three nectaries appearing as dots near the apex of the ovary — an unusual occurrence. Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) Visited by honeybees only for pollen. Tulip (Tulipa spp.) Visited occasionally for pollen. Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) Very early spring flowers furnish bees with pollen when few other sources of pollen are available.

Shrubs

American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) Blooms in June and July, and is often visited by honeybees for nectar. Azalea (Azalea spp.) Bees visit it freely for only a short time. Blackberry, Dewberry (Rubus spp.) the honey is white to extra light amber with a pleasant flavor. They are chiefly valuable for the stimulus they give bees just before clover comes into bloom, and for the fact that they are long blooming. Blueberry, Huckleberry (Vaccinium spp., Gaylussacia spp.) The tiny white or pinkish flowers produce honey that is typically white or light amber in color with a full, rounded flavor. There are more than 20 species alone of low shrubs, all of which are much visited by bees. Buddleia, Yellow (Buddleia globosa) This is worked for nectar. Common blue and purple species have flowers too long to be of use to bees. The arrangement of flowers in small spheres allows the bee to thrust its proboscis into separate flower tubes very quickly. Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.) Worked for nectar. Gallberry (Ilex glabra) The honey is light amber with a highly flavored taste. Honeysuckle Bush (Diervilla lonicera) Attractive to bees in early spring, it stimulates brood rearing. (Note: Most honeysuckle vines have nectar too deeply seated in the bottom of long tubes for bees to benefit.)

Nandina (Nandina spp.) Pyracantha (Pyracantha spp.) Secretes nectar freely and is attractive to honeybees. Pollen is also collected. In a drought, nectar flow may cease. Rose (Rosa spp.) Most roses are nectarless, but supply abundant pollen. Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) Blooming in early spring, it is valuable to stimulate brood rearing. Sumac (Rhus spp.) A straggly shrub that blooms in late spring. It is an important honey plant that produces an amber honey. Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) Blooms mainly in late spring and early summer. Wisteria (Wisteria spp.) Is worked for nectar and pollen. Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) Sometimes visited for pollen and nectar when nothing else is available.

Trees

Basswood, Linden, Lime (Tilia spp.) They range from southern Canada to Alabama. The flowers bloom in late June or July, yielding water-white honey with a distinctive flavor. Dogwood (Cornus spp.) The honey is a light golden color with a mild flavor. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) One of the larger plant genera with more than 500 distinct species, its honey varies greatly in color and flavor. The honey tends to be bold-flavored, with a slight medicinal aftertaste. Holly (Ilex spp.) The honey is dark, strong-flavored, and abundant. Male trees have good surplus pollen. Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) The honey is water-white; good flavor. Magnolia, Bull Bay and Sweet Bay (Magnolia grandiflora and M. virginiana) They produce a dark, strong honey resembling sorghum. Maple, Red (Acer rubrum) Earliest blossoming tree worked by bees in this area. Signals the start of the honey season. Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Blooming in May and June, it offers a light amber honey with a fair flavor. Sassafras (Sassafras officinale) Flowers secrete nectar freely, and are often visited by bees for brood rearing. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) They range throughout the southeastern U.S. The honey is very light with a delicate flavor. It is very slow to granulate, and many consider it the finest U.S. honey. Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) This tall tree with large greenish-yellow flowers yields abundant dark amber honey with a distinct, strong flavor. An important honey in this area. Tupelo (Nyssa spp.) This is a leading honey plant in the southeastern U.S., producing white or extra light amber honey in April or May. The honey has a mild pleasant flavor and will not granulate.

Fruit Trees

Apple (Pyrus spp.) Apples are completely dependent on insects for pollination. The honey is used for spring build-up, and is light golden with a delicious flavor. Peach (Prunus spp. and Amygdalus Persica) An important spring source for brood rearing. Most varieties are self-fertile. Pear (Pyrus spp.) Most varieties are self-fertile and will set a larger crop of better fruit if a pollenizer variety is near and bees are available for transferring the pollen. Bees are more interested in the pollen since nectar sugar concentration is low. Plum (Prunus spp.) Even those self-fertile plums need bees to transfer the pollen. They secrete nectar at lower temperatures than other deciduous trees. PS

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

May

PineStraw

Monday

Tuesday

MAGAZINE

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

FIRST FRIDAY. 5 - 8 p.m. Free admission. Sunrise Theater. www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com DRESSAGE IN THE SANDHILLS. The Harness Track. (910) 315-5959

SCC JAZZ BAND OUTDOOR CONCERT. 6:30 p.m. SCC. (910) 695-3829 SANDHILLS HARMONY CHORUS 7 - 9:30 p.m. Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church. (910) 944-1458

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WINE TASTING: Portugal Wine. 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery. (910) 673-2949 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Therese Fowler. The Country Bookshop. (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz

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WORKSHOP: Creating a Colorful Container Garden. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (910) 695-3882 THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Live in HD. 1 p.m. Verdi’s II Trovatore www.sunrisetheater.com

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OLDIES & GOODIES FILM SERIES. 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. The Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Diane Chamberlain. The Country Bookshop. (910) 692-3211

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U.S.OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LOCAL QUALIFIER. Pinewild Country Club. (910) 673-1000 WOMEN OF WEYMOUTH: Strawberry Festival Luncheon. (910) 692-6261

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ARTISTS WORKSHOP. 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. “Painting the Landscape Using Photographic References” with Kevin Beck. Artists League of the Sandhills. (910) 944-3979. www. artistleague.org

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CHILDREN’S STORY TIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library. (910) 295-6022 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Minrose Gwin. The Country Bookshop, (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz

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DINING IN THE FIELD. Event to benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center. (910) 295-3663 or (910) 692-3323 PINEHURST LIVE AFTER FIVE. 5 - 9 p.m. Village of Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900

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BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT. 11:30 a.m. Beacon Ridge Golf and Country Club (910) 692-6476 CLASSIC CRUISEIN AT LEDO’S. 5 - 8 p.m. Ledo’s Pizza. (910) 639-1494

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ART CLASS. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. (910) 944-3979 GOLF TOURNAMENT. 12 p.m. Hyland Golf Club. missmoorecounty@ yahoo.com

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ART CLASS. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Artist League of the Sandhills, (910) 944-3979 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Bland Simpson. The Country Bookshop, (910) 692-3211 or www. thecountrybookshop.biz

AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Karen Cox, UNC-Charlotte Associate Professor of History. The Country Bookshop. (910) 6923211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz

STUDENT ART SHOW OPENING RECEPTION. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Hastings Gallery, SCC. (910) 695-3879 THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Live in HD. 1 p.m. Strauss’s Capriccio www.sunrisetheater.com

THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Wagner’s Die Walkür (Live in HD). 12 p.m. (910) 692-3611 WOMEN GONE WINE. 5 - 7 p.m. The Village Wine Shop, (910) 295-5100

CINCO DE MAYO WINE TASTING PARTY. 6 - 8:30 p.m. The Village Wine Shop. (910) 295-5100 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Karen White.The Country Bookshop, Pines. (910) 692-3211 or www. thecountrybookshop.biz

WINE TASTING: 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery. (910) 673-2949 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. The Country Bookshop. (910) 6923211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery. (910) 369-0411 MOVIE IN THE PINES. 8 p.m. “Toy Story 3” Downtown Park in Southern Pines. (910) 692-7376

MOORE ONSTAGE: “On the Road to Fame”. 7:30 p.m. (Friday & Saturday); 2 p.m. (Sunday). Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School. (910) 692-7118

CAMERON ANTIQUES FAIR. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 245-7001 or www.antiquesofcameron.com CARTHAGE BUGGY FESTIVAL. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Courthouse Square, Downtown Carthage. (910) 9472331 or www.thebuggyfestival.com GOLF TOURNAMENT: Keep Moore Beautiful Marge Owings Memorial. Shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Held at Mid Pines on Midland Road. (910) 947-3478 FESTIVAL OF BEERS. 3 - 7 p.m. Southern Pines Elks Lodge. Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets and information: Chamber of Commerce at (910) 692-3926 GIVEN ON THE GREEN. 7 - 10 p.m. Tickets available at the Given Memorial Library or the Given Book Shop. (910) 295-6022 ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Longleaf Country Club. (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org FOOD WORKSHOP: NC Wine & Cheese. 12 & 2 p.m. Elliott’s Provision Company. (910) 215-0775 NC POETRY SOCIETY. Weymouth Center (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org HORSE SHOW: Historic Downtown Aberdeen Tour de Horse. (910) 944-5797 or www.trec-usa.org THE CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: “Eight Seasons.” 2 p.m. Owens Auditorium, SCC. (910) 687-4746 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES: The Alison Brown Quartet. 8:30 p.m. The Rooster’s Wife at Poplar Knight Spot.www.theroosterswife.com. CAROLINA POLOCROSSE CLUB. 7 a.m – 5 p.m. Pinehurst Harness Track. (910) 875-4814.

May

Sunday

ART IN THE GARDEN. Ball Visitors Center, SCC. (910) 695-3882 WRITERS COMPETITION AWARDS CEREMONY. 2 p.m. Weymouth Center. (910) 692-6261 CELEBRATORY PICNIC: Sandhills/Moore Coalition 25th Anniversary. 3 - 6 p.m. Featuring music by Sweet Lew and The Jayhawks. Pinehurst Arboretum. (910) 693-1600

May 1 – 27

May 1

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES. 2:30 p.m. Rapunzel. The Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC CONCERT: On This Day, O Beautiful Mother. 4 p.m. Main Sanctuary, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. (910) 687-4746 or www.CarolinaPhil.org. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. The Gibson Brothers. Poplar Knight Spot. www.theroosterswife.org.

15.

HISTORY LECTURE: A North Carolina Icon Brought to Life. 2 p.m. First Baptist Church. (910) 692-2051 CONCERT IN THE PINES. 6 p.m. Band boosters will sell concessions on site. Information: (910) 692-7376 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. HOBEX and Alex da Costa. Poplar Knight Spot. www.theroosterswife.org.

22.

AUTHOR EVENT. 2 p.m. Sara Foster. The Country Bookshop. (910) 692-3211 or www. thecountrybookshop.biz DISCOVERY HIKE. 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve. (910) 692-2167 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. Rebecca Pronsky and Sally Spring. Poplar Knight Spot. www.theroosterswife.org

29.

MOORE COUNTY CONCERT BAND. 2 p.m. Free event. Cardinal Ballroom, Carolina Hotel, Pinehurst Resort.www.moorecountyband.com. LI ZARDS OF THE SANDHILLS. 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES: Stella Lively and Chris Scruggs. 6:45 p.m. The Rooster’s Wife at Poplar Knight Spot. (910) 944-7502

Arts & Entertainment Calendar

ART IN THE GARDEN. Sandhills Horticultural Society presents a sculpture exhibit featuring the works of artists from all over North Carolina on display throughout the gardens. Ball Visitors Center, Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 695-3882 or www.sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com. MARCH FOR PARKS. 2 p.m. A free 2.5 mile hike to support the Southern Pines Parks and Recreation and Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve. Hike includes climbing one of the highest points in southern Moore County and learning about Pixie Moss. Meet at Weymouth Woods parking lot. Information: (910) 692-2167. WRITERS COMPETITION AWARDS CEREMONY. 2 p.m. Weymouth Center presents the Moore County Writers Competition awards ceremony. Information: (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org. EXPLORATIONS: Southern Pines Public Library’s Ongoing Lecture Series. 3 p.m. A Forum for Adults Presents: “Brush Up on Pet Dental Care.” Jonathan Loftis will explain how important “Fido’s” choppers are to his overall health. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Conn. Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. CELEBRATORY PICNIC: Sandhills/Moore Coalition 25th Anniversary. 3 - 6 p.m. Featuring music by Sweet Lew and The Jayhawks. Admission: $5 (ages 10 & up). Location: Pinehurst Arboretum. Information and admission bracelets: (910) 693-1600. MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY: Swing Into Spring. 4 p.m. Featuring guest soloist Barron Maness. R.E. Lee Auditorium at Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines. Tickets: $15; Students: $7.50. Tickets available at the Campbell House, Country Bookshop, Kirk Tours, Sandhills Winery (Seven Lakes) or at the door. Information: (910) 692-7683 or www. moorecountychoralsociety.webs.com. ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 4 - 6 p.m. “On Our Own” features new artists, including Mary Ann Halstead, Julie Martin, Charlotte Cable, Pat Anderson, Deirdre LaCasse, with instructor Joan Williams. Exhibit runs through May 31. Artist League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.

May 3 ART CLASS. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Plein Aire Painting with Irene Dobson. Cost: $85 (member discount available). Artist League of the Sandhills, Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Bland Simpson offers a portrait of North Carolina’s oceanfront, sound country and interior shores behind the barrier islands in his beautifully illustrated book, “The Coasts of Carolina: Seaside to Sound Country”. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 4 STUDENT ART SHOW OPENING RECEPTION. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Meet the art students of Sandhills Community College at the Hastings Gallery Opening Reception. Complimentary refreshments provided. Information: (910) 695-3879. THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Live in HD. 1 p.m. Strauss’s Capriccio (Encore). Renée Fleming dazzled audiences when she sang the final scene of Strauss’s wise and worldly meditation on art and life. Now she performs the entire work, in which the composer explores the essence of opera itself. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Tickets and information: www.sunrisetheater.com Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

CHILDREN’S STORY TIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 - 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years) for stories, songs and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

May 5 SENIOR EVENT: Harmony Hall Field trip. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Travel to White Oak, NC to visit the historic Harmony Hall and learn about the life of Colonel James A Richardson. Depart from the Campbell House parking lot in Southern Pines. Cost: $12 (residents); $24 (non-residents). Register by April 22. Information: (910) 692-7376. FINE ARTS LECTURE SERIES. 10 a.m. Arts Council of Moore County & Weymouth Center present “Pop Artisits: Transforming the Stuff of Everyday Life,” by Denise Drum Baker. Cost: $10 (ACMC & Weymouth members); $15 (nonmembers). Reservations/information: (910) 692- 2787 or www.mooreart.org. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Diane Kraudelt at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. GATHERING AT GIVEN. 3:30 p.m. Holly Floyd of Bella Filati will be demonstrating how different yarns produce different results, and will feature the newest yarns available in her store. Free and open to the public. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022. WINE TASTING: Riesling. 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive, West End. Information: (910) 6732949 or www.SandhillsWinery.com. ART CLASS: Surface Design. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Using Mixed Media to Alter Surfaces with Nanette Zeller. Cost: $70. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. CINCO DE MAYO WINE TASTING PARTY. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Featuring live music with Gary Lewis. Cost: $10. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-5100. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Karen White, author of “On Folly Beach,” returns with her new novel, “The Beach Trees,” about a woman haunted by the disappearance of her little sister years before, who begins a long and painful healing process with the help of a struggling artist. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 6923211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 6 MEET THE ARTIST. 12 - 3 p.m. Studio 590 is the working studio of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Located by the pond in the Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst South. Information: (910) 315-6256 or (910) 639-9404. FIRST FRIDAY. 5 - 8 p.m. Family friendly community event featuring live music by The David Mayfield Parade, food & beverages and other entertainment. Free admission. Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: www. firstfridaysouthernpines.com. ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 6 - 8 p.m. Featuring Deborah Sanks, oil. Exhibit to run for entire month, call for schedule. Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2787.

May 6 - 8 DRESSAGE IN THE SANDHILLS. All day event. The Harness Track, Route 5, Village of Pinehurst. Information: (910) 315-5959.

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

Sports

105

ca l e n da r May 6 - 20 WEYMOUTH SPECIAL EVENTS. See page 95 of PineStraw for a complete schedule of events to take place at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities and Inchalene, Weymouth’s designer decorated show house. Information: (910) 295-0210 or www.weymouthshowhouse.org.

May 7 BIRD WALK. 8 a.m. A 2-mile hike to look for newly arrived summer and transient visitors from the tropics. Bring binoculars and bug spray and meet at the Visitor Center parking area at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167. GOLF TOURNAMENT: Keep Moore Beautiful Marge Owings Memorial. Registration from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. Shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Entry fee includes 18-hole round, green and cart fees, lunch and beverages & snacks on the course. Held at Mid Pines on Midland Road. Information: (910) 947-3478. CAMERON ANTIQUES FAIR. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. More than 300 dealers display their antiques and collectibles in their village shops and along streets in the Historic District of Cameron. Information: (910) 245-7001 or www.antiquesofcameron.com. CARTHAGE BUGGY FESTIVAL. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Celebrate Carthage and the Tyson & Jones Buggy Factory that operated in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Buggies will be on display in addition to continuous entertainment, arts/crafts, antiques, great food, and the car & truck show. Courthouse Square, Downtown Carthage. Information: (910) 947-2331 or www.thebuggyfestival.com. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mary Frey at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com FOOD WORKSHOP: NC Meat. 12 & 2 p.m. Learn the skinny on eating local meat. Healthy protein rich recipes that feature local meat form both Cane Creek Farm in Snow Camp, NC & Hilltop Farms in Mt Gilead, NC. Free. Elliott’s Provision Company, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 215-0775. SPRING FLING FESTIVAL. 12 - 6 p.m. Live music, arts & crafts, and food vendors. Free Admission. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Rd., Wagram. Information: (910) 369-0411. WINE TASTING: Kentucky Derby Party. 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive, West End. Information: (910) 673-2949 or www.SandhillsWinery.com. VINCE GILL IN CONCERT. 8 p.m. Concert to benefit the local chapter of The First Tee. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets: $28 (General Admission); $75-$125 (Reserved Seating). Village Arboretum, 395 Magnolia Rd., Pinehurst. Tickets and information: www.vincegillpinehurst.com.

their parents are invited to watch this hilarious and “hair raising” version of Rapunzel, a PG-rated animated musical. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. WOODLAND DRUMMERS. 3 p.m. A program on Woodpeckers; seven different kinds inhabit the Sandhills. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167. CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC CONCERT: On This Day, O Beautiful Mother. 4 p.m. Tickets: $25 (General Admission): $20 (Senior/Military). Main Sanctuary, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, 300 Dundee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 687-4746 or www.CarolinaPhil.org. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. The Gibson Brothers are Bluegrass titans; IBMA winners featuring beautiful, brotherly harmonies and stellar instrumental chops. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Tickets and information: www.theroosterswife.org.

May 9 SCC JAZZ BAND OUTDOOR CONCERT. 6:30 p.m. The Big Band Sound of the Sandhills. In the event of rain, concert moves to Owens Auditorium. Free and open to the public. Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Rd., Pinehurst. Information: (910) 695-3829. PHOTO CLUB MEETING. 7 p.m. Donna Ford will speak on “Sports Photography,” a lecture to include information on lenses, settings and other techniques to improve the overall quality of sports photos. Christ Fellowship Church, Midland and Pee Dee Road, Southern Pines. Guests and new members welcome. Information: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org. SANDHILLS HARMONY CHORUS: Guest Night. 7 - 9:30 p.m. A dynamic group of female barbershop singers invite all ladies interested in seeing what the chorus, a member of Sweet Adelines International, is about. Refreshments, song, and sing along. Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Southern Pines. Information: Carole at (910) 944-1458.

May 10

ART CLASS. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Plein Aire Painting with Irene Dobson. Cost: $85 (member discount available). Artist League of the Sandhills, Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. SENIOR EVENT: Golden Spike Day. 11:30 a.m. Celebrate the anniversary of the joining of the Union Pacific Railroads in 1869 at Promontory, Utah. A golden spike worth $400 was driven into the track to celebrate the occasion. Group reading of “The Little Train Who Could” by Watty Piper and “The Ballad of Casey Jones.” Bring a shoebox to craft a train. Register by May 3. Douglas May 8 Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Information: SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE (910) 692-7376. MOVIES. 2:30 p.m. Kids grades 3-5 and Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Film Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports 106 May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

ca l e n da r HISTORIC TEA PARTY: Strawberry Tea in the Tradition of the Lincolns. 2:30 p.m. An original talk based on an actual historic tea event featuring strawberry recipes that was celebrated during times suitable to the planting and harvesting of strawberries in the garden and popular in the era of the Lincolns in the White House. Lady Bedfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tea Parlour. Cost: $25. Reservations and information: (910) 255-0100 or www.ladybedfords.com. PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ. 5 - 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chew on Thisâ&#x20AC;?. Students grades 6 - 8 are invited to make sculptures and artwork out of chewing gum and enjoy free pizza while learning all about the 2011 Summer Reading Program. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. WINE TASTING: Portugal Wine. 5:30 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive, West End. Information: (910) 6732949 or www.SandhillsWinery.com. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Therese Fowler, author of the novels â&#x20AC;&#x153;Souvenirâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reunionâ&#x20AC;?, presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Exposureâ&#x20AC;?, her novel about a teen couple whose passionate relationship becomes fodder for a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against â&#x20AC;&#x153;sextingâ&#x20AC;?. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 11 WORKSHOP: Creating a Colorful Container Garden. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Learn the basics of creating an attractive container garden; make one and take one home. Cost: $25 (Horticultural Society Members); $30 (nonmembers). Limited space. Information and registration: Tricia Mabe at (910) 695-3882. THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Live in HD. 1 p.m. Verdiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s II Trovatore (Encore). David McVicarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stirring production of Verdiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intense drama premiered in the 200809 season. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Tickets and information: www.sunrisetheater.com. CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STORY TIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 - 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years) for stories, songs and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 6928235 or www.sppl.net. ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION. 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How We Grow Them Bunches of Writers in North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;? by Georgann Eubanks. Country Club of North Carolina, Pinehurst. Membership/Reservations/Information: (910) 235-0635 or bmoc@embarqmail.com.

May 12 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Carolyn Rotter at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. Key: Art Music/Concerts History Sports

Dance/Theater

OLDIES & GOODIES FILM SERIES. 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. A 1944 comedy starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra about a drama critic who learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family. Enjoy light refreshments with other film buffs at this free event. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. ART CLASS: Surface Design. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Using Mixed Media to Alter Surfaces with Nanette Zeller. Cost: $70. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Diane Chamberlain, award-winning author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Shadow Wifeâ&#x20AC;?, shares her latest novel, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Midwifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Confession,â&#x20AC;? about a young couple who learn a terrible secret in the suicide letter written by the midwife who delivered their children. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 6923211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

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May 13 MEET THE ARTIST. 12 - 3 p.m. Studio 590 is the working studio of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Located by the pond in the Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst South. Information: (910) 315-6256 or (910) 639-9404. WINE TASTING: Wines Over Ice. 6 8:30 p.m. Sangriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, New Ages, White Ports and more. Cost: $10. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-5100. JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $10. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road, Wagram. Information: (910) 369-0411. MOVIE IN THE PINES. 8 p.m. Bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy a free showing of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Toy Story 3â&#x20AC;? at the Downtown Park in Southern Pines. The Girl Scouts will provide concessions. Information: (910) 692-7376. WALKING TOUR AND HIGH TEA. Discover the stories of Pinehurstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Historic Landmarks. Cost: $25. Space is limited. Reservations and information: (910) 235-8415.

May 14 LETTER CARRIERS FOOD DRIVE. Put non-perishable donations in a bag by your mailbox; letter carriers will deliver food to a local food bank. An annual, nation-wide event. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mary Frey at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. FOOD WORKSHOP: NC Milk. 12 & 2 p.m. Fresh from the farm, featuring milk from Maple View Farms in Hillsborough, NC and a number of different recipes for ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies and yogurt. Free. Elliottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Provision Company, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 215-0775. Film

Literature/Speakers

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ca l e n da r MOORE HUMANE ADOPTION DAY. 12 - 3 p.m. Moore Humane Society’s Shelter Dogs at Pooch Park in the Pines. Information: Linda Hubbard at (910) 692-6476. THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Wagner’s Die Walkür (Live in HD). 12 p.m. A stellar cast comes together for this second installment of Robert Lepage’s new production of the Ring cycle, conducted by James Levine. Bryn Terfel is Wotan, lord of the Gods; Deborah Voigt adds the part of Brünnhilde to her extensive Wagnerian repertoire at the Met. Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek star as the twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Stephanie Blythe is Fricka. Tickets: $22. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com. FESTIVAL OF BEERS. 3 - 7 p.m. Enjoy food and sample from a large selection of some of the nation’s finest breweries. Home brew demonstration and live entertainment included. Southern Pines Elks Lodge, 280 Country Club Circle. Tickets: $20 (in advance); $25 (at door). Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets and information: Chamber of Commerce at (910) 692-3926. GIVEN ON THE GREEN. 7 - 10 p.m. An elegant evening on the Village Green with intimate ambiance, fine food, spirits and entertainment. Sample unique interior designs paired with delicious food from some of the area’s best restaurants during this “progressive style” affair. Proceeds benefit Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives. Cost: $75. Tickets available at the Given Memorial Library in the Village of Pinehurst or the Given Book Shop in Olmstead Village. Information: (910) 295-6022. ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Longleaf Country Club. Information: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org.

May 16 – 18

May 15

MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Jean Frost at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. SENIOR EVENT: Senior Citizens Day. 12 p.m. A special day for activities and celebrations to promote positive attitudes toward aging and recognize the active, healthy and independent lives many older adults lead. Register by May 12. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-7376. WINE TASTING: Australian Wine. 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive, West End. Information: (910) 673-2949 or www.SandhillsWinery.com. BOOK CLUB MEETING. 5:30 p.m. This month’s book selection is “Every Last Cuckoo” by Kate Maloy. The novel concerns a 75-year old native Vermonter who, after losing her beloved husband, finds herself providing a home for a strange variety of misfits. Please inquire at the desk if you’d like to reserve a copy. No pre-registration is required; new members welcome. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Information: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net. WINE TASTING. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Unique Wines of Italy. Cost: $10. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-5100. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. UNC-Charlotte history professor David Goldfield offers a major new interpretation of the Civil War era in his book, “America Aflame: How the Civil War Created a Nation”, his provocative take on the causes of America’s greatest tragedy. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz. NC SYMPHONY: Mozart’s Flute & Harp Concerto. 8 p.m. Featuring Mary Boone, flute, and Anita BurroughsPrice, harp. Program includes Beethoven, Mozart and Schumann. Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School. Information and tickets: (877) 627-6724.

HISTORY LECTURE: A North Carolina Icon Brought to Life. 2 p.m. Cindy Ramsey will present sea stories from aboard the USS North Carolina battleship during World War II. Event sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association. First Baptist Church, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2051. TICKS, CHIGGERS & SPIDERS. 3 p.m. An educational program on these prevalent Sandhills critters. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167. CONCERT IN THE PINES. 6 p.m. Bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy wonderful music. Free event. Band boosters will sell concessions on site. Information: (910) 692-7376. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. Iconic Chapel Hill soul band HOBEX reconvenes in Aberdeen with Alex da Costa. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Tickets and information: www.theroosterswife.org.

May 16 U.S.OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LOCAL QUALIFIER. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Magnolia Course, Pinewild Country Club. Information: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org. WOMEN OF WEYMOUTH: Strawberry Festival Luncheon. Information: (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org. SANDHILLS HARMONY CHORUS: Guest Night. 7 - 9:30 p.m. A dynamic group of female barbershop singers invite all ladies interested in seeing what the chorus, a member of Sweet Adelines International, is all about. Join for refreshments and song, and sing along. Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Southern Pines. Information: Carole at (910) 944-1458.

Key: Art

Music/Concerts

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Film

ARTISTS WORKSHOP. 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. “Painting the Landscape Using Photographic References” with Kevin Beck, a workshop for the painter interested in learning the fundamentals of creating spontaneous fresh landscape paintings using photographs as the reference. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. All levels welcome. Oil or pastel. Cost: $275 (members); $325 (nonmembers). Limited space. Reservations: (910) 944-3979. Information: www.artistleague.org.

May 17 AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Popular and entertaining speaker Dr. Mardy Grothe, author of “Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You” and “I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like” returns with his new book, “Neverisms: A Quotation Lover’s Guide to Things You Should Never Do, Never Say, or Never Forget”. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 18 CHILDREN’S STORY TIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Minrose Gwin presents the Indiebound Notable Book, “The Queen of Palmyra”, her debut novel about a young girl in Civil Rights-era Mississippi and the horrors she witnesses one hot summer. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 19

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

DINING IN THE FIELD. Dine alfresco beneath the longleaf pines. Event to benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center. Cost: $125. Includes traditional low country (fourcourse) supper prepared by the chefs of Elliott’s on Linden, live entertainment, cocktails and valet service on the Sandy Woods Farm. Space limited to the first 100 guests. Tickets and information: Elliott’s at (910) 295-3663 or Sandhills Children’s Center (910) 692-3323. PINEHURST LIVE AFTER FIVE. 5 - 9 p.m. Live music from The Sand Band in the Village to benefit the MIRA Foundation. Food and beverages available for purchase on site. Information: (910) 295-1900.

May 19 - 22 SANDHILLS SPRING CLASSIC. USEF “A” rated hunter/jumper show. Sanctioned by USEF, NCHJA, SCHJA, VHSA, NAL, WIHS. Carolina Horse Park. Information: (910) 875-2074 or www.carolinahorsepark.com.

May 20 BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT. 11:30 a.m. Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament at Beacon Ridge Golf and Country Club to benefit Moore County BackPack Pals. Entry fee: $65 (includes green and cart fees, lunch, prizes). Hole Sponsors: $100. Information: Linda Hubbard at (910) 692-6476. MEET THE ARTIST. 12 - 3 p.m. Studio 590 is the working studio of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Located by the pond in the Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst South. Information: (910) 315-6256 or (910) 639-9404. CLASSIC CRUISE-IN AT LEDO’S. 5 - 8 p.m. Classic Car, Truck and Motorcycle Cruise-In at Ledo’s Pizza is a free event featuring door prizes, 50/50 drawing, oldies music and great food. Proceeds benefit local charities. Information: www.sandhillsclassicstreetrods.com or Tom Walker at (910) 639-1494.

May 21 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sandy Scott at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. FOOD WORKSHOP: NC Wine & Cheese. 12 & 2 p.m. NC is home of more than 100 wineries and ranks 7th for wine production in the US. Sample the unique flavors of NC Wine paired with some of NC’s finest local cheeses. Free. Elliott’s Provision Company, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 215-0775. ART EXHIBIT. 1 – 5 p.m. Sculpture by T. Barney at Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-4817 or www.broadhurstgallery.com. NC POETRY SOCIETY. Weymouth Center presents the NC Poetry Society with a program TBA, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org. HORSE SHOW: Historic Downtown Aberdeen Tour de Horse. Third Annual USNETO event. Riders “test” communication skills on common obstacles along the way. All levels and disciplines welcome and encouraged; youth level included. Volunteers needed; spectators welcome. Information: (910) 944-5797 or www.trec-usa.org.

May 21-22 PLEASURE DRIVING SHOW. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Top pleasure driving event in the Southeast. Three rings of competition: dressage, pleasure classes, and obstacles. 9 a.m. parade through the Village of Pinehurst on Sunday. Spectators welcome; free admission. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. Information: Linda Long at (910) 692-0943.

May 22 ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club. Information: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org.

Sports

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

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Table on the Green Now pairing American Cuisine with the exotic tastes of Thailand

910-295-3240, 295-4118 Midland Country Club, Midland Road PUBLIC WELCOME www.tableonthegreen.com

Live Music & Entertainment Please call for info

Sunday Brunch Menu 10-2pm Lunch 11:30 - 2:30 Tues. - Sat. Dinner 5 - 9 Tues. - Sat. Closed Monday Reservations Suggested | Banquet Room Available Elegant Dining with Family Friendly Atmosphere PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

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AUTHOR EVENT. 2 p.m. Sara Foster, owner of Foster’s Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafes in Durham and Chapel Hill, and author of “The Foster’s Market Cookbook”, shares contemporary interpretations of classic Southern dishes in her new cookbook, “Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen”. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz. DISCOVERY HIKE. 3 p.m. Examine and identify plants and animals encountered on a 2-mile hike, and learn the ecological connections between certain species. Bring binoculars, sunscreen and bug spray. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 6:45 p.m. Double CD release party. Rebecca Pronsky and Sally Spring bring their newest albums. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Tickets and information: www.theroosterswife.org.

May 23

GreenGateOliveOils.com Mon.-Sat. from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 105 Cherokee Road in Pinehurst (910) 986-0880

ART CLASS. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. “Follow the Leader” oil painting with Joan Williams. Beginners welcomed and encouraged. All materials will be provided. Cost: $70 (bring bag lunch; dessert provided). Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. GOLF TOURNAMENT. 12 p.m. (Lunch and practice); 1 p.m. (Shotgun start). Miss Moore County Scholarship Association Benefit at Hyland Golf Club. Cost: $400/foursome. Registration deadline: May 16. Funds raised help to provide scholarships for Moore County girls as well as the opportunity to compete for additional scholarships on the state level. Information: missmoorecounty@yahoo.com. SANDHILLS HARMONY CHORUS: Guest Night. 7 - 9:30 p.m. A group of female barbershop singers invite all ladies interested in seeing what the chorus, a member of Sweet Adelines International, is about. Join for refreshments and song, and sing along. Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Southern Pines. Information: Carole at (910) 944-1458.

May 24

Now Open! MOORE COUNTY

FARMERS MARKET Tomatoes & Strawberries

Fruits, Veggies, Jams, Meats, Flowers, Plants & Crafts

Mondays- FirstHealth (Fitness Center)

170 Memorial Dr • Pinehurst 2pm-6pm

Will be open through October 31st

Thursdays- Morganton Rd (Armory Sports Complex) Southern Pines 9am-1pm

Saturdays - Downtown Southern Pines Broad St & New York Ave 8am-Noon Will be open through October 29th

Call 947-3752 or 690-9520 for more information.

On the web: Moore County Farmers Market Local Harvest

Visit us on facebook! email: moorecfm@embarqmail.com

110 May 2011

AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Karen Cox, UNC-Charlotte Associate Professor of History, will discuss her new book, “Dreaming of Dixie: How the South Was Created in American Popular Culture”. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 25 THE MET AT THE SUNRISE: Wagner’s Die Walkür (Live in HD). 12 p.m. Encore Performance. Tickets: $22. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com. CHILDREN’S STORY TIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022. WOMEN GONE WINE. 5 - 7 p.m. Jewelry party; $4 wines by the glass. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-5100.

May 26 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Carolyn Rotter at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. AWARD CEREMONY. 4 p.m. Sandhills Horticultural Society presents the People’s Choice Award for “Arts in the Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Film Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

ca l e n da r Garden” sculpture exhibit. Ball Visitor’s Center, Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 695-3882 or www.sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com. SENIOR EVENT: John Wayne’s Birthday. 5:30 p.m. Celebrate the life of Marion Michael Morrison, the famous American actor better known as John Wayne. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and fun. Cost: $2 (residents); $4 (non-residents). Register by May 19. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-7376. WINE TASTING: South American Wine. 5:30 - 8 p.m. Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive, West End. Information: (910) 673-2949 or www.SandhillsWinery.com. AUTHOR EVENT. 7 p.m. Craig Nova, distinguished Professor in the Humanities at UNC-Greensboro and award-winning author of 12 novels, explores the interconnections between his work as a writer, his personal life, and his passion for fly-fishing in his memoir, “Brook Trout and the Writing Life”. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

May 27 MEET THE ARTIST. 12 - 3 p.m. Studio 590 is the working studio of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Located by the pond in the Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst South. Information: (910) 315-6256 or (910) 639-9404. BEER & WINE TASTING. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Featuring live music. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-5100. JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors d’oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $10. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road, Wagram. Information: (910) 369-0411. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES. 8:30 p.m. Matuto makes a stunning cross-cultural statement in Aberdeen to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Tickets and information: www.theroosterswife.org.

May 27-29

May 26 - 28 MOORE ON STAGE: Masquerade. 7:30 p.m. (May 26 - 27); 2 p.m (May 28). A show that highlights dancers and singers with a taste of New Orleans jazz, the mystique of New Orleans’ customs and the intrigue of what is behind the mardi gras masks. Sure to delight both young and old with the colorful costumes, incredible lights and diverse music. Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines. Tickets and information: (910) 692-7118. Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

MOORE ONSTAGE: “On the Road to Fame”. 7:30 p.m. (Friday & Saturday); 2 p.m. (Sunday). A dynamic expose through song and dance, featuring music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s to contemporary tunes, encompassing famous Broadway and film songs. Tickets: $22/adults; $15/students under 18. Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School. Reservations and information: (910) 692-7118.

May 28 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Jane Casnellie at work. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

FOOD WORKSHOP: NC Produce. 12 & 2 p.m. May is officially Strawberry Month in NC. Demonstrations will be sweet and savory. Free. Elliott’s Provision Company, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 215-0775. THE CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: “Eight Seasons.” 2 p.m. Vivaldi meets Piazzolla. Tickets: $25 (General Admission); $20 (Senior/Military). Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 687-4746 or visit www.CarolinaPhil.org. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES: The Alison Brown Quartet. 8:30 p.m. The Rooster’s Wife at Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.com.

May 28-29 CAROLINA POLOCROSSE CLUB. 7 a.m – 5 p.m. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 875-4814.

May 29 MOORE COUNTY CONCERT BAND. 2 p.m. Free event. Cardinal Ballroom, Carolina Hotel, Pinehurst Resort, Village of Pinehurst. Information: www.moorecountyband.com. LI ZARDS OF THE SANDHILLS. 3 p.m. Learn about these fascinating creatures. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2167. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT SERIES: Stella Lively opens for Chris Scruggs. 6:45 p.m. The Rooster’s Wife at Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Information: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.com.

Sports

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June 4 GARDEN TOUR. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities is sponsoring a garden tour featuring six to eight elegant properties at Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. Tour includes an afternoon presentation on garden landscaping. Tickets: $15 (advance); $28 (includes luncheon); $20 (day of tour plus $15 for lunch). Information: (910) 692-6261.

June 13 FASHION SHOW & SILENT AUCTION. 12 p.m. Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual benefit and luncheon to be held at the Country Club of North Carolina, Pinehurst. Cost: $35. Reservations and information: (910) 295-4790.

Art Galleries Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Rd., Pinehurst, showcases works by nationally recognized artists such as Louis St. Lewis, Lula Smith, Shawn Morin, Rachel Clearfield, Judy Cox and Jason Craighead. Meet-the-artist opportunities are available. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (910)295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com. Art Gallery at the Market Place, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst, features original art by local artists Joan Williams, Deane Billings, Jeanette Sheehan, Mike Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Andrea, Janet Burdick, Nancy Yanchus, and Cele Bryant. Meet one of the artists Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (910)215-5963. Artist Alley features juried art and fine crafts from local and regional artists, 167 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910)692-6077. Artists League of the Sandhills, located at 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon-3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910)944-3979. The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and every third weekend of the month from 2-4 p.m. (910)692-4356, www.mooreart.org. The Gallery at Seven Lakes, a gallery dedicated to local artists. The Gallery is open on Wednesday and

Thursday each week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 1145 Seven Lakes Drive, The St. Mary Magdalen building. Just 9 miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211. Hastings Gallery is located in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are 7:45 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; and 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst, features original artwork by local artists Diane Kraudelt, Carol Rotter, Mary Frey, Jean Frost, Sandy Scott and artist/owner Jane Casnellie. Open Monday-â&#x20AC;&#x2018;Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (910)255-0665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. (910)295-2055. Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, showcases the arts and crafts of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, WednesdaySaturday, (910)695-0029. SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. (910)944-9440, www. skyartgallery.com. Studio 590, located in a historic log cabin, is the working studio and gallery of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Studio 590 offers fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. Studio 590 is located by the pond in the Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle in Pinehurst South. (910)639-9404. White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910)947-6100. The Downtown Gallery (inside Flynneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coffee Bar)is located at 115 NE Broad St. in downtown Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910)693-1999. Lady Bedfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tea Parlour, located at 25 Chinquapin Road in Pinehurst, is featuring local artist Nancy Campbell. Original oil and watercolor paintings are on display inside the tea shop. Open Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910)255-0100, www.ladybedfords.com.

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 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910)692-2167. VILLAGE ABORETUM. 35 acres of land adjoining the Village Hall on Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900.

Historical Sites Bethesda Church and Cemetery. Guided tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen. (910)944-1319. Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. Tours by appointment. (910)692-2051 or (910)673-0908. Carthage Historical Museum. Sundays, 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (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 Ave., Southern Pines. (910)692-6261. Shaw House Property. 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 Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Exchange Log Cabin Open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (910)295-4677 To add an event, send us an e-mail at pinestraw@thepilot.com by the first of the month prior to the event.

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www.butlerandassociates.org 114

May 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen 60th Stoneybrook Steeplechase Carolina Horse Park Photographs by Jeanne Paine

96.5 Bob FM, Mike Haney, Joanie Thiele, Nick Ellis and S. Sgt. Matt Savage

Sassy Riley and Andy Pellegrino

Kassidy Thompson

Jim Van Camp and L.P. Tate

Gavin Shrimpsher

Betsy Rainoff, David & Cheryl Altfeder and Lynn Dillard

The Stoneybrook Cup Race

Zoe Wall

Leonard Short, Joanne Sommers, Alex Dew and Taryn Garrett

Stephanie Womack

CUTLER TREE

Tree Pruning • Removal Plant Site Consulting Stump Grinding • Shrub Care Tree Conservation for New Home Sites Free Estimates Geoffrey Cutler Fully Insured 910-692-7769 910-690-7657

MEDITATION IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

Join us every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. for a free meditation program.

The Awakened Heart Center www.theawakenedheartcenter.com 692-0995

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 2011

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Erik Harvey, Whitney Carrington and Kris & Jason Morton

SandhillSeen Duxiana Opening Gala

Duxiana at the Mews - March 16th Photographs by Lisa Sauder Carol Masten and Pam Peterman

Pam Peterman and Erika Hoelscher

Learne & Mackenzie Morrissette

Sharon & Robert Wilson

Wanda Little and Tracy Lorenz

Ofelia Melley, Sharon Wilson, and Jackie Nyberg David & Beverly Harper and Jowel Conwick

Erika Hoelscher, Carol Masten, and Lydia Ewing

Spike & Debbie Smith

Ricardo Ross, Jr. and Niya Locklear

SandhillSeen Easter Egg Hunt The Campbell House

Photographs by Jeanne Paine Ryan and Jack Kelley

Natalie Blanton

Ricardo Ross, Jr.

Maria, Leonela, Ellseo and Adriana Hernandez Phoenix Collins

Hannah Claire Nesbit and Emerson Vaughan

Kamaurie Lloyd

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Lily Regan

Sean Jacobs

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SandhillSeen

Jane & Bill Ray

Southern Prime Charity Event Photographs by Lisa Sauder

Sarah Ellman and Sushma Patel

Jean Thompson, Rep. Jamie Boles, Charlie McGugan and Francis Broeill

Dr. & Mrs. Bolanos

Laura and Ben Creed

Bo & Suze Kopynec

Gary & Debbie McGahey and George Little

Chuck Helbling, Jean Thompson, Jimmy Thompson, Paul Blake, and Billie Ertter

Craig Moulton, Ernest & Pamela Smith, Mike Smith, Joy Smith, Conor Smith and Marianne Moulton

Chef Peter Hamm and Rep. Jamie Boles

SandhillSeen

2011 Camellia Show

Photographs by Vickie Rounds

Sandhills Camellia Society

Farm 2 Table Co-op Potluck

Photographs by Vickie Rounds Judy Nappi and Molly Howell

Diane Clarke and Bill Howell

Margaret Endrigat, Kathy Luckhaus and Carol Carlson Mary Gail Chamblee and Annabelle Fetterman

Laurie Smith, Barb Cohen and George McNally

Chase Simmons, Wil Byers and Jordan Gray

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Deborah Branson, Darrie Davis and Alexis Pohlmeyer

Moore County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers

Kim Auman and Chris Pritchard

Laura Gingerich and Jan Leitschuh

Nanette & Chuck Zoeller

Joe & Rosie Hibbard and Bill & Jean Settles

Victoria Naegly, Joann Thaxton and Jan Hiltner

Terry & Chris Umland and Matt Whitaker

Gary Priest, Samuel Blue and John Blue

Pat Stewman, Tina Adams and Bambi Bently

Youth Summer Programs For more summer camp listings and information please visit www.thepilot.com/camps/

O’NEAL SUMMER FUN

Visit our website for more information on O’Neal’s Summer Programs. www.ONealSchool.org/StudentLife/Summer

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Youth Summer Programs

Offering a Fulll Da Day aandd ½ Day Camp for Ages 6-12 301 Lake Park Crossing Aberdeen NC, 28315 Phone 944-PARK

At camp we like to encourage the kids to be themselves, have fun, participate, and be a team player.

GROUP GAMES • CRAFTS • SPORTS • TRIPS • SPECIAL ACTIVITIES Full Day • 8am-5:30

Kids must be picked up by 5:30 pm

1/2 Day • 8am-12pm

Kids must be picked up by 12pm

Camp Fee: $60 Aberdeen Residents per-session $90 Non-Residents per-session Session 3: $50R/$80NR per-session Session 4: $40.00R/$70NR per-session

Camp Fee: $60 Aberdeen Residents per-session $65 Non-Residents per-session Session 3: $35R/$60NR per-session Session 4: $25R/$55NR per-session

Session 1: June 13 – 17 Registration Deadline: May 31, 2011

Session 6: July 18 -22 Registration Deadline: July 11, 2011

Session 2: June 20 – 24 Registration Deadline: June 13, 2011

Session 7: July 25 – 29 Registration Deadline: July 18, 2011

Session 3: June 27 – 30 Registration Deadline: June 20, 2001

Session 8: August 1 – 5 Registration Deadline: July 25, 2011

Session 4: July 6 – 8 Registration Deadline: June 27, 2011

Session 9: August 8 – 12 Registration Deadline: August 1, 2011

Session 5: July 11 – 15 Registration Deadline: July 5, 2011

Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged! There is no camp on July 1 or July 4 & 5 There will is a one-time fee of $10 Residents & $20 Non-Residents that is required the first time you register for camp.

Registration Forms available at the Aberdeen Recreation Station or www.townofaberdeen.net

Pick and choose from 9 theme weeks

1/2 day $80 per week - 9am to Noon • ages 3 to 13 All Day $170 - 9am to 5:30pm • ages 5 to 13

! e c an

(early drop off available) • $5 off 2nd child or 2nd camp Preregistration necessary. Payment due at time of registration Grouped by age and ability

June 6-10 - Here comes Summer June 13-17 - CheerMania/Transformers June 20-24 - Princesses vs. Knights June 27-July 1 - Jedi Training July 11-15 - Gym Stars July 18-22 - Pirates July 25-29 - Survivor August 1-5 - Super Hero August 8-12 - Aloha Summer

Snacks provided All Day Campers bring a bag lunch

Summer Dance Camps

Afternoon and evening classes- boys and girls all levels June 6 to August 5

910-695-7898

220 Ampersand Road Aberdeen • 910-295-0724 www.sandhillsgymnastics.com

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at Carolina Performing Arts Center

http://cpac.webimaginarium.com 670 SW Broad St • Southern Pines, NC 28387

Youth Summer Programs

Scotland Riding Academy

SUMMER CAMPS 2011 910-386-7757 â&#x20AC;˘ Cackie Stephenson 21560 Marston Rd. â&#x20AC;˘ Laurel Hill, NC

scotlandridingacademy.com

Tuesday, June 14 - Friday, June 17 Monday, June 20 - Thursday, June 23 Monday, June 27 - Thursday, June 30 Our camp days start at 9AM and end at 3PM All camps are $195 Early dismissal (1pm). Suggested for ages 5-7 $150 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 during the morning. Afternoons consist of games, horse bathing, and a special speaker or a riding exhibition

For Camp forms and Map/Directions visit

ScotlandRidingAcademy.com

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T h o u g h ts f r o m T h e M a n S h e d

Into the Woods On a hunt for the new boy

By Geoff Cutler

e got a call a couple of days before our senior year was to begin. A new boy, who’d come to school early for orientation, had disappeared. The faculty wanted us to search the woods of the Berkshire mountain range that surrounded our school. Back then, the school allowed its students to build cabins in the woods, and we were allowed to sign out on Saturday nights to camp. The truth is, we headed out there any chance we got, and so if the new boy had gone out there for some reason, the faculty was well aware that we knew every inch of those woods, and would be more apt to find him. In theory, faculty members were to patrol these woods on Saturday nights to check up on us, and occasionally, some did. Most did not, and that was a good thing, because back then, we were getting up to no good. My understanding is that the woods, after having been wide open to the student body since the school’s earliest days, were finally closed to weekend campouts in the years after I graduated, and the cabins have been torn down. An unfortunate necessity, I guess, on account of the difficulty they presented to the school’s administration in controlling the extra-curricular “experimentation” that went on out there. While today’s kids are more apt to be huddled up in front of their screens, fiddling with game controls or hand-helds, or glued to their computers where they can gaze at themselves and their friends, we were out in the woods, blazing new trails, engineering sophisticated dwellings, cutting firewood, cooking for ourselves, and yes, alas … “experimenting.” My cabin had already been built. I bought it as a sophomore from some graduating seniors for about the price of a bus ticket to Manhattan. It had a working stove, a couple of bunks and wrap-around wooden seating. Nights we had a lot of campers, most kids slept under the stars, or took their sleeping bags and climbed the nearby hemlock to the platform above. This tree fort, and the difficulty it took to get our cabin, was why I bought the place. To reach it the short way, you went out the back door of my dorm and immediately into the woods. Not too far in, the trail began to descend rapidly to the edge of a cliff. One year, a boy who didn’t see very well, and was likely experimenting, bumbled off these cliffs. He survived the fall, but broke his neck. He wore a cumbersome apparatus for a long time, but was considered one of our most famous and heroic students. New boys always wanted to meet the dude who fell off the cliffs and lived to tell about it. Broken Neck could often be found in the butt room, puffing on a Camel and recounting that fateful day to wide-eyed freshmen from behind his Coke-bottle glasses and long mane of hair parted right down the middle. That was the style of the day. Anyway, the trail cut right down along the edge of these cliffs. Hikers had to know it at night with their eyes closed, or ran serious risk of falling off themselves. Just after clearing the cliff, the trail passed a massive 120-foot tall hemlock and led

into a flat spot where my cabin and campfire were built. The hemlock stood on the crest of another drop-off. There were so many limbs on this thing, it was like climbing a ladder, and guys were always taking their visiting girlfriends up there to show them the view. About fifteen feet from the crown, you climbed through a hatch onto the platform itself. The edge of the platform was guarded by thick railing, well nailed. Adding together the height of the tree and the drop off at the tree’s roots, you were up about 300 feet or more. Sitting there, you could look out over the forest for miles. If the sheer height of this thing didn’t take your breath away, the view did. The Berkshire mountains presented a deep and glorious undulating carpet of green. Those scared of heights didn’t stay long, especially on windy days, because the platform would sway back and forth with the movement of the tree. Your heart fell to your gut. When we camped out, those of us who didn’t have a Saturday hockey game (almost none of our crew played basketball) would collect some allowance money from all the campers and hike down into town for steaks and potatoes, replacement candles, and plenty of liquid refreshment. The old man who ran the package store was always more than glad to see us. One time, I remember hiking down to the village wearing snowshoes, the snow was that deep. And that night we had a roaring fire, the edge of which we lined with the baking potatoes, quietly sizzling in their tin foil. We stuck candles in the snow all around the vicinity of the cabin and from the tape deck, Long John Baldry told us not to lay no BoogieWoogie music on the King of Rock and Roll. When the call came in for us to search the woods for the missing new boy, we immediately fanned out. We searched high and low. Every trail, every cabin, tree fort, the crevasses of the all the cliff ridges. We were out there all the first day and most of the night. The second day, someone got the crazy idea that maybe we should check the caves of the lower woods. I’d never been down in these caves. Only a few kids even knew of their existence, and just one of us knew where they were. Why we thought the new boy would be down there shows the folly of youth. After all, if we couldn’t find them, how would some newbie from Tennessee know the caves unless he was some kind of geek who’d read too many National Geographics? We outfitted ourselves in raingear and strapped on headlamps anyway. The entrance to the caves was marked by a cairn, and just looked like a hole in the ground. Down we went. About twenty feet below, the hole opened into a small room, the only open area of the cave. Another crack in the ground led into the cave system itself, and the only way to traverse the underground rock trail was by scrabbling on our stomachs. We pulled ourselves in, one behind the other, and continued the descent. Spelunking can be scary. Claustrophobia, and a feeling like you’re choking, begin to overwhelm you. There was just enough room for a prone human body to hitch along, and the ceiling scratched and ripped at our backs. Deeper and deeper we scrambled, and then into a stream of water that ran across the cave floor. The water poured into the open necks of our raingear. It kept getting colder and colder the deeper we went, and we shivered, soaked to the skin. Even with small headlamps, the darkness swallowed us up. We inched our way through these bowels for the best of an hour until the underground trail began to rise. As it did, we felt a sense of relief. And finally, we could see some light from above. We scrabbled faster and at last popped back out of the ground and into the sun. We went to tell the administration that we could not find the new boy anywhere. They said it was OK, he had been found. They said the boy had backed into the corner of his grandmother’s basement. Apparently, he did not want to go to boarding school. We headed to the showers to get warm and cleaned up. Then we headed back out to the woods. PS Geoff Cutler is owner of Cutler Tree LLC in Southern Pines. He is a regular contributor to both The Pilot and PineStraw. He can be reached at geoffcutler@embarqmail.com.

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Resale Retail

Taurus

(April 21 - May 21) I do declare . You may be a sweet talking thing, but you’re as full of wind as a corneating horse . When someone takes your words too literally on the 2nd, you’ll be busy as a stump-tailed cow at ﬂy time trying to cover up your keister . (nothing new there .) regardless, Venus will have you feeling sappy as the trunk of a maple by the middle of the month . Like all prized commodities (beauty, time and pigs, for instance), romance too is ﬂeeting. for Pete’s sake, Sweet Cheeks, pee or get off the pot . You know what I’m talking about .

Gemini (May 22 - June 21)

Well, dog my cats. The new moon on the 3rd just may be the nudge you need to do a little soul searching. When it comes to affairs of the spirit, try keeping things private, Poopsy. There’s no need to go exploiting your life on My Face — or whatever the kids are calling that social networking doohicky these days. On May 11, Mercury will just about put the pepper in the gumbo. But don’t eat your supper before you say grace. You’re sort of letting the tail wag the dog otherwise, Toots. Cancer (June 22 - July 23)

You’re about as anxious as a Dalmatian at a Jackson Pollock workshop, Sweet Pea. Relax, would you? The planets are on your side. (Practice a little cotton-picking patience and you’ll see what I mean.) A gamble you make on May 11 may not make you rich, but it sure as heck won’t cause you to go hungry. And you’ll finally get what you’ve been hoping for on the 17th as long as you’re simply willing to ask for it. Just keep in mind: Tomorrow may be the carriage-driver’s day for plowing. Leo (July 23 - Aug. 23)

Mercy me. If brains were leather, you wouldn’t have enough to saddle a June bug (bless your heart). When Mars ups your energy on the 1st, you’ll have more gusto than Grandma’s zucchini codfish. Try not to spend it all in once place, Poopsy. On the 13th, Pluto will remind you there’s a price to pay for everything in life. Open one door, and risk losing access to another. As my Uncle Foote used to say, “The fellow who takes the shortest road to the dollar generally takes the longest road away from it.” Virgo (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23)

Well, if Grandma don’t punch down the dough! April’s codswallop may have left your head feeling foggier than a batch of Blue Ridge cider, but try not to sweat it, Sunshine. The new moon on the 3rd will slap you back to reality faster than you can say Bob’s your uncle. You’d better face the music on the 17th — even if it ain’t exactly a tune you want to hum along to. It’s never good to go off half-cocked, Honey. Even you should know that. Libra (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23)

Put your tray table up, Sweetheart. Ready or not, erratic planetary behavior is liable to trigger more ups and downs than an orgy of clowns this month. Reach for the stars on the 1st when Jupiter has you feeling hotter than two goats in a pepper patch. (But don’t get your feathers ruffled if you don’t get exactly what you want.) If you’re willing to keep a level head on the 15th, life will be sweeter than Grandma’s kettle corn in your love department. As they say, “Rails split before breakfast will season the dinner.” Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

Wrap me in jerky and call me a steak, good things come to those who wait. Try not to get your knickers in a twist on the 3rd when the new moon brings advice as welcome as Gilbert Gottfried at tea time. It wouldn’t kill you to open your mind, Sweet Pea. Sheesh. Even a pig has enough arithmetic to take the shortest cut through a thicket. Practice a little balance

toward the end of the month too, Sugar (particularly on the 21st). Trust me, you can have your steak and eat it too. Sagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21)

Deep-fried fiddle sticks! Jupiter has more passion pumping through your veins than the front row of a Justin Bieber concert. Use that hunk of energy constructively, Cake Face. As they say, “A whistling woman and a crowing hen never comes to a very good end.” Search for answers within yourself on the 17th — just don’t expect to solve anything by deciphering the sounds of your stomach, Toots. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a pretty pickle at the end of the month. Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)

Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. You’ll feel chancier than a game of Russian Roulette on the 1st, but that’s all fixing to change. The sun will plum knock you back on your haunches faster than Chuck Norris can chop suey. Oh, and don’t let Neptune fool you on the 12th when life seems breezier than a pair of worn out britches, Sweetie. Blind optimism is scarier than Joan Rivers without her face paint. Life is like a box of chocolates? Right. And fish don’t fart. Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) For the love of lump crab, Sweetheart. What’s got you grinning like a dog eating peanut butter? It certainly ain’t in the stars. Getting others to jump on board of your grand idea on the 3rd should be about as easy as pulling hen’s teeth — you can thank Mars for that. Still, you’re liable to ruffle some feathers regardless of your charisma, so consider an alternative approach to your crusade. You know what they say, what you don’t have in your head, you’d darn well better have in your feet. Pisces (Feb. 20 - March 20)

Lord, love a duck! With expectations bigger than Charlie Sheen’s ego, finding contentment in life is about as difficult as finding religion in a can of creamed corn. The full moon on the 17th may very well signal the end of a long road. Tough luck, Pumpkin. You’re destined for a new direction. Regardless, things won’t exactly end on a high note for you this month. Crow and corn can’t grow in the same field, Sweetheart. Such is life. Aries (March 21 - April 20)

Double double toil and trouble! You’re liable to find yourself in a situation hairier than Grandpa’s frikadeller meatballs. Cut the horseplay, Pork Chop. You’ll be busy as bloodworm in mulch if not. With Mercury in your sign on the 9th, don’t be surprised if you’re suddenly itchy as a case of the chicken pox for a grand new adventure. Don’t sweat it, Sweet Cheeks. Just sit tight. A blind horse doesn’t fall when he follows the bit. PS

Astrid Stellanova, 58, owned and operated Curl Up and Dye Beauty Salon in Windblow, NC, for many years until arthritic fingers and her popular astrological readings opened up a new career path. Feel free to contact Astrid for insights on your personal stars or hair advice for any occasion at astridstellanova@rocketmail.com.

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ACROSS 24 25 26 1 Hindu teacher 6 Youngs Road gait 27 28 29 30 10 Traveled by airplane 31 32 33 34 35 14 Oil tanker 15 Portrayed character 36 37 38 39 16 Dalai __ 40 41 42 43 17 Fire light source 18 Thought 44 45 19 As previously cited, in your thesis notes 46 47 48 49 20 As well as 50 51 52 53 54 55 21 That (possessive) 22 US Gulf States dweller 56 57 58 59 24 Speed 60 61 62 26 Sweet little old lady cocktail 27 Whole 63 64 65 30 Warren, downtown Southern Pines www.CrosswordWeaver.com 31 Former Italian “dollars” 63 Achy 29 Vacation 32 Allotment Rift May Day Honoree 41 30 ACROSS 64 Self-esteems 33 Big oaf 65 May event in Kentucky Fish Measurement device 43 32 36 Senile DOWN 33 American Civil Liberties 44 Molecule 1 Hindu teacher Union (abbr.) 37 Hat 1 Couch BarLittle supplies gait 45 34 chick 38 NASCAR specialist 6 Youngs2 Road Heir’s paper Put in a container, like a plant Traveled by airplane 46 10 35 Goofs 40 Snooze 3 Alack’s partner Mechanize Prank 41 May Day honoree 14 Oil tanker 4 May Day military observance 49 39 42 Womblike 43 Measurement device 15 Portrayed 5 character Anger Day Honoree 50 May 45 Half a dozen 44 Molecule 6 Banal 51 Formal men's wear 16 Dalai __ 46 Crippling disease 45 Bar supplies 7 Poles Member of a mammal boat's crew 52 47 17 Fire light source Swimming 46 Put in a container, like a plant 8 Bullfight cheer Singing voice Thought 56 48 Not these 18 49 Prank 9 May Day honoree Asian nation cited, in your 57 49 What I wish the Tarheels had 50 May Day honoree 19 As previously 10 Aviator more of, e.g. capital thesis notes 51 Formal men’s wear 59 Nigerian 11 Work hard Charts 52 Member of a boat’s crew Desserts as Author Dickinson 60 50 20 As well12 51 Mexican sandwich 56 Singing voice 13 Walk through water 61 Actor Nolte, or How Ya Doin 21 That (possessive) 53 Seaweed substance 57 Asian nation 21 Frozen water pizza manager 22 US Gulf States dwellers 54 Grave 59 Nigerian capital 23 Recommended Emboss Speed 62 24 55 Catch sight of 60 Desserts 25 Salt of arsenic acid Achy Sweet 26 littleCircle, old lady cocktail 63 58 Tractor trailer 61 Actor Nolte, or How 26 Ya Doin for example 59 Popular 1960’s drug pizza manager 64 Self-esteems 27 Whole 27 Vitality 62 Emboss 28 downtown One of Columbus’ Southernships 65 May event in Kentucky 30 Warren,

31 32 33 36 37 38 40

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DOWN Sudoku:

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33

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southwords

The Spirit of Dad

His beloved putter lives on — and so does his love of the game

By Pat Taylor

The old putter is

called The Spirit of Dad. It stands in my bag most of the time, except when it misbehaves and has to be put in time out. I’m never sure whether it’s just being old and cranky, like my Pop could be at times, or if it actually has something to do with my stance/head/read/backswing/ wrist/follow through. All I know is to avoid discovering if it can swim, we spend time apart.

This is a beautiful brass putter of relatively modern design, stuck on a steel shaft. The grip is hardened to the hand, but I can’t make myself change it out. The brass head is slightly dinged up from a lifetime on the links, but the metal is so pure it shines like gold with just a touch of polish. It gives sweet feedback on contact. The logo on the bottom reads: “Rammer 1000.” There doesn’t seem to be anything ever written about the brand. It may be, like my wife’s putter, a prototype made back in the day before science took over club design. That would fit my dad to a tee. Pop didn’t pick up golf until late, about the time he “retired” at 65. Well, he never did really retire. Nor did he ever really play good golf either. Picture Mr. McGoo with driver in hand, and you get an idea of my dad on the course. There he stands on the tee box, decked out in a pair of bright red checked pants, with a different plaid red Irish driving cap on top. He loved styling, and made his own. Dad’s nature was more like the kid picking daisies at soccer practice than Tiger or Phil. I wasn’t much of a golfer then, but his swing made me turn away. He never hit a bad shot, though. Wherever the ball went, and it usually wasn’t very far, it gave him something else to look at and appreciate. I’m positive he never broke 100, and equally positive he didn’t care. Just being out there was good enough. There is no telling where that old putter originated. Dad ran an

antique shop right after retirement, so he might have taken it in as a set and decided they were good enough for his purposes. I found the putter twenty years later in a shed, the bag green with mold and the clubs rusty, as we packed up his stuff for the last time. I threw everything away but The Spirit of Dad. I still remember watching the joy in his game, and that came from his spirit. He had an insatiable curiosity and love of life that never waned. He loved the outdoors, horses, good books, good bourbon and a good, long conversation more than anything. He was a masterful storyteller who had lived in an interesting century, so there was no shortage of yarns. Thankfully, he was a writer and put them to paper. His inflections are still audible when I read the stories he told me so many times. It is the appreciation for life that I remember most. His outlook outweighed every problem that was ever thrown in front of him. No matter how tough things got, his shine never faded away. When I was a small boy, Pop was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which ended a quickly rising career in radio as a newsman. Television was new then, and he had a shot at that, too. But after losing half of a lung in the bargain, he had to switch careers, and his path was altered forever. The hardest thing about having TB was that for the next 50 years, he labored every day for every breath he took. To his last day, I never heard him complain about his fate. Instead, he appreciated what he had, with arms wide open to this next day and the next. He never took for granted the prospect of next year, or even next week. That was a great lesson for those around him. There are times when this old putter gets a little balky, and there are times when it rattles the cup. When we lose touch, I take it out of the bag until I feel it again. The older I get the more it’s in there. I know it’s not the putter. The energy is always there. I know, too, there are probably other putters out there that would make me a better player. But they wouldn’t have The Spirit of Dad. PS Pat Taylor, a fifteen handicap, is the Advertising Director for The Pilot and PineStraw. Illustration by Pamela Powers January

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“HERS RATING” HOME ENERGY RATING SYSTEM 54

“SILVER CERTIFIED GREEN HOME”

Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing

Conditioned Crawl Space

Solar Panels

Blower Door Test

Detached barn with wood burning heat