Northern Hospital of Surry County concluded its recent celebration of National Hospital Week with its annual employee service awards luncheon. These awards are a tradition for the hospital, in which it honors all employees and recognizes specific time of service milestones. There were several groups recognized, ranging from employees celebrating their first year of service to those celebrating 45 years of service and those in retirement.

Robin Hodgin, interim CEO, thanked the employees being honored for their years of service to the patients and challenged everyone “to commit to continue the tradition of excellence Northern Hospital of Surry County has been known for throughout its 60 years of serving the community.”

Many of those who were recognized are pictured here. In addition to those mentioned in the photos, Carolyn Hiatt was honored for 45 years of service, but was not available for the photographs.

Northern Hospital of Surry County

Bill and Barbara Wight celebrate anniversary

Ground broken for two Habitat homes

Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com

They come from “all over.”

When? The last week in September, by automobile and tour-bus loads, to our little town of Mount Airy.

Why? To celebrate Mayberry Days and the life and times of a native son who found fame and fortune along the way. You can see it in their eyes as they crowd the streets, searching for the easy-going life of “The Andy Griffith Show” they saw on 1960s black and white TV.

What do they find? A friendly little town where, when you walk down the street, you get a big smile from everybody you meet. Come Mayberry Days, multiply it tenfold and it becomes a circus; with Andy Griffith Show “look-a-likes” everywhere. There’s Deputy Barney Fife with that big side-arm on his hip telling someone to “Nip it” or go to jail. There’s Otis (the town drunk) riding his cow right down Main Street in broad daylight. Aunt Bee? Opie? Them too and many other look-a-likes, maybe even Gomer. Sad to say, I have yet to see Andy.

Just down the street; you’ll find Floyd the Barber snipping away at the same barber shop Andy knew. A couple of doors down; Snappy Lunch where Andy once ate; near the Blue Bird Café, where back in the back room back in the day, you could still drink beer after closing hours.

How about Goober? Him too; pumping gas and wiping windshields at his service station down on South Main. Need a ride to see the sights? For a very few bucks, those 1960s Ford squad cars will haul you around all over the town to see the same sights Andy once knew; including the home where he grew up.

Best of all is the Mayberry Days Parade, with hundreds of people lined up on both sides of the street to applaud and watch their heroes go by. Believe me; it’s a sight to see.

Being a native son myself, it’s pleasing to know that a hometown boy like Andy caused such a “to-do” and I hope and pray that all who come here find what they were looking for and go home with a big smile on their face; knowing they found Mayberry.

As a taxpayer in Mount Airy, but who lives outside the city limits, I have no voice in how taxpayer money is spent. But I do read everything reported in The Mount Airy News. And, from what I read, only Jon Crawley shows any sense of fiscal responsibility.

Main Street buildings have been updated with paint, windows, and doors by the owners. To take parking spaces away from the street for outdoor dining, displays, or trees would defeat the unique look of downtown. I have lived in two towns who did the “beautifications” and it killed the downtowns. Local shops and shoppers left because there was no parking.

We do need loading/ unloading zones on Main Street. Downtown workers who park on Main Street should utilize the lots, leaving street parking open for shoppers and visitors. Workers should be ticketed for parking all day since all the lots are free. My out-of-town daughter finds it humorous that street cameras show the same cars in the same place very single day. Do we have assigned or reserved parking for store owners and employees?

Additionally, to put all utility lines underground would be expensive and disruptive. That is an irresponsible way to spend taxpayers’ money when there are areas in the city needing water and sewer line updates. There were clay sewer lines on Lebanon Street when we had property there a few years ago.

Maybe downtown Mount Airy is all dressed up with a dirty neck.

I would like to say first that I am a lifelong Mount Airy resident born in Mount Airy. I am writing because I am very much disturbed by the grumblings of a local group that wants to prevent any improvements to our Main Street (Re: Walk Planned to Save Main Street, Sept. 15 Mount Airy News).

Is burying the ugly utility lines and removing the unsightly power poles and cobra lights really going to destroy the character of downtown?

It seems no action can be taken by our city commissioners anymore without a protest group forming. After 50 years, I think a facelift to our Main Street should be welcomed. Much money was spent to develop a plan to make our downtown more beautiful and attractive. The protest group is trying to turn the whole thing into something negative and influence public opinion to turn against the plan.

I do not see anything wrong or “big” city about the improvements made to downtown Boone. I think it looks very neat and attractive and appealing to tourists and outsiders and is something the local people there are probably very proud of. I want to voice my strong support for the three city commissioners that voted for the plan. I hope other local citizens who approve of this master plan and the changes will also speak up to prevent the nay-sayers from having their way.

Preservationist Richard Moe is quoted as saying, “There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here and there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.” ‘

Recent events have seen one of our historic landmarks and anchors torn down out of necessity. Sometimes we can’t save a building, but we can cherish the memories, hard work, and legacies they leave behind.

Quality Mills has a story that has been woven through the lives of Surry County and the surrounding area’s citizens, touching many lives as it branched out through the area. Personally, my grandmother, Jean Morgan, worked in the offices of Quality Mills for 15 years and her story is only one of many that surround the mill’s legacy.

Somewhere between 1934 and 1935, Howard Osler Woltz Sr. or H.O. as he is known, purchased a failing underwear company and took over the machines and stock of the Duke Knitting Mills. These machines were moved to the old Beasley Lumber Company building at the corner of Franklin and South Streets in Mount Airy.

W.E Lindsay, H.O. Woltz, and Matt Hines pulled together to get Quality Mills up and running by 1936. The mill provided hundreds of jobs for the community in its heyday, starting with the sewing/knitting plant on Franklin. Operations started under the supervision of John March, who had worked for the Hanes Knitting Company for 17 years, giving the starting operation a leg up on the competition.

Though the path to success looked gentle from the outside, that wasn’t always the case. In the early days, one Mount Airy article suggests that payroll was hard to cut and mistakes were made, however, the company persevered. One turning point was when Woltz, out of desperation, visited Macy’s Department Store in New York and offered a deal. A week later a contract for more than $200,000 in men’s shirts was placed with the company. The company soon needed to expand its operations and by the late 1970s eight different buildings were dedicated to mill operations, some in surrounding counties and other states.

The company continued to grow adding offices, community, and employee events and even having to up its protection against sabotage and espionage in 1942. In 1958 Quality Mills was handed over to Woltz’s son, John. The elder Woltz’s other company, Dixie Concrete (now Insteel Industries), was given to his other son, Howard, in 1953. The family even started Cross Creek Country Club in the early 1970s, giving Surry County its first 18-hole golf course, as H.O. Woltz Sr. believed it needed.

With the printing of the October 1988, “Quality News,” a newsletter sent to employees and community supporters, Quality Mills was making a big change. The larger Russell Corporation purchased the operation and began a merger that further expanded the company’s reach. Clothing lines such as “Cross Creek” continued alongside new Russell brands. At the same time, Quality Mills had opened a new plant in Pilot Mountain earlier in the year and acquired a sewing plant in Danbury.

By the early 1990s, the name Quality Mills Co. was changed to Cross Creek Apparel Inc. The subsidiary continued to be one of the major assets to the Russell Corporation. In 1998 the company claimed a net loss of $10.4 million on revenue of $1.18 billion. In August of 2008, the Cross Creek Apparel Plant closed its doors, laying off about 300 employees and changing lives again.

Here in the foothills, textiles and millwork were a way of life for generations. While the buildings, machines, and businesses may no longer exist, their histories continue.

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478, extension 229.

The lore of September thunder

Thunder in September is not all that rare and with the weather being less humid, most thunder does not produce gusty thunderstorms, but thunder in September can still be heard when the temperature is warm. Usually when thunder is heard in September, a lot of rain comes with it but not much in the pattern of thunderstorms. There is a bit of lore concerning thunder in September as a sign of abundance of fruits and vegetables next year. Here’s to hoping for some September thunder.

The harvest of autumn leaves has begun

Don’t let the leaves of autumn go to waste and please do not burn them but recycle them for compost, leaf mulch and a blanket for protecting cold weather vegetables. The leaves can be blown to the garden and run over by the lawnmower to break them down for the compost pile or bin. Crushed leaves make a protective blanket for rose bushes, azaleas and bulb beds. Crushed leaves can be placed between rows of collards, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and greens. Stay ahead of the leaves during the days of autumn. You can crush them by running the mower over them or run them through the leaf vacuum and place them in a pile to use in the spring garden plot. When you crush them, the wind will not get under them and blow them around.

Grass clippings filled with nitrogen and heat

September grass clippings are filled with nitrogen and other heat-building nutrients. Save them for making compost piles and bins heat up. Mix them with piles of leaves to help break them down. Keep saving the clippings all the way until a hard November freeze that will cause grass to become dormant. They are one of nature’s best resources.

Slowdown of the last summer crops

All that remains of the summer vegetables in the garden plot are late tomatoes and peppers. The nip in the September air has slowed them down. The tomatoes are slowing down and still have plenty of green ones developing to be harvested before Jack Frost arrives.

Time to set out a row or bed of onion sets

As we reach the middle of September, onion sets are showing up in hardwares and garden centers, and a row or bed can now be set out in the autumn garden plot. You can choose from red, yellow, or white sets. Onion sets are tough and will endure the harshness of winter and produce all the way into early spring. A pound of sets costs around $3. Sow them in a furrow four inches deep. Place a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow and set the onions with the root side down and about three inches apart. Cover with another layer of peat moss and an application of Garden-Tone organic vegetable food. Hill up soil on both sides of the furrow and tamp down with the hoe blade for good soil contact. They will sprout in about two weeks. In October, cover between the rows with a layer of crushed leaves. Feed with Alaska fish emulsion mixed with proper amount of water in a sprinkling can according to instructions on the bottle. Feed onions once a month. You can also side dress with Garden-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on both sides of the row.

Outside critters trying to winter over

The days are growing shorter and the nights are getting cooler and this is a hint to insects and creepy crawlers to find a warm place to spend winter such as in your home or basement. They are seeking a dry place to spend winter and now is the time they are looking for opportunity to gain entrance to your house. You can prevent them from gaining entrance by spraying around all door ways and porches as well as carports. If you have a wood pile spray around it and also around basement doors and around basement walls. Don’t leave any food or scraps outside that could attract the critters. Open and shut doors quickly when coming and going outside.

Plenty of colors in autumn leaves

As September reaches its middle, the leaves have been putting on a show of color. Some of the trees are now unloading their harvest of leaves. The maples and dogwoods are the first to lose their leaves followed by hickories and poplars. Last to go are the mighty oaks and many of their leaves will remain until Thanksgiving while the remainder of their leaves will linger until a heavy snowfall brings them down.

Heat as the season changes cooler

The furnace will be in season for the next six months as we make the transition from summer into autumn and winter. You can make your furnace work less by keeping the thermostat on a uniform, comfortable setting without moving the setting up and down. You should also clean or change the filter on the furnace once each month, open and close outside entrances quickly. Keep blinds and drapes closed at night. Make sure all doors and closets and cabinets are closed. Wear warmer clothing while in the house. Prepare food in the oven so that the heat from the oven will make the kitchen comfortable as well as the surrounding areas. Educate the kids to open and shut doors quickly when coming in and going out of the house.

Still time to set out spring bulbs

There is still a little more than a month to set out the flowering bulbs of early spring. The soil is workable and hardwares, nurseries, and garden centers still have plenty of bulbs in stock. Buy only bulbs in mesh bags or individual bins so that you can feel and inspect bulbs for rot, or mold. You can choose from hyacinth, crocus, daffodils, narcissus jonquils, tulips and snow drops. Buy a bag of bone meal or bulb booster to promote growth. Another useful tool for setting out bulbs is a durable bulb planter made of heavy duty steel that will last for many seasons. Spend the extra money and buy a tough one that will last. You get what you pay for.

The humming birds winding down season

Mid-September and the humming birds are preparing to move south in just two weeks or so. They are still visiting the feeders often as summer flowers continually fade out. Keep feeders out for as long as you see the hummers. The nectar you provide is important for the next few weeks. This will help them as they prepare for one of the natural wonders of the world, a trip across the Gulf of Mexico where they will spend winter and return to us next spring.

Making a pot of sweet and sour beef stew

This is a great dish on a nippy September evening. It is actually a meal in one pot. You will need one fourth cup of plain flour, one teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, one and a half pounds stew beef, half cup Crisco cooking oil, one cup water, half cup light brown sugar, one fourth cup apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, one envelope Beefy onion Recipe Secrets, two diced potatoes, three diced carrots, half teaspoon salt. Combine flour, one teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper and coat stew beef with the flour mixture. In a frying pan, brown the stew beef on all sides in the Crisco oil. Combine the water, half cup catsup, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and the second half teaspoon of salt. Boil over low heat until stew beef is tender. Boil the diced carrots and potatoes, drain and add the Beefy onion Recipe Secrets and one stick light margarine. Cook for one minute and add to beef stew mixture and boil on low heat for two minutes. Serve with a bowl of Minute Rice.

The beginning of apple season

There is a lot of color adorning fruit markets and produce stands as well as supermarkets as the season of the apple harvest begins. Apples come in varied colors of red, green, yellow, pink, and other mixed colors. Apples have a long shelf life and will last for weeks in the refrigerator or in a bowl on the dining room table. Apples are one of those special fruits that are available all year round but especially at this season of year.

Making an old fashioned apple pudding

For this pudding, you will need ten fresh apples, two cups buttermilk, two large beaten eggs, two cups light brown sugar, one cup sweet milk, two teaspoons apple pie spices, two cups plain flour, one teaspoon salt, two sticks light margarine (melted), and tablespoon vanilla flavoring. Peel the apples and cut into one inch chunks (make sure you have enough apples for at least two quarts). Add the buttermilk, beaten eggs, sweet milk, apple pie spices, flour, one teaspoon of baking soda and melted margarine (all in the order listed). Pour into a 13×9×2 inch baking pan or dish. If you have more than enough apple pie filling, use another pan. Spray pan with Pam baking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

“Mouse in the house?” Wife: “Jack wake up! There’s a mouse in the room, I heard him squeaking.” Husband: “What do you want me to do? Get up and oil him!”

“Unsure.” The man was fleeing down the hall of the hospital just before his operation. “What’s the matter?” he was asked. He said, “I heard the nurse say ‘It’s a very simple operation everything will be alright.’” “She was just trying to comfort you, why are you so frightened about that?” The patient said, “She wasn’t talking to me, she was talking to the doctor.”

“Second opinion.” For years, he thought he was a failure. Then he took a course on positive thinking. Now he is positive that he is a failure.

“Speedo.” State Patrol man: “I clocked you doing 85 miles per hour, friend, is anything wrong?” Motorist: “Yes, officer, I forgot to connect my radar detector!”

With protruding eyes who can

Most anywhere in Pharoah’s court,

With the option of some handsome warts.

Who arrived from the marshy bogs

From down deep in the Nile.

Oh, the frogs who came to stay awhile

In Pharoah’s court,

With the option of some handsome warts.

Climbing frogs with adhesive toes,

In the water. In his bath.

In his kitchen. In his food.

They really ruined Pharoah’s mood.

To Moses he cried, “Get them out!

I’m so upset I want to shout!”

“When would you like them out?”

“Tomorrow,” he said. “I want

One more night with frogs in my bed.”

Tomorrow. Pharoah wanted another night with the croaking, slimy, stinky frogs. Tomorrow. Really?

The war of words between Moses and Pharaoh became more of a war of the will. God’s will was crucial for Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, but Pharoah’s will was to keep the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. A war of the will. Pharoah esteemed himself as a god. The great God Jehovah was proving Himself to be the one true God. God was dealing with the will of Pharoah. Why did he want another night with the frogs? Pride. Pharoah was trying to win his own war of the will against the will of the Great God Almighty.

The war of the will. Pay attention to what the Bible says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The Great God Almighty, the Creator, the Healer, said, “Let us reason together.”

God would much rather apply mercy to a hurting soul than full-strength judgment. He would rather apply salvation than to see a person lose his soul in eternal death. So, why would some fight the calling of salvation?

Some feel the need for salvation because of sins in their lives. However, they have postponed salvation because they think there is more time for them to think about eternal life. Some think that they committed too many sins to qualify for salvation. Remember that the Apostle Paul, before his salvation, was a murderer, but became one of the greatest evangelists in church history. Sadly, some refuse to listen to the loving call of God. They refuse to choose life in Christ. Like Pharoah, they hardened their hearts against listening to the God who loves them.

Study the words from the old hymn written by Eliza Holmes Reed:

Oh, do not let the Word depart,

And close your eyes against the light;

Poor sinner, harden not your heart;

Tomorrow’s sun may never rise

To bless your long-deluded sight;

This is the time, Oh, then, be wise,

Listen to God. God is a loving Father. Answer His call because a life spent with God is a life full of peace. A life spent with God is a life with the promise of eternal life in Heaven, favor with God, hope, and fellowship with your Heavenly Father. It is a life with a covenant relationship with God. Pharoah refused to listen to the call of God. He failed to acknowledge God. Those who live with a covenant with God are truly very blessed to know God as their loving Heavenly Father.

Well, bless their little hearts! The Mount Airy City Council has decided to create a citizens academy to help people better understand the inner workings of local government (see “Applicants sought for new Citizens Academy” in the Sept. 10 edition of The Mount Airy News).

Will the graduates of that Grow Your Own Group Thinkers program be offered an opportunity to advance their understanding of the operational realities of our very own city council? If so, such a graduate-level program might offer the following courses as part of its curriculum:

• Voting Made Easy: Just take your cue from Mount Airy Downtown (MAD)

• Budgeting 101: Put numbers on a spreadsheet for public consumption

• Advanced Budgeting: Ignore numbers on the spreadsheet

• ‘Mayberry’ Budgeting: Keep spending irresponsibly and raise taxes

• Maximizing Council Communications: Never share relevant information with commissioners who think and vote independently

• Hiring a Consultant: Find an expensive one who’s already drafted an identical plan for other towns in North Carolina

• Hiring a Family Member: Create a frivolous and unnecessary job in the Reeves Community Center

• Streamlining Governance: If it doesn’t involve downtown, ignore it!

The only problem with offering such an advanced program is that it’s not needed. Most citizens already have a pretty good handle on how our current local government actually operates.

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County. This particular column is part of a monthly series on drug abuse prevention and treatment.

As a parent of a teenager, you may have spoken to your child about illegal substances and their harmful effects. But did you know that legally prescribed medications are also a cause of concern? An alarming number of teenagers are more likely to have abused prescription and over-the-counter drugs than some illegal drugs, such as ecstasy, cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine.

The dangers of prescription medicine abuse include dependence, slower brain activity, irregular heartbeats, dangerously high body temperature, heart failure, or lethal seizures. Prescription drug abuse also increases emergency room visits and suicide attempts. There are a tremendous number of emergency room visits each year, which involve the nonmedical use of prescription drugs.

The easiest way for teens to obtain prescription medicines is from their friends or their parents’ medicine cabinet. It is so common that it could happen even in your house! In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:

Nearly one is four teens (23%) report taking a prescription drug not prescribed to them by a doctor at least once in their lives.

Almost half of teens (47%) say it is easy to get prescription drugs from a parent’s medicine cabinet.

Teens are abusing everything from pain medicines to stimulants, sedatives, and tranquilizers.

Parents can make a difference. Kids who continue to learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who are not taught about the dangers. Only 22% of teens report discussing the risks of abusing any prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription with their parents. It’s up to you to talk openly with your kids.

Remember, keep it low-key. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get everything across in one talk. Plan to have many short talks. Talk with your child. They really do hear you.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from learning more about “Talk. They Hear You,” contact Charlotte Reeves, Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery Community Outreach Coordinator, at reevesc@co.surry.nc.us. Visit the website at surrycountycares.com for more information about substance use disorder and the many resources in Surry County.

When was the last time you ordered something off Amazon? Was it practical or fun?

For years the online shop platform has dominated the shopping scene, offering discounted items and cheaper or free shipping to the masses. Customers can practically buy anything and everything their hearts desire with a click of a button. For many people around the world, this is the best way to shop, there is no need to drive to a store, encounter crowds, or feel pressured to complete your shopping in a single session.

While Amazon’s rise to fame is a relatively new phenomenon, it wasn’t the first shopping experience of its kind. Sears, Roebuck and Company offered anything and everything people needed or wanted in everyday life. Substantial catalogs were delivered straight to customers’ doors simply waiting to be opened.

The company started in the late 1880s with a man named Richard W. Sears, who sold gold watches for $14 a piece out of a mail order catalog. After finding the mail-order business so successful, he partnered with Alvah C. Roebuck and Julius Rosenwald to create the monolith of a book that sold everything from wheelbarrows to houses.

The Rural Free Delivery Act of 1896 and the rise of disposable income created a rise in rural consumerism. Items could now be delivered straight to families outside of city or town limits. For many Americans, these large catalogs allowed them to view a different culture, that may have been different from their own. Not only did the company advertise singular items, but they also offered choices. Customers could choose colors, styles, and makes that differed from their neighbors, allowing individuality to also reign true in buying choices.

As the company continued to grow so did its customer service, by the turn of the century the company boasted “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back,” saying that “every article in this catalog is honestly described and illustrated.”

Richard Sears himself wrote all the copy for the catalog until his retirement in 1908. In 1906 a three-million-square-foot distribution warehouse was built in Chicago, helping to organize and distribute the majority of its wares. In 1908 the company began to sell house kits of prefabricated supplies, with explicit instructions on how to set them up.

With the rise of automobiles, the company saw itself changing once again. The first Sears brick-and-mortar store opened in 1925, and the company launched Allstate Insurance in 1931. It wasn’t until the late 1970s and early 1980s that the company was challenged as the forerunner in retail experiences. The famed catalog continued until 1993 when the company leadership decided to switch its priorities to match the changing times of the world.

For years the Sears and Roebuck catalog brought the world to everyday people. Through the seasons, especially Christmas, the catalog allowed people to dream and hope for the extra things in life. Here in the Hollows and surrounding counties catalogs such as Sears provided a new way of reaching necessary and some unnecessary products.

Some of the older catalogs are hard to come by, seeing as most people used the valuable paper for other things as new catalogs came in. Cracking open one of these catalogs is a step back in time and while we just have a few pictures here, Ancestry.com and the Library of Congress websites have multiple uploads that can help paint a better picture of all the catalog had to offer.

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229

With autumn less than two weeks away, it’s time to stir up a bit of pre-autumn weather lore to boost the change of the season. When the hawk flies high, we can expect Carolina blue sky, but when the hawk flies low we can expect a blow. There are all kinds of hawks around the garden plot, the crafty chicken hawk is the most common. When he flies low, he can be a hard blow for the birds. Their activity ceases and everything gets quiet. The birds have a weapon which is communication with each other and they also perform a disappearing act when the chicken hawk flies low. After all the birds get settled in their hideaways, several sentries will gather together and chase the hawk away in flight. After danger is past, the birds return to their activity and singing. It is amazing how tame they seem when a chicken hawk flies low. They place themselves in “fly and hide” mode when the chicken hawk is looking for a meal. They always have to stay a step ahead of the swooping chicken hawk.

Preparing for the long journey South

The hummingbirds are busy at the feeders as autumn gets ready to make its advent. They are on a mission as they arrive early at the feeders and visit often all the way until sunset. Keep plenty of nectar in the feeders so they will feel at home as the annuals of summer continue to slow down and a cool nip invades the twilight air. Your feeder of nectar will boost their source of nourishment. The hummers should be in our area until around the first week in October. It is then that cool temperatures will signal that their journey to winter in Mexico is imminent. Their long trip will take them across the Gulf of Mexico.

Broccoli performs better in winter

Broccoli can be raised in the garden in both early spring and in autumn. Broccoli performs much better by far during the season of autumn because during the colder temperatures there are no cabbage butterflies laying eggs and hatching larvae and virtually zero insect pests. The heads last over a long season and don’t bolt into seed until late spring assuring a longer and productive harvest.

The varieties that produce multiple shoots over a long season such as Blue Comet, Premium Crop, Raab, Packman, De Cicco, and Lieutenant. Johnny’s Select Seeds has great varieties of broccoli that perform well in over- winter production such as Arcadia, Marathon, and Eastern Magic. You can order a catalog from them at Johnny’s Select Seeds, 955 Benton Avenue, Winslow, Maine 04901-2601. The Johnny’s catalog has one of the largest selections of greens in the country as well as herbs and bee balm seed. Set broccoli plants about three feet apart for winter production. Keep the heads and shoots cleanly harvested and they will continue to produce until early spring.

The season of the mum is with us

These colorful flowers are making their appearance in nurseries, hardware’s, garden centers, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvements, Ace Hardware, and Walmart. Mums will endure through the harshness of winter with some protection such as keeping them toward the rear of the porch away from cold north winds and covering with a towel or cloth on freezing nights. Remove cloth when temperature rises above freezing. Mums come in colors of yellow, white, brown, maroon, pink, and wine. Feed them once a month with Flower-Tone organic flower food. Water them sparingly to prevent the medium in container from freezing. Keep them toward rear of the porch all winter for protection from cold and freezing temperatures.

The first pie pumpkins are appearing

The pumpkins for cooking and canning are now appearing at produce and fruit markets and can be purchased for pumpkin pies or for canning to make pumpkin pies or desserts all year long. Home canned pumpkin is much better than canned store-bought pumpkin because that commercially canned pumpkin has more water and not enough flavor, and has a lack of texture.

Here is how to make the very best canned pumpkin for pies and recipes. Select the pumpkins that are not round (these are strictly for decoration and jack o’ lanterns). Buy the pumpkins that are oblong or shaped like watermelons and may be very light orange, beige, or tan in color, but will be dark yellow or orange inside. Slice the pumpkins in half and remove the seeds. Divide pumpkin into slices and peel each slice and cut the slices into one-inch sized chunks. Place the chunks in a canner and cover with water and boil until tender. Drain all water from the cooked pumpkin. Run the pumpkin through the blender in grate mode or mash pumpkin with a potato masher. Pour the grated or mashed pumpkin into sterilized pint jars, draining any excess water. Process in a pressure canner at ten pounds pressure for fifty minutes. One pint of this pumpkin will two make pies.

Plenty of time to set out spring bulbs

It is not too early to have thoughts of spring 2023 and begin by purchasing the bulbs of hyacinth, jonquils, daffodils, crocus, tulips, and narcissus. Most hardware’s, nurseries, garden centers, Home Depots, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Walmart have bulbs in stock. They also have bone meal and bulb booster to help get bulbs off to a good start. Purchase bulbs that are in individual bins or mesh bags so you can check for rot or mold. Bulbs can be planted from now until before the ground freezes.

When to expect autumn’s first frost?

With autumn less than two weeks away, when is the first frost of autumn expected? The chances are rare that we will see an early frost, in fact most of our first frosts occur the week before Halloween although Oct. 15 is the date frost can be possible. The first frost is usually just a dusting but not a killing frost which occurs around the first of November.

The September front porch is comfortable

The four o’clocks are still in full bloom. The crows are making their noise as well as the crickets and the humming birds are still on the zoom. The mid-summer roses are still in bloom stage and the zinnias are on their last leg of summer. The porch is comfortable as the sun begins to set and produce the colors that will end in a sunset pattern. There is a new season just beyond that horizon that will open in less than two weeks.

The first of autumn leaves turning

There is a red tint in the leaves of the dogwood and some yellow in the maples and a few leaves are already falling. As the leaves will soon be covering the lawn, remember that they are ingredients for compost, mulch, and a blanket for cool weather vegetable crops, and to protect rose bushes and azalea during the cold winter. Never burn leaves or let the wind blow them away, but put them to a good use.

Making a four layer Dirt Dessert

This is a no-bake, easy to make dessert that you can prepare in just a few minutes. You will need one package of chocolate Oreo cookies, two three ounce boxes of Jello instant chocolate pudding mix, one cup 10x confectioners powdered sugar, one eight ounce package of cream cheese, two eight ounce tubs of Cool Whip, one stick light margarine. For the first layer: In a 13x9x2 inch baking dish, break the cookies and lay on bottom of the dish. Melt the stick of light margarine and pour over the cookies.

For the second layer: Mix the 10x sugar, one of the cartons of Cool Whip and the eight ounce pack of cream cheese (softened). Mix all together in a bowl and allow it to set until you mix the third layer and then spread this second layer over the cookies.

For the third layer: Mix the two boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix with two cups of milk and let set to thicken. Spread over the second layer.

For the fourth layer: Spread the other tub of Cool Whip over the top of the chocolate pudding layer and run about eight Oreos through the blender in “grate” mode and sprinkle over the top of the Cool Whip.

September is time to plant perennials, evergreens

September provides the best opportunity of the year for planting evergreens and perennials because the days are getting cooler and the root systems of evergreens and perennials can establish themselves over the winter. They will suffer less transplant shock because perennials and evergreens are very cold hardy. We like the perennials of bee balm, columbine, bugle weed, creeping phlox, coral bells, diantus, creeping jenny, and thrift. Planting in September will provide them a good start and you can enjoy green in winter for many years to come.

Two frogs were sitting on a log by the creek bank. One of them leaned toward the other and said, “Time sure is fun when you are having flies.”

Two desserts. Mom: “Today, we are having two desserts and you have a choice of good or evil.” Johnnie: “What do

mean by that?” Mom: “Angel food and devil food!”

The bright night of Full Harvest Moon

The brightest full moon of the year will rise on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 10. If the night is cool, this moon will be a bright silver moon and shine down on corn fields filled with feed corn ready to harvest. It will shed its light on trees that are not far from shedding their leaves. Keep an eye on this moon each night before you go to bed as it sails along through the night. Think about farmers of the past who harvested crops by the light of a harvest moon or Bill Monroe or Eddy Amold singing the “Kentucky Waltz:” We were waltzing alone in Kentucky beneath the beautiful harvest moon. When I was a boy in Kentucky, out it all ended too soon. I see your face in the moonlight and I long once more to see your face and the beautiful Kentucky Waltz.

Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com

It still stands today on Pine Ridge Road in Surry County; a quarter mile south of the Virginia state line; an ancient barn made entirely of chestnut logs. It was there when the Wright Brothers flew Kitty Hawk and when Lindberg flew the Atlantic. It saw both world wars, jet planes and television come on the scene and it was there when men walked on the moon. It has seen good times, bad times and times in-between and if those old log walls could talk, what stories they could tell. Maybe they can talk; let’s listen in.

“Hello there, stranger, why don’t you pull up a chair and let me tell you a story. I’m one of the 40 logs that make up the walls of this old log barn you’re looking at. I go back to a time before our country’s Civil War, when one long ago spring, I came into being as a bloom high in a hillside tree. Come late summer, I had grown into a chestnut, fell from the tree, rolled downhill and hid under some fallen leaves until spring, when (wonder of wonders) I sprouted and became a chestnut tree.”

“As the years rolled by, I grew tall and survived everything Mother Nature threw my way until around 1900, when the land owner (Jim Smith, by name) came into the woods hunting trees to build himself a barn. When he laid eyes on me, I became one of his barn logs and that became my lucky day, because within a few short years, a blight killed every chestnut tree still standing in the land.”

“Some wondrous things have happened along the way, as the thunderstorms of summer and the deep snows of winter came over that mountain back there. I watched covered wagons and horseback riders pass by on that road out there, where automobiles race by today.”

“Jim Smith and his wife Carrie lived in a log cabin home next door and eked out a living from the rocky hillsides here on the North Carolina/Virginia state line. They heard about the Great Depression, but with hard times being their normal times, they just kept doing as always. They earned their daily bread by slaving away in the hot summer fields; knowing that no matter how cold or how deep the snow, they would be warm, fed and safe from harm; come winter time.”

“It was in their home next door where new lives came into being and old lives came to an end. I watched their kids play, grow up and move away. I watched Jim and Carrie fight the “good fight” and grow old along the way. They’ve now been gone for a very long time, but if I listen close, I can still hear Jim calling his fox-hounds with his fox horn (made of a cow’s horn) from a far hilltop in the wee hours of the morn.”

“After all these years, I’m thankful to still be here beside the road; watching the seasons come and go and wondering what tomorrow will bring. It has been said that a log cabin built in the right moon sign would last for a hundred years. At better than 120 years, it works for me and I hope to still be here for a very long time to come.”

Taking a risk – the definition of the word “risk” is “the possibility of loss or injury.” Business leaders have used risks to try new measures for growth. Brave. Strategic. Analytical. Determined. Those words definitely describe someone who would think on the terms of taking chances in order to solve a problem.

In the book of Judges, chapter 15, Sampson was a risk-taker against the Philistines. According to Scripture, Sampson had angered the Philistines by burning a field of grain. As a result, the Philistine leaders were in pursuit of Sampson. They invaded a Hebrew town of around 3,000 men, and insisted on the delivery of Sampson or face harsh punishment.

Philistines. Oppressive. Brutal. A maritime society that sailed from Crete and invaded Israel’s coastal communities in order to take over land for themselves. In order to dominate the nearby Hebrew villages, the Philistines raided the farms and removed any type of weapon that the farmers owned. Their blacksmith establishments were stripped of their sharpening instruments to force the farmers to travel into Philistine towns in order to sharpen farm tools, for a hefty fee.

As a result, life for the Hebrews was rather depressive. Unlike the Philistines, there was no national king. Each tribe had leaders that on occasions would meet together in case of national emergencies. There were a few prophets that would engage various tribes in prayer or military campaigns when needed. Each tribe has its own militia which had the right to call on the militia of neighboring tribes when security issues arose. They were free to travel and engage in business from one tribe to another until the Philistines became a force and often monitored their travel.

Although the Philistines were briefly mentioned in Exodus, very little was written about that nationality until the story of Sampson in the book of Judges. According to Jewish scholars, the Philistines must have sailed from Crete to the west coast of Israel between the years from Gideon’s leadership to the judgeship of Sampson, a period of around 75 years.

After the destruction of their grain fields by Sampson, the Philistines marched to Lehi, a town in Judah and demanded the location of Sampson. Three thousand men traveled to the rocks of Etam and delivered the message to Sampson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?” (Judges 15: 11) They continued, “We have come to deliver you to the Philistines.”

Now, this passage seems to be rather interesting. Imagine 3,000 men in one place having a dialogue with Sampson about surrendering to the enemy. Think about that for a minute. If those men had remembered their Hebrew history, then they would have remembered that just 75 years prior, Gideon used 300 men to defeat a massive army, by just using torches and trumpets.

What if the dialogue included Hebrew history that reminded them that the number 3,000 in Hebrew meant, “God blesses?” What if, in their dialogue, they had asked Sampson to teach them how to use whatever was available to them, since they were forbidden to own weapons to defeat their enemy? What if they encouraged one another to do battle with their enemy and had asked for prayer for God’s intervention in the battle? What if they had said to Sampson, “Show us what to do and we will follow you into battle and regain the land that God promised us through Moses?” Would there had been a Delilah to tempt Sampson, or a Goliath to taunt Israel?

Obviously, we could only speculate at the outcome. However, remember that strong citizens help to forge strong leaders. One person cannot solve all problems because it takes support from all parties involved. What if we became more engaged in prayer and in service for our own community and nation? What would happen if we became more engaged in praying for our own local and state leaders? What if we prayed for our schools and businesses as we drive throughout our communities? We could only speculate at the outcome.

This is in reference to Their View article, “Biden flip-flops on fighting inflation” in the August 30 edition of The Mount Airy News. To Mr. Hood’s comments, amen !

For those tired of big government, a Convention of States is the solution. Join the legislative fight to put our runaway federal government back in its box by using Article V of the U.S. Constitution to impose fiscal restraints (i.e., balance federal budget), propose term limits, reduce size and power of the federal government.

Sign the petition, learn more, and volunteer at http://conventionofstates.com/?ref=65894

I attended the city council meeting where the New Main Street Plan was discussed. Many merchants as well as townspeople spoke one after the other against this plan. But after hearing from the people and the merchants, the New Main Street Plan was passed.

It was apparent to me that the town council had already made up their minds to pass this plan regardless of what the merchants and townspeople wanted. Jon Cawley tried to slow up the process of passing this plan but to no avail. I along with many others were saddened and left the meeting as soon as the plan was approved.

This town is unique and represents a part of what small towns in America were like. We are not Ashville nor Raleigh and I for one don’t want to be.

North central North Carolina has a water quality issue — the latest most recent example is right here in our neighborhood, the Mitchell River.

This summer the Mitchell River has seen excess sediment flowing into the river after rain storms. This is happening due to a change in planting from no till crops like corn to tilled crops like cabbage and tobacco. This loosens the soil and brings it up to the surface. Then if you have a very narrow buffer zone, it’s a recipe for lots of sediment to flow into the river when it rains. So far two agricultural operations are the major contributors, a big cabbage field just above the delayed harvest section and a tobacco field around the devotion area.

If enough sediment flows to cover the bottom of the river, that will be the death sentence for the Mitchell River. The Mitchell River is the host of wild trout in its upper region, around Devotion and is also the host for the endangered Brook-Floater mussel. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has been planting the mussel in the river in an attempt to increase its numbers and habitat range.

Surry County recognized the importance of the Mitchell River with its pure and cold water many years ago. It put in special regulation to protect the river and mandated a 75-foot buffer zone from Kapps Mill Road all the way up to the county line. Over the years this got watered down by ordinances exempting agriculture. Unfortunately, these fields run almost the whole length of the same protected section currently. The river barely has a 25-foot zone or less in many areas.

In the past two years North Carolnia has lost five trout streams due to sediment from agricultural run-off. The Mitchell may be number six.

Many in Surry County are worried about the river’s health and have been voicing their concern to the county commissioners, the Department of Water Quality and other state regulators. Blue Ridge NC Trout Unlimted has filed complaints to the Department of Water Quality and NC wildlife resources asking them to investigate the source of the sediment and take action to protect the river.

However, the Department of Environmental Quality’s budget has been cut consistently over the past decade and is now roughly a third smaller than it was before the 2008/09 financial crisis. This is very worrisome given the emergence of new threats to water quality and public health since that time.

There are more than 1,000 impaired rivers and streams in North Carolina, and the department does not have the capacity to meet and help address the numerous threats that these streams are facing. Regional offices are under-resourced and desperately need more staff capacity to provide prompt customer service to citizens who are impacted directly by toxic algal blooms, PFAS/PFOA (Gen-X) contamination of drinking water supplies, excessive stormwater runoff, increased sedimentation, and deterioration of aquatic habitats. So the Mitchell River waits in line for DWR staff to go inspect the river.

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a feature of The Mount Airy News, presenting commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.

On Aug. 15, students and families were welcomed back to our school campuses by staff who have been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Over the past month, teachers have been setting up their classrooms. Child Nutrition staff have been busy planning menus. The Transportation Department has been ensuring that our safe routes to school are ready with pick-up, drop-off, and adjustments for each school around the district. Our maintenance and custodial teams have been hard at work throughout the summer, and the schools are looking great. On behalf of the district, I would like to send appreciation to all who worked throughout the summer to make sure our schools were ready for students on day one.

This new school year brings with it the opportunity for our district to introduce a new yearly theme: “ALL in.” “ALL” stands for Achievement, Leadership, and Life, which are pillars of the Surry County Schools strategic plan. Our strategic plan serves as the compass for our district, directing us to follow the path that best serves our students. We are “ALL IN” every day as we focus on providing for the whole child.

Academic focus areas this school year begin with improving literacy instruction through the state required LETRS training for PreK-5 classroom teachers, elementary exceptional children’s resource teachers, multilingual teachers, and reading specialists. We are certainly excited about the launch of the new elementary Reveal Math textbook. Additionally, all other educators will be participating in their choice of professional development sessions led by teacher leaders from across the district focused on increasing student engagement in all content areas. All of these efforts are aligned to increasing student academic achievement outcomes.

A new year brings the opportunity for growth in our career and technical education offerings. Along with classes, students can look forward to the addition of a new poultry lab at Surry Central High School. Through a partnership with Wayne Farms, Surry County Schools will be able to offer students the opportunity to learn the process of raising a broiler until it is processed. Surry Central High School will also be the site of a new live animal lab, further solidifying the partnership between Surry County Schools and Surry Community College. Teachers will use the facility at Surry Central High School in the animal science program and instructors at Surry Community College in the animal science degree program to offer hands-on instruction on raising calves, goats, piglets, and other small animals. Students from the high school and college will receive valuable training in the field of animal science in this cooperative lab.

The new school year also brings the opportunity for students to continue to grow through our leadership framework, which introduces attributes that help students lead with self, lead with others, and change their world. Surry County Schools believes our students can go out into the world and truly make a difference. The same sentiment echoes with our dedicated employees. Last year, we launched this program within schools for our students and were excited to see the growth that occurred as they learned leadership skills individually and collectively.

Along with welcoming returning students and staff, the district is excited to welcome new students and staff members to the district. Surry County Schools has seen a boost in enrollment, growing from 7,303 in 2021-2022 to 7,552 this year. Many families are returning to our schools this year from homeschooling and hybrid learning environments and we are excited to welcome them. Additionally, principals worked hard during the summer to recruit and hire the best of the best for their schools. Today, we only have 4 certified openings in Surry County Schools! We realize that opening schools this year has been a challenge for some due to staffing but we are thankful to be in a school system where principals have worked tirelessly to staff their schools with talented educators.

In Surry County Schools, we are dedicated to making an impact through our strategic plan in our schools, in our communities, and in our world. We are “ALL IN” on strengthening our approaches to safety in schools, Career and Technical Education, leadership opportunities for staff, and additional enrichment programs for students. I look forward to being ALL IN with our students, staff, and families this year!

This summer, during one of our camps sponsored by the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, I asked the kids, as we made biscuits, where do you think the pioneers got their flour from? Most said it was from farming or stores, but one child said, “we get it from factories but pioneers didn’t have those.”

Not only did they have flour-making factories, but they were one of our earliest industries in the region and they were called gristmills.

In the days of the pioneers, flour could come from grains of wheat, corn, rye, and oats, and if you were lucky, it was ground in a crucial community business, the gristmill. Gristmills get their name from grist being another word for grain and a mill or milling meaning grinding things.

Even without a mill, flour could be ground; but it was often a tedious and difficult task. Some pioneers used small hand mills, some made specialized mortar and pestle (a method they learned from Native Americans), and some used a quern. The quern is a tool that has been around since the stone age and is made with two flat stones. All of these techniques were labor- and time-intensive, so as early pioneers started to form communities and farming increased, there was a need for machines to help them grind flour and mills.

That need for mills had at least 37 of them operating in Surry County and employing more than 200 people by 1850. One of the biggest of this time was Kapps Mill in Mountain Park that was powered by the Mitchell River.

Kapps Mill started operations back in 1827, when it was run by a firm called Nixon and Jackson, but in 1843 John Kapp purchased the mill along with the 800-acre property it sat on. John Kapp luckily came from a family familiar with mill work.

His grandfather, Jacob Kapp, ran a mill in Bethabara (part of present-day Winston Salem) until his daughter and son-in-law took it over. Jacob even notably had his mill stones carved from local granite.

What did it take to be a miller? Most Millers had to be educated, physically fit, and skilled to be able to do their job. There were books to learn about milling and you would need to be able to measure and count well. A miller would also need to be able to carry sacks of flour, repair the machinery, and had so much to do they often had a full work day. All this hard work wasn’t without benefits though, many mill owners were often highly respected.

In Kapps Mill, like many mills, the bottom floor housed the gears and mechanics of the mill that kept the grind stones moving with the water wheel turning and powering it all.

Grain is crushed between two big flat stones called millstones. The distance between the two stones had to be adjusted for different types of flour, and getting it right wasn’t easy. Wheat traditionally needed less space than corn, and the stones could never touch, or the flour would ‘spoil.’

Even the design of the stones was highly detailed as many had furrows or engraved markings that helped take off the grain’s outer husk and move the flour to the outside of the stone where it would fall into a collection space.

Millers faced many problems from the constant threat of fire from machinery, pests, floods that could damage the milldam or the mill, and accidents from working with dangerous heavy machines.

Getting crops to the mill could also be difficult as there were few roads at this time and it could be a long trip, but it was worth the effort.

Gristmills were often not just places you went to have your crops ground into flour, but many included blacksmiths, workshops, and even general stores. The general store offered travelers a place to rest and eat while they waited, and they could even stock up on supplies and trade some of their flour (a usual form of payment for the mill’s work.) Kapps Mill in its heyday had a general store, blacksmith shop, and even a post office.

The mill went through many renovations, but was eventually closed around 1935 by John Kapp’s son-in-law, Ivry Wallace, because the mill was no longer profitable. Kapps Mill continued to have a place in the community even after it closed, and would become known for trout fishing and its scenic view of the 120-foot dam that had remained operational for more than 100 years. Sadly, the dam was blown out by Hurricane Michael in 2018, but that doesn’t mean all history is lost. Private owners are working to make the estate a space for the community once again.

Cassandra Johnson is the programs and education director for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History with a background in environmental and natural sciences.

Four o’clocks still going strong

Four o’ clocks are still going strong in the last days of August. With Daylight Savings Time still in effect, these flowers could actually be named five o’clocks! Usually they open their blooms around five o’clock or later. The four o’ clocks could be called the longest lasting of all summer annuals because they are in bloom from mid-spring all the way until a hard freeze in November. We have several that are perennial and come back every year. One of these varieties is speckled and has wine and white features while others are solid wine.

A late summer cool off for the birds

On steamy hot mid-summer afternoons, empty the sun-heated water from the bird bath and refill it with fresh cool water. When the late summer sun shines down, it dries water in mud holes or puddles and a lack of thunderstorms, makes it difficult for them to find water. You’re providing them a fresh cool source of water that will continue to attract all types of birds to your lawn.

Making a cool summer fresh carrot salad

This is a great salad for a summer supper. It doesn’t require much prep time and is tasty and colorful. You will need two cups of finely shredded carrots, one can pineapple tidbits (drained), one cup golden raisins, half cup of mayonnaise, half cup sugar, two teaspoons lemon juice, one teaspoon of real vanilla, half teaspoon orange flavoring. Drain and save juice from pineapple tidbits, soak the golden raisins in the pineapple juice for 30 minutes. Mix sugar into the drained pineapple. Refrigerate the pineapple and sugar for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the juice from raisins and discard. Drain juice from pineapple and discard. Mix all ingredients and stir in mayonnaise vanilla, orange flavoring and lemon juice. Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. This salad is better when refrigerated overnight and has a life of a week in the refrigerator. The colder it is the better it is.

Crows of late summer making noise

The crow population seems to be getting larger and the crows don’t seem to be shy around humans. We have several nests of them in our area. Some of them even visit the birdbaths. They don’t seem to bother anything in the garden. They seem to find plenty to eat from road kill along U.S. highway 52. With all the nests, they must be hatching plenty of young. Like the buzzards, they are useful scavengers and help the environment.

A nip in the night air of late

When the evening sun goes down the late August porch has a comfortable nip in the twilight air. Birds are more active and the humidity is lower. The sunsets are getting a bit more colorful. Squirrels are beginning to harvest the first of the acorn crop. There is a hint of yellow and orange in the maples and red in the dogwoods. All these are signs that we are nearing the advancing season of autumn.

Recycling potting soil from summer

The annuals of summer are winding their way down and the time to plant the annuals of autumn has arrived. The medium that the summer annuals are planted in can be recycled and used for planting the annuals of autumn such as pansies, mums, and ornamental kale and cabbage. Empty the medium from containers, pots and hanging baskets into the wheel barrow and add the same amount of new medium and half that amount of peat moss and stir it all together. Add two quarts of Flower-Tone organic flower food and stir it in. Use this medium to plant the annuals of autumn.

Making a batch of pear preserves

The season of the pear harvest is now here. It is the time to take advantage of the harvest and prepare a batch of honey pear preserves to use on toast for breakfast on a cold winter morning. It will certainly taste like none you purchase at any supermarket. It is easy to prepare and all you need are pears, sugar and water plus time and patience. Just peel the pears and cut into two inch chunks and place the chunks in a canner of salted water (to prevent pears from turning brown). After peeling and cutting all the pears into chunks, allow them to soak in salt water for 10 to 15 minutes, drain the water from pears and rinse with fresh cold water and soak for 15 minutes. Measure the pears into the canner. For each cup of pears, add three fourth cup of sugar. And three quarts of water to the pears and sugar and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir the mixture often until it becomes syrupy, reducing heat and continue to stir to avoid sticking. Keeping a close eye on the mixture and reducing heat as needed. Dip a spoon into it every few minutes check for thickness. As it begins to turn golden brown and begins to thicken, place a drop of the syrup in a cup of cold water when the syrup forms a ball in the cold water, pour it into pint or jelly jars and seal. Process for five minutes in a hot water bath canner or in a pressure canner, bring the jars up to five pounds pressure and turn off the heat.

August ends and colorful sunsets begin

August only has three more days in it and when September begins we can look forward to the beauty of some colorful sunsets as an attribute of one of the many of the splendors of the month. As the days get shorter and cooler, it paves the way for color in the western sky as the sun sets. The colors of red, orange, yellow, pink and bluish purple will tint the western horizon as the sun slowly sinks into the west and it casts a glow on the trees that have leaves already beginning to turn to some of the same colors that are showing up in the glorious sunsets.

These ornamental come in the colors of red, cream, yellow, mint green, wine and burgundy as well as pink. They can replace some of the annuals of summer. These ornamental will last through the whole winter with a small amount of protection such as placing them toward the back of the porch to avoid extreme winter wind from the north and hard freezes. A cloth or towel for protection on below freezing nights.

Filling late summer annuals with pansies

The tough autumn and winter flowers of pansies are brightening up the hardwares, nurseries, garden shops, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Ace Hardware and Walmart. Pansies have beautiful dark green foliage that will endure winter as well as unusual colors of flowers with faces on them. You can purchase them in six and nine packs and most are already in bloom. You can choose from yellow, purple, white bronze, wine, tan, maroon, and lavender. Buy a bag of pansy booster to give the pansies a good start into cool weather

Bulbs for spring can be planted now

With September only four days from now, the bulbs of tulips, jonquils, crocus, narcissus, daffodils, and hyacinths can now be planted. Planting them now will assure them a good start. Buy bulbs in mesh see-through bags or from individual bins so you can see and feel the bulbs and know they are not molded or rotten. You can also buy a bag of bulb booster to get bulbs off to a good start.

Working in the autumn garden

In autumn, the garden is more comfortable to work in with less heat and humidity. Not many insects and not much weeds to contend with. The soil is workable and the choice of cool weather vegetables is great and now is the time to get all of them off on a good start.

“Pay Up Time.” Wife: “There is a man at the door who wants to see you about a bill you owe him. He wouldn’t give his name.” Husband: “What does he look like?” Wife: “He looks like you had better pay him!”

“Wrong Knock.”- On a moonlit country road, the car coughed and came to a halt. The young driver said, “That’s funny, I wonder what that knocking was.” The young girl sitting next to him said, “I can tell you one thing. It was not opportunity!”

“Bluffing.” Bill: “If you refuse to be mine, I’ll jump off that cliff.” Jill: “That’s just bluff.”

Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com

Ever think about going back to the old home place where you grew up? Is it still there? If so and it’s not too far away, maybe you should before it’s too late. Should you go, take along a camera, “sit a spell,” picture in your mind how it used to be and you will be glad you did, I guarantee.

I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains; about as close to the land as it was possible to get. As our ancestors had done for generations, we plowed the land, sowed the seeds and prayed for rain, without which the crops would not grow. On many a day, I hoed corn in the hot summer sun; vowing to grow up and get away. Lo and behold, I finally married and moved away; knowing the old folks and the old home place would always be there when I went back.

Thomas Wolfe tells us in his novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” but thanks to memory and some old photographs, I beg to differ. On a day to remember, I drove back to the family homeplace on Banjo Lane just off Pine Ridge Road in Surry County; where (in 1936) my parents built a log cabin home that was the beginning of the place we called “home” for some 48 years.

Sad to say, the only remains of the home and buildings were some broken cinder blocks from the underpinning, some bricks from the flue, the old well and a hole in the ground where the cellar used to be. A small black walnut tree beside the yard was now a huge black walnut tree and the pasture where the horse and cow once grazed? Now full of trees.

The chestnut oak tree that hung over the road? Still there; the same tree we hung the hog from at killing time to clean it out and wash it down. I could almost see Pa making hams, tenderloin and side-meat with his axe and butcher knife, right there under the tree. There was our house nearby: our safe haven from the storm, our sanctuary, the place we came back to at the end of the day when tired and worn; to sleep the night away safe from harm. I could feel the heat from the wood heater on cold winter mornings when Pa fired it “as hot as she’ll run.” I could taste the “out-of-this-world-good” meals Mama cooked: stacks of buckwheat pancakes yea’ high, white-sop gravy, biscuits that floated in the air, along with pies and cakes; all made from scratch. To top it off, I could smell the coffee perking on the wood cook stove.

I fought honeysuckle and blackberry jungles down to the spring we once carried water from. On the way down, four wild turkeys flew up almost in my face and I almost ran. The old spring that was once so bold? Now just a trickle and almost gone like the spring box, the old garden place and the cow shed made of sawmill slabs that stood nearby.

I could see it in my mind; Pa plowing the ‘tater patch nearby, while my brother and I hoed dirt up around the plants. There was Mama washing clothes in the wash-tub beside the spring and hanging them on the garden fence to dry.

Just down the valley, I could see maple trees blooming red again, as spring came again to the land. Up on the hillside? Apple, pear and peach trees blooms lit up the whole world; assuring us we had survived another “hardest winter I ever seen.” It was just like being there in the old days and I was glad.

Maybe Thomas Wolfe could not go home again, but (as I learned) you and I can and the old home place and the old folks will always be there, if only in memory.

In Matthew 26 we find Jesus has gone into the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James and John with Him and tells them to pray. Jesus then goes farther into the garden to be alone to pray to the Heavenly Father. When he returns, he finds these disciples asleep.

He wakes them up and warns them; “Matthew 26: 41: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It is the same warning that we need to be aware of in our lives today. Many of us act as if we could never be tempted to sin or to drift away from faithful service to the Lord.

I want us to look at three temptations each believer faces in this day we live. These temptations tempt us to make our wants a priority and not allow the Lord to have control of our lives.

The first is the “Temptation to Whine.” We seem to find so many things to whine or complain about as we go through this life. We want to talk about the things we don’t have or gripe about the things we do have. I see the Children of Israel as the Lord brought them miraculously out of Egypt and through the wilderness and yet they always seemed to find something to whine or complain about to Moses.

God calls us to serve Him, and it seems that no matter the situation, we find something to whine about: “I could do more if I had what someone else has” or “If I had the ability to speak like they speak;” or “why can’t I have the same advantages as they have in their life.” Sometimes we whine about others by being critical: “They did it the wrong way, I think it ought to be accomplished another way,” or “I would have done it differently.” So, we accomplish nothing because we have given into the temptation to whine.

We need to be reminded that Jesus, our supreme example, never one time whined. He came to this earth for the purpose of dying on the cross of Calvary to pay a sin debt that He did not owe, in place of worthless sinners like you and me and yet He did not complain or whine but followed the will of the Father. When the temptation to whine comes to us, let us be reminded of what Paul said: Phil:4:11: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Second there is the “Temptation to Shine.” There are so many people that seem to only want to serve the Lord if they can be the star of the show. They want that special job where they can be seen by everyone. They seem to say ‘If I can’t be the one out front then I will find another place to serve.’ They desire the praise of man and if they do not get that praise, they are not willing to do the unseen jobs that God needs done to carry the message of Jesus to a lost world.

I am reminded of Simon in Acts 8. He saw the disciples’ lay hands on the people and receive the Holy Spirit. He said, “I want to be able to do that.” He offered them money to receive the power of “laying on of hands.” Peter rebuked him for even thinking that he could buy that power. The problem was he saw the power of God demonstrated and he wanted to shine like those apostles of Jesus.

We must remember that no matter how insignificant the job seems that the Lord assigns to us, it is important. Just as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, if we do something for the praise of man, when it is finished, we have our reward from man but not from God.

It is when we do our work for the glory of the Lord, that one day, the Lord will reward us in heaven. We should desire to hear the Lord say: “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” The way that happens is when we forget about who does what, and just be obedient in whatever the Lord calls us to do.

Third, we have the “Temptation to Recline.” This happens when we become indifferent or complacent in the work of the Lord. Let’s be honest, it can happen to all of us, no matter what our calling. We start saying things like: “It is not my job;” “let someone else do it;” “I don’t have time for that job.” There are so many more excuses we use that shows we are reclining on the Lord.

The disciples in the text scripture most likely thought everything would be all right. They may have thought, “Nothing can happen to us, we are disciples of Jesus.” It wouldn’t hurt us to stop and take a nap.”

We must be mindful that time is short and there are people all around us that need to hear the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. We need to be carrying that message so when Jesus calls us home by death or the rapture, we will be found faithful – not reclining. Jesus has warned us that temptations will come but let’s be watchful and pray that through His power we can overcome.

For the more than half a century, every Labor Day weekend, a sea of antiques, collectables, rare knick knacks, and keen-eyed shoppers flow through the quiet town of Hillsville, Virginia. Customers travel miles from up and down the East Coast and beyond, to attend the Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market, which is said to be the largest gun show and flea market east of the Mississippi.

From its humble beginning as a fundraising event for the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, it has grown into a spectacle in its own right.

Flea markets can trace their lineage back to ancient times, with the idea coming from open air markets. The first ever “flea market,” which more closely resembles what we envision today, is thought to have taken place in the 1800s in Paris, France. The term “flea market” comes from these early incarnations, thought to be due to the fleas that were said to infest the upholstery of furniture sold at the original French market.

It did not take long for the markets to make the jump across the Atlantic, and the first flea market in the United States is thought to have been set up in the late 19th century in Texas, though the exact location of the original American flea market is highly contested.

The Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market was the creation of two area men, Glenn Jackson and Pierce Webb. In early 1967, the two were discussing the popularity of gun shows in the South and settled on the idea of opening their own in Hillsville. There was certainly a desire for such a thing, with both Gene Pack, the Hillsville police chief at the time, and Dennis Quesenberry, a local collector of fine guns, also considering the same idea at the time.

Jackson was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Grover King Post 1115, located in Hillsville, and wanted the flea market to assist the post in raising funds. The organization had begun on May 15, 1935 with 27 local veterans from World War One as well as a handful of veterans from other wars. The post was named in honor of the first Carroll County serviceman killed during World War One, Grover C. King.

The post first held meetings in the county courthouse and moved into the organization’s own specially built building in the mid 1950s. Only a few years later, the cost of the new building was paid off in full. But tragedy would strike not long after, when much of the building collapsed and was destroyed in 1968. This meant the VFW post would need to construct yet another building and was looking at ways to afford this new cost.

Knowing the VFW was looking for a new revenue stream and that a gun show would be a viable way of bringing in extra money and visitors to the county, Jackson approached the VFW with his idea, which was approved by the post, and the first Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market was open for business in 1968.

Every year since 1968, aside from 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the gathering, the market has been up for four days over Labor Day weekend. The event started small, with its first year drawing in 100 vendors and 4,000 visitors. By 1989, there were 1,200 vendors and around 250,000 shoppers. These days, some estimates claim more than a half-million bargain seekers attend the market.

Jackson took a hands-on approach in the event’s early years, from helping vendors set up on the day of, to driving around the South handing out flyers and sticking up posters. Jackson’s marketing was such a success, and brought in so many people, that at one time some VFW members asked that the event stop being promoted as there were just too many people attending.

Another long running local flea market in North Carolina was the Sedgefield Flea Market, just a few miles south of Greensboro. Beginning operation around the same time as its Hillsville counterpart, the market was open one or two days every month. It eventually closed down in 2015.

During the 1970s, a fire broke out at the market, damaging much of the building it was housed in, and destroying thousands of dollars of inventory. At its height, the market saw thousands of customers stream through its gates, and close to 100 vendors.

In the western corner of the state, Asheville’s Dreamland Flea Market opened in 1971, and closed down in the early 2000s. Nearby, ​Smiley’s Markets & Malls, known as Smiley’s Flea Market, was formed in 1984, and remains in operation. In 1991, owner Ben Campen attributed the popularity of flea markets to the low overhead costs for vendors, since usually spaces are rented out for a flat fee.

From France to Texas to North Carolina, flea markets have had a long history. Through their grass roots organization, flea markets often brings communities together, with people ready to both buy and sell all kinds of goods. Throughout their long history, there’s always one thing flea markets have in common: you never know what you’ll find.

Katherine “Kat” Jackson is an employee at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. Originally from Australia she now lives in King. She can be reached at the museum at 336-786-4478.

Autumn is now only a month away. A row or bed of purple top turnips can be sown in the garden plot. Temperatures may be warm but the soil after sowing a turnip row or bed can be kept cool with the water wand by spraying water on the row or bed each evening. When sowing the turnip seed, place the seed in a three- or four-inch furrow and apply a layer of peat moss in the furrow before sowing the seed. Thinly scatter seed in furrow and cover with another layer of peat moss. Apply an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on on both sides of furrow. Tamp down soil on top of the row for good soil contact. Keep turnip row or bed watered to cool the soil. The peat moss will absorb the moisture, and promote growth in the remaining warm days of the month of August.

Saint Bartholomew’s Day

Saint Bartholomew’s Day will be celebrated Wednesday, August 24. On his special day, something unusual occurs as the dews of summer mornings begin to become cooler and linger until the middle of the day. The fogs of August may contribute to the cooler dew, but also the fact that the days are getting shorter and late nights of August have a subtle nip that lets us know that autumn is on its way. Many leaves are seeing this subtle hint and have already developed tints of yellow and gold. Cold dew and subtle nip in the night air lets us know this is slowly paving the way for nippy air, Jack Frost, and falling leaves as we move closer and closer to a new season.

The Christmas cactus on the August porch

All four of the Christmas cactus are performing well on the front porch as they enjoy sun and summer as they bask in temperatures that will prepare them for blooms in December. They receive a drink of water each week and an application of Flower-Tone organic flower food once a month. They will be moved inside the sunny living room in late October.

Planting the colorful annuals of autumn

The pots and containers of summer’s annuals can now be replaced with the annuals of fall and winter such as pansies, mums and oriental cabbage and kale. When planting these annuals, add a layer of crushed leaves and water plants often so the leaves will stick to the soil and give added protection later on when temperatures get colder. The oriental cabbage and kale will survive through winter if they are kept out of the north wind in a protected area of the porch and cover with a towel or cloth on freezing nights. Mums will also need a small amount of cold weather protection. The pansies are tougher and will endure the extremes of winter.

Time to set out spring flower bulbs

Most hardwares, nurseries, garden shops, and Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Walmart or Lowe’s Home Improvement now have displays and bins of spring flowering bulbs of jonquils hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, narcissus, and crocus. They can be planted from now and through the end of October. When you purchase bulbs of spring, choose from those in bins or mesh bags so that you can feel and inspect the bulbs for firmness and texture. You can buy hyacinths in individual and assorted colors. There are several types of jonquils but the King Alfred is most popular. Buy a bag of bulb booster and place a half handful under each bulb. Cover bulbs with a layer of peat moss and a layer of Flower-Tone organic flower food before covering with soil. Cover the area where the bulbs are planted with a layer of crushed leaves. Hyacinths come in the colors of red, pink rose, yellow, lavender, blue, and purple. They also have the sweetest scents of flowering spring bulbs.

Autumn care for the next azaleas

The beautiful green foliage of azaleas have performed well and we enjoyed their colorful blooms in spring. Their evergreen foliage is still lush and green. As August draws to a close they could use a bit of attention as we get closer to autumn. They can now be fed with Holly-Tone evergreen food to give them a boost. In September, a layer of crushed leaves can be placed around them. The foliage can also be trimmed and shaped. Give azaleas a drink of water every ten days.

Time to sow Siberian kale

Siberian Kale is the sweetest and best of all the greens. It can be used raw in a salad or cooked as a green or canned in pint and quart jars. It is sweet, crisp, tender, and quite different from turnip and mustard greens. It is winter hardy and will endure winter and produce all the way until spring. The leaves are a little larger than other greens. A great way to prepare Siberian Kale is to broil a pound of bacon and cut into half-inch chunks, boil Siberian kale in a pot until tender, chop it up after draining. Add mayonnaise to the kale and bacon and add two tablespoons of ranch dressing.

Lining the list of cool weather veggies

As we get well past the middle of August, it is time to plan the autumn garden plot. The seeds of turnips, Siberian kale, curly mustard, mixed greens, onion sets, and spinach can now be sown in the late summer garden. Plants of broccoli, cabbage, collards, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can also be set out. Keep all cool weather vegetables watered with the water wand not only for moisture, but to cool down the soil.

Making a tasty roasted turkey loaf

When preparing a turkey, and you have any leftover turkey, make a special meal of turkey loaf with the leftovers. For a turkey loaf, you will need three cups of leftover turkey (run through the blender in “grate” mode), one small bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread dressing, one can Swanson chicken broth, small jar Heinz roasted turkey gravy, two large eggs, one envelope Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion Soup mix, one teaspoon poultry seasoning, one teaspoon celery seed, half teaspoon pepper, half teaspoon salt, one cup shredded carrots. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the can of chicken broth over the Pepperidge Farm corn bread stuffing in a bowl and set it aside for fifteen minutes. Mix all other ingredients together in the bowl with dressing and broth. If too dry, add a little water. Form into a loaf or place in a loaf pan or baking dish. Bake for one hour or until loaf is firm. This loaf will serve six persons.

Keeping hummingbirds on the zoom

As the humming birds of mid-summer contend for space at the feeders and fight for domination, keep the feeders filled with nectar. They are now staying pretty active at the feeders and burning a lot of energy. The nectar in the feeders will boost their energy level. You can make your own nectar by mixing two quarts of water and three cups of sugar and several drops of red food coloring in a pitcher of water and pour into a half gallon plastic milk carton. Keep nectar in refrigerator and use as you need it.

August proves to be transition time

As we move through August, we see before us a transitional month with heavy dews, dense fogs, and a subtle hint of autumn in the air, along with the yellow tint in the maples and tiny berries forming on dogwoods. The annuals of summer are slowing down. Days are getting shorter every evening by a minute. The humidity is dropping a bit lower and the garden summer vegetable crops are reaching the harvest stage and some crops are slowing down. Thunder storms are not as frequent. The crickets are sounding off and katydids are less noisy in the mighty oaks. Slowly, silently the late days of August are fulling us into the approaching season of autumn.

“Toothy Sermon.” The pastor visited the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after he gets the teeth, he preaches for only eight minutes. The second Sunday, he preaches for ten minutes. The third Sunday, he preached for two-and-a-half hours. As the pastor left the pulpit, many in the congregation asked him what had happened. The pastor replied, “This morning, I put in my wife’s teeth by mistake and I couldn’t shut my mouth up!”

“Return to Sender.” A son wrote a letter to his dad. “Dear Dad, Gue$$ what need most? That$ right. $end it $oon. Be$t wi$he$, Joey.” The father replied. “Dear Joey, NOthing ever happens here. We kNOw you like school, write aNOther letter soon. Mom was asking about you at NOon. NOw I have to say good-bye, Dad.”

“Dumbbells.”Professor: “If there are any dumbbells in the room, please stand up.” There was a long pause and then one student in the back of the stood up. The professor said, “Do you consider yourself a dumbbell?” Student, “Well, not exactly, but I hate to see you standing all alone.”

“The Last Supper” First husband: “When I am near death, I will ask my wife to cook my last meal.” Second husband: “Why would you went her to do that?” First husband: “Then I would feel more like dying!”

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.

Today’s culture and climate have changed from when most of us attended schools. There are more pathways to college and the workplace. There are opportunities to attend community college and even graduate before finishing high school. The teachers are still experts in their field but on average have more advanced degrees than ever before. Our schools provide flexibility to attend school at home, work full time while attending high school, and intern at area industries leading to full time employment.

All of the amazing opportunities have created great experiences accessible for all children. One of our top priorities in schools remains the ability to safely attend school so students can access these opportunities.

The Office of Justice at the federal level as well as National School Safety and Security Services agree that there are several steps schools can take to make sure they are as safe as possible. While we cannot prepare for every situation, we can work with safety experts and our local law enforcement to make sure our safety is the best it can be. We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours with safety preparation but we also know that relationships, communication, and safety plans for staff and students are some of the best measures we can take to ensure everyone is safe and supported.

Some essential steps we have outlined in our school system include strong communication tools, mental health support, security cameras, locked and secure doors, threat assessments, training for emergencies, partnerships with local law enforcement and community partners, and enhanced crisis strategies.

Communication: Some of the steps recommended are to make sure all communication lines are open and every child feels they have someone to talk with at all times. We must create communication pathways that provide access to counselors, social workers, and caring adults. We have online monitoring of student computers, social media, and platforms to tell us if there is anything alarming on these platforms, while also giving us steps to resolve issues before they arise. We have an anonymous reporting system, See Something Say Something, that allows people who see something to get that information quickly to authorities. This gives everyone an avenue for sharing vital information to prevent a crisis. Our multiple ways to engage families through emails, phone calls, social media, and text alerts provides ongoing and up-to-date information is another way to make sure everyone has “on time” information. While the beginning of the year provides a great time to ensure your contact information is up to date, remember that anytime your phone number changes to let your child’s office know. Keeping your current phone number on file is a crucial part of our communication plan.

Mental Health Support: Each of our schools have access to licensed counselors and on-campus mental health support. We have threat assessments to help identify and screen potential issues as well as a road map to experts in our community who can help. Our detailed work on our campuses match up student needs with experts in the field who can help them with strategies to thrive. Although it is not the job of educators to provide mental health support, each of our educators are given tools to help students find the treatment they need that is available to them and their family. Some of our partners such as mentors, graduation coaches, Daymark, Easter Seals, and our See Something Say Something service can make sure students in crisis have the help they need.

Safe Campuses: Secure doors with keyless entry provides ways to control who enters and exits our buildings. These doors have buzz-in systems or systems that are accessed by key cards. It’s critical for all staff and students to keep all doors locked and make sure everyone enters through the main entrances where visitors can be screened. We have door latches that can be utilized without a key from inside a door at all times to secure doors from the inside. Each of our campuses have outstanding alarm systems throughout our buildings and money has been put into these systems in recent years to ensure they are active and working.

Transportation Safety: Smart Bus technology with Tyler Technologies was funded for Mount Airy City Schools by the General Assembly. Traversa Software allows us to have cutting edge cameras on the bus and outside the bus. We have electronic seating charts to make sure we know when students ride the bus, where they are seated, and when they exit. The Ride 360 application allows parents to know where students are at all times. This gives relief to parents to ensure they are at home when a child arrives or if there is a delay in the bus route. The tablet provided to drivers is much safer for them and works similar to GPS in our cars such as telling us if there are road delays ahead, changes in routes, or the most efficient way to travel between two points.

Camera Systems: Our systems have been upgraded over the past few years implementing more than 50 cameras on each campus. These cameras are critical to show all aspects of the campus accessed by your phone or computer system. This system has measures that only allow personnel “as needed” to have access to these cameras. But, they play a critical role in preparing for any emergencies and being able to secure areas quickly.

SRO Officers: Our community and school system feel it is critical to partner with law enforcement and our city government. One of the ways we have done this is to provide three School Resource Officers for our schools. These officers build relationships every day that prevent school incidents. They deliver a preventative curriculum that helps students choose positive ways to respond and help provide strategies that lead to good decision-making. Our SROs are critical in the day-to-day and would be essential in the event of a critical incident.

Emergency Protocols: How adults handle crises from a gas leak to a community threat to an incident on campus is critical. Adults must have training for emergency situations. We train for tornadoes, fires, and critical incidents as well as scenarios that are a surprise to us. These emergency protocols outline what everyone is required to do in the emergency situation. The drills throughout the year as well as resources provided help staff to respond quickly when a situation occurs that is beyond their control. The relief of emergency protocols, detailed with plans that are well throughout can make the difference needed in response time.

Community Relationships: Fire, rescue, EMS, police, churches, mental health support, and community involvement is absolutely critical for our school system. Each of these partnerships fill a need every day and especially during critical incidents. You, as a community member, can make a difference. One of the biggest ways is to volunteer in a school nearby, mentor an at-risk child, provide funds for struggling students, substitute teach, drive a bus, serve a meal, and support the school system. Your encouragement of our staff goes a long way. Attending our events to support children makes an impact and thanking an administrator will not be forgotten.

All of us can work together to make our campuses safe. We know that a lot of emphasis in the past few years has been on physical security. We also know that emphasis needs to be on emotional security. We can all do our part by supporting young people, providing thriving arts programs where they can show their talent, athletic teams where they can learn life skills and enhance their abilities, as well as academic pathways to success. We can all work together to make our community a thriving and safe place to be for the next generation.

In Mark 4: 1-9 we read a parable that Jesus taught to his disciples of the sower and sowing the seed. In this parable we find some truths about being a child of God as we live in the world today. Notice that Jesus started in verse 3 with the word “Hearken” or “listen” because He had something important to teach His listeners. Let’s see some truths from this parable.

First, we see the responsibility of the sower to sow. Jesus used a picture of a farmer who went out into the field and took a bag of seed and when he got there, he began to broadcast or sow the seed. We, as Christians, have a responsibility to sow the seed of God’s word throughout the world in which we live. There are many ways to sow: some preach, some teach, some sing, some witness, and others pray for those who go out; but we all have a responsibility to be a part of the sowing process.

When we realize the responsibility to sow, I believe there are five ways that we are to sow:

– First, we are to sow plentifully. That means we are to sow a lot of seed. I learned on the farm that if you were going to have a bountiful harvest you had to put plenty of seed in the ground. We need to be constantly looking for opportunities to plentifully sow the seed of God’s word in the hearts of others.

– Secondly, we are to sow passionately. Farmers are always excited for springtime to come so they can get a new crop started. We need to have an intense desire to sow the seed of God’s word by telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ and constantly look for an opportunity to share what God has done for us.

– Thirdly, we need to sow compassionately. This is like the farmer who sows with such passion that he waters the seed with his sweat and tears. We need to bathe the seed of God’s word, which we sow in the hearts of others, with tears of prayer, love, and concern for those who are hearing about what Jesus has done for them.

– Fourthly, we need to sow patiently. I have never seen a farmer sow seed today and expect them to be sprouted and producing harvest the next day. We as Christians so often get discouraged if we sow and do not get an immediate harvest. Folks, we must remember it is our job to sow, not produce the harvest. That is God’s job, and He will do His job in His time.

– Fifthly, we are to sow expectantly. No farmer would ever go out and sow seed and say, “Well I am sowing this seed, but I know it will never produce a harvest.” Farmers sow expecting a bountiful harvest, usually more than ever before. That is the attitude that we need to have as Christians when we sow our seed. God will take that seed and produce a greater harvest than we have ever seen. It is when we understand our responsibility that we will begin to do what God has called us to do and that is: to sow the seed.

Second, we need to understand the reliability of the seed. What kinds of seed are we to sow? The Bible is plain in Mark 4: 14 “The sower soweth the word.” When a farmer goes out to plant his crops, he tries to find the very best seed to plant for the greatest harvest possible. We have the very best seed available for us to sow and that is God’s Holy, Inspired, Infallible, and Inerrant Word. In God’s word we have wonderful seed. It is wonderful because it tells us of God’s mercy, grace, peace, salvation and so much more.

The word is described as a fire that burns in our heart and must get out; sharp as a two-edged sword that can cut through sin; and so powerful that it can bring salvation and a change to every person who will hear and heed its message. God’s word is a penetrating seed that will penetrate the hardest of hearts and sprout forth the love of God to be shared with all that encounters it. God’s word is also a fruitful seed. Just as the seed goes in the ground and reproduces itself so does the Word of God. When we faithfully sow the seed of God’s word it will produce a harvest of souls that will cause all of heaven to rejoice.

Christians, if we are to make a positive impact on this world for the Lord, we need to heed what we have learned from this parable. We have a responsibility to sow the reliable seed of God’s Word and one day at judgment God will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Are you sowing for the Savior?

The summer is full of nostalgic sounds. The heat brings cicadas and bird songs; dusk brings on the free night show put on by mother nature. Between the lightning and fireflies, who could ask for more?

The buzzing, whirling, and breezes usher in a sense of freedom, producing fond memories in our minds. Some of my favorite sounds and many others in our area are the constant buzzing of our pollen-collecting friends, bees.

While North Carolina and its surrounding states have tons of native bees that aid in pollinating our trees, gardens, and flowers, the non-native honeybee has fascinated us since the mid-17th century. Honeybees are native to Europe, Africa, and Asia and traveled to America on English ships to be used in agriculture. The early 19th century saw beekeeping well established throughout North Carolina, with bee wax being an important exported good from the state.

Our ancestors used all parts of the hive; wax, honey, propolis, and the bees themselves. The wax was used and still is to make candles that smell nicer than the fat renderings originally used for candles. Honey, of course, is a natural sweetener that stores for long periods, never going bad if properly stored. Propolis is another resinous product produced by bees that aid in the building of hives. The sticky dark substance can fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and inflammation, and sometimes heal the skin.

Folklore also surrounds our buzzing friends with superstitions that cast them as bringers of life. One major tradition is going to tell the bees when someone has died. The lore suggests that the bees will aid in the carrying of the soul to the next place and will produce abundantly for being kept in the loop. If a bee enters your home, you will have visitors soon. If a swarm of bees entered your home, it is a sign of an omen.

On a more practical side, bees were cared for and appreciated due to their pollinating superpowers. The many orchard farmers of our hollow and beyond used bees to spread pollen from blossom to blossom ensuring that the year’s yield of apples would be strong. Many statistics say that bees are responsible for 80%-90% of apple crop pollination. So, when you see bees hovering over your gardens, trees, and flowers try to leave them alone, they’re doing the hard work.

In North Carolina beekeeping had become such an integral part of the agricultural and hobby sector that apiarists or beekeepers from all over the state set a meeting on Jan, 11, 1917 in Winston-Salem starting the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. The association grew adding chapters from the different counties of the state, and a full-time state beekeeper position at NC State University in 1975. In 1982 a state bee-keeping school was started by Dr. John Ambrose, in his position as the state apiarist. The program is still the largest of its kind in the country.

Surry County has its own beekeeper’s association that meets monthly to discuss various topics and offers a beekeeping class annually. My friend and Master Beekeeper Paul Madren is a member of this group and the 1st Masker Craftsmen Beekeeper in North Carolina. The goal of Master Beekeepers and Craftsmen is to help educate the public about the art of keeping bees. Paul has shared priceless advice with beekeepers all over our state.

This past week he shared some highlights with me: 90% of the pollen and nectar bees receive is from trees, not flowers, and each tree yields a different type of substance (glucose vs. fructose), dark honey is usually better for you, despite being referred to as “bad” honey. Paul also helped move the association into the digital age. At the state organization’s meeting last month he was received as the oldest, and longest member of the association.

You couldn’t choose a better place to get started beekeeping. We are privileged to have such knowledgeable mentors in our own county. Mount Airy is even designated as a “Bee Friendly City.” If you would like to learn more, and there is lots to learn, contact the Surry County Beekeepers Association or the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association.

Thanks to Paul Madren for his sage advice and stories.

Emily Morgan is the Guest Services Manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229

Making a homemade chicken creamy pie

This chicken pie is fairly easy because you use two frozen nine-inch pie shells and four boneless skinless chicken breasts. For this pie, you will need two nine-inch frozen pie shells, four boneless skinless chicken breasts, half can evaporated milk, one can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup, small jar Heinz chicken gravy, salt, pepper, half teaspoon poultry seasoning, one stick melted light margarine. Boil chicken until tender. While chicken is cooking, lay out the pie shells to thaw (this will be two shells for bottom and two shells for tops of the pies). De-bone the chicken breasts and place half in one shell and half in the other shell. In a bowl, mix the can of cream of chicken soup with jar of gravy and half can evaporated milk and stick of melted margarine, salt pepper and the poultry seasoning. Pour half the mixture on each pie. Cover pies with other two crusts, Pinch edges to seal the pies. Cut slits in tops of the pies. Bake pies on a cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. One plus of these pies is that you can freeze them.

Starting late tomatoes from seed

As August moves along, it is time to start packets of tomato seed to be transplanted to the garden in late August or early September. The best varieties for early autumn are the determinate varieties such as Celebrity, Mountain Pride, Marglobe, Rutgers, Homestead, and Better Boy. To start tomatoes from seed, use a fine-textured seed-starting medium such as Jiffy organic or Hoffmans. For each seed variety, use a quart flower pot filled with seed-starting medium and allow a handful per pot to cover the seed. Measure enough for each pot that you need. Mix the medium with enough water to moisten it. Scatter the seed over the medium and cover the seed, label each pot with variety of the tomato. Repeat process with each pot. Press down the medium with your fingers for good soil contact. Use a spray bottle such as window and glass cleaner comes in to mist the pots each evening. They will develop two leaves in eight to ten days and be ready to plant in individual pots.

The impatiens have been showing their color

The annual summer charm is the impatiens in containers and hanging baskets as they provide colorful blooms on the porch, deck and in the hanging baskets. They really perform well in hanging baskets as they cascade over the sides of the baskets. They bloom in colors of bright orange, red, white, salmon, pink and wine. With a bit of care they will bloom all the way until frost. The impatiens is also known as “Mary’s Earrings” which is a pretty name for such an unusual flower. The bees as well as the butterflies are attracted to them.

Hard to beat taste of fresh tomato

It was Lewis Grizzard, the Mark Twain of 20th century writers and syndicated columnist for the Atlanta Journal and constitution, who said, “It’s difficult to think any thing but pleasant thoughts when eating a home grown tomato.” These are true words from one of America’s best columnists of the 20th century. A vine-ripened freshly sliced tomato, placed on bread smothered with mayonnaise on both sides and a sprinkling of salt and pepper also on both sides of the bread elicit thoughts as pleasant as you can think.

Starting the seeds of broccoli and collards

As we move through August, the time is ideal for starting broccoli and collards from seed for transplanting to the garden in mid-September. Purchase a bag or two of seed. Starting medium which is especially formulated for starting seeds. Buy the varieties of broccoli and collards you prefer. Use two quart-sized flower pots to start the seed in. Measure out two pots filled with the medium and two handfuls to cover the seed with. Add enough water to moisten the medium. Fill the two pots to within half inch from top of pots. Sprinkle seed from broccoli over top medium and cover with handful of medium. Label the pot because all cole family seed look alike. Repeat the process with the collard seed. Pat soil over the top of medium for good contact with the soil. Use a spray bottle such as glass cleaner comes in and spray a mist on the medium each evening. Keep the pots out of direct sunlight and preferably in the carport or porch. The plants will sprout in eight to ten days. When they develop two strong leaves, transplant to individual pots and keep out of direct sunlight. By mid-September, they should be ready to transplant to the garden plot.

Something different about the month of August is the fogs that occur on many mornings that may send us a hidden message about the upcoming amounts of snow we may receive in the winter months. Rise early before the sun burns off the fog and record the density of the fog and the date and whether the daily fog was heavy, medium, or light. August has 31 days, so record the fog each morning. As winter arrives, check the snow amounts during winter with the amounts of the fogs of August.

Making a batch of smooth apple sauce

The first of the apple harvest is coming in and you can purchase them by the bushel. A warm summer afternoon is a fun time to sit on a shady porch and peel a bushel of apples and make some apple sauce. Peel the apples and drop them in a canner of cold salted water to prevent them from turning brown. Peel all the apples and allow them to soak in the salted water for fifteen minutes. Rinse the apples in the canner of fresh water. Pour apples into the sink and rinse them off. Cut into one-inch chunks and place in canner of fresh water. Boil apple chunks for 10 or 15 minutes until you can stick a fork through them. Remove from heat, drain, and run through the blender in “puree” mode for several seconds. Pour the pureed apple mixture into jars that are sterilized and process in hot water bath canner for 25 minutes. An easier way is to process them in a pressure canner at ten pounds pressure for five minutes.

Taking care of summer roses

The knockout roses of summer are so pretty and are still producing blooms and will produce until the first frost. Roses now need a boost as we move into the second half of the summer. Roses need a boost of Rose-Tone organic rose food once a month until the end of summer. Use the water wand in shower mode to the base of the roses. Cut back long canes and dead head all spent blooms. Spray for leaf mites and Japanese Beetles.

The dew on August mornings linger all the way until afternoon. The dew is a sticky moisture that is not good for mowers and weed trimmers because it sticks to the blades and housings of the mower as well as the feet. Never mow lawn when the dew is still on the lawn. Wait until the sun dries the dew even if it takes until mid-afternoon. Another summer factor is never mow a lawn after an afternoon thunderstorm even if you have to wait until the next day to mow.

An organic, smelly, cure for insect bites

There is nothing more irritating than an insect bite or bee sting whether you are in the garden or on the porch or deck. We have a remedy for the bites and stings if you can tolerate the smell of an onion. Use a half an onion sliced down the middle and rub it on the bite or sting. This is a double cure because first of all, it will relieve the bite or sting and the aroma will prevent another bite or sting.

A quick shot for controlling the weeds

No harmful chemicals are involved in this weed killer solution that works quickly and well on hot dry, summer afternoons, with no rain in the forecast. Just fill a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar and spray the mist on the weeds, while you avoid misting vegetable foliage.

“Men and other men.” There are two kinds of men who will never amount to much: those who cannot do what they are told, and those who can do nothing else.

“Twin Natures.” A man was in court for stealing from a department store. The man said to the judge, “Your Honor, I’m a Christian, I’ve become a new man who did wrong. But I have an old nature also. I was not my new man when I did wrong, but my old man.” The judge responded, “Since it was the old man that broke the law, we will sentence him to 60 days in jail. And since the new man was an accomplice in the theft, we will give him 30 days also. I sentence you both to 90 days in jail. This case is dismissed.”

“Fun Pun.” If a nickle knew what it was worth today, it would feel like a half-cent.

“Fun Pun.” Why did the Cyclops have to close the school? He had only one pupil.

Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com

From “all over” they came on 1940s weekends (Round Peak, Low Gap, Lambsburg and Pine Ridge) to a dilapidated log tobacco barn at the intersection of Pine Ridge and Lowe Roads in Surry County. It was little more than a wide place in Pine Ridge Road called “Easy Street” and after a hard week in the corn and tobacco fields, slaving away at the sawmill and making moonshine, it was fun and games time “down at The Barn.”

As told by local housewives, “All they do down yonder at that old barn is loaf around, guzzle moonshine, make music, play poker and act like they live on Easy Street.”

Truth be known, almost all were hard-working souls who “earned their keep” the only way they knew how; the hard way. For some, including my Pa, (according to Mama) the Barn was their doghouse; their second home, their port in the storm, their home away from home that generated fire and brimstone sermons in local churches and threats to “burn that sinful place to the ground.”

The barn leaned southwest, leaked when it rained and had seen better days, but (come Saturday afternoons and Sundays) a crowd gathered in and played the claw-hammer banjo, fiddle and harmonica, drank R C Colas, ate Moon Pies, and imbibed some of Round Peak’s best moonshine “made right up that holler up yonder under Fisher’s Peak.”

They talked about those not there; who got caught doing what and whom they did it with. They told of strange happenings, like the time William Senter’s barn ran into someone’s automobile. (The driver swore to God he was just driving along in the middle of the road minding his own business, when “here come that d… barn right out in the road in front of me.” That was the same barn William’s one-horse wagon wound up on top of one Halloween night. They told of a family who found a dead cat in their crock of molasses, “You know? They wasted nearly all them ‘lasses gittin’ that dead cat out.” (I sat on my bicycle and listened bug-eyed and almost lost breakfast.)

When the High Sheriff drove up outside, a miracle happened right there in broad daylight. All the cards, money, and moonshine vanished into thin air and the Barn became a house of worship. When asked what they were doing there, the answer was, “We’re holding a little prayer service here, Sheriff; don’t you see that sign up there that says, “Easy Street Church of God?” The Sheriff gave everybody his “dead-eye” look, shook his head, got back in his car and before he was out of sight, the good times rolled again.

Everybody had a great time, but those who had just got home from the Big War had the best time of all. They had seen Germany, Paris, Tokyo and the South Sea Islands and all agreed, there was no place on Earth like home and Easy Street.

We are surrounded by much in this life for which we can rejoice. We find ourselves rejoicing at the birth of a child, a marriage, a graduation, buying a new home, and a host of other significant events. However, it seems that we fail to rejoice when it comes to what spiritually and eternally matters. When was the last time someone heard us rejoicing in our salvation and what the Lord has done for us?

In writing to the Christians who lived in Rome we find Paul has much to say about salvation and what Jesus did for us on the cross. In Romans 8:14-17, he mentions several reasons we should rejoice and praise our Lord and Savior. When I look at this portion of Scripture, I see four reasons that stand out and I would like to share those with you.

The first reason we should rejoice is that “We have a Father.” When we are born-again into the family of God we are adopted by the Father and become children of God. In verse 15 Paul uses the term “Abba” when referring to God as our Father. This is a term of deep affection and endearment. It gives us a picture of saying I have a “daddy” in heaven. When we realize just how much our Father in heaven does for us, we have to rejoice that we are His children. He provides for us, leads us, protects us, loves us, and even chastises us. So, we must rejoice that we have a “Father” in Heaven.

The second reason we should rejoice is that “We have a Family.” In verse 14 we find that Paul uses the word “sons,” which is plural. That simply gives us a picture that when we were born into the kingdom of God we were also born into the “family” of God.

When we are part of the family of God there are some great benefits. We do not have to walk through this world alone; we have brothers and sisters to walk with us. When something terrible happens, we have someone to cry with us. When something good happens there will be someone to rejoice with us. There have been times when we as believers say, “If I had not had my brothers and sisters in Christ, I do not know how I would have made it through those tough situations.” We also know that being part of the “family” there are those that will pray for us, encourage us, exhort us, and love us. Being in God’s “family” is truly a reason to rejoice in our salvation.

The third reason we should rejoice is that “We have a fortune.” In verse 17 Paul talks about being “heirs and joint-heirs.” According to the Roman law of that day the adopted child would receive all the rights that a natural born child would have. Under Roman law a natural born child could be disowned by their father, but an adopted child could never be disowned. That means that we are forever part of the family of God. (Praise God).

The term joint-heir also means that Jesus, being the only begotten first-born Son, would receive a double portion of the Father’s inheritance. As a joint heir of the Father’s inheritance Jesus says, “I will share it with my adopted brothers and sisters.” We are part of the family of God that not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills but also owns the hills. Grasping such a truth gives us reason to rejoice in our salvation and the “fortune” we possess in Christ.

The fourth reason we should rejoice is that “We have a future.” I am thankful that as a child of God, He meets all my needs while on this earth, but when death comes and my journey on earth is over, it is not the end. As a result of faith in Christ we can have a future in the presence of the Lord in heaven.

Scripture teaches us, our limited minds cannot begin to imagine what heaven is like. I do know that the Bible teaches it will be a place where there are no more tears, sickness, disease, sorrow, pain, suffering, death, or sin. We will see our loves ones that have died in Christ, and there will be no sun light needed because the Son, Jesus Christ, will be the light of an eternal day. Having such a hope gives us a great reason to rejoice in our future.”

I want to encourage each Christian, share your faith with others by being found rejoicing in what Christ has done, is doing, will do for you through Jesus Christ. If you cannot rejoice today because you do not know this wonderful Savior, I encourage you to seek out someone who can share with you the life changing message of Christ. Then you, too, can rejoice in the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

This is in reference to August 6 Their View articles, “Why does North Carolina rank No. 1?” by Mr. (John) Hood and “An unaddressed crisis in public education” by Ms. (Mary Ann) Wolf.

Both articles address public education in that Mr. Hood points out that North Carolina “has a comparatively high return on … public schools and remains one of the most generous state funders of higher education in the country;” whereas, Ms. Wolf laments, “…our state lawmakers made decision after decision failing to invest sufficiently…in our kids and their schools” as well as “teacher salaries are below the national average.”

Whose perspective is more closely aligned with the actual situation of North Carolina public education: K-12, two-year community colleges, and four-year State colleges/universities?

To Ms. Wolf, our fourtenth placement in education is better than average nationally only because our state legislature exercises responsible expenditure of tax revenue for public education.

To assist Ms. Wolf in understanding why there is a dearth of teacher vacancies and candidates to fill critical positions, I offer a possible hypothesis. No one wants to teach or work in an environment where the objective is not teaching reading, writing, arithmetic and civics, but to indoctrinate critical race theory (CRT), alphabet soup immorality, Marxist/socialist activism, and to hate one’s country that is providing the public education.

Willie Byrd Williams was a schoolteacher and, like many people in Surry County, also a farmer. In 1913 he entered some of his corn harvest in a fair exhibit. It must have been some fine corn because he won for the best ear of seed corn.

He took that premium money straight to Dobson to buy a marriage license.

He and his sweetheart, Cornelia Jane Bray, were married for 57 years and raised their daughters, Ola and Minnie, in their Zephyr home just north of Elkin. They were also active supporters of the Zephyr Community Fair and the Surry County Fair for their whole lives.

Fairs and carnivals were a great excuse for people to come together and have fun. The Surry County Fair, from the beginnings in 1916, has scheduled hot air balloons, airplane stunts, side show acts, rides, and fireworks to entertain.

But their primary purpose in the beginning was much more practical. In the days before the internet, television, or radio, fairs allowed farmers and other businesses to promote their products to a much larger audience than they would otherwise be able to reach. They also provided education for young and old.

“The man who … fails to attend misses a fine opportunity to meet his neighbors and see what is being done by other people in the various occupations of life.” Mount Airy News, Sept. 25, 1919.

Farmers and business owners got to see new products that local stores were not able to carry or to see how seeds or fertilizers from various companies behaved in local soil with a reduced financial risk.

Companies such as Chesapeake Guano Company of Baltimore, Maryland, that specialized in fertilizer for tobacco in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, were popular in this region for decades. In 1886 they advertised in the Yadkin Valley News (predecessor to the Mount Airy News) that the judges of the NC State Fair in Raleigh granted their product the highest award for manure.

I know it’s tempting to chuckle at that, but for farmers it was no laughing matter. The right fertilizer combined with other progressive farming practices increased production dramatically at the turn of the last century. Corn yield went from 12 to 20 bushels per acre, wheat from 9.5-11.5. The US population was growing at an unprecedented rate, and the nation, with thousands of acres under cultivation and isolated from the direct damages of war, quickly became an important exporter of grain to feed a starving world. Successful farmers were vital to world food management.

George Hinshaw opened a general store in Winston-Salem in 1868 specializing in seed and fertilizers. He is credited with organizing the first three “Wheat and Cattle Fairs” in Forsyth.

Such events, if done well, brought people and money to a region, an economic jump-start for any community that hosted one. They were also an important tool to spread information on public health matters or better farming practices or to recruit for military service or civic organizations. But they were expensive to organize and needed a competent organization to pull local and state resources together.

It’s no surprise that soon after the trains arrived in Surry County, calls from local newspapers started encouraging people to organize a fair. The first mention I’ve found is in the Western Sentinel of Winston-Salem, Nov. 21, 1889.

“The News is pushing for a Surry county (sic) Fair next year. Winston wishes its Surry neighbors a big success.”

Though many communities across Surry, such as Zephyr and White Plains, held smaller fairs, it would take 27 years for the first county fair here.

In the meanwhile, Surry residents were taking special train excursions to attend the Catawba, Cumberland, and Forsyth county fairs and the State Fair in Raleigh. Several locals traveled to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. With each passing year calls persisted.

“With all the progress and public spirit and wonderful achievements of Surry people and most especially the thrift and growth of Mount Airy and Elkin it looks odd to see such a grand county as Surry without a county fair. A fair properly managed would do more to stimulate farmers and manufacturers than anything else that has been tested.” Winston-Salem Journal, Sept. 25, 1907.

Finally, in 1916 the Charlotte Observer reported “Surry County is to have a fair this Fall” with a state charter and $50,000 in committed capital. A meeting in the opera house resulted in “more than a hundred business men (sic) and farmers” from across Surry and from surrounding counties buying shares at $10 each ($271 in today’s money) to fund the fair.

Mount Airy, the largest town in the county, was chosen as the location for many reasons, not the least of which was “the splendid system of sandclay roads.” Business and civic leaders such as Thomas Fawcett (founder of the First National Bank of Mount Airy), W. G. Sydnor (immediate past mayor of Mount Airy and president of the Workman’s Federal Savings and Loan), and JD Sargent (owner of the granite quarry) organized the Surry County Fair Association in June 1916.

Directors and vice presidents from every township in Surry and representatives from Carroll, Patrick, and Stokes counties signed on. They bought land from Dr. W.S. Taylor northwest of town. We’re not certain but it seems to be the same land where the fair is held today, the Veterans Memorial Park. They graded a racetrack, built exhibition buildings, and promoted the new fair relentlessly across the state.

The first fair was held in mid-November, the next two were mid-October, but in 1919 it settled in September where it would stay for a century before moving into August.

Whenever it is held, though, the fair remains exciting for kids of all ages, drawing the community together through good times and bad. If you’re headed to the fair this week, enjoy. If you’ve entered an exhibit, best good luck!

Kate Rauhauser-Smith is a volunteer for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History with 22 years in journalism before joining the museum. She and her family moved to Mount Airy in 2005 from Pennsylvania where she was also involved with museums and history tours.

Dog days will end August 11

As of next Thursday, August 11, Dog Days of 2022 will come to an end. This does not mean hot weather will come to an end, but only the humidity will drop a little. Even with departure of Dog Days, we still have plenty of hot weather in store as we have only reached the halfway point of summer.

Checking out the pesky morning glories

As we deal with August, keep a close eye on those pesky morning glory vines and don’t allow them to choke out summer vegetables. One morning glory flower can produce a seed pod with hundreds of seeds. Morning glory vines also have roots like drill bits that reach deep into the soil. Pull them up by their roots and out of the garden before they reach the flower stage.

There’s still time to plant a turnip row or bed

The days of August are the time to plant a row of purple top turnips and give them a great start for an autumn harvest. You can plant them in rows or beds as August gets on its way. Add a layer of peat moss to the furrow when sowing turnips.

On August 17 the cat nights will begin. Did you ever wonder why cats prowl at night — it’s because all day long they take cat naps. Cats are always on the prowl at night and the night seems to belong to them. Cats are sort of like the month of August, unpredictable, finicky, restless continually searching as well as mysterious. Cats at night seem to be in a state of transition and typical of the whole month of August that pours out a lot of heat in daytime and cold dew at night. It is a month that days get shorter and nights continue to get longer. Cats are hard to figure out and many August days are hard to figure out and are as unpredictable as my cat. My grandma in Northampton County had several cats, and she had an old saying that cats drew lightning and when a storm was brewing, she would make sure they were not on her porch or near the chicken house. One thing we know about Cat Nights is the fact that they will be hot!

Making a tomato bread pudding

With an abundant harvest of fresh tomatoes you can use some of the harvest to prepare a tomato bread pudding. My grandma and mother always used leftover homemade biscuits in their puddings but we use hot dog and hamburger buns that are leftover and you can also use Caesar salad croutons for a flavorful tomato bread pudding. To prepare a fresh tomato bread pudding, place ten or twelve fresh tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for half minute, remove and place in a bowl of cold water. Slip off the peelings and core, the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into chunks and stew them until they break up and become soupy. Add one, stick light margarine to the stewed tomatoes, stir in one cup of sugar, half teaspoon salt, two beaten eggs, four hot dog or hamburger buns or one package Caesar salad croutons or break buns into small chunks one fourth cup light brown sugar, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, half cup catsup, four drops Texas Pete hot sauce. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan or dish sprayed with Pam baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle top of pudding with finely grated parmesan cheese or a layer of cream cheese.

The season of August fogs

We hope you are keeping a written record of the size and number of the fogs each August morning. Check them each morning when you first get up especially before the sun begins to burn them off. The fogs tell the types of snowfall the winter will bring. It will be interesting to see if the August fogs have any bearing on the number and amounts of snow the winter will produce. According to my Northampton County grandma, a heavy fog meant a heavy show, a medium fog meant a medium-sized snow, and a light fog meant a dusting, trace, or very light snow fall. Keep up with the fogs during the 31 days of August and see what the winter brings in snowfalls and amounts

Tomatoes ripen quickly in the August heat

In the heat of the August sun, tomatoes will ripen fast, on days when the sun bears down and no rain or thunderstorm is in the forecast, use the water wand in shower mode and water the base of the tomato vines, and not the foliage to prevent blossom end-rot. During dry spells, birds will peck holes in tomatoes to obtain moisture. To prevent this, harvest tomatoes before they get fully ripe and place them on the porch or deck to finish ripening. Apply powdered lime to tomato vines and hill up soil on both sides of tomato vines. You can also mix lime and water in a sprinkling can (about two quarts lime per sprinkling can). Add water to can and pour around base of tomato vines.

Keeping sweet bell peppers harvested

Sweet bell peppers should be almost ready to harvest as the August sun shines down on them. Sweet bells are easy to process and freeze. All you have to do is cut off the tops, split them and remove the seed, and cut peppers into quarter inch cubes and place in pint or quart plastic containers. When you need them all during the year, pour what you need and place container back in freezer.

Starting a late harvest of strike green beans

Strike is the very best variety of green beans for late summer and an abundant production. A row that is planted this week will produce a harvest during late September and into October. Plant the strikes in a furrow about four inches deep and apply a layer of peat moss in the furrow after sowing the seed. Apply a layer of Black Kow composted cow manure and an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food. Hill Soil up on both sides of the furrow and tame down with the hoe blade for good soil contact. Once they develop two leaves, apply a side dressing of Plant-Tone and hill up soil to cover it up. Apply water with water wand in shower mode if no rain is forecast during the week.

Rainbow of colors in the zinnia bed

The zinnias of mid-summer are showing off a rainbow of colors and attracting an abundance of attention from yellow and black swallowtail butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, goldfinches, and the majestic Monarch butterflies. When all these floral masterpieces are on display along with the tapestry of butterfly wings, they combine to perform a spectacular show.

The moon reached its first quarter on Friday, August 5. The moon will be full on Thursday, August 11. This full moon will be named “Full Sturgeon Moon.” The moon reaches its last quarter on Friday, August 19. There will be a new moon on the evening of Saturday, August 27.

Preparing an apple sauce pound cake

This is a very easy recipe for an apple sauce pound cake that could be called semi-homemade. All you need to do is mix a box of Duncan Hines caramel cake mix or spice cake mix (caramel is best), one three ounce box Jello instant vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix, four large eggs, one pint of apple sauce, one teaspoon apple pie spices, half cup Crisco oil, half cup milk, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Mix all ingredients well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan with Pam baking spray, Pour batter into the pan and bake forty five to fifty minutes. The cake will be done when it springs back when touched or when a toothpick comes out clean. Better yet, you can tell by the smell when this cake is done.

June started off on a cool note and a few temperatures in the cool 40s and the overall average temperature for the month was 72 degrees. This caused a lower number of firefly counts for the first week in June. On June 8, the firefly count was 80 and temperature was 74 degrees; June 9, the count was 175’ on June 12, the count was 237. The count was 325 on June 16. On June 23, the count was 320. For most of June the average count was 260 each evening between 8:50 to 9:25 p.m.

The record number was June 29, it was 606. On that evening, the temperature was 78 and the humidity was 65. On that evening the fireflies were observed from trees to the grass on the lawn and all areas in between.

The ideal nights for counting were dry nights, lower humidity and no wind. Peak viewing is between 8:35 and 9:35 p.m.. Their numbers seem to dwindle after that. As Dog Days started, the number averaged around 100 or less. Best counts were between 70 to 79. On rainy evenings the number dwindles. High humidity affects their numbers.

In July on the first day of the month, we counted 536 with a temperature of 74 and humidity of 79. July 2 was stormy and few fireflies. July 3 was clear, humidity 84 and a count of 236. July 4, the temperature was 78 and humidity 69 and the count was 326. On July 6, the count was 159 with humidity of 85 and temperature of 81. As we reached Dog Days, the average count slowed considerably each night with humid conditions and evening thunderstorms.

Let us focus today on Hosea 4: 1-2. In this text we find that the Lord was revealing to Hosea there was a call for Israel to return to the Lord. Israel had strayed far away from God and was following paths of sins that totally displeased the Lord. The Lord called it a “controversy” which means to be in opposition to. The Lord was in opposition to the way that Israel was living, and they were bringing a reproach to the name of the Lord.

When we look at this text, we find the things that the Lord had controversy with: Israel had departed from the Lord in their worship. There was no truth in the land which meant that they were finding other gods and false religions to worship. There was no mercy in the land which means that people were ready to pass judgment on others but never wanted to admit the sin in their own lives. There was also no knowledge of God which meant they had forgotten the Lord; were not teaching their children about the Lord; were not going to a place of worship and were not faithfully doing the things that would bring honor and glory to the Lord. They were satisfied living apart from the Lord.

Israel had also departed from the Lord in the way they talked. In verse 2 Hosea told us that by describing the words they were using. Swearing and lying gives us a picture of those that used profanity; profaning the name of the Lord and were constantly lying about anything and everything.

Israel had departed from the Lord with their works because also in verse 2 we see three marks of decay: killing, stealing, and committing adultery. These were all very plainly forbidden by the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by God. So, with all this we can see why God had a controversy with the nation Israel.

We live in the United States, which was founded on Christian principles, yet when we read this text and see that the Lord had a controversy with Israel, one must believe the Lord also has a controversy with our nation. Why, because we are doing the same things.

We have departed from the Lord in our worship. There is no truth because there are many false religions and teachings, and many people are being deceived into following these false teachings today. People also seem to be worshipping many things other than the Lord: things such as money, sports, material things, education, and the list could go on and on. There is no mercy because we are so easily ready to pass judgment on people who don’t think, talk and act just exactly like we do. So many times, we act as if we are without any sin in our lives and we condemn others. Scripture reminds us that “all have sinned.” There is also no knowledge of God because we have done everything possible to keep God’s word away from the people of our nation and especially the children. We have taken the Word of God out of our schools, our courtrooms, and many other public places. The saddest however may be that many have taken the Word of God out of our homes and churches. So yes, the Lord has a controversy with our worship.

We have departed from the Lord in our words. Profanity has become the accepted language of the day. It seems that we use it to be “cool” or to be accepted by the crowd and yes even those that profess to be Christians are using profanity regularly. We have also departed in our words by lying. People today seem to think nothing at all about telling an outright lie if they think it will help them or keep them out of trouble. We try to justify profanity and lying by saying everyone is doing it, but the Bible is plain when it tells us “To put off lying” and “let our words be acceptable in the sight of the Lord.”

We have departed from the Lord in our works. We have constant crime all around us, killing, stealing and adultery. These today are still just as much sin as they were when the Lord told Moses “Thou shall not…. kill, steal, or commit adultery.” Christian, sadly we cannot say “not me” because we do these same things. We kill by gossiping, backbiting, fussing, and fighting with one another. We steal each other’s blessings by tearing each other down. We commit adultery by being unfaithful to the Lord.

So yes, the Lord must have a controversy with us. Hosea 6: 1 tells us what to do to clear up this controversy. “Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up”. Solomon may have said it best in 2 Chronicles 7: 14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It is time that we follow the Lord to end His controversy with us or God’s judgment will soon come.

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County. This particular column is part of a monthly series on drug abuse prevention and treatment.

Short, frequent discussions can have a real impact on your child’s decisions about alcohol.

Talking to your child at an early age about drinking is the first step toward keeping them alcohol-free. But as they enter middle and high school, the pressure to try alcohol increases. It’s important to continue the conversation throughout adolescence.

Talking often builds an open, trusting relationship with your child.

Children are more likely to avoid drinking when they have a strong, trusting relationship with their parents. Get into the habit of chatting with your child every day. It will make it easier to have serious conversations about things like alcohol and will make your child more comfortable coming to you for advice.

Lots of little talks are more effective than one “big talk.”

Sitting down for the “big talk” about alcohol can be intimidating for both you and your child. Try using everyday opportunities to talk— in the car, during dinner, or while you and your child are watching TV. Having lots of little talks takes the pressure off trying to get all the information out in one lengthy discussion, and your child will be less likely to tune you out.

When you do talk about alcohol, make your views and rules clear.

Take the time to discuss your beliefs and opinions about alcohol with your child. Be honest and express a clear, consistent message that underage drinking is unacceptable. When they feel that you’re being real and honest with them, they’ll be more likely to respect your rules about underage drinking.

As children get older, the conversation changes.

What you say to a 9-year-old about alcohol is different from what you say to a 15-year-old. Children also can’t learn all they need to know from a single discussion. Make sure that the information you offer your child fits their age. As they get older, you can give them more information and reinforce your rules.

Remember that the conversation goes both ways.

Although talking to your child about your thoughts about alcohol is essential, it’s also important to hear their point of view. Give your child the opportunity to ask you questions and listen to what they have to say. Children who have parents who listen to their feelings and concerns are more likely to say “no” to alcohol.

What you do is just as important as what you say.

In addition to talking often with your child about alcohol, it’s important to set a good example. If you choose to drink, you can positively influence your child by drinking in moderation and NEVER driving when you’ve been drinking. Be aware of where you keep your alcohol, and always remind your child that the alcohol in your house is off-limits.

Remember, keep it low-key. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get everything across in one talk. Plan to have many short talks. “Talk with your child. They really do hear you.”

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from learning more about “Talk. They Hear You.”, please Start Here, by contacting Charlotte Reeves, Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery Community Outreach Coordinator, at reevesc@co.surry.nc.us. Visit our website at surrycountycares.com for more information about substance use disorder and the many resources in our County.

Crooked Oak Primitive Baptist Church, established in July 1878, still stands on Pine Ridge Road in Surry County, a quarter-mile south of Crooked Oak Crossroads. The official name is “Zion Hill,” but locals call it “Crooked Oak.” There it sits under the shade trees with three windows on each side, a tin roof and two outhouses out back; a “His” and a “Hers.

As I remember, with no electricity the inside got a little toasty in the heat of summer and everybody fanned the hot air with card-board fans from the funeral home. Come winter-time, it was like being at the North Pole; even with a wood heater going full-blast. Whatever the weather, come Meeting Day, they preached, prayed and sang a joyful noise unto the Lord. When they sang, my grandma sang highest and loudest of all. When she hit an extra high note one memorable day, a dog howled outside. Then all the kids howled. Then everybody laughed. Grandma? She never missed a lick.

Foot-Washing Day always came on the fourth Sunday in July; the high social event of summer and the best time to meet all the neighbors who had not seen each other since the last Foot-Washing or the last funeral. It was the one day of the year when everybody went to church; including Pa, Mama and us boys. (So much for those who said about us, “Them Heathens never go to church.”)

The meeting came at just the right time to give everybody a hard-earned break from tending crops in the burning fields of mid-summer and they could hardly wait to get together, celebrate and share their huge back-logs of gossip, jokes and news.

On a bright July Sunday morning, they came “from all over” to that little white church on Pine Ridge Road. From Scrap-town, Garbraley, Flower Gap, Lambsburg, Pine Ridge, Round Peak, Beulah and Low Gap they came: along the hot dusty roads, riding in A-Models, T-Models, and some newer models. By farm wagon, buggy, horseback, muleback, bicycle and on foot they came and all wore their very best Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes.

The kids and dogs chased each other in the dirt and dust until all became the same color; the color of dirt. The women wore ankle-length dresses, home-made slatted cardboard sunbonnets and they too fanned themselves with cardboard fans from the funeral home. They bragged about their wonderful families, how well little Joey was doing in school, their gardens, how many cans of green beans they had “put up” so far and gossiped about the women not there.

The men wore brand-new bib overalls, with wind-up watches in the bib pockets, “chawed ‘baccer,” dipped snuff and smoked “roll your own” cigarettes made from “store-boughten” Prince Albert tobacco or from small cloth sacks of Golden Grain, also from the store. Those who had no money to buy smoked their own “home-growed ‘baccer” from Golden Grain sacks and nobody knew.

Some of the year’s best farming was done right there in the shade of the oak trees on Foot-Washing Sunday. With a cloud of tobacco smoke in the air and a sea of tobacco juice on the ground, the men traded guns, knives, horses, mules, cows, jokes, lies and talked about the good old days and the more they talked about them, the better they became. The discussions never ended about who got caught doing what and who did not, whose horse could out-pull whose mule and whose could run the fastest. “My mule can smell rain coming and your horse can’t.”

Every man was the proud owner of “the best durned huntin’ dog ever put on God’s Green Earth.” “My Ol’ Blue treed a coon one time and clomb right up the tree after it. That ol’ coon come tumblin’ down scared half to death and seein’ Ol’ Blue up in that tree scared me too.” “My Ol’ Bessie, she run a fox for two days one time and I thought I was gonna’ have to shoot ‘er to git ‘er to stop, but she finally did.”

On a Foot-Washing Sunday to remember, a red-headed girl from Lambsburg, Virginia came dressed as a cowgirl: complete with cowboy hat, vest, boots and two guns on her gun-belt. She was an instant hit with every man and if prizes had been given, she would have won by a landslide. Even with no horse, she was the main attraction and even I was impressed, because I had never before seen a real live cowgirl. (For some unknown reason, not a single woman was impressed.)

Zion Hill Cemetery was located just across the road; with a wooded area beyond, where some of the men sneaked in and sampled moonshine hidden there. As the day went on, they became experts on everything under the sun. Their fields of corn and tobacco became bigger and better and some almost became millionaires right there in the woods. Those who drank too much “took a little nap,” while their wives threatened to “burn them woods to the ground.”

One of our neighbors (Frank Coalson by name) parked his Dodge pickup under the shade trees and sold cones of ice cream and cups of lemonade from a brand-new No. 2 galvanized wash tub that had a chunk of ice floating around in it. According to my Pa, Frank’s lemonade was “Made in the shade, stirred with a spade and the best old lemonade ever made.” I agreed and figured I could have put away the whole batch all by myself.

Except for lemonade and ice cream, I’d had nothing to eat since breakfast and was in mortal danger of starving to death. To my way of looking, “all that preaching, praying, singing and foot-washing was a waste of time. Them people shoulda’ washed their feet at home like I had to do last night after wadin’ them mud holes. One good thing about the whole mess; if anybody died from hunger, there was Zion Hill Cemetery right across the road.”

Finally, just when I was about to meet my Maker, the meeting came to an end. Every family had brought food from home and the long tables (covered with white sheets) were loaded with more good stuff to eat than I’d ever seen. There were pies and cakes as far as the eye could see and it looked like every chicken in the country had been fried and brought there, which told me there were some tired people close by. Our chickens back home ran free and when we needed one to eat, we had to chase it down, which sometimes took the whole family and the dog. (We never failed.)

For most kids, (including me) it was the biggest and best meal of the year and nobody cared who ate how much. It was an awfully long time until next year, so, like everybody else, I dived in. No way was I about to go back home hungry. Until the eating began, it had been a slow day, but the sun then raced across the sky and all of a sudden, all the food was gone, all the big tales had been told and everybody headed for home. It was the end of a perfect day, but a sad time, because Foot-Washing Day at Crooked Oak Church would not be back until next year.

In the photograph: Crooked Oak Primitive Baptist Church in April, 2019.

As July wraps up, I couldn’t help but reflect on an exciting trend that has come back to the area and brought a wave of nostalgia and historical discovery with it. From Downtown Pilot Mountain’s Fun Friday ‘70s edition to the second annual Hippie Revival Festival at Miss Angel’s Farm, the ‘70s are back in Surry County in a big way.

The ‘70s were memorable for many things from the trends in fashion and hippie culture being in full swing, but the music of the decade really stood out. As a millennial, I remember every summer, saving up money and going to music festivals (such as the Vans Warped Tour in Charlotte). It was never lost on me that we had never really stopped trying to recreate the iconic music festivals of the late 1960s and 1970s.

This all had me wondering where young people from this area would have gone to hear live music and have their own music festival experience, and the answer? Love Valley just north of Statesville for the Love Valley Rock Festival of 1970.

Love Valley was, and still is today, a 2,000-acre town created by Andy Barker. Barker loved westerns and the stories of the wild west so much that he made an entire western-themed tourism destination in 1958. The creation of this town was truly interesting and exciting, especially for surrounding North Carolinians. Even here in Mount Airy, Bobby Atkins recorded a bluegrass song about the town at Stark Records in 1968, called Love Valley.

How did this Wild West wonderland become the location for “The South’s Woodstock”? Barker saw how successful other music festivals were and figured if he could get bands to play for free and people to pay $5 for a three-day ticket then he could make a good amount of money. His 22-year-old daughter Tonda also wanted to attend Woodstock the previous year, and though he thought she was too young, he allowed her to plan a music festival there in Love Valley with her 16-year-old brother, Jet. She originally planned to host 25,000 – 50,000 people if they were lucky, but no one could have expected what the festival would bring.

Because of the nature of the event, it’s hard to know just how many attended, some say 100,000 others speculated it could have been closer to 200,000, but regardless there was a huge turnout. The event strategically took place from July 13 – 16. Other major music festivals were happening in the south that July and people had traveled from all over to come and experience them.

At Love Valley, people were skinny dipping in a nearby lake and camping, and truly putting a Southern twist on hippie culture. One of my favorite stories includes, “…It was such a cool place. You had to ride horses. It was just like this Wild West town, and I can remember nights we were full of moonshine and LSD, having fake fights, and falling out of the second floor of the hotel with one of the guys in the middle of the street cracking a whip. It was nuts. I mean, it was crazy.”

This all caused quite a stir especially in more rural communities, and the event was a media frenzy with many local papers writing about it. Some were not ready to accept the ‘weird’ culture and concerned citizens from surrounding towns wrote to Andy asking him why he was having the event and voicing their concerns. Despite the concern from locals, the event went off without any real incident aside from a dispute between two rival biker gangs (Hell’s Angels and The Outlaws) though that was broken up quickly.

The bands that played at Love Valley truly helped set it off, some say that more than 40 bands showed up to play over the three days. Some of the best locally known were Kallabash out of Greensboro who iconically set off smoke bombs and finished their set naked, and lesser known Sacred Irony out of Winston-Salem.

The most well-known band to play was The Allman Brothers. They had an album out as a Southern rock band but weren’t extremely well known yet. Their performance was so well-anticipated though that they were booked to play at least twice and are thought to be one of the major reasons for the impressive turnout. The set list itself showed music to start at 6 p.m. and go to about 1- 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday a “Praise the Lord” service at the area stage from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and partying “until you couldn’t stand” starting back up at 2 p.m.

It seems unreal that less than an hour away, such a bizarre and amazing event took place. The reality though is that the Love Valley Rock Festival was so much more than anyone could have dreamed, and it had a fascinating impact on the community, artists who performed, and most importantly the participants who experienced it all. I can’t wait to see how else Surry County will embrace the ’70s, but as trends come back in style, I hope we can all bring the history back with it.

Cassandra Johnson is the director of programs and education at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She is a Carroll County, Virginia, native whose family has been exploring the Devil’s Den cave in Fancy Gap for generations.

The katydids are singing songs of autumn

Even though Dog Days are still with us, as the month of July comes to an end the katydids in the tops of mighty oaks are singing songs of the up-and-coming autumn. These unusual insects make music by rubbing their legs against their sides. They resemble large green grasshoppers. Their song is the same each evening and they remind us how slowly and subtly one season paves the way into another. Soon, the dews will become wetter and sticky and the fogs of August will be another sign that the season of fall is sneaking up on us. The crickets will join the katydids in singing of the coming change of seasons.

This is the season to start compost pile

As the harvest of some vegetable crops reach maturity, the time to start a compost bin or pile has arrived. The heat will quickly warm a pile of compost. The residue of spent vegetable crops and stalks or vines are great compost ingredients. Run the mower over them to break the garden residue down to speed up the compost process. Add grass clippings to heat it up. Add some Plant-Tone organic vegetable food or Black Kow composted cow manure to build up heat in the pile. Add peelings, hulls, and garden waste to the compost and add some water once a week. Stir the pile or bin twice each week as you add the ingredients.

The sights and sounds of midsummer

The humming birds zoom around and contend for nectar at the feeders. The birds of summer are active at the feeders and bees visit the annuals and perennials on the porch and deck. Butterflies and finches visit the zinnia bed. Thunder sounds in the distance as a storm approaches. After the storm runs its course, the garden plot will be filled with the glow of fire flies. Humid days, pop-up thunderstorms, and fire fly evenings seem to be summer’s calling cards.

Checking the rose of midsummer

The roses have bloomed all the way through the spring and early summer. With some extra care, they will bloom until frost. To keep them blooming, dead head all spent blooms, spray foliage for mites, insects, and Japanese beetles. Feed with Rose-Tone organic rose food once each month. Water once a week if no rain is in the forecast. Keep long canes trimmed back.

A bit of Saint Lammas weather lore

Saint Lammas Day will be celebrated tomorrow. On this day, it is said the grain begins to ripen and dew’s begin to get heavy. A bit of lore on Saint Lammas Day says that if his day is hot and steamy, look for winter to be white and creamy. We can certainly look for Saint Lammas Day to be hot and steamy because after all, we still have several Dog Days remaining. Don’t count on winter being too white and creamy. Winter is still more than five months away, and a lot of hot, humid weather is ahead before we can even think about the white stuff. One sure thing we know about Saint Lammas Day is that the halfway point of summer has been reached.

Connecting August fogs with winter snows

Tomorrow brings the arrival of the first day of August. The month also brings the arrival of foggy mornings. Are the fogs of August harbingers of the coming snows of winter? My grandma in Northampton County always thought they did, and so did my mother. They kept accurate records of each August fog and if they were light, medium, or heavy. They rose early every morning so they were in good position to observe and record results of the fogs. A heavy fog represents a heavy snow, medium fogs represented a medium snowfall and light fog would mean a trace of snow or a dusting of snow or just a covering of snow. Some of their observations were about as accurate as some of today’s forecasts.

Weather lore as August begins

The last full month of summer begins Monday with almost two more weeks of Dog Days remaining. The last day of the Dog Days of 2022 will be Thursday, August 11. A bit of winter weather lore to begin the month of August says that if the first week of August be warm, winter will be white and long. With Dog Days still in progress, we could very well see some more hot weather. August has plenty of weather lore as you will see in today’s Garden Plot. Even though winter is still a long way off, surely this bit of winter lore can be taken with a grain of salt.

A bowl of colorful dressed up green beans

For this summer recipe, you will need one quart fresh or canned green beans, one large diced white onion, one teaspoon sugar, half teaspoon pepper, one two ounce jar of diced pimentos, one can mushrooms, one can Green Giant Lesueur peas, one stick light margarine and half cup catsup. Mix all ingredients except green beans and simmer for fifteen minutes. Add drained green beans and half stick margarine and simmer for twenty minutes.

Tomatoes ripen quickly in late summer heat

In the heat of the midsummer sun, tomatoes will ripen fast. On days when the sun bears down and no rain is in the forecast use the water wand in shower mode and water the base of the tomato vines and not the foliage to prevent blossom end rot. During dry spells, birds will peck holes in tomatoes to obtain moisture. To prevent this, harvest tomatoes before they get fully ripe and place them on the porch or deck to finish ripening. Apply powdered lime tomato plants and hill up soil on both sides of the plants or mix lime and water in sprinkling can and pour around base of tomato plants.

The monarch butterfly with orange wings trimmed and bordered in black and white have decreased in numbers of 25% to 50% percent over the past decade. A lot of their decrease in population has been caused by the shortage of milkweed which hosts the egg-laying monarch butterflies. Milkweed is in shorter supply because of habitat destruction by development expansion, commercial enterprises, urban sprawl, and careless land management. Most of the land where milkweed prospered has been gulped up.

We are not much for the propagation of weeds, but in the interest of the survival of the Monarch and the hidden benefits of the milkweed, we are going to plant more flowers, scout for some milkweed and transplant it to the garden or try to locate some milkweed seed. After all, milkweed is a perennial and has beautiful purple and lavender flowers. We think this is a worthwhile project and we hope we can find some milkweed or milkweed seeds. Here are a few factors about milkweed: 1) Milkweed is a perennial. Monarchs and their larvae and caterpillars love milkweed. 2) Milkweed can be propagated from cuttings, the milkweed also develops seed pods and can also be rooted. (3) If you can find seed, milkweed can be planted. 4) Monarchs are also known as milkweed butterflies. 5) Monarchs migrate 1,600 miles each year to the mountains of western Mexico.

Keeping bell peppers harvested to freeze

Sweet bell peppers should soon be ready to harvest as the midsummer sun shines down on them. Sweet bells are easy to process and freeze. All you have to do is cut off the tops, split them and remove the seeds and cut into half-inch cubes and place in quart and pint plastic freezer containers. When you need peppers for recipes all during the year, get a container and pour out what you need and place the container back in freezer.

Starting a late row of strike beans

Strike is the best of a green beans for late summer harvests and abundant production. A row that is planted this week will produce a harvest before mid-September and produce until end of the month. Plant the strikes in a furrow about three or four inches deep and apply a layer of peat moss on top of the seed and also a layer of Black Kow composted manure and then an application of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food. Hill up soil on both sides of the furrow and tamp down soil over seeds in row with the hoe blade for good soil contact. Once the beans develop two leaves side dress with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food every 15 days. Apply water with water wand in ‘Shower” mode each week when rain is not in the forecast.

The rainbow of colors in the zinnia bed

The Zinnias of mid-summer are showing off a rainbow of colors and attracting an abundance of attention from yellow and black tiger swallowtails, bees, hummingbirds, sparrows, gold finches, as well as the majestic Monarch butterflies. These floral masterpieces are on display along with the tapestry of an array of butterflies, all performing a spectacular show of motion and beauty.

“Female football lover.” A man took his sweetheart to a football game. After the game, he asked her how she liked the game. She replied, “I like it, but I could not understand why the players fuss over twenty-five measly cents.” Her boyfriend said, “What are you talking about?” His sweetheart said, “Well, they were all saying get the quarter back!”

“Watered down.” A motorist, after being stuck on a muddy road, paid this farmer $50 to pull his car out of the mud. The motorist told the farmer, “At these prices you should be pulling people out of the mud day and night.” The farmer replied, “I can’t do that because every night I have to fill the hole with water!”

Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.

Summer fun, enrichment activities, outdoor games, learning lessons, and exciting field trips describe a summer full of engagement for our students. Many of our staff dedicate their summer to make sure there is no summer loss for many of our children.

We expect 50% of our total population of students to be involved in some type of summer activity on our campus. It may be an athletic camp in soccer, basketball, football, basketball, or one of our other 27 sports. The students may be in our summer school program that allows them to work on academic areas that may be weak for them or strengthen areas where they have academic talent. Our enrichment programs in the summer are free to every child in our community. The Blue Bear Bus is out and about in the community reaching more than a hundred students and their families with amazing resources. 800+ students benefit from the many summer opportunities that Mount Airy City Schools (MACS) is able to provide.

Imagine a camp such as Baking Bears, where you are able to grow your culinary skills. You might also conduct fun science experiments at our many S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) offerings, learn about college at College Application Bootcamp, experience the arts at Arts Alive and Magical Music, or enjoy creating structures during Legos Extravaganza. Our S.E.E. (Summer Enrichment Experiences) camps have a little something for everyone.

The amount of adult educators it requires to put on these camps is a big undertaking. We feel blessed at MACS that more than 40 staff members show up to help lead summer programming. We all know how difficult it can be for high poverty families to be involved in meaningful activities, get three meals a day, and find appropriate child care while they are working. We are happy and excited to provide these opportunities for every single student.

The Blue Bear Bus is a favorite of the Mount Airy community. Any given day you see the decorated bus pulling into your neighborhood with activities for the whole family, academic support resources, along with educators ready to play games and have a lot of fun. The energy of the Blue Bear Bus team is second to none and the excitement they bring is contagious. Serving more than 100 students each week shows the popularity of this mission. Check out our link to show all of the great locations they will be visiting over the next few weeks. https://www.mtairy.k12.nc.us/apps/pages/bluebearbus

Everything from driver’s education, to teacher training, to cleaning and preparing schools is happening on our five campuses. There are custodians, school nutrition workers, maintenance workers, bus drivers, administrators, and many staff members who work twelve months out of the year preparing our schools for the upcoming school year. Any given day you can see basketball floors being stripped and waxed, classrooms being painted, maintenance occurring and planning happening. This feels busier than the school year for many of the staff members because they are onboarding new staff, working on licensure issues, and balancing budgets before the next school year begins. We are thankful for all of these everyday heroes that make a difference in the life of a child.

The summer is the best time to jump into one of our summer academic programs, our enrichment camps, or our Blue Bear Bus activities to see if you are interested in joining the Mount Airy City Schools family. We open our programs to all children, regardless if they are enrolled in another district, they are homeschoolers or they attend a charter school. Our programs are free to students with transportation and meals provided for city residents. We are the hub of the community and that only gets stronger during the summer.

If you are interested in touring our schools and seeing for yourself the amazing staff we have ready to serve you please check out our website and sign up for a tour http://bit.ly/MACStour Come see what all the excitement is about, Blue Looks Good on You.

The front-page photo of two-year-old Brexton Hiatt’s reaction to a Tyrannosaurus rex was priceless! (See “Dinosaurs galore ‘attack’ Pilot Mountain” in the July 26 edition of The Mount Airy News.] The photo captured a great moment in time – especially with young Brexton nestled safely in the arms of his proud father.

The inside photos and captions, along with the superb narrative, helped to further depict the family-fun essence of the well-attended event on Main Street in Pilot Mountain.

Congratulations to Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham for his town’s hosting such a fantastic (and free!) interactive educational event.

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

We are living in a time when our belief as Christians is being tested; our faith is being put under a microscope for Satan to see our every weakness. The very moral laws of God are being pushed aside and replaced by the evil heart of mankind. The Bible says in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.

Satan has blinded the minds of the unbeliever, but God has given mercy and grace to those who have their faith in Christ Jesus. After we are saved through the blood of Jesus we have renounced, which means to give up, those hidden things (or things in secret of dishonesty), not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Apostle Paul is saying we don’t handle God’s word deceitfully which means don’t present God’s word in a way that keeps the truth hidden and gives false impressions. We are to present God’s word in truth so that we can be shown worthy in the eyes of people and in the sight of God. I have always in my 26 some years preached, sung, and wrote the truth of the gospel of Christ. I have taken the word of God from the KJV Bible for its face value and never tried to smooth over what God says is wrong.

The Bible is not a book for God to pat us on the back and say good job. That will come later on judgment day for Christians at the Judgment Seat of Christ if anyone should be so worthy. The Bible says; All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16.

Now if you ever think you are perfect while you are here on earth you better step back and take a real close look at yourself. If anyone ever thinks they are perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works you are deceiving yourself and certainly not fooling God. God’s word is a goal that is set before us for correction of our sinful nature. I don’t believe anyone can reach God’s goal of righteousness on earth except the Lord Jesus.

We are running a race as a servant of God, not as a self-made saint before people. This race that we are running for God has road signs that are taken from the Bible like 1 John1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. So while we are still in the race we come upon the next sign that says in 1 John1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We are not confessing our sins to keep our salvation; we are confessing our sins because of our sinful nature and keeping our prayer life in tip-top shape. But if you bypass that sign of confessing your sins the last road sign will pop up. 1 John1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. So we take time to talk to the Lord because we know and He knows we have sinned. We need and must have a regular prayer life because we are the sheep running a race for the Shepherd that speaks to us when we listen for correction and instruction. Jesus said; John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

God is holy and there is a barrier that exists between God and us when we come to Him with unconfessed sin in our lives. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. That is the very reason you can’t put yourself upon a pedestal of righteousness as a human.

I’m trying to express the truth in a human-understanding way. Sometimes it takes loudly spoken words for folks to listen to the truth. I believe that God is using His word to scream out to His people today not to get caught up in this world of hate, to gather your children together and keep them under the shadow of God and keep them from using a false source of being in control without God in an animated world.

Mankind is out of control today because they are without God and the next generation is going to be worse. So don’t let that happen to your kids no matter how old they are. Teach them the road signs of the Bible now. If they belong to Christ, it will be a lot easier on them today than God chastening later in life, believe me I know.

In today’s world we can instantly contact each other at any time. Text, video, and even with our voices. It’s almost inaccurate to call the devices in our pockets “telephones,” but telephones were the first small step of mankind’s journey in instant communication. Let’s take a look back in time at the history of telephones in Mount Airy, Surry County and beyond.

The first telephone was invented by Scottish-born Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. North Carolina first began dialing in to telephones in 1879, the first being installed in Raleigh. The city also saw the first telephone exchange, and the same year, it was possible to place calls as far as Wilmington.

The introduction of telephones in rural areas of the South was largely thanks to the Rural Electrification Administration, also known as the REA. Established by Congress, the agency made it possible to bring electricity to isolated parts of the country and played a part in lighting up and bringing power to Mount Airy and its surrounds. Then in 1949, the REA reached a new phase, and began its work to also provide telephone lines to those outside of the big cities. While the REA did not build or operate facilities, it was integral to the introduction of telephones by offering start-up loans that allowed rural cooperatives to build their own service lines.

It was in 1951 that one of the major telephone companies in the area, the Surry Telephone Membership Corporation, applied for a loan of more than half a million dollars from the REA loan through the North Carolina Electrification Authority.

Surry Telephone Membership Corporation, which still exists under the name of Surry Communications, had its first telephone exchange in Level Cross, a small community just south of Mount Airy, in November 1954. The company’s telephone directory from the same year not only lists the names and numbers of its members and outlines the services it provides, but also includes instructions on how to dial using a rotary phone, and a reminder to “speak in a normal tone of voice, slowly, clearly and directly into the mouth piece” when making calls.

By 1957, Surry Telephone Membership Corporation had added exchanges in Westfield, Beulah and Zephyr. The monthly charge for a line was $3.25, with toll charges on all calls outside the member’s own exchanges.

Telephones had made it to Surry County by 1894. Those who had joined up to the service were called “subscribers,” with some of the earliest subscribers in the area being the Sparger Brothers Tobacco Factory, Blue Ridge Inn, First National Bank, C.F and Y.V. Railroad, Fulton Tobacco, and the Renfro Inn. Around the same time, a line from Mount Airy to Dobson had been newly built.

Many of the first telephones were placed in general stores, or other business establishments. One of the earliest records of telephones in Surry County is a 1909 notice announcing that Telephone Pay Stations had been installed at a number of general stores in Mount Airy, as well as Foy’s Hardware, Prather’s clothing store, and various other stores. The same notice announced that 5 cents will be charged for local connections.

Pay stations were a necessity when using telephones in their early years. To make a call, you would have to find an agent-operated telephone pay station to pay a fee and make your call. In 1888, William Gray began dreaming up what would eventually become public, coin cooperated telephones. His original had a bell attached which would alert the telephone operator that the person had paid for their call and could now be connected. The design was upgraded throughout the years.

Back in Mount Airy, the town’s telephone services were under the name of Central Telephone Company, formally Central Electric and Telephone Company, before it was separated from other utilities services in the late 1940s.

Back in Mount Airy, in 1947 the Central Telephone Company began planning to install underground telephone lines along Main Street. While assessing its feasibility, workers used power drills to explore beneath the street to determine what granite deposits are there, and whether the lines would actually be able to be placed around the granite. Around the same time, the company announced that additional telephone lines were being planned that would connect Mount Airy to Dobson and Winston-Salem.

The same year, the Central Telephone company filed an application with the North Carolina Utilities commission asking for a general increase in telephone rates. The company said rates would vary but would generally range from 25 cents to $1.25 per month for business service and 15-75 cents per month for residential. Long distance calls would not be affected by the proposed revisions.

As the years go by, we are constantly finding more and more ways to speak and connect with each other over physical distances, from Zoom to text messages, email to FaceTime calls. But it’s all due to the early work of those who saw the potential of the telephone that we have these services that make our lives just that much more connected.

Katherine “Kat” Jackson is a staff member at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. Originally from Australia she now lives in King. She can be reached at the museum at 336-786-4478.

Rising with the sun on a Dog Day morning

The Dog Day sun is still rising hot and early in the morning. Even the dog star Sirius rises with the sun and follows it across the sky all day long. Like Sirius, we need to rise before the heat of the Dog Day morning, do our chores and garden tasks and then take a nap in the heat of the day. We still have about two more weeks before the end of Dog Days plus the hotties of the rest of the month of August, so be prepared and deal with the heat.

The Dog Day sun shines down on the water in the birdbath and heats it up in the afternoon. It becomes distasteful to the thirsty birds on days especially when no rain is in the forecast. Empty the hot water from the baths each afternoon and refill with fresh cool water. They not only drink the water but they take cooling baths in it also.

During dry days in July when there’s not much rain and not much in mud holes, water may be difficult for birds to find. They will look for water in other sources. One source could be to peck holes in ripe tomatoes. You can avoid this situation by harvesting tomatoes and placing them on the porch or deck to finish ripening. Don’t place in the heat of direct sunlight because will cause them to ripen too quickly.

Making canned green beans taste fresh

Can and freeze all the green beans from the summer harvest so they can be enjoyed during the winter. In winter, you can prepare green beans to taste like fresh. All you have to do is open a quart jar of green beans, add one tablespoon white Karo corn syrup, one stick light margarine, half teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, and half teaspoon of celery seed. Bring the green beans and all the ingredients to a boil, lower heat and simmer three minutes. Remember the beans are already cooked, and this was done when you processed them during the canning. All you are doing with the canned beans is enhancing the flavor.

The tropical colors of the portulaca

The huge container of portulaca on the deck has a new display of flowers every day in different displays and patterns. Each morning there is a different combination of colors with new array of flowers. The container is completely covered in foliage and flowers and cascades over the sides of the container. Colors of orange, red, yellow, white, burgundy, rose, tan, pink, wine, and coral. Every day that the sun shines the flowers open wide. On cloudy days, there are not as many flowers. On very warm afternoons, the container is a rainbow of colors. The portulaca has other names such as rose moss, cactus rose and desert flower.

Cooling down with a cucumber salad

Cucumbers are good at any meal during Dog Days and this recipe will cool off hungry diners. Peel and dice three or four cucumbers in half inch chunks. Dice three or four firm tomatoes into half inch chunks. Dice one medium onion into half inch chunks, or you can use four or five scallions. Dice a half cup of stuffed olives, one two ounce jar of diced pimentos (drained). For the dressing, mix half cup sugar, one fourth cup apple cider vinegar, half teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, one fourth cup mayonnaise. Mix the ingredients together and pour over the salad ingredients and stir. Refrigerate for an hour or two.

Gems in the summer skies

Rainbows are glorious gems in the eastern sky on humid summer days. An afternoon thunderstorm brings relief from the heat and an extra bonus of a beautiful rainbow. The ribbon of seven bright colors of include red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and violet. These are all the colors of the prism, which are the products of light in this case, the light of the sun. The colors of the rainbow are the colors of the spectrum, and the spectrum is God’s great color wheel.

Canning squash for casseroles and sonkers

The squash of summer are now ready for a harvest. You can enjoy them fried with onions or in a casserole or sonker. Summer squash are easy to can and enjoy in winter in sonkers and casseroles. You can use the yellow crookneck or straight neck. To process for canning, scrub the squash with vegetable brush, wash them and cut the squash into half inch cubes. Place the cubes in sterilized one quart jars and fill to within half inch of top of jar. Seal with sterilized lids and rings. Place in a pressure canner and process at ten pounds pressure for 25 minutes, when using the canned squash during winter, drain water from jars before using.

Making a yellow summer squash sonker

This is a great recipe squash sonker and the ingredient that sets it apart is the use of real vanilla and not imitation, we certainly don’t know what the flavor of the very first sonker was, but it could have possibly been squash just because they are so plentiful during summer. They make a tasty sonker because they have plenty of moisture. Squash are also one of America’s oldest vegetable that can be traced back to Pilgrims in 1620. To prepare this sonker recipe simmer a quart of summer squash (preferably straight neck) or six of eight fresh squash. Mash or chop the cooked squash and drain, add one and a half cups sugar, two teaspoons real vanilla, one teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, half cup evaporated milk, two tablespoons corn starch, two teaspoons Log Cabin maple syrup. Mix (by hand) and set aside. For the crust, mix two cups plain flour, one teaspoon salt, two teaspoons sugar, two third cup Crisco shortening, ten tablespoons of ice cold water. Mix salt and sugar with plain flour, add Crisco shortening and mix with hands until crumbly, add the ice cold water and knead the dough until it forms a soft ball. Grease a 13×9×2 inch baking pan or dish with Crisco shortening and flour the pan. Spread the dough into the greased and floured pan. Pour the squash filling over the crust and pat top of filling with pats of light margarine. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour or more needed.

Hints of autumn all around us

The crickets and katydids have been singing their tunes about autumn for several weeks. Crows also have been making a racket about it also. The dogwoods have the evidence with plenty of red berries and more are turning red each day. The nandenna bushes have clusters of tiny green berries that may be pointing to autumn and possibly some harsh winter cold. Days are still getting shorter by a minute each evening. Many summer flowers are producing seed pods and weeds are trying to produce more seed as they try to prolong the weed population. Even with signs of autumn, there is still plenty of garden time left that we can take advantage of.

Perking up heat stressed tomatoes

In the heat of Dog Days, tomato vines sort of look pooped. They need a shot to perk them up and you can give them that double dose of pepper-uppers. First of all, fill a sprinkle can with water and two cups of lime (calcium carbonate powdered), stir and pour at the base of the tomato vines. Next, fill the sprinkling can with water and mix in proper amount of Alaska Fish emulsion according to directions on the bottle. Pour this solution around the base of the tomato vines. Next day, side dress the tomatoes with Tomato-Tone organic tomato food and hill soil up on each side of the row.

Sowing broccoli and cabbage seeds

With subtle hints of autumn in the air, it’s time to sow seeds of cole family vegetables such as broccoli collard, and cabbage seed to be transplanted to the garden plot in early September. Start seed of collard, broccoli and cabbage within the next ten days. Use three medium flower pots (one quart size). Fill the pots with seed starting medium and proper amount of water to moisten the medium and allow an extra handful of the medium per pot to cover the seed. Pour the medium into a bucket and mix with water until well- moistened. Fill the containers to within half inch from the top. Label each container with type of seed because all cole family seed look just alike. Scatter the seed in each pot and apply a layer of starting medium on top of seed and pat down with your fingers. Repeat process with other seed varieties. Use a spray bottle such as glass cleaner comes in and mist the containers each day. Keep pots out of direct sunlight and place in carport or porch. When plants develop two leaves, transplant seedlings to individual containers and spray or mist with water every day and protect from direct sunlight. Protect from heat of the sun. Plants should be ready to transplant to garden in early September.

“Strike up the sit down.” The company was having a problem with all its employees going on a sitdown strike. An intelligent CEO told the strikers they might as well be comfortable, so he provided them with blankets, chairs, and cases of bourbon. When they had consumed half the bourbon, the CEO sent in ten exotic dancers to entertain the strikers. Then he brought over the wives of the strikers. That was the end of the sitdown strike.

“A two-way bargain.” On the first day of the school year, the teacher sent this note home to every parent: “If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I’ll promise not to believe everything they say happens at home.”

“Double trouble.” A few years ago, a friend was in trouble and I helped him out. “I won’t forget you,” he said. He didn’t, now he’s in trouble again.

Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com

This morning I walked out back of the house looking at the shrubs and flowers, while gazing at the sycamore, oak and pine trees. A red bird was hopping along on the fence. Robins and blue birds were flying from limb to limb in the trees.

It was quiet since the day had just begun. The grass was still wet from the heavy morning dew. My mind flashed back to the back porch when I was growing up in Surry County. Well, really a porch on the side of the house. But, since it was near the back, we called it the back porch. Every afternoon or evening, our family would just naturally migrate to the porch. We didn’t plan it, we didn’t talk about sitting on the porch. It just happened. Porch living was our way of life.

Dogs played around in the yard, but soon walked up on the porch to be petted and rubbed. We talked to them just like they were humans. I think they probably understood most of what we were saying. Pretty soon they were lying there in wait of a snack that would come later. Two or three cats were circling between our legs while constantly glancing over at the dogs in fear of being chased.

Mom might be stringing beans or peeling apples. A neighbor would probably drop by to talk about the crops or news about one of the neighbors. Often, we discussed a recent elementary or high school basketball or baseball game. In the summer, everyone talked about the Yankees or Dodgers. To us, there were no other teams. You were either a Dodger fan or a Yankee fan. And, you didn’t get along.

Neighbors would often drop off a “mess of beans,” several ears of corn, a basket of apples, a blackberry pie, or other assortments of food. Mom and dad always had a pitcher of “iced tea” for anyone on the back porch. Now, tea meant sweet tea. There was no such thing as unsweetened tea. That would be unheard of; it just didn’t exist. Of course, there was also a Pepsi Cola, a Big RC, a Big Orange (Nehi), a Cheerwine, or another bottle of pop that was available for the neighborhood kids. Yes, it was pop. The word soda or soft drink wasn’t in our vocabulary.

A front porch wasn’t quite a public room, but really close. It was a meeting ground between our family with friends and neighbors. Everyone could be seen; you could hear the sounds of neighborhood life. Neighbors knew one another and what was happening in our community. And because neighbors talked, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company, news traveled fast.

When Dad heard about a plumbing problem, a leaky roof, a sick cow or horse, or someone in need of help, he just got up, jumped into the truck, and took off to offer help. Dad was really hesitant to ask for help, but eager to provide help. It was just a way of life. I think all of the families in the community really lived with this type of independence, but with compassionate hearts.

Sometime later, the backyard patio and barbecue became the focus for family living. People moved away from the porches; and with the proliferation of television, families moved indoors where rooms were air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. The living room recliner and the remote control eventually replaced back and front porch living. In fact, porches are now mostly little more than architectural decor.

Now, it’s usually the den, basement, or the family room at the rear of the home where families gather and relax in private. It is rare that neighbors and friends drop by for an uninvited chats and sharing of neighborhood news.

In many ways, the faster the pace of life, the more wealth a family accumulates, the more isolated and lonely we become. We won’t admit it, but our family, our children, and our friends are the biggest losers. We need our community far more than we are willing to admit.

Well, a lawnmower and weed eater outside just took me out of my reflections of living on the porch. Back into the house for now. Hoping the joy of front porch living is still alive and doing well in some areas of North Carolina.

Hope ya’ll have a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Try out the back porch!

Johnny Long grew up in the Beulah area of Surry County, graduating from Beulah Elementary School, North Surry High School, and later from UNC-CH, as well as Appalachian State University. He lives in eastern North Carolina, but still visits Surry County.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

You go to a doctor whose name you can’t pronounce and whose degrees you have never verified, then he gives you a prescription you can’t read. You take it to a pharmacist you have never met. They give you a chemical you do not understand and most of the time you can’t even pronounce its name. Then you go home and take the pill according to the instructions on the bottle. It’s all in trusting and sincere faith.

Look at Joseph, Jacobs’s son, Joseph with the coat of many colors found in Genesis chapter 37. The story of Joseph is not all about Joseph. It’s not all about his brothers. It’s not all about Jacob. It’s about God. It’s about forgiveness; it’s about trusting in God for your life. It’s learning that God is in control and has a plan for your life.

Sometimes we feel that God has pulled the rug out from under us. Joseph must have felt that way because no sooner than he reached some heights he was brought back down. He was brought right back to where he started. In God’s plan for our lives He may remove the good from us to give us the better. Sometimes He may remove the better to give us the best. That’s what happened to Joseph.

Think of the example that Joseph’s life gives us. It is a Christ-like example. Joseph had the favor of his Father. He was despised and betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery for a few pieces of silver. But Joseph was exalted to rule. Our Lord Jesus found favor with His Father. Our Lord was betrayed by His own people. Betrayed for a few pieces of silver but now sets at the right hand of God the Father.

Each of us has encountered situations where we just felt like throwing in the towel. We felt like the whole world was against us. We felt like no matter what we did things would turn out bad. We all have at some time said to ourselves, “No matter what I do things still won’t change.” Or we feel that we have gone so far down that there is nothing that can bring us up.

I don’t know about you but if I’d been around Jacob and the boys and had known Joseph, watched the events of his life from a distance; if I had witnessed the hatred of his brothers throwing him in the pit, selling him like a piece of furniture, being bought into the slave market, and then going on through hard times for the next 13 years, I’d think I’d be tempted to tell Joseph: “Looks like God has forgotten you. God’s has abandoned you.”

We turn to God at times when our foundations of our life start shaking and many times only to discover it’s God who is doing the shaking. God cannot work good things through us until He works deeply in our hearts first. With faith, forgiveness, and knowing that God is in control and keeping our fellowship with Him intact with prayer these things come a lot easier. I believe that’s the reason Joseph had forgiveness in his heart. His fellowship with God was never broken. The Bible says that God was with Joseph. When we choose to forgive I believe we become a trophy of grace like Joseph.

We might think that we know what is best. But God has a plan for every life and all we have to do is seek after His will. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

If you follow His ways. If you let Him lead you, if you seek after His will. You will find that there’s no one else who knows the right direction for your life but God. He can open doors that have been shut, He can close doors that no man can open. Nobody else can do that but God. He can give sight to the blind. He can make the lame man walk and the dumb man talk. No one else but God. “But God” can do anything but fail!

Love in Christ Jesus, Evangelist Ronnie Miller.

In the majestic hills, turns, valleys, and mountains of this region lie numerous natural resources waiting to be seen and understood. Our lands are old, retaining the stories of life before us. Crossing the line from Surry to Stokes county feels just like that. Without the roadside markers, it would be hard to tell where one begins and the other ends. The curves and bends lead directly into one another, making a spectacular scene.

One of the constant markers in our Surry/Stokes scene is the Sauratown Mountains. The Sauratown Mountain range is evidence of a once-mighty, ancient section of mountains that dominated the landscape. The quartzite rocks that remain form several notable mountains, one of those being Hanging Rock in Danbury.

The expansive landscape that is Hanging Rock State Park started its debut in society with the creation and operation of three mineral springs and their respective resorts. From the mid-1800s onward folks have traveled from all around to enjoy Stokes County’s natural resources, one of those sites still standing is known as Vade Mecum. These springs were believed to have healing qualities for those who drank the water.

April 1936 changed the dynamic of the area when several philanthropic organizations banded together to purchase the area. The Winston-Salem Foundation, The Stokes County Committee for Hanging Rock State Park, and others deeded their purchase back to the state to create a new park; more than 3,000 acres were donated.

The CCC, or Civilian Conservation Corp, oversaw the creation and carving of a recreational area out of Hanging Rocks surrounding greenery. By 1940 the group had created two dams aiding in the construction of a 12-acre lake, a stone and wood bath house that could accommodate 1,000 swimmers, a diving tower, a sand beach, picnic areas, foot and horse trails, and a 350-car parking lot.

On July 21, 1944, Hanging Rock State Park was dedicated and officially opened. The CCC camps were closed, and visitors began to make their way into the park. In 1948, a better road was built to help visitors get to the top of the mountain. The historic bathhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, and a new visitors center was built in 1993 which is currently being renovated due to water damage.

Hanging Rock State Park is hosting two CCC educational canoe experiences this month on the lake. There, folks can learn more about how important the CCC was to the park. Trails, camping, and wonderful experiences await visitros at this historic park. Start at Vade Mecum and take the curvy path to Hanging Rock; you won’t be sorry that you did!

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229

Setting out tomatoes for late harvest

As July reaches the halfway point, there is still a lot of summer left to produce a second harvest of late summer tomatoes. Many hardwares, garden centers, nurseries, Walmart, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and Home Depot still have plenty of tomato plants in stock. Choose determinate varieties such as Celebrity, Rutgers, Marglobe, Homestead, and Better Boy. Place a layer of peat moss in bottom of the furrow to retain moisture as the summer heat bears down. Apply a layer of Tomato-Tone organic, tomato food before covering the plants with soil. Keep soil hilled up on both sides of tomato plants. Water base of the plants each week when no rain is in the forecast. Feed every 15 days with Tomato-Tone organic tomato food.

Another tale of a lazy Dog Day afternoon

Dogs seem to have the most common sense when it comes to coping with Dog Day afternoons, they just find a shady spot under a tree or inside the carport. They don’t seem to allow the heat to bother them and they certainly don’t experience heat strokes. Maybe this Dog Day tale will solve the mystery of why dogs can deal with the heat of Day Days better than most humans. Maybe it’s because they sometimes eat grass.

This Dog Day tale says that when a dog eats grass on a Dog Day morning, it will rain before the day is done. My Northampton County grandma always kept a few hounds around, and she always said dogs ate grass because they were sick (or maybe it was to keep them from getting sick). That made sense because in those days, most people, and we are sure most dogs, used their own remedies. Most people back then lived too far away and would not travel to a doctor or especially to a vet. They made do with what they had and so did the dogs.

As Dog Days move along, wet dew increases

As we reach past the half way point of July, the lawn is heavy, laden with dew and it lingers until mid-day. It is also unusual because it is very sticky. It is a sure signal that autumn is slowly on its way. Please do not mow the lawn when the dew is still on it because it will promote rust on the mower and blade, and also pile wet clippings on the lawn. Wait until later in the afternoon when the sun dries the dew. It will certainly be easier to mow and you will have a much better looking lawn.

Take advantage of the July corn harvest

Many gardeners don’t raise corn because they don’t have space and the long maturity time of 90 days or more to a harvest. Corn also produces a short harvest window and this prevents many gardeners from raising a corn crop. There are plenty of farms in our area that sell corn by the dozen ears or also a cabbage bag of twelve dozen ears. One such place is Smith Farms located on U.S. 601 between Boonville and Yadkinville. They will bring the corn out to your vehicle from their barn. Another location is Matthews Farm on Old U.S. Highway 421 near the Yadkin River Bridge. Both these farms offer corn for freezing. Call ahead to make sure corn is available and place your order so it will be ready when you arrive.

A fresh corn pudding is easy to prepare

This recipe is great when prepared with fresh corn, but can be made with canned cream- style corn and is great either way. Corn is a vegetable good in all seasons of the year whether fresh, frozen, or canned. For this corn pudding recipe you can use a 16 ounce can of cream-style corn or seven ears of fresh cut com from the cob (about one-and-a-half-to-two cups), Dice corn with a knife or food chopper, add half teaspoon salt, one cup of sugar, half teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, three eggs one cup milk, two teaspoons corn starch, one stick light margarine. Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Spray baking dish or pan with Pam baking spray and pour the pudding mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for fifty to sixty minutes. Stir pudding two or three times during the baking process. The pudding will be firm when done. To brown the pudding on top, place oven on low broil for a minute or so. Carefully watch to avoid burning. Great served warm or cold.

Investing in a durable corn silk brush

In talking about the season of fresh corn and freezing corn, a great investment that makes processing corn much easier is to always have a corn silk brush to make silking ears of com easier to do. You can purchase these brushes at Target, Walmart, houseware departments and kitchen specialty stores, as well as hardwares, from $3 to $5. A bottle brush works but not as well.

Dragon wing begonia has glossy foliage and colorful flowers

The Dragon Wing begonia fills the front with plenty of greenery and flowers as it cascades over its container. Just one potful overflows and is abundant with clusters of blooms. The leaves are oblong and glossy and the whole plant resembles a huge umbrella. The Dragon Wing will produce all the way until frost.

Majestic monarchs visit zinnia bed

Not only do black and yellow tiger swallowtails visit the colorful Zinnia bed, but so do the brightly colored Monarchs. The glow of the majestic monarch graces the zinnias with colorful orange wings framed in black with white dots present a show piece of beauty and detail. Butterfly wings are truly works of art.

Slices of green at every summer meal

Cool as a cucumber on every hot Dog Day evening is what summer’s harvest of cucumbers is all about. Cucumbers add something special to every meal of summer. All you do is use the vegetable peeler, peel several and slice them and apply salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar or ranch dressing to add something extra to every meal. Many gardeners like the unusual cumber sandwich with cucumber slices, plenty of mayonnaise, salt and pepper. We like the old fashioned way of peeling the cucumber and applying salt and pepper and the crunch.

Simple and easy to prepare blueberry sonker

This is a simple sonker recipe with fresh blueberries and a can of blueberry pie filling. The ingredients for the sonker are one stick light margarine, one cup sugar, two-and-a-half cups fresh blueberries, one can Comstock blueberry pie filling, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, one cup plain flour, one teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, one cup evaporated milk. To make crust, mix together one cup plain flour, flour, one teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, evaporated milk, and three fourth cup of sugar. Mix all these ingredients together until it forms a smooth batter. Melt one stick of light margarine in a saucepan and pour into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish. Pour the crust mixture over the melted margarine. For the blueberry filling mixture, bring the pie filling, fresh blueberries, sugar, and vanilla flavoring together and simmer for two or three minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the blueberry mixture into pie batter pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until light brown. The crust will be on top when sonker is finished baking.

An essential ingredient for hotties

As the hotties of Dog Days bear down making life a bit uncomfortable for dogs and people, consider also what the hot soil in the garden plot endures. You can improve soil conditions by applying a layer of peat moss under the soil of every vegetable you plant during summer months. Peat moss promotes moisture retention and improves soil texture as it adds organic matter to the soil. It acts as a sponge to absorb moisture and helps in the cooling of garden soil. A 3.5 cubic foot bale costs around twelve dollars and is a good investment for every garden.

-Dead news report. Employee: “Editor, your assistant just died, and I was wondering if could take his place.” Editor: “It’s alright with me if you can arrange it with the funeral director.”

-Return to Sender. Husband: “The bank returned the check wrote last week.” Wife: “Good, what shall we buy with it this time?

-No Sale Salesman. Sales manager: “Did you get any new orders today?” Salesman: “Yes, I got two orders.” Sales manager: “And what were they?” Salesman: “One was to get out and the other was to stay out!”

-Hard work doesn’t always pay. Teacher: “Kids, we can always learn a lesson from the ants. They work hard every day, and what happens at the end of the day?” Student: “Somebody steps on them!”

This is in reference to “Their View: State budget should be much better” by Bob Schofield in the July 14, 2022 edition of The Mount Airy News.

Mr. Schofield laments that funding for “state’s schoolchildren” doesn’t provide “access to a sound basic education.” Until such time as the federal government and the State of North Carolina cease indoctrinating our school children and community/state college students with anti-American (CRT) and alphabet soup deviant behaviors (amorality), the less of our tax dollars to support those ideologies espoused by the Marxist/Socialists, a.k.a progressive democrat party, the better.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Verse 5 of Romans 8 says “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” That verse reminded me of when I was growing up on the tobacco farm. We had an old mule by the name of Kate. Kate was a good working mule but, it was another thing putting the bridle on her. Without the bridle, you could never get that mule to do what you needed her to do. Most of the time even with the bridle she wanted to do as she pleased. Her passion was to go back to the barn where she came from and that’s what she did many times.

Folks, many Christians are the same way even when the Holy Spirit tries to guide them. Our passion many times is to do as we please. On the other hand, some people over time will have a passion to go back into the world and they do. I have witnessed this many times over the years.

Another frightening category is some never let Christian friends know that they love living worldly or fleshly lives. They can be church leaders or pew warmers with perfect attendance. These kinds of people are the hardest ones to reach because they think they are ok, but there was no repentance and turning from their sinful lifestyle when or if they were saved. They only want a good standing in modern society by following the Christian community.

We live in a society today that teaches mankind is basically good. But the Bible says “All have sinned and come short of His glory.” It’s not other Christians or good people that saved us from our sins. It is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh and we as Christians are supposed to love, praise, worship and most of all follow Him. We are not to be guided by fleshly ideas. We are to listen when the Holy Spirit speaks with our spiritual ears. We are not to give in to Satan’s deceiving ways and without regular prayer, you will drift every time because a regular prayer life is the foundation of following the will of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8 Paul puts it very plain in the last statement of verse 6 when he said “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If you are a Christian you are to be indwelled, guided by the Holy Spirit.” You can’t have it both ways or you are carnally minded Paul says.

In verse 6 Paul doesn’t candy-coat the truth of the Holy Spirit. “6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Salvation is about believing, and accepting Christ as your Saviour by asking forgiveness of sins and turning from those sins. God sends the Holy Spirit to be with you forevermore. It’s not complicated. Asking God in the name of Jesus forgiveness of your sins by repenting of them, turning from those sins, and accepting Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, and seal your identity that you belong to Jesus Christ Son of the living God. Keep a regular prayer life by asking Jesus for strength and guidance in your daily life because our God’s love is an unbridled love and covers a multitude of sins.

As the historically significant Main Oak Building began to crumble and its top floor be professionally disassembled and removed, there was no sign whatsoever of the mayor of Mount Airy or any city council official acting in his absence – such as the mayor pro tem or the managing director.

You don’t have to be a communications expert to know that a true leader is always first-on-hand to comment about an emerging or emergency situation that affects the population for which he or she is the identified leader. Some kind of comment or press statement should have been forthcoming from the mayor’s office at the outset of this situation (and at regular follow-up intervals) – if only to let citizens know the city’s leadership was awake and aware of the situation.

Despite the noticeable absence of leadership from the mayor’s office, the City of Mount Airy is blessed with many talented, natural-born leaders in the police department, fire department, and other key divisions – all of whom were able to work quickly and efficiently with other agencies and companies to help organize and orchestrate the necessary follow-up measures that needed to be taken to ensure public safety.

This November, let’s elect individuals with demonstrated leadership traits to help guide the city into a bright, bold future.

Freshness in a Dog Day afternoon thunderstorm

The sweltering sun bears down and heats up the Dog Day afternoon. The leaves on the mighty oaks, poplars, and maples flip their petticoats as they await the heat-relieving benefits of an afternoon thunderstorm. Even the hot foliage in the garden plot of summer vegetables fold open their green leaves to wait for the approaching thunder and lightning that heralds the up and coming refreshing thunderstorm, when huge raindrops will fall from dark gray clouds. The summer wind picks up and so do the torrents of rain. Temperatures fall as the leaves and garden foliage absorb the rain drops and both spread back their petticoats in thankfulness and even as the clouds clear out, the sky responds with a colorful rainbow at the close of a Dog Day afternoon.

The first tomato sandwich from garden

The joy of harvesting and excitement of the regular harvest of ripe tomatoes heated by the summer sun and that first tomato sandwich of the season is near. The very best tomato sandwiches are made with sun-heated tomatoes directly from the garden, sliced, placed in fresh slices of bread, sprinkled with salt and pepper on both sides and smothered with mayonnaise on both sides. We remember only one thing better and that was my mother and grandma’s cat head biscuits with a tomato the very same size as the biscuit and coated with Duke’s mayonnaise, salt and pepper. What a taste of heaven that was! One of the blessings of summer’s Dog Days is the rays of the sun bearing down on the rubies of the garden in summer.

A cool tomato treat in hot summer

Tomatoes from the summer garden brighten any meal and they enhance the flavor of any vegetable dish they become a part of such as fried corn, with diced tomatoes mixed into the corn. Lima beans with diced fresh ripe tomatoes mixed in them is also a special taste treat. This special recipe calls for fresh tomatoes combined with other ingredients to make a tasty tomato dish on a warm summer evening. To prepare this recipe, you will need eight medium-sized firm freshly harvested tomatoes. Cut off tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp and place the hollowed out tomatoes in a round glass plate. In a bowl, mix an eight-ounce pack of cream cheese (softened), three tablespoons mayonnaise, ten florets of fresh broccoli (diced), 12 strips of crispy fried bacon (diced), one peeled and diced cucumber. Mix all ingredients and spread into the hollowed out tomatoes. Cool in the refrigerator for an hour before serving. Garnish the tops of tomatoes with stuffed olives or tomato cubes.

Rainbow of color in the zinnia bed

The Zinnia bed is in full bloom with a rainbow of summer beauty and color. The swallowtail butterflies, bumblebees, goldfinches and sparrows visit the zinnias every afternoon as well as the majestic monarch butterflies. They all add extra color to the zinnias. As Dog Days get hotter, keep zinnias watered at the base of the plants with the water wand in shower” mode. Do not spray water directly on the foliage because this promotes powder mildew and cucumber mosaic. Soak the zinnia row or bed with a cool, drink of water to relieve the stress of Dog Day heat. As Zinnia blooms phase out, pinch off blooms to promote growth of new blooms. Drop spent blooms on ground outside the row or bed so the birds can peck the seeds from the died Zinnias.

Surry County blueberry harvest on way

The blueberry harvest is getting ripe in the Dog Day Sun. The best time to visit the blueberry fields and have a somewhat comfortable condition for picking several buckets of berries is to go early in the morning hours before the sun heats up the fields. Leave the kids at home with grandma simply because blueberry fields and kids do not combine well when your goal is to harvest a few buckets of blueberries. It really takes patience to pick blueberries. They have a taste and unique flavor that makes them well worth a journey to a pick your own blueberry farm.

Making a quickie blueberry cobbler

A combination of canned blueberry pie filling concocted with a mix of fresh blueberries and a crust made from two ready-made pie shells makes this cobbler easy to prepare. In a bowl, mix one can of Comstock blueberry pie filling, one and a half cups of fresh blueberries, two teaspoons vanilla flavoring, one and a half cups sugar, half cup water, one stick melted light margarine, two teaspoons corn starch. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish, sprayed with Pam baking spray. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Break or cut two thawed pie crusts into pieces and spread over the blueberry pie mixture. Melt the stick of light margarine and spoon over the pie crust pieces. Bake for one hour or until the crust is golden brown. Serve with ice cream, Cool Whip, or it’s great as it is.

Saint Swithin’s Day will be July 15

Saint Swithin’s Day will be next Friday. Saint Swithin is known as the saint of the soakers. Swithin may not live up to his name simply because we are in the middle of the heat of Dog Days. This heat on the other hand, could generate some hefty thunderstorms and protect the saint’s reputation. A Saint Swithin tradition states that when it rains on his day, he is christening the season’s apple crop. Maybe he could throw in a colorful rainbow to top of his special day!

Canning summer squash for winter sonkers

The straight neck and crookneck summer squash should now be producing a harvest. Do not allow any of them to go to waste or get too large. Can them in quart jars to make squash casseroles and sonkers all winter long. To can the squash, wash and scrub the squash with a stiff brush. Cube the squash into half-inch cubes. Fill sterilized quart jars with the cubed squash, fill jars with hot water and seal with lids and rings. Place jars in a pressure canner and process at ten pounds pressure for 25 minutes. To use canned squash in winter, drain water from jar and use as you would fresh squash. Squash casseroles and sonkers in winter are a real treat.

Making a simple squash sonker

Squash sonker is a Surry County treasure and heirloom that includes some mystery on how it received its name and how it came to be an important part of Surry County history. Sonker is good simply because the ingredients are so simple and available almost every Surry County home. It includes no fancy ingredients, mixes, or gourmet items just ordinary, plain household ingredients. There are many sonker recipes and some may be secret family recipes. It does not take long to decode the sonker secret because any Surry County country cook that knows their way around the kitchen can do the math and figure out what a squash or other basic sonker consists of and put one together in their country kitchen. For the next two weeks, the Garden Plot will feature two simple sonker recipes and later a basic sonker crust recipe.

Supporting pepper plants from storms

Use cages and tomato stakes to support pepper plants and prevent them from blowing over during hefty thunderstorms. These supports will also keep peppers off the ground and easier to harvest later in the summer.

“Hair Raising.” While shampooing her 4-year-old son’s hair, his mother noted how fast his hair was growing and that he would soon need a haircut. Her son said,”Maybe we shouldn’t water it so much.”

“A short cut.” Church member: “Pastor, how did you get that cut on your face?” Pastor:”I was thinking about my sermon this morning, and wasn’t concentrating on what I was doing, and I cut myself while shaving.” Member: “That’s too bad. Next time, you should concentrate more on shaving and cut your sermon.”

“College Kick out.” Larry: “My college has turned out some great men.” Harry: “I didn’t know you were a college graduate.” Larry: “I’m the one they turned out!”

Calm down America. You can still kill your babies. The whole issue is just going to state authority instead of federal.

But God is still God. And God will avenge the millions of babies that America has murdered and thrown in the trash, and sold their body parts to science.

You’re acting like heathens America. Women scream about “their bodies,” but when a new human being is conceived in the womb, it is “not” the mothers’ body anymore. It’s a brand-new human being. And if “mama” kills it, God will judge her as a murderer. And all those who helped her kill it.

According to one statistic 86% of abortions are done by unmarried women. So, if Americans would just stop being adulterers and fornicators, we wouldn’t even have an abortion issue.

You’re going the wrong way America. And God is against you. He is against your so-called liberal agenda. He is against gay marriage and all the LGBTQ whatever. Like it or not. God has always been against it and has warned that it will bring judgment.

America has become a stench in the nostrils of God. Ukraine can happen to you America. With enemies like Russia and China, our country could very well look like Ukraine in just months.

Our “great” military may not be as great as you think it is, and may be put to shame just like Russia was. If you’re trusting in the so-called great military of America, you are playing a fool’s game.

America’s only hope is repentance. Or will you just take your chances?

© 2018 The Mount Airy News