JULY 2020 Life at Crowfields

Did You Know?

Who wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?

The preamble, which begins with “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” and in just five sentences, it lays out the entire American Inside This Issue philosophy of government. In regards to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, on June 7, 1776, a committee of five were tasked with drafting it. Roger Did You Know? 1 Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John From the Editor 2 Adams and Robert Livingston. They debated over who The President’s Report 5 should actually write the first draft. Jefferson wanted Update from Gifted Funds 7 Adams to do it, but the Massachusetts delegate refused. Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes An excerpt from a letter Adams wrote in 1822, recounts in the Garden 8 how he managed to convince Jefferson to do it. Activities and More in July 10

Governor Cooper’s “Reason first, you are a Virginian, and Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I Phase 1 & 2 12 am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular. You are very Announcements and Reminders 13 much otherwise. Reason third, you can write 10 times Resident’s Contributions 15 better than I can.” From the Kitchen 16

Since 1776, there have been 120 declarations of independence issued by 120 nations and other The Crowfields Chatter is Edited by sovereign peoples. Jefferson wrote to a friend in 1795: Janet Moore and Published by Gayle Connell. If you have ideas, an “This ball of liberty…is now so well in motion that it will article or photos you would like to roll around the globe. At least the enlightened part of it, submit, contact Janet at 778-9300 or [email protected] for light and liberty go together.”

America was not built on fear. American was built on courage, on imagination,

and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.

--Harry S. Truman

Page 2 From the Editor By Janet Moore

In preparation for exterior painting, which begins for us the first week of July, Parker and I have been getting rid of stuff. Some of it, like the porch settee from our old place, has just never fit in, despite my numerous attempts to make it work. We uncovered cache pots for the orchids that had flourished in our large, sunny living room that looked out onto Westridge Drive. We sorted through garden tools, accumulated in the dismantling of our parents’ households, and asked ourselves, “Just how many shovels do we really need?” The answer was not nearly as many as we have. Funny how it often takes an outside force and a looming deadline, in this case the arrival of the paint crew on Monday, July 6, to rid ourselves of the dross. Suffice it to say that there have been numerous donations made to the WNC Bridge Foundation Estate Sale. There are times, of course, when want and need align. One such case occurred in 1949 when a group of Western N.C. businessmen, led by George Cecil and his fellow members of the newly-formed Western N.C. Agricultural Commission (WNCAC), took a road trip to Tupelo, MS. Cecil drove his car because, as one fellow-traveler pointed out, it was the only one guaranteed to get them down and back. They were on a fact-finding mission to learn about a successful rural economic development program. Along the way they saw mile after mile of abject poverty, Cecil recalls. “When we arrived in Tupelo, it was like night and day.” Instead of the sharecropper shacks, there were tidy houses and well-tended yards. Even the mailboxes were painted. “People had pride in what they were doing,” Cecil says. And there was an abundance of hope. At the time, there wasn’t much hope to be found in Western NC. Rural communities lacked electricity and running water. Families subsisted on small farms. Tobacco was the biggest cash crop. There were no interstate highways, only state and local roads, and many of them were in poor

From the Editor By Janet Moore

condition. The region was, as it had always been, isolated from the rest of the state. The man responsible for Tupelo’s renaissance was Morris McGough (pronounced McGoo). He’d grown up on a farm in Louisiana, raised chickens and participated in 4-H. He knew the challenges facing the rural South following World War II. And on the long trip home, Cecil and his fellow travelers decided that they needed to hire someone like McGough to ignite rural economic growth in the West. Cecil had a better idea. Why not hire McGough? They did, and the rest, as they say, is history. As executive director of WNCAC (later WNC Community Development and currently WNC Communities), McGough worked with TVA and various power companies to electrify the region. He partnered with NC Cooperative Extension to build the bedrock of his growth strategy, a robust network of community clubs that could address the needs and wants unique to each community. Who better to help them accomplish their goals than their counties’ Cooperative Extension Agents? That partnership continues today. Board members worked behind the scenes to ensure the timely completion of I-26 and I-40. From 1970-1989, McGough worked with the region’s legislators and Madison County native and Speaker of the House Liston Ramsey in particular to secure funding to build and then expand the WNC Farmers Market, the WNC Agricultural Center and Mountain State Fair, and NCSU’s Mountain Crops Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Mills River. The N.C. Arboretum is located here due to their efforts. In 2011, they secured the funding needed to build the Haywood County Livestock Market, following the closure of the remaining private market in Asheville. Those community clubs are still hard at work. As we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become rural distribution points for surplus chicken and produce from local farmers. With restaurants closed or partially open, demand for their products has dropped precipitously. WNC Communities’ network has provided them with a ready market and the communities with needed food.

From the Editor

By Janet Moore

Recently I had the opportunity to talk to George Cecil about the lessons learned from WNC Communities and its successes. “The basic tenents haven’t changed,” he said. Success starts with listening to what the community wants, and helping them achieve it, which creates success, which generates hope and ultimately builds pride. “You build from the bottom up rather than the top down.” It is my hope that this remarkable story of teamwork, motivated not for personal gain but rather to make Western N.C. a better place to live for everyone, will reach a wider audience. Currently I’m co-authoring a book about McGough, the organization he built, and the leaders he recruited. Many of those folks are gone. McGough died in 2011. My co-author Jay Fields and I are reaching out to those still living to capture their stories. We hope to have the book completed by year-end. I’ll keep you posted. For my part, I’m pushing to have my sections of the book completed before shoulder replacement surgery on July 9. Typing in a sling is no easy task. So, I’ll be taking a break from my regular column in August. The length of this one, more than makes up for that absence.

Photography courtesy of Darrell Hardister

The President’s Report Page 5 By George Watson

Hello Neighbors,

I certainly hope everyone is keeping safe and well in these troubled times. The BOD has continued to function even under these rigid restrictions. Thank goodness for ZOOM!

With safety in mind, we have been brainstorming on an effective way to conduct our Members Meeting on July 30. At that meeting, we must have a vote on the amended budget and the proposed Nominating Committee. It is also a meeting where members may participate during the meeting with comments or questions as opposed to a regular BOD meeting, and that is important. At the moment, we are considering several small meetings in the breezeway outside the clubhouse. Whatever we do cannot be decided until we see what the virus impact is over the next few weeks. We will notify Residents in advance of how we will hold the meeting. No matter how it is held, whether small groups or Zoom, please try to attend.

We have moved forward with our own “Phase 2" by opening the pool and the clubhouse for some limited activities. During this time, everything has restrictions, and these are posted outside the clubhouse and at the pool.

I did want to mention, in case you haven’t seen it, that Duke Energy has made repairs from the damage done by removing trees to reposition their poles along Hendersonville Road and Overlook. They fixed our broken sidewalk, cleaned up, and planted grass behind our trees to stabilize the soil and help prevent erosion, replaced three of our trees that were damaged, and added gravel to the walking path. However, don’t expect any more work on the road widening project this year due to DOT budget problems and politics. Thank goodness they agreed not to take down any more trees until the project actually begins.

We have had an excessive number of outsiders using our campus as a public park, walking, jogging, biking, walking dogs, and fishing. To address this, I spoke with the management at Weirbridge to put out the word that we are not a park and that we are private property. They agreed. In addition, Pete and his crew moved one of our “No Trespassing” signs right outside the gate in plain view, thank you, Pete. I will put out more on this subject in a future community email.

The President’s Report By George Watson

Thanks also to Pete and the guys for the great job they do in keeping this place looking like a park, and to J.T. and James for carefully prepping our units to be painted in July.

Some other shoutouts to mention, go to Janet Moore, Parker Moore, and Paul McDonald. Janet, for maintaining the beautiful garden as you enter "Three Mile Island," Parker for his trimming of bushes and shrubs to help the grounds crew, and Paul for his maintenance of the garden at U Cluster. I would also like to thank Paulette Webb and her committee for our wonderful website; if you have not checked it out, please do so.

Stay well. George

Page 7 UPDATE FROM GIFTED FUNDS

By now you have all received your brochure and order forms for the Crowfields Memorial Garden. Hopefully, you have ordered a brick or two (or more) personalized with names, dates, and occasions that are dear to you. Additional order forms are in the clubhouse and on our website.

Your Gifted Funds Committee has been hard at work. The first engraved brick order is going to the company this week. Four beautiful teak benches have already been purchased with engraved plaques to go in the new Memorial Garden. Two trees have also been donated to the garden.

The most exciting development is the wonderful garden plan designed by our very own Crowfields’ landscape architects, Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan. The Board has approved the plan and we are thrilled to share it with you.

On July 18 (rain date July 19) we will be having a socially responsible gathering at the site of the new Crowfields Memorial Garden to show you the plan, the benches, the trees and be available to answer any questions you may have. The Committee members and Mary Palmer will be on site to describe the project. To entice you further wine and some goodies will be served. Please come at 5 pm to learn all about our plans.

If we sell enough bricks early this summer, we plan to start construction this fall. Thank you for your enthusiastic response to what we know will be a beautiful and meaningful addition to Crowfields.

In the meantime, do not hesitate to ask any of us questions. Your Gifted Funds Committee,

Robert Bell [email protected] Anne Brady [email protected] Jim Crook [email protected] Susan Peele [email protected] Jill Preyer [email protected]

Page 8 Gods, Goddesses and Heroes in the Garden

Myth in the Garden Series by Martin Snyder

Mythology in the Garden

Hyacinth

Hyacinthus was a very beautiful Spartan prince and lover of the god Apollo immortalized in the Metamorphoses of the Roman poet Ovid. Hyacinthus was also admired by the West wind Zephyrus, the North wind Boreas and many mortals as well. But Hyacinthus chose Apollo over the others. The couple indulged themselves in hunting and climbing steep, rough mountains around Sparta. With Apollo, Hyacinthus visited all of Apollo's sacred lands in the chariot drawn by Hyacinthus swans. Apollo taught his lover the use of orientalis bow, of music and the lyre, the art of prophecy and exercises in the gymnasium.

One day, Apollo was teaching him the game of quoit or discus throwing. They decided to have a friendly competition by taking turns to throw the discus. Apollo threw first, with such a strength that the discus slit the clouds in the sky. Hyacinthus ran behind it to catch it and impress Apollo. But as the discus hit the ground, it bounced back, hitting Hyacinthus' head and wounding him fatally.

Alternatively, Zephyrus is held responsible for the death of Hyacinthus. Jealous that Hyacinthus preferred Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's discus off course to kill him. Hyacinthus riding swan,

Gods, Goddesses and Heroes in the Garden

Myth in the Garden Series by Martin Snyder

Apollo's face turned as pale as his dying lover as he held him in his arms. He used all his medicinal skills, and even tried giving ambrosia to heal Hyacinthus' wound, but in vain, for he couldn't cure the wound done by the Fates. When Hyacinthus died, Apollo wept, blaming himself. He wished to become a mortal and join his lover in his death. However, as that was not possible, Apollo promised that he would always remember Hyacinthus in his songs and the music of his lyre. From Hyacinthus’ spilled blood, Apollo created a flower, the hyacinth. This flower, was considered by the Greeks to be the most beautiful of all flowers.

Although a common garden plant bears the name hyacinth, the flower for which Ovid uses the name is among the most difficult of all the plants Jean Broc, Death of Hyacinthos in his Metamorphoses to identify botanically. According to Ovid, the deep purple hyacinth would eternally memorialize Apollo's grief over the passing of the youth, its petals bearing the Greek words of lamentation "Ai, ai."

The most natural candidate for Ovid's flower is the oriental hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), a native to southern and central Turkey, northwestern Syria, and Lebanon. The oriental hyacinth has lance- shaped leaves and produces spikes bearing up to forty very fragrant purple flowers in early spring. This flower does not, however, appear to bear the words "Ai, ai," and herein lies the source of much debate over the identity of Ovid's flower. Among the flowers proposed as Ovid's true hyacinth are several varieties of wild orchid and the corn lily, a Gladiolus wild gladiolus of Greece and Turkey (Gladiolus illyricus illyricus) that is purple flowering and has distinctive marks on its lower lip.

Gods, Goddesses and Heroes in the Garden

Myth in the Garden Series by Martin Snyder

The Greek myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus seems like a standard story of love, jealousy and tragic death, but it is a much more complicated tale. To begin with, Hyacinthus is not Greek. His name is a dead giveaway. The combination of the letters –nth/-thn does not appear in Greek (cf. Athens and Corinth, both pre-Greek settlements). He is almost certainly a mythological figure referred to as the “dying god,” an annual vegetation god who expires with the arrival of the summer solstice and the beginning of the Mediterranean dry season. He is temporarily joined in a “sacred marriage” (hieros gamos) each year to the local earth goddess. The marriage was celebrated with the three-day festival of the Hyacinthia each year in Sparta in early summer. Eventually Apollo displaced Hyacinthus as the focus of worship at the Hyacinthia. In a symbolic sense, Apollo really did kill his lover.

Sources:

Peter Bernhardt, Gods and Goddesses in the Garden: Greco-Roman Mythology and the Scientific Names of Plants (Rutgers University Press, 2008) 140-141

Annette Giesecke, The Mythology of Plants: Botanical Lore from Ancient Greece and Rome (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2014) 48-51

Philip Mayerson, Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music (Scott, Foresman and Company, 1971) 138-140

Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.162-219

Wikipedia, Hyacinth (mythology)

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” --Henry James

Activities and More for June 2020 Page 11

th Friday, June 26 was the tentative date to move into Phase 3 for North Carolina. However, on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 147, due to the increase in COVID -19 cases in North Carolina. This. intermediate hold on Phase 2, will be in effect until July 17, 2020, with the caveat that he will again review, and may revise the move th to Phase 3 before July 17 . Under Executive Order 147, North Carolina remains in Safer At Home Phase 2 of lifting COVID-19 restrictions until Friday, July 17. People are also required, with some exceptions, to wear face coverings while out in public when physical distancing of 6 feet is not possible.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

-CROWFIELDS WALKERS AND A TIME CHANGE TO 8:00. Crowfields Walkers meet at the

Clubhouse on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We walk together, maintaining a healthy distance and/or wearing a mask. As the temperatures rise, we have changed our start time to

8:00. The walk takes us just under an hour, but we pack in appreciation for our beautiful grounds, note the growth of the young geese, spot turkeys and rabbits. The blue heron in the pond pretended that he didn't notice us or the grackles who buzzed his vigil. Please come join us.

-MAH JONGG is meeting on Mondays at 1:00 and Wednesdays at 1:30. Making use of the screened terrace off of the Clubhouse/Pool areas, our intrepid Mah Jongg players have devised ways in which to play while maintaining healthy distances.

-BOCCE is played on Thursdays at 5:00. Keeping distances between players, carefully handling only one ball and cleaning them off reassures participants. As always, this is a lively, entertained and entertaining group. It's worth stopping by just to observe and lighten your day. The court has been moved and is now being played, at the soon to be renamed, “Three Mile Island.”

-SELF DIRECTED WATER AEROBICS Pool hours are reserved for water aerobics. From 10:00 to 11:00 daily, people who are interested can exercise. Susan Peele has created and posted a board illustrating the exercises that she practiced when she attended Carolina Spinal. One side is for neck/cervical strengthening and the other lumbar/lower neck. Adhering to pool rules and bringing our own pool noodle will help to keep us safe.

Page 12 Governor Cooper’s Phase 1 and 2 reopening restrictions

Page 13 ANNOUCEMENTS , REMINDERS, ETC…

It is that time of year when we start to see more bears out and about on the property. This is just a quick reminder to keep an eye out for them. A big one was seen just a week ago, and it was around dusk when it was spotted. Mother bears with cubs are more dangerous, so keep a wide berth; bears can run very fast. Since we do not have a way to alert everyone when a bear is sighted, it is important to keep yourself and your pet safe when out walking on the property.

Visit https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/bear-encounter/ to learn more about bears in WNC.

RENAMING OF THREE-MILE ISLAND It's time to rename "Three Mile Island". It is a lovely area, and not the site of a huge disaster. Some suggestions have been: The Circle, Park Circle, Parklike Circle and The Grove. Please send your ideas to [email protected] or call 274-6925 by July 10. The suggestions will be compiled and sent out to the community to vote on the best new and improved name for this lovely area at Crowfields.

In late June, Greg and Geri Silliman were entertaining long-time friends from

Louisville. One day, the men grabbed their fishing poles and headed to the upper

pond to see what was biting. It's safe to

say that Greg's friend reeled in a big

one...turtle, that is. Look closely at the

photo and you can see the mouth of a

large snapping turtle firmly attached to the

fish's tail. Is there any doubt that we are living the "wild life" here at Crowfields?

Page 14

ANNOUCEMENTS AND REMINDERS

Thinking about selling your unit? Let’s talk just a minute about your responsibilities to Crowfields in this process. Since the beginning of 2020, we have had several units sold where the Crowfields business office was not given prior notice of a closing. When the notification of a sale is communicated last minute through the attorney, rather than having a head’s up weeks beforehand, this puts undue pressure on the office, the BOD and the buyer/seller.

1. Application for ownership or to lease a unit has to be completed and submitted to the business office, along with a copy of the potential occupant’s driver’s license for approval by the Board of Directors. Again, this must to be approved prior purchasing/leasing a unit. As you know, the Board meets monthly, so keep that in mind.

2. Once the application has been approved, the buyer or buyer’s agent will be notified.

Several documents need to be prepared, and are required for the closing transactions to

take place. Information for those documents include the date of closing, the name of the

attorney handing the transaction for both the buyer and the seller, along with the exact

spelling of the name or entity to be listed on the Consent to Sale. Additionally, there are

required signatures, which must be notarized before the closing packet can go to the attorney.

The Crowfields Business Office requires no less than two weeks notification prior to the closing to prepare these documents. No guarantees can be made for a real estate closing with less than the required number of days stated. Please keep in mind there is a transfer fee of $400.00, which is the responsibility of the buyers—an invoice has to be generated and included in the closing packet. This is handled through APP who assures the HOA monthly dues and any outstanding invoices are up-to-date.

3. Giving Charles/Gayle a head’s up when a unit is up for sale is beneficial for both the buyers and the sellers. He can provide assistance regarding potential issues during a home inspection. This will allow enough time prior to due diligence to address any problems. Once the application has been approved, there are several documents which need to be prepared for the closing i k l If i f h d i ld h d f l i h f h

` Page 15

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CROWFIELDS RESIDENTS

A few thoughts to get you through just about anything… -- Submitted by Ann Taaffe

 Indecision is the key to flexibility  If you every find something you like, buy a lifetime supply because they will stop making it  You can’t tell which way the train went by looking at the track  Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle  This is as bad as it can get, but don’t bet on it  There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation  By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends  Happiness is merely the remission of pain  Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be  Sometimes too much to drink isn’t enough  The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant  Not one shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious  Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world  The other line always moves faster until you get in it  Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler  Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate  It’s hard to be nostalgic when you can’t remember anything  I have seen the truth and it makes no sense  If you think that there is good in everybody, you haven’t met everybody  If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone to blame in mind  One seventh of your life is spent on Monday

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

― Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address

Page 16 From the Kitchen Recipes by Gayle Connell

DALGONA I know in the summer time folks really like their iced tea and lemonade, especially here in the south. I have another cool summer drink that I absolutely love and, if you like coffee, you will love it, too. It is an Indian summer coffee drink called a dalgona. There are many variations of it, and you can make it with caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. Oh, it does have milk in it so, if you are lactose intolerant, it might not be the best recipe for you. I have not tried it with anything other than cow’s milk.

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 2 tablespoons of instant coffee (you can use instant espresso powder but cut back a bit, perhaps just one heaping tablespoon) 2 tablespoons of water

Ice and cold milk (2% is fine but it is really good with whole milk)

• In a bowl, stir the sugar, coffee and water together to blend. • Using a hand beater or a hand blender, whisk the mixture until it doubles or triples in volume and is very fluffy, as in the picture to the right. • Place several ice cubes or crushed ice in your glass and fill the glass ¾ full with cold milk. Top with the fluffy coffee mixture and enjoy.

You can go mad and add some cocoa powder to the mixture before you beat it or top it with a big scoop of ice cream, and add some chocolate syrup or homemade caramel. Whatever you do, it will be delish!

If you have a cooking question or a request for recipes, please send me an email at [email protected].

Page 17

Salmon Niçoise Salad—This is definitely one of my favorite summer salads. This picture is actually one of my own, and shows the salad with grilled salmon fillets. I do this often when friends come over, it is easy to put together and absolutely delicious. The original salad is done with canned tuna that is packed in olive oil, which you actually can find at the grocery store in the International section. If you don’t have salmon, use grilled tuna steaks, chicken or shrimp, all work very well.

The list of ingredients below are suggestions. Change it up to suit yourself and your guests. Last month, in “From the Kitchen,” I posted one of my staple vinaigrettes, a French vinaigrette, and it makes a great dressing for this salad, but any light herbed oil based one will work.

The quantities are totally up to you, I usually line the platter with arugula or baby lettuce and then place the veggies in groups around the platter so guests can help themselves to what appeals to them. A large platter is best for displaying this. Dress the greens just before you line the platter and then drizzle the vinaigrette over the whole thing before serving. Served at room temperature.

• Hard boiled eggs, peeled sliced in quarters, or circles

• Haricot verts (small, slim French green beans), trimmed and blanched until tender • Slender blanched asparagus (if you can’t find the haricot verts, this is a good substitution) • Tiny new potatoes, steamed, and cut in half if larger than an egg • Red and yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips • Cherry, grape tomatoes, red, yellow or combo sliced in half if large or regular ripe tomatoes sliced into wedges • Thinly sliced scallions or green onions, sprinkled over the entire platter • Anchovies slices (optional) • Niçoise olives • English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds or sticks • Blanched carrots cut into ovals or sticks • Capers (I prefer the small ones, a couple of tablespoons sprinkled over the whole platter) • Fresh chopped parsley or chives for garnish