Arrowhead at Armuchee Elementary

Yesterday we at Arrowhead spent the afternoon with seven classes of third-graders as they rotated through three activities. Under a picnic shelter at the back door of the school the kids learned about several Georgia species displayed by our director, Vivian Davis Chesley. Then they joined me at the Scenic Road Trailhead to explore the lower section of our nature trail along the little brook. And finally they reached Amos Tuck, our Coosa Riverkeeper, at the base of the bluff behind the school and examined the life forms Amos and his helpers (Joe Cook, Shira Kerce, and one other) were seining out of our tiny, beautiful stream.

I wish Berry College and Floyd County would get together to protect this 10-12 acres (Floyd County Schools property) and the adjoining 10-25 acres (of Berry Property) to give safe but easier access to this gorgeous natural area to the public at large.

Thanks to the 141 third-graders, seven teachers, principal Rodney Stewart, my fellow Arrowhead naturalists (Sarah Echols, & Vivian) our Berry "Bonner" intern Cole Abbott, and the CRBI staff (Amos, Joe, & Shira) for their help in making this a great time for all.

What a gorgeous, lush, diversely populated portion of the this little oasis in space is our Ridge and Valley province of Georgia.

 If you are looking for a way to help preserve our wonderful Coosa River Basin, join us at CRBI. There is no more effective environmental protection organization anywhere, IMO. Read more at coosa.org.

What a treasure is the Armuchee Elementary Nature Trail! Thanks, Amos, Joe, & Shira for your help yesterday.

As I understand it, the beautiful little Coosa Darter is not endangered. It is well-established in its range but only exists here in the Coosa Basin mostly in the little streams like this one. 

Gleaning Facebook: Coosa Darter

What a treasure is the Armuchee Elementary Nature Trail! Thanks, Amos, Joe, & Shira for your help yesterday. As I understand it, the beautiful little Coosa Darter is not endangered. It is well-established in its range but only exists here in the Coosa Basin mostly in the little streams like this one. What a gorgeous, lush, diversely populated portion of the this little oasis in space is our Ridge and Valley province of Georgia. If you are looking for a way to help preserve our wonderful Coosa River Basin, join us at CRBI. There is no more effective environmental protection organization anywhere, IMO. Read more at coosa.org.

 

Gleaning Facebook: Weedy Wildflowers

These iPhone pics from our walk along the riverwalk this morning cannot compete with Richard and Teresa Ware’s or George Barton’s beautiful wildflower shots, but they do illustrate the plethora of foreign species that populate North America. Can you separate the native species from the immigrant ones? (I know several of them but not all.)

Richard Ware: Vicia villosa ssp. varia (Winter Vetch). Disturbed areas; native of Europe.

Richard Ware: Cirsium vulgare (Bull Thistle) Meadows, pastures, and disturbed areas; native of Europe.

Richard Ware: This is a native sedge, either Carex garyi or Carex intumescens.

Richard Ware: Trifolium pratense (Purple Clover) Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas; native of Europe.

Richard Ware: Ruellia strepens (Limestone Wild-petunia), native plant.

Richard Ware: Daucus carota (Queen-Anne's-Lace).. Pastures, fields, roadsides, waste places; native of Europe.
Christie Hufstedler Boyd
They have cultivars of Queen Anne's Lace in Europe. I've seen it more than once in flower shops in the Spring paired with pink roses. The tame ones there last much longer than the wild ones here.

Laurie Craw
I have tried twice to get a stand of Queen Anne in my backyard meadow by seeds and by transplant. Finally got a couple of stalks, now blooming. Native or not, I want some in my yard!

Richard Ware: Melilotus albus (White Sweetclover). Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas; native of Eurasia.

Richard Ware: Flowers and compound leaves are Sambucus canadensis (Common Elderberry). Large heart-shaped leaves are Ampelopsis cordata Michaux, Raccoon-grape, both natives.

Fruit of native tree Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum).

Fruit of Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy), a native plant.

Packera glabella (Butterweed), formerly Senecio glabellus, a native.

Plantago lanceolata (English Plantain). Lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas; native of Europe.

Galium sherardia (Field-madder. Lawns, disturbed areas, native of Europe.

Blackberry (Rubus sp.) native.

Veronica persica (Bird's-eye Speedwell). Lawns, fields, roadsides, disturbed areas; native of Eurasia. Most leaves in the photo belong to Glechoma hederacea (Gill-over-the-ground, Ground-ivy. Lawns, gardens, disturbed areas, native of Eurasia.

Plantago lanceolata (English Plantain), native of Europe.

Yellow flower, a guess Hypochaeris radicata (Spotted Cat's-ear). Roadsides, fields, disturbed areas; native of Eurasia. and in the background Trifolium repens (White Clover) native of Eurasia

Erigeron philadelphicus (Daisy Fleabane), native plant.

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Hypochaeris radiata (Cat's Ear), native of Eurasia.

Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion). Lawns, roadsides, urban areas, pastures, disturbed

areas, native of Eurasia.

Oxalis stricta (Common Yellow Wood-sorrel), native plant.

Top: Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet). Moist forests, especially alluvial bottomlands; native of China. Bottom: Lonicera japonica Thunberg, Japanese Honeysuckle. Nearly ubiquitous; native of e. Asia.

Trifolium repens (White Clover), native of Eurasia.

Packera sp. [Senecio] (Ragwort)

Gleaning Facebook: Thistles at the Town Green

Facebook message from Carla Byram:

What's the name of this plant?

Comments

Richard T. Ware

Carduus nutans Linnaeus, Musk Thistle, Nodding Thistle

Terrell Shaw

Thanks, Richard.

Howard Smith

.....or, weed

Carla Byram

Thanks... All I could muster was "other worldly"

Terrell Shaw

A weed is just a plant that's out of place. These guys qualify, I guess. They were part of the famous Columbian Exchange: natives of Africa and Europe, but now happily settled in almost all of North America along with Chinese privet and Japanese honeysuckle. (Thanks, Wikipedia.) It is a pretty flower.

Carla Byram

Saw them today Downtown... Knew you and your friends could help with an id. and further info ... Many thanks!

Terrell Shaw

Sheila & I noticed them between the parking deck and the river at the town green a day or two ago. The same ones I s'pect.

Nina K Pettis

My mother always said, "A weed is just a flower without a good publicist."

Amber Lanier Nagle

Thistle

Tony Pope

Bull thistle???

Carla Byram

Yes, Terrell - same ones

Bill Cox

Looks like some type of thistle to me.

Terrell Shaw

Richard Ware IDed it above: Carduus nutans Linnaeus, Musk Thistle, Nodding Thistle

Bill Cox

People like you and Richard Ware amaze me. Having all that information stored in your head. I do good to remember my SSN, pins, and passwords....Okay at my age I admit I have them written down somewhere if I can only remember where I put my scratch paper...lol...

Terrell Shaw

Richard, yes. Me? I wish I knew all Bill Cox knows about horticultural plants and their care! Of course, it pays to have smart facebook friends: people tend to assume one is as smart as their friends, whether it's true or not. 

Gleaning Facebook: My Mother

Mother several decades ago.

What a treasure is my Mama, Ruth Baird Shaw. I always had the youngest Mom. I remember her 30th birthday. (I thought that sounded awfully old.) But people always took my gorgeous mother to be considerably younger that she actually was. They still do. She doesn't seem to mind us bragging about her age, nowadays. She's 92. And she is still active, independent, paradoxically strongwilled but meek and unassuming. She still blogs, Facebooks, writes. She published a book of sermons last year and has another one in the works now. She is still an amazing cook. I have always admired her and that admiration has grown through her brave remaking of her life and career after my father's death. As a 63 year old widow she returned to school, answered the call to full-time ministry, and blessed the lives of hundreds through Rico, Grantville, East Point Avenue, Trinity, Oostanaula, Lyerly and other Methodist churches. And for ten years or more now through her blog (Ruthlace) and her books.

I was not her first. She and Daddy practiced parenthood on Janice and Joan for several years before they perfected things with me. Later additions (Carol, Debi, Beth, and David) were noble efforts, but how does one improve upon perfection? Anyway, on this day, I am so blessed to once again wish my beautiful, kind, brilliant mom, Sarah Ruth Baird Shaw, a very happy Mother's Day.

Comments

Nancy Johal Singh Some one is a mama's boy and screaming out his love for his mom lol I love it:)
John Countryman Excellent tribute, Mr. Perfection!
Susan S. Carter Such a beautiful tribute to Aunt Ruth from her HUMBLE son!
Jenny Sills SO very true. SHe is a treasure!
Ken Freshour Sure love my seminary classmate.
Wendy Williams Yesterday her truly favorite son by another mother took her cruising in his model A Ford. You should be more careful about planning those out of town trips
Ruth Baird Shaw Yes Terrell, You missed the Big Mothers Day News in Rome Yesterday...getting to see me ride with Wade in his 1928 Model T Ford!
Sheila Matthews Shaw And, she is a wonderful mother-in-law!
Joan Shaw Turrentine You make it easy, Sheila. She (and we) loves you like a "blood" sister.
Jill Baird McCart Happy Mother's day, aunt Ruth. Terrell has plenty of reason to be proud of his mama. I pray you enjoyed your day.
Anita Stewart You are correct - your mom is an amazing lady!
Sandra Popham She is a beauty, and one of my heroes!
Dale Pickett What a beautiful way to share your Amazing Mother.I love her like family.Our roots run deep Porterdale Village Girls.Your Mama Baird was our neighbor..I will. Ever forget her and your Aunt Mary.
Joan Shaw Turrentine Wonder why this just showed up on my page today...

Gleaning Facebook: Celebrating...

She was a great mom from the beginning. Taking great care during her pregnancies. Bravely, with great discipline, laboring from first contraction to final push. Nursing, diapering, bathing, comforting... Amazingly patient. Wonderfully intelligent. Stunningly beautiful. You could not have had a more perfect Mom.

Soooo... This is just to remind you, Brannon Shaw & Lillian Shaw, that this is a day for you to honor, celebrate, revere, shower with kisses and flowers and gifts.... ME, the guy who picked out such a great mother, Sheila Matthews Shaw, for you.

Am I great or what?!

Floyd Hospital, July 27, 1988. The immediate family is complete.

Comments

Sheila Matthews Shaw

Silly man. 

Melanie Collette Babb

shaking my head

John Countryman

Groan!

Susan S. Carter

Terry you are as always too modest. Sheila hope you have a TERRIFIC Mothers day.

Frank Norris

Oy.

Beckie Gurley

Lol...

Martin Penland Teem

The soul of modesty.

Tersi Bendiburg

lol Oh, pleazzzze!

 

Gleaning Facebook: Les Mis Final Performance

Guess who is first in the long line for the final Saturday performance of Les Mis? This is our reflection in the Avo Theater front door. Leigh Whittingberg Callan So glad you are posting all of this excitement. My heart is there with you.
Terrell Sold out. 7:11 ...let's get this show going

 

Gleaning Facebook: Declining Deficits

If a Republican had the Obama economic record they'd be wanting to carve his image on Rushmore. Yes, it's still a deficit, but you can't get to surplus without first reducing the deficit, and we are on our way, steadily, in the right direction. (As we were under the last Democratic president: Clinton left us in surplus territory.)

Sam Burrell

Sam Burrell was a fine man. 
As principal of Main High in Rome in the sixties he put up with a naive white college kid's clumsy efforts to understand the perspective of black kids and adults. I was writing a paper on race relations in Rome for Dr. Duvon Corbett's history class at Asbury College. Mr. Burrell cooperated with me as I surveyed his students and teachers about racial attitudes. He responded briefly himself in a letter. I also interviewed several other Rome leaders of the day, as well as "regular folks" and surveyed a group of white kids too. I always appreciated Mr. Burrell's cooperation then, and as a grown-up I learned to admire him as a fellow educator and as a civic leader in Rome.

Sam Burrell (from the Rome News-Tribune

Comments from the Facebook post:

Howard Smith: He was a true gentleman.

Frank Norris: I didn't have the privilege of knowing Mr. Burrell (we have been in this neck of the woods only since 2004). However, I do remember, with deep appreciation, Dr. Duvon Corbitt. (I was a history major at Asbury, in the mid-'60's.)

Terrell Shaw: I remember Dr. Corbett with appreciation ... and a fair amount of fear and trembling!

Tom Barclay: ALWAYS enjoyed my encounters with Mr. Sam -- he WILL be missed.

Sam Burnham: I was doing a journalism internship with Scrips-Howard when he ran for county commission. I got to see him with the cameras on & off and saw the same man in both situations. He was truly a gentleman and I had nothing but the utmost respect for Mr. Burrell.

Laura Adams: I tried to share this post, Terrell, on the Main High Panthers group page, but it only posts the news article. I really wanted your comments, not the link. Could you "share" this post on that group page, please? It is a public group.

Jane Cox Slickman: I remember him as a real gentlemen

Jo Ann Thompson: When I first moved to Rome and changed schools to West Rome Junior Mr.Burrell was the first friendly face I saw I love and miss you R.I.P

Michael Burton: Yes as you remember we worked with him in improving race relations in the 1960s thru the youth council

Anita Stewart: Sam was a stable, dependable educator and community leader.

Ann Perkins Niemeier: He was a truly gentleman. He told me his grandparents were from Cave Spring & he knew ABC's in fingerspelling. He spelled it very gracefully! RIP Sam

Jenny Sills: A real gentleman!

Here is the web link to the Rome News-Tribune article about Mr. Burrell's death.